Club Obi Wan

Oh come on dude, if you show your face, nobody is going to show up at your house and try to sell you life insurance or anything!!!! What does the hat REALLY look like!!!!!!!!



At least take a normal picture and blur out the face!!!

Seriously though, quite a nice lid you have there. I wonder what it looks like when worn by a human!!!!

maboot38 wrote:Oh come on dude, if you show your face, nobody is going to show up at your house and try to sell you life insurance or anything!!!! What does the hat REALLY look like!!!!!!!!

Honestly the not showing the face thing was totally inadvertent!

ha ha ha. Looks like you are hiding!

Nice hat!

Ok, ok, I do have a face!





And oh, yes, I always wear big sunglasses!

I'm with maboot all the way!

Hat looks great, but would really look sharp with your face;)

But, great bash, great hat!
Well done.

B

Ok, here's a few shots of my Fed Deluxe IV

looks nice. a tad to much turn IMO. but a very nice hat.

congrats.

Do you say that because of where the bow is in the side shot? If so, I think i might not be wearing it straight. Look at the pinch in line with my nose. You could be right though. I was worried there wasn't enough turn cos i've really had to work on the brim distortion.

Thanks for your comment IH, I know you're one of the Grand Masters of SA

yes exactly, becasue of the bow. otherwise very nice lid. I think this can go somewere with a little extra thouch of love over time

Thanks mate. I appreciate your input. Maybe i'll re-fix my ribbon to put the bow back a bit. Its a work in progress. If you look on the right side you'll see i've been working on the mushroom effect and ribbon bulge. It takes time, care and a good eye. This fed 4 is my 6th open crown so i'm getting better every time. With a bit of work i think i can nail this one

There are times we see Indy with a very exaggerated turn (i.e. Ravenbar). I don't think it has too much turn, but this is all subjective. Also, The pinch isn't centered so that that caused the brim to warp even more; the hat is turned and turned again, if that makes sense. I like that crease, Snapbrim. Very good job!

Dave

Thanks Dave. I must admit i wished i'd centred the hat and that front pinch is leaning. I'm gonna work on this crease and post more pics.

Also check out my Penman on the post em up page.

NO! Don't touch the pinch. It's perfect. Just make sure the pinch is centered when you put it on. That happens all the time. Just put it on in front of a mirror. That helps.

Dave

Ok Dave I'll leave the pinch. I wished i'd put the hat on in front of a mirror but I do feel a bit inhibited when asking my missus to get involved in my hats. She's good as gold and supports my hat obsession.

Thanks for your input guys!

I agree with Dave here. dont touch it. when I first had a look at your hat...the first thing I noticed was how great looking the front pinch was. it has caracther.....

Thanks IJ. Looking at these pics it seems the centre dent isn't low enough at the back. But I can't go any lower without getting that dreaded taper. But to me the most important bit is the front view.

Snapbrim76 wrote:Thanks IJ. Looking at these pics it seems the centre dent isn't low enough at the back. But I can't go any lower without getting that dreaded taper. But to me the most important bit is the front view.

i think the back looks fine where it is now.

Thanks.

P.S. That wassupposed to say IH not IJ - spell check working overtime.

Snapbrim,
looks great to me. I love that raven bar look anyway and yours has gotit spades!
Keep it up!

B

Thanks for all your kind comments fellas - watch this space for photos of my Moonstone Fed 4 Deluxe when it arrives...

...it should have arrived by now but the dang customs must have decided they want some of my money! I contacted Hats Direct and it was dispatched on 27th July so it shouldn't be too much longer

Ummmmmmm.........I reblocked mine again
I think I'm developing some kind of OCD

Homemade Block?

Bartram wrote:Homemade Block?

Eeeeeeyup, styrofoam one that I whipped up myself..

I'd post a photo but it's currently being used by the VERY same Fed that's in the photo, coz it got SOAKED at my son's footy grand final this morning.

Oh yeah, and coz I know you're all curious.....HIS TEAM WON!!!

Here t'is...

I have come across a few [possibly elitist]? threads saying only the HJ Poet will do for a good Raiders bash and that only expensive custom-made gear will get the Indy look, but I think these photos prove otherwise. It's as much about attitude as details.
These show a Regular Fed IV with my take on the Idol-Grab bash. The clothes are deliberately not SA; just cheap off-the-shelf army surplus shirt and belt and brown department store jeans.
However, I dont think anyone would mistake it for, say, Alan Quartermain or Rick O'Connell.
Though it does help to have the same build as Ford

An excellent post Enigmata.
Unfortunately the type of mindset that you spoke of is common in a lot of costuming forums.
(I was a member of a Boba Fett board that insisted that if you didn't buy such & such from so & so, your costume wasn't worth spit.)

