I hope all is well. I am a newbie and am acquiring some gear, on a budget. I purchased a Jaxon 100% wool fedora through Wested and have been steaming it with hat hardener to get a Raiders look:
Not sure how to upload a pic here, so the URL is above.
I am happy how it is turning out, except for the brim. I have tried ironing it and also steaming it with a heavy dose of felt hat hardener. I am tempted to undo the sewn seam. Would I wreck the edge and make the brim droopy if I took out the edge stitching?
Guess you are doing the best you can do with what you have and I can certainly appreciate "indy on a budget", but I fear you will only truly be satisfied by getting a fine fur fedora in either rabbit or beaver. Only so much you can do with a wool fedora and that bound edge.
Saving up or selling a few things will get you there eventually. Good luck.
Last edited by Jeremiah on Thu Dec 24, 2015 9:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My advice, don't mess with the bound brim. It's not that the brim would end up "floppy" (it's supposed to be very floppy) but you'll never get it to look right. A hatter could trim it and make it clean, but better to put the money toward a custom.
I agree with everyone else. Sometimes we want something to be something that it's not. Just appreciate it for what it is: a brown fedora. Not everything needs to be an Raiders.
As you wear it, the hat will take on character. It looks like you have done a good job with the crown, and that is the hardest part to really get down for the hat. Just let the rest of it happen. I bashed an old Stetson wool Temple and got a more Raiders look to it, but once I got my hands on a nice rabbit fur fedora made in a closer Raiders style the differences became apparent. Still, I wear both, depending on what I am doing. Both hats have a worn in style of their own.
anindyjones wrote:Is that the "outback" style DP? I trimmed the brim on mine with decent results. It was one of the first Indy hats I owned. Yours looks nice.
Thanks, Anidyjones. The one in the first pic is from Wested, a Jaxon.
When you trimmed the brim, was it stiff enough by itself, or did you need to use a stiffener spray on the brim to keep the shape you wanted?
It was pretty floppy after the trimming. I believe I did spray it lightly with some felt hat stiffener. If you do this remember to steam the brim in the areas you I tend to use stiffener on BEFORE you apply the stiffener. Otherwise it will leave a flakey residue.
Thanks for the tip on leaving the brim as is. Cheers guys.
not recommended. 
