The Fed 4 block shape and styles

[Holt]

Hey guys, The mailman just visited my doorstep and he brougth me a 100% new unbashed Fed 4 size 58 (Ford size) from a fellow member here. Thanks again man! Today, I am a happy man!

Let me just start with the quality. It's been 8 years since I got my 4 deluxe federation hats and the quality really has stepped up some. The sweatband is way different then in my other 4 hats. It's nice and thick and feels like it will take alot of use. The felt is the same, nice tight brushed felt. Love it!

So on to the block and why I made this thread in the first place. The block shape is the same as it was when I first got my first Akubra hat. I thought it would be a great oportunity to show you guys what you can get out of the hat straight out of the box as many think it cannot pull of a great Raiders hat without reblocking it. But let me say, the block shape Akubra use is really great! It leans more towards a dome block then a straight raiders block yes, However, that doesn't mean you can't get a very nice Raiders hat out of it. You can, You just got to know how to play the tunes...in fact, if you play it right you can almost get any style hat from it. Raider, Temple, LC or the CS. Believe you me, you don't need to send it in for a reblock. The block is more like a potatoe, it can be used for anything. - Let me show you.


Here is a 10 minute bash straight out of the box. Put it on, turned it slightly, knocked in the bash and the dents. Pushed in the heartshape. Put in the back taper and there you go!

Raiders!


















All in all, great great hat

Now I am gonna play in all the tiny details of the Raiders hat.

[Jeremiah]

Dry bash?
Looks good to me.

[Adventure Dog]

Looks like they've had some great improvements since my Fed III reg in the last 10 years! That third picture really makes me consider going non-turned for my fedora.

Thanks for sharing!

[mcmanm]

Great post. Was hoping for some pics of the hat right out of the box unbashed to see what you were talking about. Also, sweatband, ribbon, etc.

[Screencapped]

Is this the standard Fed or deluxe?

[Holt]

Sorry, this is Standard and it is not like the standard I got 8 years ago. Feels way more substantial. Lovely hat.

[mcmanm]

Picked up the Grey Clipper from a member on the site. Guessing it's the other one of two hats that started this post. Let me say I've never owned a Fed 4 let alone any factory hat.

A few 1st impressions.
Felt seems pretty smooth for imperial felt. Can only imagine what the deluxe must be like.
Color looks spot on.
Bow work not SA but will do for sure.
Really impressed with the sweatband. Super soft and pliable. Again, if the deluxe is better, can only imagine what it must be like.
Snug fit in that I think I'm really a 59, but couldn't beat the price being its a brand new hat in box.
Definitely a stiff hat for sure. Will probably use steam to soften it up and bash it.

Again, my first impression is that this is an outstanding hat for the money invested.

[mcmanm]

Took the plunge and removed the plastic from the liner. Just separate the plastic from the liner so you can start a hole with scissors. Cut right down the middle of the plastic. Then just gently pull away from where it's sewn. The plastic has become perforated the way it was sewn to the liner. Turn inside out and pull away the strip that is left over.

[mcmanm]

Really like this hat. Little snug and will probably use it for display. Just couldn't beat the price. Thinking of getting the Deluxe in the next size up.

Had couple of questions for the owners of these hats.

Is the Deluxe less prone to taper vs the Standard based on the felt?

Is the Deluxe sweatband have less variability in shrinking vs the Standard?

[McQ7]

Hey guys, The mailman just visited my doorstep and he brougth me a 100% new unbashed Fed 4 size 58 (Ford size) from a fellow member here. Thanks again man! Today, I am a happy man!

Let me just start with the quality. It's been 8 years since I got my 4 deluxe federation hats and the quality really has stepped up some. The sweatband is way different then in my other 4 hats. It's nice and thick and feels like it will take alot of use. The felt is the same, nice tight brushed felt. Love it!

So on to the block and why I made this thread in the first place. The block shape is the same as it was when I first got my first Akubra hat. I thought it would be a great oportunity to show you guys what you can get out of the hat straight out of the box as many think it cannot pull of a great Raiders hat without reblocking it. But let me say, the block shape Akubra use is really great! It leans more towards a dome block then a straight raiders block yes, However, that doesn't mean you can't get a very nice Raiders hat out of it. You can, You just got to know how to play the tunes...in fact, if you play it right you can almost get any style hat from it. Raider, Temple, LC or the CS. Believe you me, you don't need to send it in for a reblock. The block is more like a potatoe, it can be used for anything. - Let me show you.