I may not win any friends by saying this, but there's definitely elements of this type of thinking on COW. Fortunately posts like yours show that it's not always the case.

Nice work

Here's my Fed Deluxe 4 Moonstone

Gorgeous lid Snapbrim!
I love that Moonstone colour-very classy!

darthbish wrote:An excellent post Enigmata.
Unfortunately the type of mindset that you spoke of is common in a lot of costuming forums.
(I was a member of a Boba Fett board that insisted that if you didn't buy such & such from so & so, your costume wasn't worth spit.)

I may not win any friends by saying this, but there's definitely elements of this type of thinking on COW. Fortunately posts like yours show that it's not always the case.

Nice work

The thing is, there are some folks that want only the best quality and want 100% SA. I'm sorry to say, the Federation does not fit this category. It is a nice hat and one of the best factory hats out there, but it is far from great quality and 100% SA. There is nothing wrong with having a Federation, but there is nothing wrong with having a Penman or an AB either.

Snapbrim, thats a smart looking hat you've got there. Nice pairing with the suit too.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:

darthbish wrote:An excellent post Enigmata.
Unfortunately the type of mindset that you spoke of is common in a lot of costuming forums.
(I was a member of a Boba Fett board that insisted that if you didn't buy such & such from so & so, your costume wasn't worth spit.)

I may not win any friends by saying this, but there's definitely elements of this type of thinking on COW. Fortunately posts like yours show that it's not always the case.

Nice work

The thing is, there are some folks that want only the best quality and want 100% SA. I'm sorry to say, the Federation does not fit this category. It is a nice hat and one of the best factory hats out there, but it is far from great quality and 100% SA. There is nothing wrong with having a Federation, but there is nothing wrong with having a Penman or an AB either.

Snapbrim, thats a smart looking hat you've got there. Nice pairing with the suit too.

Dave

In the end I guess it comes down to a trade off between how SA you need and how much you can afford. I think only an Indygear member would really see a difference twixt a Fed IV and any other recommended Fedora

That is what it boils down to. But personalities come into play too. I am the type of the guy that if I want an AB, I would rather save the money, instead of buying something I can afford now, and buy it later. Not everyone is like that. I understand. And no one way is right. I saved a lot of money for my hats. I could have bought less expensive ones and had them sooner, but I didn't. That is the way I am. It doesn't make it wrong. And you are right. Hardly anyone will notice the difference between a Christy's and a Penman, but I will. If wanted a hat that the general populace would think is an Indy hat and not care about what I thought and consider only that they wouldn't notice the differences, I would get a DP.

Dave

I've had my Fed IV for almost a year now, and I posted a few pics earlier in this topic soon after I got it. But I took a few new shots the other day, and this one is my favorite:

The thing is, there are some folks that want only the best quality and want 100% SA. I'm sorry to say, the Federation does not fit this category. It is a nice hat and one of the best factory hats out there, but it is far from great quality and 100% SA.

I'm sorry Dave, but saying the Fed IV is "far from great quality" is just not an accurate statement. Are they top-of-the-line, custom-made hats? No. But they ARE great quality hats, as Akubras have been known to be for generations. Many of us can attest personally, they take all kinds of weather and look better as time goes by. They are as good a quality, if not better, than some name-brand hats I have from back in the late eighties. I guess it depends on your definition of "great," but in my book any hat that looks good, holds it shape and color well despite weather and age, and feels great on the head, is a great quality hat. I don't know what more it would need to have to qualify.

jasonalun wrote:

The thing is, there are some folks that want only the best quality and want 100% SA. I'm sorry to say, the Federation does not fit this category. It is a nice hat and one of the best factory hats out there, but it is far from great quality and 100% SA.

I'm sorry Dave, but saying the Fed IV is "far from great quality" is just not an accurate statement. Are they top-of-the-line, custom-made hats? No. But they ARE great quality hats, as Akubras have been known to be for generations. Many of us can attest personally, they take all kinds of weather and look better as time goes by. They are as good a quality, if not better, than some name-brand hats I have from back in the late eighties. I guess it depends on your definition of "great," but in my book any hat that looks good, holds it shape and color well despite weather and age, and feels great on the head, is a great quality hat. I don't know what more it would need to have to qualify.

hear, hear..
I was under the impression that the Fed Display page was for fans of the Fed to show off their hats.
Regardless of whether it is or isn't 100% SA. To come on and say that "it is far from great quality" is not only wrong, it's a tad harsh.

