Fed IV Durability

[Titan2T2]

Good Day All!

I have not been on very much lately, but have been a member for a "couple" of years I have to say when I bought my Fed IV (Standard, not deluxe) I was worried about durability, screen accuracy, etc. This thing has blown me away. I've worn it pretty much everyday since purchasing it new in '08 and it still looks great. The only issue I hit was the sweatband started pulling away. At first I thought this was a durability issue, but come to find out my oldest kid had sat on it on accident as I was getting ready to head out the door and tried to hide it. This made for a great conversation with Hats Direct as well btw (I found out about the sit on after). It may sound corny, but I can't begin to explain how happy I am with this thing. If anyone out there reading this is thinking about getting one I would highly recommend it. The only "bad" thing is it still looks brand new... I was hoping for some "war stories" by now

[JockThePilot]

Well this is good to hear. I just ordered my first Fed IV Deluxe, and while the size ended up being a bit big, I am in love with the hat.

That said, I am going to try selling my hat and ordering a smaller size. Perhaps I'll go for the regular over the deluxe to further cut my losses. Especially if the regular is so hearty like you say!

I love hearing gear stories like this!

Jock

[Jeremiah]

Return policy no good with hats direct?
You can't exchange for a smaller size?

[backstagejack]

I've had my fed since atleast '09 and bought it used at that. I have beat the living @#$% out of it. It's been sat on, crushed, knocked off my head, left in the 100 degree weather, etc etc. I ripped the liner out of it as well to make it less hot.

Only now, ONLY now has it somehow gone from a tiny bit too large and needing foam inserts to not needing foam inserts and now it's getting tight, even when I have a very short hair cut. I've been using a hat stretcher though and so far so good.

Just rebashed it as well to a 4 point diamond crease and it's good so far.

Never brushed it or had a re-block though I'm sure it really needs it.

[Glenville86]

The Fed is a tough fedora. I have a few in different colors and will not wear them out in my lifetime as I rotate my hat collection. Folks are spot on with the sizing. I wear a 58 and some require hat spacers, some fit perfectly and a couple are on the snugger side.

[JockThePilot]

Return policy no good with hats direct?
You can't exchange for a smaller size?

Unfortunately no once it's been bashed. To be honest I found the experience a little frustrating because they advised me to bash it and that it would probably shrink/fit/look better once that was done. Of course, once that was done and I still felt it was too big, they wouldn't do an exchange.

They have, however, offered me a slight discount on a new hat, which is appreciated. It's an unfortunate situation, because it's kind of "no-win" for either of us. Even if they would exchange, the shipping to return and get a new one would be almost half as much of the hat itself. So I can see why for them they can't afford to have a more liberal exchange policy, but at the same time it makes buying the hat feel like a risky investment. The whole thing feels a little:

Anyways, sorry for hijacking your thread with my venting, Titan. Whoops!

Jock

[Jeremiah]

Gotcha.
Well I need to get a fed IV one day. That's neat about them being bombproof.

[Michaelson]

I've posted this in the past, but will do so again as a suggestion to keep in mind next time you order......give them your exact head measurement and ask them to match a hat to that measurement, instead of just giving them a hat size.

That way they have to pull out a tape measure and check a hat before shipping.

I've had good results getting hats that fit the first time by doing this.

Just a suggestion.

Regards! Michaelson

[mcmanm]

I took Michaelson's recommendation of giving the measurement and Head type (long oval) when I ordered my first hat. It fit perfect. Didn't even need the tape they include. Ordered another the same way that's on its way. Hope to get the same result.

[JockThePilot]

I've posted this in the past, but will do so again as a suggestion to keep in mind next time you order......give them your exact head measurement and ask them to match a hat to that measurement, instead of just giving them a hat size.

That way they have to pull out a tape measure and check a hat before shipping.

Thanks for the advice! In fact, I believe I had read that from you somewhere before, because this is exactly what I did, and they did measure my hat. I said I had read that you can expect lots of shrinkage, which I mentioned I was worried about, and I think that may have been my mistake. My head measurement was a 60, and they suggested a 62 (which I was told measured 61.5).

Even fully bashed and padded it looks like it's "hovering" over my head. I can fit four fingers in the back of it. It has shrunk up a bit, but it has a looong way to go, and right now it very much feels like I'm wearing my daddy's hat.

[McQ7]

I've worn my 2nd hand Fed IV since getting it at the beginning of last September. I measure 22" and it was tagged as a 57, which was what HatsDirect had recommended. It required foam strips on the front and back. After wearing it in the blistering hot weather every time I went outside, including yardwork, I was able to remove the foam strips by mid October. Last September in Arkansas was hot hot hot.

After wearing it almost every day since then, I discovered about a month ago that it was sitting down a bit far for my liking, so I added a foam strip in the front and wore it for about a week. Now, the Fed IV has sized to sit a bit higher on my head.

I've worn it in every kind of weather--rain, snow, 95 degrees F and so humid you could swim in it. I left it in my car for 3-4 hours by accident and I'm sure it was about 80 degrees in there. A bit tight at first but fit right back after a day or two. It's been sat on a few times, and tossed around by a toddler. I've worn it any time I had to do yard work.