Here is a 10 minute bash straight out of the box. Put it on, turned it slightly, knocked in the bash and the dents. Pushed in the heartshape. Put in the back taper and there you go!

Raiders!
....

....
All in all, great great hat

Now I am gonna play in all the tiny details of the Raiders hat.

Man, your bashes are the absolute best! I used some of your previous Raiders bash pics when I was bashing my Fed 4 that I got last summer, but it didn't quite get there. I think it was the Streets of Cairo attempt, and you'd roughed it up quite a bit and possibly reblocked, though, so I was happy to get about 80% there. And now this post of a pretty perfectly done bash on a new Fed 4!
When I look at the center dent of this Fed 4 compared to mine, it looks almost identical...except mine doesn't have the heart shape going on. Rather, it's more like a rounded M in which the valley is curved at the bottom.
Is it because I bashed it too short at 4.25" front height rather than 4.5"?

[mcmanm]

Been out of town and just received my Fed 4 Deluxe 59. Wow, what a hat! Again, have only owned custom hats from our awesome vendors prior to my "blind buy" of the carbon grey standard here on the forum that was a little snug at 58.
Really surprised how soft it was out of box vs the standard. Molded like putty. Best hat purchase for the price I've made since getting into this hobby a decade ago. The bow is the bow if that means anything to us aficianados. Great for a factory hat, but nothing like a custom of course. If on the fence would definitely recommend the Deluxe.

[mcmanm]

Well, the Fed IV Deluxe Moonstone 59 came in the other day. Funny how each hat is different. Ordered the same way I did for the Brown, adding my size and shape of head, yet was just a tad big out of the box. I'm sure it will shrink so no big deal. Even though it's a factory hat, each has its own small differences.

[Howard Weinstein]

I love my Fed IVs (2 brown, 1 moonstone). I'm with Holt and others -- no problem getting a Raiders (or other) bash out of these. I did one as Raiders and one Crystal Skull.

The felt is very smooth (smoother than my Akubra westerns), and while the Fed IV feels "sturdier" (i.e. less "floppy") than a custom hat would, wearing it, playing with it, crunching/uncrunching it will likely get softer and sloppier with time.

The Fed is a real quality hat at a great price, especially if a custom hat isn't in the budget.

[BendingOak]

Block is improved thanks to Steve Delk Adventurebilt hats

[Indiana Jeff]

Block is improved thanks to Steve Delk Adventurebilt hats

John, can you clarify? I don't know what you mean by your comment.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

[adiemilio]

Holt you get the Raiders bash spot on!, makes me want to send you my AB.

[Michaelson]

Block is improved thanks to Steve Delk Adventurebilt hats

John, can you clarify? I don't know what you mean by your comment.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff

From the HatsDirect website:

The Federation IV

The Hattery and Akubra Hats, together set about creating a new hat, selecting an older set of hat blocks we believe date back to the 1920's. Advice from Mark Cross (Indygear.com) and Steve Delk (Adventurebilt) the hat maker for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, have assisted with the final result. The blocks used for this hat are original wooden blocks made by Akubra Hats. They have no pre determined shape. At no stage do we make any claim that this hat is a replica of the Indiana Jones hat as used in the movies. This hat has been made on a set of older hat blocks, and has been left in an "open crown" state allowing customers to shape according to their desire.

Regards! Michaelson

[mcmanm]

I agree. You can really get an outstanding Crystal Skull hat out these. I think even better than a Raiders.

[Jim Kenobi]

Can I ask about the first post for more details??

Was it dry or did you use steam, another method, etc?

What do you mean by turned it slightly first??

Thanks

[backstagejack]

Can I ask about the first post for more details??

Was it dry or did you use steam, another method, etc?

What do you mean by turned it slightly first??

Thanks

Pretty sure this was dry bashed. Akubra's take their shape fairly well without any steam or water though Holt is pretty darn better at this than I have become.