Just my two cents worth.

I don't mean to bash. If thats how it came off, then I am sorry and my tone has been taken in the wrong way. That being said, I stand by what I said. I don't think its a great hat. Its a good hat and a very good one, but not great. That doesn't make it bad. The point of this thread is not to talk about how good a hat is, so I'll leave it at that. There are a lot of really good looking hats in this thread and I don't want to derail and take away from that.

Dave

DR Ulloa wrote:I don't mean to bash. If thats how it came off, then I am sorry and my tone has been taken in the wrong way. That being said, I stand by what I said. I don't think its a great hat. Its a good hat and a very good one, but not great. That doesn't make it bad. The point of this thread is not to talk about how good a hat is, so I'll leave it at that. There are a lot of really good looking hats in this thread and I don't want to derail and take away from that.

Dave

Apology accepted, Dave. You're entitled to your opinion, and we don't begrudge you that (at least I don't). I still disagree with it, as is my right as well, but that's what makes this a great forum, people of all kinds with many different opinions. We all can praise the hats we like, enjoy the variety, and we're all happy.

So... back to our regularly scheduled Fed Display!

P.S. BTW, congrats on the recent wedding! I'm sure you're one happy dude right now...

Well, I can finally add to this thread. It's not an Indy lid, this will be the hat that I use for my Spirit costume this Halloween. However, I did put an Indy bash on it. Screen accuracy be danged on this one, I wanted a hat I liked wearing, too. I think it turned out great. Heck, I didn't even have to use water or steam to shape this one like I did my old Fed III, just a spritz of water at the end to solidify the apex of the pinch. Here's a photo, sorry for the grainy-ness.



EDIT: Looking at this grainy photo, it could conceivably be brown, couldn't it? It's black.

Here's a better photo. I took this one with the flash, but you can't see him, because he ran by way too fast.

How in the bloody gums are you guys able to bash your Federation IVs like that? I just got my first one in the mail this afternoon. It's as firm as a cheap faux-leather sofa. I didn't have the dough to splurge on the Deluxe. Is that why I'm having problems? I mean, I can't even get the snap brim to stay down in front.

And what are these tips for steaming? Like over a pot of boiling water? I'm so scared I'm going to mess it up or shrink my hat or something. And when I make the top bash the little saddle crease at the back of the hat seems like it gets so tight that the felt might crack. I thought being a gearhead was supposed to be fun, but this is actually getting a little bit stressful. lol

Sorry for being a newb to this. I've been lurking on and off for as long as this place has been around. I just don't know where to look for this sort of discussion. The amount of info on this site to sift through is both daunting and overwhelming.

Arch Stanton wrote:How in the bloody gums are you guys able to bash your Federation IVs like that? I just got my first one in the mail this afternoon. It's as firm as a cheap faux-leather sofa. I didn't have the dough to splurge on the Deluxe. Is that why I'm having problems? I mean, I can't even get the snap brim to stay down in front.

And what are these tips for steaming? Like over a pot of boiling water? I'm so scared I'm going to mess it up or shrink my hat or something. And when I make the top bash the little saddle crease at the back of the hat seems like it gets so tight that the felt might crack. I thought being a gearhead was supposed to be fun, but this is actually getting a little bit stressful. lol

Sorry for being a newb to this. I've been lurking on and off for as long as this place has been around. I just don't know where to look for this sort of discussion. The amount of info on this site to sift through is both daunting and overwhelming.

I have a Fed regular too. It threw me for a loop as well when I opened it, considering my only other fedora (for the moment) is a Christy's. It just takes a bit of work. I did use steam to help set the pinch, I held the areas in question over my electric kettle as it boiled.

As far as the brim, I'm still working on that....

Crazy story. When I first got a Fed III back in the day, the crown was pretty stiff, and I used a spray bottle with cold water to help shape it. That worked fine. When I got my black one today, the crown was as soft as caramel candy in my hands. It took literally one attempt to bash and set, no water or steam necessary. Within two minutes of opening the box, I had a ready-to-wear Fed IV. Maybe I just got lucky?

