Homemade Fedora question

[Ramsey]

Im thinking of trying to make my own Fedora. Just looking for some opinions...should i buy a hat block preshaped like Indy's hat, or would it look better to go with an open crown hat bock and then"bash" it into shape myself?

[Mulceber]

Open crown, definitely. A pre-shaped crown won't get you very close.

[Howard Weinstein]

That depends on a few factors:

1- How much do you want to spend? There's a wide price range on both open-crown and pre-blocked hats.
2- Have you played with hat-blocking before? If you haven't, that need not be a deal-breaker. It's not that hard, and we all started somewhere! For a lot of us, shaping our own hats is an enjoyable part of the hobby. You can find lots of tips here, on YouTube and at the Fedora Lounge forum website.
3- Do you have a particular Indy style you prefer?

You can find plenty of guidance here (I know I did when I first wandered in, and still do). Lots of knowledgeable and nice folks will be happy to answer your questions, so don't be shy about asking.

[Ramsey]

Ive been leaning a bit toward the Crystal Skull look, actually...that or the classic Raiders version... and im starting to think open crown might be best to go with. More control over the shape, i would think.
I found a company not far from where i am that sells plastic hat blocks for only $28.00, and that is definately who ill go with for that... gonna shop around for the felt.

[Ramsey]

Ok, I'm thinking this might be the way to go.....any opinions?
http://www.hatshapers.com/Product%20Pag ... c_Dome.htm

[Gadzooks]

I bashed my Fed IV from an open crown (not sure if Akubra still does this) and it turned out... just ok. But I'm no bash genius like some of the dudes on here.

[Howard Weinstein]

Ok, I'm thinking this might be the way to go.....any opinions?
http://www.hatshapers.com/Product%20Pag ... c_Dome.htm

I've found my tall straight-sided dome Hat Shaper quite useful -- for western hats. It won't give you the right crown shape for an Indy hat. You can see in the photos of the Hat Shaper side by side with my Indy-ish #52 vintage wood block that the hat Shaper is longer from front to back, narrower side to side, and has too much of a dome shape vs. the more "square-ish" wood block.



Your best bet might be to get an open crown Akubra Federation IV, which pretty much gives you a good Indy-shaped starting point. The Fed IV is the most affordable option, and a good sturdy hat. It's exclusively available from Aussie seller Hats Direct --
https://hatsdirect.com/collections/the- ... open-crown" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope this helps!

[Howard Weinstein]

Ok, I'm thinking this might be the way to go.....any opinions?
http://www.hatshapers.com/Product%20Pag ... c_Dome.htm

I've found my tall straight-sided dome Hat Shaper quite useful -- for western hats. It won't give you the right crown shape for an Indy hat. You can see in the photos of the Hat Shaper side by side with my Indy-ish #52 vintage wood block that the Hat Shaper is longer from front to back, narrower side to side, and has too much of a dome shape vs. the more "square-ish" wood block.



Your best bet might be to get an open crown Akubra Federation IV, which pretty much gives you a good Indy-shaped starting point. The Fed IV is the most affordable option, and a good sturdy hat. It's exclusively available from Aussie seller Hats Direct --
https://hatsdirect.com/collections/the- ... open-crown" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I hope this helps!

Having said all the above, do you know what hat size you wear? If you think you might like to try an Akubra Fed IV, I have one I'm probably going to sell. It's in near-new condition, currently in Crystal Skull/Last Crusade style (the 2 were very close). Or I could block it back to open crown for you and let you take a crack it yourself.

If you're interested, let me know and I'll post pictures.

[Ramsey]

Id love to take a look at it, though im not sure of my hat size. The Henschel I wear all the time just says its a large, and it feels great... don't know if there is a way to be more specific about hat size. Before I bought the Henschel I only wore baseball caps.