The turn is a small technique of (before the initial bashing) turning the hat ever so slightly on the head to slightly distort the brim shape to give you that unique Raiders look that Ford wore in the first film. There's plenty of tutorials and threads throughout the Fedora section that can help you out with this.

A quick search brought this up, member's debating on the "Raider's Turn"

http://indygear.com/cow/viewtopic.php?f ... light+turn

Welcome to the Forum!!

[MustangLoverMex]

Hey Holt, how are you?
By any chance have you considered creating a tutorial video on how to do a bashing like the one you did here? I have a Fed IV standard from years and years of good use (actually it has a spot at the front in which the color faded ?? ).
Anyways... great pictures and thanks for sharing!
Regards,

- Mike

[D00R]

FEDIV FTW

[Hobbit Fedora]

The Fed IV Deluxe is absolutely amazing for the price and then some. Turned mine into a Last Crusade (A Fed IV Crusader as it were ) and now stumped as to get one in Moonstone for a Casablanca look or Tawny. Would certainly recommend cutting out the plastic piece over the liner’s maker’s mark. I live in Florida and the second I removed it the hat didn’t feel any hotter than my cotton twill newsboy cap....except for the sweatband but that’s leather for you.

[Indiana Croft]

Am I ready their site correctly $129.26, not bad for a decent hat, if you look at others at $400.00 plus, why should one invest in a Fed.

Just asking for a friend (me )

Croft

[jlee562]

This may be an unpopular take, but....

Akubras are nice for their rugged durability. But if you're already decked out in a nice custom, the Fed is gonna be a downgrade. Akubra keeps the price low by using cheaper leather for their sweats and by not doing as much finishing work. Hats direct will tell you as much if you read between the lines of their marketing-speak. Describing the difference between Standard and Deluxe:

The leather sweat band is a higher quality leather, specially processed for these hats. It is softer and less prone to drying out and shrinkage compared to the regular Federation. It makes up a proportion of the price increase over the regular Fed. The Deluxe undergoes further finishing over the normal Heritage range resulting in a much smoother finish than the previous model.

Of course, I should stress, Akubra makes very nice hats! They are an incredible value and better made than most all hats at their pricepoint. The Standard line is not, as Hats Direct also stresses, an inferior product line. Akubra makes good hats and they make better hats. But, they do not, in my opinion, make the best hats. If you want a felt hat you can wear in the rain with no worries, Akubra is the best buy. If you want a luxurious feeling/looking hat, Akubra is not so much the best buy.

[Indiana Croft]

Just revisited the site. I missed the delux.
Still a good price, and the only reason I’m looking was for a
1) decent fur felt fedora.
2) I’ve never bought an open crown and always wanted to.
3) a fur felt for a, well a beater that can stand up.

Am I on the right track.

Croft

[Forrest For the Trees]

I would go straight for the deluxe if you are used to finer hats. Shame, though, as I like their standard logo on the liner, not the heritage logo on the deluxe liner. Other thing that bugs me on the Federation is the ribbon color is a little too chocolate brown instead of that dark espresso color that it should be.

As to open crown, it is fun to shape it yourself, so it is well worth it to get that experience.

[jlee562]

Just revisited the site. I missed the delux.
Still a good price, and the only reason I’m looking was for a
1) decent fur felt fedora.
2) I’ve never bought an open crown and always wanted to.
3) a fur felt for a, well a beater that can stand up.

Am I on the right track.

Croft

Yes, the Fed IV fits all those! I would second the recommendation of grabbing the Deluxe over the Standard.

[Hobbit Fedora]

Definitely get the Deluxe, I would argue you get more than you pay for. The only thing I would recommend, as stated above, is (carefully) cutting out the plastic cap they put in over the liner’s Maker’s Mark. It’s pretty incredible how much of a difference it makes.

[Indiana Croft]

Sorry to ask, but in difference, do you mean by how much heat Is held in.
And any further instructions on cutting, you mean to literally cut.

Croft

[Illinois_Jones]

I also say get the deluxe, especially if you're planning on going for a Raiders style tight pinch. It is noticeably lighter and softer than the Imperial, which is a good and durable felt but it is pretty darn heavy for a fedora.

That said, of all my Feds, I like the tawny fawn felt the best. That tawny Imperial felt is softer and finer than the other Imperials for some reason and feels exactly like the Heritage if not better.

