Club Obi Wan

Hello all,

I've been a member of COW for a few years, but this is my first posting in the Fedora section, lol....

Even though I'm not much of a hat wearer, in general, I was looking into a good Indy fedora to take along to Indy summits n' such. I was reading about the Akubra Federation under the Indygear main site, and it seems to be well made, screen accurate (color & brim width...), and especially economical.

To those familiar with Hats Direct, are these fedoras still $50 in cost? And, any tips, info, or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Regards,
Captain D

p.s.- I'm looking for a fedora with the "Raiders" look, color, brim-width, ect...is this a good choice?

Akubras are 101.5 AUD. That's 78.2847 USD.

With shipping the Akubra Federation ends up costing around $105. or so. For a few dollars more, you could have a 100% rabbit Adventurebilt Hat.

If I were you, I would get the Adventurebilt. See, you are new to hats and, at this point, you think it doesn't matter which one you get; you just want something for summits. Once you get the hat, you take to a summit, and you start compairing it with other people's hats, you are going to want something more acccurate. -I know because this is what I went through. The Adventurebilt will be perfect. Believe me.

If you buy an Akubra, it will spark your interest in hats, and you'll only want something better. Go for the Adventurebilt Hat!

Hemingway is telling the truth. The Akubra is a fine hat, but it just isn't right for a Raiders hat.

You can get a pure rabbit Adventurebilt for $145 shipping and all. I just received mine a couple of weeks ago and its a great hat, with the perfect Raiders block. My dad just got an Akubra Federation a few months ago and it cost him about $135 shipping and all. For $10 more I would go with the AB.

Thank you for all the replies & suggestions....all good points!!


Since I don't know much about fedoras, does anyone have any pics of their "Adventurebilt" fedoras? Plus, any web links for additional info, purchasing info ect....would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you once again for helping me to find the best "Raiders" lookin' fedora....this is unchartered territory for me in gear collecting, lol...

High Regards,
Captain D

D'oh, please excuse my stupidity, I just found some threads here about the Adventurebilt Fedora, sorry about that!

Regards,
Capt. D

p.s- Has anyone purchased a Herbert Johnson fedora (Raiders style) from Todd's Costumes? If so, how do they compare to the Adventurebilt Raiders fedora...?

Pagey wrote.
"Personally, I found the Akubra to be the wrong shape for a Raiders hat. It's a good hat at a good price - but it's the wrong shape. That's just my opinion though. You won't find a better hat for the Raiders look than the Adventurebilt."

Hello all, I am new to Club-Obi Wan. Captain D, I dont know alot about the Adventure Bilt as I dont have one. It looks like a very accurate Raider's fedora to me, and I am a purist to the core. But I do have an Akubra Federation which I bought about a year ago. I have dirtied it, shaped it, and reshaped it again and again. It looks very Raiders to me. I pulled off the Cairo look and the Idol scene look with much modification. But thats just mine. IF you want an experimental hat for a cheaper price, go with the Akubra. If your unlike me and can afford an Adventure Bilt, go with it.

Regards,

Jersey Raider.


[/quote]

Captain D,

I have both the current HJ and a 100% beaver Adventurebilt. In terms of quality, the Adventurebilt is the better hat hands down. The only reason that I wanted the HJ is because it is the brand that HF wore in Raiders. The HJ sits on display but I always wear the AB.

Thank you again for the responses guys!

I'm on the Adventurebilt website, and which is the best (as far as perfect "Raiders" color & durability is concerned)....is it "Pure Rabbitt" or "Pure Beaver"?

Again, this is all new territory for me as I am mostly used to pure lambskin & pure goatskin in the jacket section

Thanks again for any info!
High Regards,
Captain D

The pure beaver is the most durable (thats why it cost more). But the rabbit is very compairable to the Akubra. I must say that I love the color of my pure rabbit AB. It is a very rich reddish brown. On a sunny day it is close to what is seen in the Raven bar (a little darker). But it is a dead ringer for the color of the Venice peir hat in LC. To me the color is perfect. If your looking for a great hat a a great price then the rabbit is the way to go, but if you want a really great hat at a great price the beaver is the way to go. ( I would have gotten the beaver if I could have afforded it, but I don't see how I could be happier )

This pics was takes on a hazy, mostly cloudy day. It takes a sunny day or bright light to bring out the red in the felt.
http://photobucket.com/albums/v320/J_We ... ject8A.jpg

There's a good pic of the hat I'm talking about here. viewtopic.php?t=11708&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Great info, you guys are awesome!

I'm very interested in the Adventurebilt fedora for sure, but if I could ask just 2 more questions, I think I'm all good to go :

1.) Do the Adventurebilt fedoras already come pre-shaped...."Raiders style"....or must I shape it on my own to get the Raiders look when she arrives?

2.) And lastly, howwa bout' shipping...? How long does it normally take for an Adventurebilt fedora to be delivered to my door (give or take, etc...)?

Thanks again for all of the help & suggestions, you guys rock!
High Regards,
Captain D

Captain D,

Fedora can make it look like any movie or any particular scene that you want. All you have to do is tell him how you want your hat to look. I guarantee you, it will be perfect right out of the box. You can call him and talk to him about what you want or send him an e-mail or PM. He will also sell it to you open crown and you can style it yourself. He is such a master at this, unless you really are good at bashing a hat or just really want to try it yourself, I would suggest just letting the master do his thing.

He can also turn the hat for you if you want it turned. He can put a dimensional cut on the brim and make any changes that you want. It is a totally custom made hat. If you are in between sizes, he can even make it a custom size. He can put your initials in the sweatband. I suggest that you have this done. It looks great.

Considering that it is a custom, handmade hat, the turn around time is not all that bad. Once he shipped my hat, I had it in about three days. And if you don't know, as a member of COW, you get a discount from the price listed on the website. You really can not beat the Adventurebilt.