[Mulceber]

There's a much more specific hat size than large. You should use a tailor's measuring tape, and measure your head, positioning the tape exactly where you want the hat to sit on your head. If you can get someone to help you, it's easier. The measuring tape should be tight against your head, but not so tight that it's uncomfortable. You basically want it not to be slack at any point, as that will result in an inaccurate measurement. Measure three times and take the average of them for best results. You also might want to give some consideration to the length of your hair: if you measure right after getting a haircut, the hat will fit you right after you get a haircut, but will be too tight the rest of the time. I recommend measuring about half-way between haircuts. Once you know your size in centimeters, you should be all set.

Hope this helps!

edit: according to Henschel's online size chart, a "Large" is equivalent to 58-59 cm. You should still measure, to figure out which one it is.

[Howard Weinstein]

Id love to take a look at it, though im not sure of my hat size. The Henschel I wear all the time just says its a large, and it feels great... don't know if there is a way to be more specific about hat size. Before I bought the Henschel I only wore baseball caps.

I shot some photos today. I'll try to post them in the next day or 2.
Meanwhile, you can check out this video on how to measure your hat size -- https://youtu.be/JOK0AI2Ikvw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ramsey]

That does help, thanks! The site I'm considering buying from is a bit confusing..... I measure my head to be 22"...my Henschel size is "large"...but my head size for the site is an extra-small.....now I don't know what to do. *lol*

[Mulceber]

Hmm, are you sure about that? 22" on the nose? What is it in centimeters? Metric is easier for this, because they're smaller units, and more easily divided.

Who are you looking to buy from, if I may ask?

[Ramsey]

http://www.hatshapers.com/Product%20Pag ... c_Dome.htm
Actually measured at a little over 22", bit not much.
I believe that would make me a medium for the classic dome from that site.
The chart they go by is in inches.

[Mulceber]

Well, it's your choice. IMO, getting into hatmaking when you have only owned one hat seems like quite a rabbit hole, and you're unlikely to come out the other side with a hat that satisfies you. My best advice is still to buy an Akubra Federation or one of the less expensive custom hats, but it's your call.

[Howard Weinstein]

That does help, thanks! The site I'm considering buying from is a bit confusing..... I measure my head to be 22"...my Henschel size is "large"...but my head size for the site is an extra-small.....now I don't know what to do. *lol*

Hi, Ramsey --

In addition to the video, this chart (below) may help you as well. It shows exactly where to measure your noggin, as well as the conversion from inches of circumference to US and metric/centimeter hat size.

Don't go by the Hat Shaper website and measurements in terms of figuring your actual head/hat size -- their size designations refer only to their Hat Shapers, not to actual hat size (it gets confusing).

For instance, my head measures approximately 22 5/8" -- which means I wear a size 58 (cm), or 7 1/4 (US size). But the Straight-sided Dome Hat Shaper I got is a Small (at 22.5", according to the Hat Shaper website). Why? Because the inside of the hat has the leather sweatband at the bottom, which takes up additional space -- which means the Hat Shaper needs to be a bit smaller than my head and the hat. If I bought a bigger size Hat Shaper, putting the hat over it would stretch the sweatband -- something we don't want to do! Does that make sense?

Getting a good measurement is really important, or there's a good chance you'll end up with the wrong size hat. A cloth tailor's tape measure works best, since it conforms best to a human head. If you don't have one, you should be able to pick one up at any fabric or crafts store (like Michael's, Joann's, or Hobby Lobby, probably even WalMart), or places that sell sewing machines.

If it proves somewhat clumsy to measure your own head, have a significant other or friend do the actual measuring where this chart shows. Take 5 measurements and average 'em out.



Let the gang here know if you have other questions. We'll do our best to give you helpful info!

[Mulceber]

I can't endorse what you're saying enough, Howard.

[Howard Weinstein]

I can't endorse what you're saying enough, Howard.

Ha! Just repeating what I learned from guys who knew more than I did when I started hanging out here (and the Fedora Lounge).

[Michaelson]