[Hobbit Fedora]

Sorry to ask, but in difference, do you mean by how much heat Is held in.
And any further instructions on cutting, you mean to literally cut.

Croft

Yup, it feels much cooler after removing the plastic cap, about on par with my cotton twill newsboy cap. The Fed Deluxe is a pretty decently light hat. I just snipped a small hole with the end of a pair of scissors and from there just carefully cut it out. There’s still a little bit left where it was stitched in but since I have no sewing skills that’s fine.

[jgino]

This may be an unpopular take, but....

Akubras are nice for their rugged durability. But if you're already decked out in a nice custom, the Fed is gonna be a downgrade. Akubra keeps the price low by using cheaper leather for their sweats and by not doing as much finishing work. Hats direct will tell you as much if you read between the lines of their marketing-speak. Describing the difference between Standard and Deluxe:

The leather sweat band is a higher quality leather, specially processed for these hats. It is softer and less prone to drying out and shrinkage compared to the regular Federation. It makes up a proportion of the price increase over the regular Fed. The Deluxe undergoes further finishing over the normal Heritage range resulting in a much smoother finish than the previous model.

Of course, I should stress, Akubra makes very nice hats! They are an incredible value and better made than most all hats at their pricepoint. The Standard line is not, as Hats Direct also stresses, an inferior product line. Akubra makes good hats and they make better hats. But, they do not, in my opinion, make the best hats. If you want a felt hat you can wear in the rain with no worries, Akubra is the best buy. If you want a luxurious feeling/looking hat, Akubra is not so much the best buy.

Are Akubra's that good in the rain?

[Illinois_Jones]

For rabbit, yeah. But also because they shellac the #### out of them. They're mostly purpose-built for work, so in that way they're quite different from a dress felt. That said, dress felts tend to have a durability all their own thanks to the pliability, but a dress weight rabbit it ain't going to be water resistance generally.

Now the other major part of "no worries" with Akubra is that it's only like $150, which is a lot less likely to make me cry if it gets ruined than a $600+ custom.

[Forrest For the Trees]

I would say if you are going to be out in the elements and want to wear an Indy hat, then the standard Akubra Federation is best suited for the job.

[jlee562]

This may be an unpopular take, but....

Akubras are nice for their rugged durability. But if you're already decked out in a nice custom, the Fed is gonna be a downgrade. Akubra keeps the price low by using cheaper leather for their sweats and by not doing as much finishing work. Hats direct will tell you as much if you read between the lines of their marketing-speak. Describing the difference between Standard and Deluxe:

The leather sweat band is a higher quality leather, specially processed for these hats. It is softer and less prone to drying out and shrinkage compared to the regular Federation. It makes up a proportion of the price increase over the regular Fed. The Deluxe undergoes further finishing over the normal Heritage range resulting in a much smoother finish than the previous model.

Of course, I should stress, Akubra makes very nice hats! They are an incredible value and better made than most all hats at their pricepoint. The Standard line is not, as Hats Direct also stresses, an inferior product line. Akubra makes good hats and they make better hats. But, they do not, in my opinion, make the best hats. If you want a felt hat you can wear in the rain with no worries, Akubra is the best buy. If you want a luxurious feeling/looking hat, Akubra is not so much the best buy.

Are Akubra's that good in the rain?

They're meant to handle the outback. I used to keep a Fed IV as my main rain hat until I started wearing western hats. For a fur felt hat in the rain though? Akubra is a good choice.

[Indiana Croft]

Thinking of pulling trigger soon once a transfer goes through, but I’m thinking of my possibility’s of the bash.
And I’m thinking of trying to do something similar to a young Indy, on another thread I saw a pic of a science from an episode called secret service (sorry on a I-Pad and don’t know how to put a link to the thread)

Has anyone. Ever tried this?

Croft

[Illinois_Jones]

As others have said, the Fed has a very dimensional brim while the Young Indy hats are rounded and generally speaking the Fed is best suited to replicating the TOD and LC, but it could probably be done. It'll be a lot of work to rework the flanging and get it to flop, though. A lot of soaking and an iron, I'd imagine.