I rebashed it from an oval/porkpie when received to the Raiders bash and had to use a ton of steam and rolled a glass inside it and pressed on the outside to get out that hard crease. I recently rebashed it again to get the front height crease from 4.25" up to 4.5" and to get the center dent more to my liking.

Honestly, my Fed IV is only looking all the better for it--just as I had hoped.

[Jeremiah]

Wow. Nice. But you know. I could replace the words fed IV in your story with AB beaver and I have done all those things you mention.

[Screencapped]

I've posted this in the past, but will do so again as a suggestion to keep in mind next time you order......give them your exact head measurement and ask them to match a hat to that measurement, instead of just giving them a hat size.

That way they have to pull out a tape measure and check a hat before shipping.

Thanks for the advice! In fact, I believe I had read that from you somewhere before, because this is exactly what I did, and they did measure my hat. I said I had read that you can expect lots of shrinkage, which I mentioned I was worried about, and I think that may have been my mistake. My head measurement was a 60, and they suggested a 62 (which I was told measured 61.5).

Even fully bashed and padded it looks like it's "hovering" over my head. I can fit four fingers in the back of it. It has shrunk up a bit, but it has a looong way to go, and right now it very much feels like I'm wearing my daddy's hat.

My suggestion would be to turn on a space heater in a small room such as the bathroom or closet, totally soak the inside and outside portion of the hat where the ribbon and sweat are and leave it to dry for a few hours. Trust me, I had the same problem with my Fed being too big but the heat solved it.

[JockThePilot]

My suggestion would be to turn on a space heater in a small room such as the bathroom or closet, totally soak the inside and outside portion of the hat where the ribbon and sweat are and leave it to dry for a few hours. Trust me, I had the same problem with my Fed being too big but the heat solved it.

I have heard things like this a few times. I'm just a little leery about trying many more "home remedies". But maybe if I can't end up selling it that's what I'll end up doing anyways.

The "small room sweat shack" method sounds risky... but on the other hand maybe it helps get that "mushroom" shape that you see in some bashes?

Jock

[backstagejack]

My fed was too big on me when I bought it but my size is between a 7 and a 7 1/8 . So I put in the foam strips. It took a lot of wearing and I had to take the strips out. Now after years of abuse, I'm having to use a hat stretcher to make it fit again.

[JockThePilot]

My fed was too big on me when I bought it but my size is between a 7 and a 7 1/8 . So I put in the foam strips. It took a lot of wearing and I had to take the strips out. Now after years of abuse, I'm having to use a hat stretcher to make it fit again.

How many years are we talkin'?

[backstagejack]

My fed was too big on me when I bought it but my size is between a 7 and a 7 1/8 . So I put in the foam strips. It took a lot of wearing and I had to take the strips out. Now after years of abuse, I'm having to use a hat stretcher to make it fit again.

How many years are we talkin'?

I've had my hat at least 6-7 years. I had the foam strips in it for probably 4 years, I actually forgot they were in there.... but to be fair I couldn't wear the hat every day in the Texas heat, so it probably would've gone faster with better weather.

[Indiana Jeff]

Wow. Nice. But you know. I could replace the words fed IV in your story with AB beaver and I have done all those things you mention.

True. At 6x the cost. We're talking apples and oranges there.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[McQ7]

Wow. Nice. But you know. I could replace the words fed IV in your story with AB beaver and I have done all those things you mention.

True. At 6x the cost. We're talking apples and oranges there.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

Exactly--and while I know the AB beaver could take it, I would probably not feel comfortable about wearing it so roughly. The Fed IV to me has been ideal combination of affordable, durable, comfortable, and flexible (with regard to specifics of bash).

[Jeremiah]

Yeah. I can understand that.

[Screencapped]

My suggestion would be to turn on a space heater in a small room such as the bathroom or closet, totally soak the inside and outside portion of the hat where the ribbon and sweat are and leave it to dry for a few hours. Trust me, I had the same problem with my Fed being too big but the heat solved it.

I have heard things like this a few times. I'm just a little leery about trying many more "home remedies". But maybe if I can't end up selling it that's what I'll end up doing anyways.

The "small room sweat shack" method sounds risky... but on the other hand maybe it helps get that "mushroom" shape that you see in some bashes?

Jock

You need to sit on it to achieve the reverse taper I'm afraid.

[RJR]

My experience with Akubras says go ahead and sit on it AND try the sweatbox;they're pretty bullet proof.

[BendingOak]

I've posted this in the past, but will do so again as a suggestion to keep in mind next time you order......give them your exact head measurement and ask them to match a hat to that measurement, instead of just giving them a hat size.

That way they have to pull out a tape measure and check a hat before shipping.

I've had good results getting hats that fit the first time by doing this.

Just a suggestion.

Regards! Michaelson

Ditto

[McQ7]

Here's what I love about the Fed IV:
Last week I got a short hair cut and was also long, long overdue, so my Fed IV that had fit pretty perfectly had become too large. I put a foam strip in the front/forehead area and wore the Fed IV yesterday as I mowed the lawn. It was about 90 degrees and humid. The sweatband earned its name. When I finished I took the hat off, beat it and brushed it with my hand to get it clean, reset the bash, and set it down inside as usual. This morning the hat looked as good as ever, and I removed the foam strip and the Fed IV fits perfectly again.