Indiana Jeff wrote:Did you do the distressing to the FedIV? Looks great.
Jeff, my apologies... I was just re-reading a few of the responses I got in this Thread and realized that I never did respond to this question from you.
Sorry about that.
I'm glad you like the distressing on the Fed IV (and really flattered that you said so, actually)...
It
was put on there by me... my very first time doing ANY kind of Fuller's Earth application on a HAT, too! I was a nervous wreck!
Y'see, I really like that Fed IV and sure didn't want to do anything to undo how well I thought it was coming along...but thankfully it was
also the hat that had been helping me to get over my "fear (if you want to call it that) of messing with the hat"...
What had happened was that the gentleman who was kind enough to give me that hat had said (after I'd sent him a few shots showing him how it was fitting me) that in order to make it work better on my head, I'd need to do a little bit of work on it (even sent me some sandpaper to start experimenting with)...
Now, at first I was scared that with one move I'd wreck the thing... but after a while I began getting more and more comfortable with trying this & that, bending & shaping here & there, doing a little bit of light water spraying here & there, that sorta thing... but the Fuller's Earth was sort of the "last" step that had me feeling like I had really succeeded in changing the hat enough that it now had MY signature on it, too...
It's not a perfect Streets of Cairo, mind you... but it sure has gained a lot of character since I first started playing around with it (and fueled by inspiration from 3thoubucks, Holt & fedoraiders and their fearless attempts to
"bend" a hat to their will )
Anyway, I know that's probably waaay more "answer" than you were looking for... but your question reminded me of all that and I just figured I'd share... but then I guess that's what we're all here to do, right?
Cheers,
Mitch