[Chewbacca Jones]

Never owned a deluxe Akubra, but I love the standard Federations. I have a closet overflowing with top-notch custom beaver and rabbit felt hats, made by some of the best (Delk, Penman, Fawcett, Tumwater, etc.), but I don't see the Akubra as a step down. The difference is very obvious, but it would be like comparing apples to artichokes. They simply don't fill the same role, period.

For a mass produced hat, you really can't do better than an Akubra. They can outlast any competitor, almost always at a lower price. And they break in so marvelously. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another standard Fed (or any other Akubra). They will never be an Adventurebilt, but that's not what I would want from them. They do what are supposed to, and do it exceptionally well.

Also, keep in mind that the Federation isn't as stiff as their obvious outback lines. If your only experience is with, say, a Snowy River, that's not what you're going to get with a Fed. However, the Fed will hold up just as well.

[Indiana Croft]

Well as one of the last things I do this year (4 hours to go as I type this) I pulled the trigger.
And since I can’t do a young Indy, I bought a dark brown in error, I meant to order Heritage fawn, sent an email immediately afterwards in hopes they can catch it and change it.
Keep your fingers crossed.

Croft

[jlee562]

Never owned a deluxe Akubra, but I love the standard Federations. I have a closet overflowing with top-notch custom beaver and rabbit felt hats, made by some of the best (Delk, Penman, Fawcett, Tumwater, etc.), but I don't see the Akubra as a step down. The difference is very obvious, but it would be like comparing apples to artichokes. They simply don't fill the same role, period.

For a mass produced hat, you really can't do better than an Akubra. They can outlast any competitor, almost always at a lower price. And they break in so marvelously. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another standard Fed (or any other Akubra). They will never be an Adventurebilt, but that's not what I would want from them. They do what are supposed to, and do it exceptionally well.

Also, keep in mind that the Federation isn't as stiff as their obvious outback lines. If your only experience is with, say, a Snowy River, that's not what you're going to get with a Fed. However, the Fed will hold up just as well.

I suppose if shrinking sweatbands qualify as "breaking in marvelously," I'd have to cede the point.

Look, I'm not trying to trash Akubras, I agree with the gist of your post. The price is right, and they're a quality product, they'll shrug off rain and come back for more. In some ways, it's remarkable that they're able to offer such a good product at their price point, there are more expensive wool hats out there.

But it's just not a high end product. And that's ok! Not everyone wants or needs a high end product! In most other aspects of clothing, I certainly can't be bothered, I balk at paying full price for a pair of Levi's (seriously, they have a sale like every other month). And I'll even say as a means to sort of negate my whole shtick here, unless one is reasonably versed in hats to begin with, one might not even notice or care about such things. Admittedly, the time spent pouncing a hat finish is probably not the determinate factor for most hat purchases. 99.98% of most folks don't care about the vagaries of modern grosgrain ribbon, I'll cop to being the weird hat eccentric in this situation.

So if those are different fruits, or different roles for you, that's valid. Just for me, at some point I decided having a "beater" hat for rain was just kind of superfluous, because I really was not worried about the hats I have. Your mileage - and hat needs - may vary.

[Hobbit Fedora]

Never owned a deluxe Akubra, but I love the standard Federations. I have a closet overflowing with top-notch custom beaver and rabbit felt hats, made by some of the best (Delk, Penman, Fawcett, Tumwater, etc.), but I don't see the Akubra as a step down. The difference is very obvious, but it would be like comparing apples to artichokes. They simply don't fill the same role, period.

For a mass produced hat, you really can't do better than an Akubra. They can outlast any competitor, almost always at a lower price. And they break in so marvelously. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another standard Fed (or any other Akubra). They will never be an Adventurebilt, but that's not what I would want from them. They do what are supposed to, and do it exceptionally well.

Also, keep in mind that the Federation isn't as stiff as their obvious outback lines. If your only experience is with, say, a Snowy River, that's not what you're going to get with a Fed. However, the Fed will hold up just as well.

I suppose if shrinking sweatbands qualify as "breaking in marvelously," I'd have to cede the point.

Look, I'm not trying to trash Akubras, I agree with the gist of your post. The price is right, and they're a quality product, they'll shrug off rain and come back for more. In some ways, it's remarkable that they're able to offer such a good product at their price point, there are more expensive wool hats out there.

