Momma, I'm filling up my (hat) closet! With Akubra Fed IVs!

[bearbeast]

I've been wanting to get some back-up hats for some time now. I kept waiting for AdVintage hats to be available again as I don't really want to spend more than that on hats that I use and abuse.

I ended up deciding to get a Federation IV. But since it ships from Australia there was a chance that the package would be delivered at my town's Customs Post Office (which means taking a few hours off at work to go stand in line) and I wasn't planning to do this each time I wanted a new hat from Akubra so I ordered two at once, together with the crown shaping service. It's not too SA, but good enough for me.

They indeed came with the post office, opened the boxes for Customs control and I had a shock... they had sent blue-black hats. I was crushed with disappointment. But what was I to do anyway? I payed the taxes and took the package home.

Once home I wanted to see if the hats at least fit me and I had another big surprise... in normal lighting the hats' colour was a nice deep dark brown... The lighting in the small, dark customs' office was clearly weird and had only made the hats seem to have a completely different hew. I was relieved and happy, the hats looked great. And I really love them.

Some thoughts from my side.

- they are really well made
- the sweat band is made from really soft leather
- the felt is very stiff, even stiffer than my AdVintage, kind of like springy cardboard
- the felt is a bit rougher than any of my other hats (Advintage Raiders, AdVintage Harrison II, Andrea Togarelli's fedoras)
- the brown is quite dark, but it's a beautiful colour
- it seems to be quite water tight; the first day I got it I took a long walk through the rain and the water only formed droplets, without going in. (see the selfie below). Of course, after I got home I let the hat dry a bit and the water did eventually work it's way in the felt. I would say it offers good protection.

Here are two photos comparing the Fed IV to the two AdVintage hats. Raiders on the left (I think the colour was called Raiders Sable), Harrison II on the right. I know my old hats have seen better day and are a bit deformed. But they have been through rain, snow, sun. They have been dropped countless times, soaked in sweat and the Harrison has been sat on as well.



And now some selfies:



From left to right: Picture after exposure to the rain, you can see the droplets I mentioned. A picture with LED light bulb lighting in my kitchen. A picture with natural lighting. You can get a better idea of the colour.

Overall I am really happy with the Federation IV fedoras. And the price is unbeatable. (even after paying shipping, customs taxes and VAT).

Cheers,
Bear

[Michaelson]

I can tell you from personal experience, they are exceptional protection from rain. I wore one during a move for my daughter D.Jones in a day long drenching rain, and it was literally hours before it finally started to soak through.

This felt is Jack rabbit fur and much denser than regular rabbit fur, hence the better use for field.

I gotta get me another. I helped create and design the Federation line with Steve Delk back in 2000 and don’t have a single example in my collection!

Regards! Michaelson

[Indiana Croft]

That does look nice, I have a Fed IV In tawny.
On the site it looks more tan, but is more grey.
I should snag me. Brown one, cause these do look good.
Nice looking hat.

Croft

[bearbeast]

Thanks, Croft! The hues on the site really throw you off... You won't know what you get until it's in your hands...or on your head!

But I still say the Akubras look great, you should indeed snag one in brown too!

Cheers,
Bear

[bearbeast]

I can tell you from personal experience, they are exceptional protection from rain. I wore one during a move for my daughter D.Jones in a day long drenching rain, and it was literally hours before it finally started to soak through.

This felt is Jack rabbit fur and much denser than regular rabbit fur, hence the better use for field.

I gotta get me another. I helped create and design the Federation line with Steve Delk back in 2000 and don’t have a single example in my collection!

Regards! Michaelson

I was really surprised at the water resistance. My Harrison from AdVintage gets soaked reaaal quick in comparison.

Wow, I did not know you helped birth the Federation hats, Michaelson, that is really awesome. It is amazing to be part of something like this.

Cheers,
Bear

[Michaelson]

We had a lot of projects back then that are taken for granted now.

If you go to the HatsDirect Federation page and click on ‘history’ the whole story is there, complete with Steve and my name listed.

The original prototype Fed 1 was VERY dark brown and used an original Akubra 1930’s block and had a red liner. Steve submitted a bit of a slightly altered block suggestion and the second prototype was worn by me to the first Indygear QM summit in 2000.

Long story short, the Federation has a solid place in Indygear history, as ‘we’ were totally involved from the beginning.

Regards! M

[bearbeast]

Just went to check it out, it is so cool! I always wondered why it was a "IV", now it makes sense. There were some previous iterations.

Well, I say thank you for the work you put into bringing this hat to life. I do really love it and now I treasure it even more knowing some of its history!

Cheers,
Bear

[Michaelson]

[Hobbit Fedora]

Absolutely! Thank you guys for helping to make the Feds happen, I have two in brown and moonstone and they’re fantastic! Especially for those of us who want something quality and very close to being screen accurate….but also have a budget

[Michaelson]

A niche needed filled at the time, as all we had were the Stetsons. Steve Delk and I passed info and prototypes back forth of Akubra Camptowns he was experimenting with, and eventually we got HatsDirect interested in our little project.

The Federation anniversary of Australia was coming up at the time, as was the swing dance craze, so in order to kill 3 birds with one hat, and without raising the ire of LFL lawyers, the Federation line was born.

Regards! M

[Indiana Charles]

The Federation anniversary of Australia was coming up at the time, as was the swing dance craze, so in order to kill 3 birds with one hat, and without raising the ire of LFL lawyers, the Federation line was born.

Regards! M

I have often wondered where the Federation name came from! Thanks for all your hard work- both with the hats and with the hobby in general


-I.C.

[Michaelson]

Believe me, we always looked on these projects as ‘community’ projects as they were not only driven by what WE needed, but what INDY fans were posting they couldn’t find.

Folks like Steve Delk. Lee Keppler, Indy Magnoli, Dalexs, P-atterson, Holt, just to name a very few as I’m leaving a LOT un-named due to space, who were experimenting on things to create SA items that satisfied the community needs.

We had separate folks working on the impossible to find props during the same time period.

Vendors like USWINGS, Wested, Peters Brothers Hats, Coyles, HatsDirect, Gibson and Barnes, etc……all took a chance on us.

I’m pleased at what we accomplished….but the Indy community deserves credit as THEY were the driving force behind so much that we now just accept as the ‘norm’.

The continuance of the successful Federation line is proof it was well worth the effort!

Regards! M

[Charybdis]

That is really awesome! Hear, hear!! Great job to all those who came before so we can have quite the number of options for our Indy obsession!!

[Hobbit Fedora]

I have to smile when you mentioned the concurrent Swing Dance craze because I was right there in the thick of it, as a saxophonist mostly, and I would’ve given a lot for a good ‘30s style fedora. But what’s even more fun from an Indiana Jones perspective is my life long obsession with jazz started because as an eleven year old I watched and rewatched “Young Indiana Jones and The Mystery of the Blues”. The Fed IV really was meant to be on my noggin!