The brims are stiff, but with enough work, you can get them to look how you want. Remember, turning the hat adds brim distortion, and that's how I usually get my brims the way I want them. The rest of the brim shaping comes with a little elbow grease and constant wear. Curl the brim the way you want, and hold it in place for a bit. Don't worry, the felt won't "crack," I've had a Fed III for YEARS that has taken the absolute worst of abuse and held up like stonework. You're not going to break a Fed IV unless you take a knife to it or something. Don't be afraid to work the hat a little to get the shape you want.

Arch Stanton wrote:How in the bloody gums are you guys able to bash your Federation IVs like that? I just got my first one in the mail this afternoon. It's as firm as a cheap faux-leather sofa. I didn't have the dough to splurge on the Deluxe. Is that why I'm having problems? I mean, I can't even get the snap brim to stay down in front.

And what are these tips for steaming? Like over a pot of boiling water? I'm so scared I'm going to mess it up or shrink my hat or something. And when I make the top bash the little saddle crease at the back of the hat seems like it gets so tight that the felt might crack. I thought being a gearhead was supposed to be fun, but this is actually getting a little bit stressful. lol

Sorry for being a newb to this. I've been lurking on and off for as long as this place has been around. I just don't know where to look for this sort of discussion. The amount of info on this site to sift through is both daunting and overwhelming.

IMO, the Akubra felt is a tough felt that is hard to set a permanent crease in. Give it time and lots of heavy handed bashing and it'll take a while before the creases stay fast. Don't be gentle with it cos its a tough Aussie lid, leave the kid gloves. I've done everything i can to beat the life out of my dark brown fed 4 and its still pretty new looking.

So pinch that crease really hard and IMO don't use any steam or water except to get the low centre dent at the back. Just a touch of cold water. Thats all i did.

Alright, here it is. After much nervousness, the first hat bashing I've ever actually done myself. This is the Fed IV Regular I received in the mail yesterday. I stayed up late last night bashing it and was late for work today. And now I've left early! lol

Anyway, I'm not really going for a particular film look. And since I have yet to fuss with the brim I'm not sure what the end product will be. I always liked the looser pinch of the LC hat, but didn't like how wide it came to at the ribbon. I always liked the brim and large bash of the Raiders hat, but never much cared for the exagerted tight pinch. Maybe this came out more like Crystal Skull hat so far. There's still a few tiny little bumps in the bash I need to work out, but I'm pretty much going to leave it as is. I'm thinking about adding the curl in the brim and just go for a LC.

But the part that I'm beyond pleased with is that from the direct front angle the lid seems to actually have what I covet, the ever-so-slight reverse taper. I can't be more geeked about that. Sorry you can't see the bash well in the third pic, but I mostly just wanted to show that I like the shape that the crown stayed in after the bashing from profile anyway.

Perhaps a little off topic, but has anyone else noticed how if you look at yourself in the mirror the Fed looks pretty gargantuan sitting atop your head, but if you see a picture of it on yourself it looks completely natural?

I'm so in love with this hat! I just thought that needed it's own post.

I think it may be the crease. Crease the hat down a bit more and it will look a litter better on you when you see it on yourself in the mirror. That might be the problem.

Dave

Arch Stanton wrote:I'm so in love with this hat! I just thought that needed it's own post.

Love the handle. Arch Stanton. One of my favorite movies of all times. Wonder how many people will catch it? Welcome to COW. I like the hat.


Travis

Arch, I think the bash looks great. Part of it appearing so large on your head just comes from the need to get used to it. Indy's hat, being so tall and with stovepipe sides, is a very large hat. I'm not aware of any Indy hats on the market that are too large - only too small. Thus, when you go from wearing a Dorfman Pacific, or Miller hat to something the size of a Federation, it feels very large for the first couple weeks.

The wife says my black fed looks Crystal Skull-ish. Whatta you guys say?

It's definitely got the Crystal Skull bash to it. If you ask me, putting a Raiders bash into anything other than the brown Indy hat is a good way to ruin the hat, so I say, good call on the bash.

Why have I seen Feds with some lighter and some darker ribbons? Which is standard? If the darker is dyed, how do you achieve the great shade of dark brown?

Also, how tall is the crown on a FedIV? I don't remember.

whipcracker wrote:Why have I seen Feds with some lighter and some darker ribbons? Which is standard? If the darker is dyed, how do you achieve the great shade of dark brown?

Also, how tall is the crown on a FedIV? I don't remember.

With regards to the colour of the ribbon I'm sure you'll find digital photography can have a strange effect on colour. It also depends on the light.

Its a 5.5 inch open crown.