But it's just not a high end product. And that's ok! Not everyone wants or needs a high end product! In most other aspects of clothing, I certainly can't be bothered, I balk at paying full price for a pair of Levi's (seriously, they have a sale like every other month). And I'll even say as a means to sort of negate my whole shtick here, unless one is reasonably versed in hats to begin with, one might not even notice or care about such things. Admittedly, the time spent pouncing a hat finish is probably not the determinate factor for most hat purchases. 99.98% of most folks don't care about the vagaries of modern grosgrain ribbon, I'll cop to being the weird hat eccentric in this situation.

So if those are different fruits, or different roles for you, that's valid. Just for me, at some point I decided having a "beater" hat for rain was just kind of superfluous, because I really was not worried about the hats I have. Your mileage - and hat needs - may vary.

You’re very right, of course, they’re not the high end product others are and aren’t meant to be, and that is okay. I was just say they’re not low end either but comfortably in the midrange, at least In terms of construction and material quality. And honestly, for people like me who really can’t afford anything higher they’re a godsend if you want a good, sturdy all weather hat that has a classic style. The block they use is a vintage style block and you can get all sorts of good shapes out of it. My brown Deluxe is Last Crusade style and it’s been forming itself to my head beautifully. I plan, after paying the credit card down a bit (thank you Christmas) to get a Deluxe Moonstone for a good, if not perfect, Casablanca/Maltese Falcon look. Again, wonderful product for an attainable price, just don’t expect the niceness in the finer details, like the bow, that one would expect of a custom.

I’ll be receiving a Steele and Jones Explorador 38 soon and it’ll be interesting to compare the two. I suspect the made to order Explorador will be my favorite, but the Akubra Fed Deluxe will still be well loved and used standard day to day.

[Indiana Croft]

Well I ordered the hat last Monday, showed up in the states last Saturday and took till today, so over all not a bad lead time.

Now for experiment time, in the hat there were instructions oh how to bash, and one I don’t understand.
Says put the brim against your chest with the front of the hat facing upwards, goes on to say to start putting the bash.
But it looks like most put it on your head, turn it (optional) and start putting the bash.

?? Do most start with the pinch or the indent on top.

Just asking for a friend, ME

Croft

[Hobbit Fedora]

Indent on top. Otherwise how to know where the pinch goes? I would recommend going slowly and letting the shape ease in as much as possible.

[Indiana Croft]

Thanks Hobbit Fedor, I did a lite page turning and found a thread that had a couple of U-tube vids, and that’s where they started.

Can’t wait to play, you know me, I’ll do my best with picks

Croft

[Ridgerunner58]

They used to be some you tube videos that john penman did around 10 years ago that showed how to do it, but the description above is accurate. Put it on your head, rotate clockwise into the brim looks the way you want, which usually puts the note just in front of your left ear, then crease the top, sucking the back lower than the front, and once you have the top creased put in the side dimples, gradually working them in until the front pinch is right. You can do this with one hand inside the crown to get the creases defined.

[Howard Weinstein]

Well I ordered the hat last Monday, showed up in the states last Saturday and took till today, so over all not a bad lead time.

Now for experiment time, in the hat there were instructions oh how to bash, and one I don’t understand.
Says put the brim against your chest with the front of the hat facing upwards, goes on to say to start putting the bash.
But it looks like most put it on your head, turn it (optional) and start putting the bash.

?? Do most start with the pinch or the indent on top.

Just asking for a friend, ME

Croft

Yes, start with the center-dent on top. Then check alignment from a few angles -- looking inside the hat (does the dent line up evenly with the little centered bow at the back and what appears to be the center of the front of the hat?), from above, and in the mirror.

If the center dent is off-line, that's MUCH easier to adjust than the front pinch. (I've made this mistake a few times!) Once you feel the center dent is where you want it, then you can add the front pinch.

Take your time, be prepared to redo it a couple of times, and don't get frustrated. It's an extra pleasure to wear a hat you've bashed yourself

[Indiana Croft]

It arrived and I put in my dry bash with a little help of steam.

More picture in the Federation IV display thread.



Croft

[Charybdis]

Looks nice!

[Hobbit Fedora]

Looks really good!