Club Obi Wan

I was just wondering if someone could answer a few questions about the Akubra Federations and the Federation deluxe Fedora's for me.

If I were to order one of these hats would I have to customize the brim when I got it or is the brim size ok for the "Raiders" Indy look right out of the box?

From what I've read I do know they arrive with an open crown so you have to bash them yourself. Do you have to steam them first or can you bash them right out of the box without using steam? Also, will they hold their shape?

One more question. Of the two versions which hat color is the closest to the Raiders hat? And are the ribbons the right color or do those need replaced too?


I realize all of this info might be on here somewhere in different spots but that's alot of posts to look through.

Thanks for your time

Pitfall

You don't have to modify the brim. A lot of guys do because they think that the brim is too wide for their face, but it's not necessary.
Steam makes the hat floppier and helps it to keep it's shape. You can shape a hat without steam by using cold water or just dry. It might be a bit hard though to get the Akubras keep their shape if you haven't used water or steam.
The regular Feds don't have as much contrast between the felt and the ribbon as the deluxe ones. I would say that the deluxe is closer, but I'm not an expert. The ribbons are fine as they are, nice dark brown color. Some guys have modified the ribbon and bow, but that's not necessary either.

It is a good idea to use the 'Search' feature. It may seem like a lot of posts to read but that is where the good stuff is!

I have the Akubra deluxe. The hat arrived open crowned and very stiff. Bashing a fedora is very easy. You will not damage the hat! Some folks recommend a 'dry' bash, but I used steam with no ill effects.
The brim has a dimensional cut.

Here are some pics of my hat.


I have had this hat a year now with no color fade and the stiffness is gone. It is a very durable and comfortable hat.
Good luck with your choice.

I have bashed four Akubra Federations. By far my best results came from dry bashing the crown, with the help of a little bitty bit of cold water on the tougher spots. They are stiff, so be patient.

I found that steam does help when shaping the brim. I used a team iron on the last hat brim. I ironed with a piece of cloth(tee shirt) between the iron and hat. Where I wanted the brim turned down, I just hung it over the edge of the ironing board and ironed it.

Wow...you ironed the hat?! Ha! These must be pretty tough.

Well, that's good to know. I was think of getting one of these next year AFTER I get my coat and the most important thing THE WHIP!

I just bought a official Indy hat from the The Village Hat shop it's fur felt and cost me about $98.00 all together. I bought it before I noticed the Akubra Federations.

The hat I received is closer in color to the Fed Deluxe. The only thing different about it is it has the "Tear Drop" crown. My hat reminds me of the scene where he meets Elsa the first time in Last Crusade. It's got a little cowboy swoop to the sides.

For it being one of those official hats I was suprised at how nice it was. The only thing that "bugs" me is the tear drop crown. Since it's fur felt is it possible to rebash it using steam and make the crown look like the Raiders style?

Here's a pic from the website of the hat I bought. I'll post pics of what the hat looks like in person soon.

That shape is referred to, in this forum, as "Venice Pier". There are a few Adventurbilts with that bash around here. Here is Hemingways gray "VP"
viewtopic.php?t=14239&highlight=

prairiejones wrote:Hemingways gray "VP"

And here is Hemingway's green Akubra:

Shuhhhh, you'll blow his secret identity.

"Leprechaun Jones".

viewtopic.php?p=146550#146550
viewtopic.php?p=159607#159607

VP, that pic never ceases to amuse me.
And it really did turn green, just not quite that green!

Pitfall Harry wrote:Wow...you ironed the hat?! Ha! These must be pretty tough.

Well, that's good to know. I was think of getting one of these next year AFTER I get my coat and the most important thing THE WHIP!

I just bought a official Indy hat from the The Village Hat shop it's fur felt and cost me about $98.00 all together. I bought it before I noticed the Akubra Federations.

The hat I received is closer in color to the Fed Deluxe. The only thing different about it is it has the "Tear Drop" crown. My hat reminds me of the scene where he meets Elsa the first time in Last Crusade. It's got a little cowboy swoop to the sides.

For it being one of those official hats I was suprised at how nice it was. The only thing that "bugs" me is the tear drop crown. Since it's fur felt is it possible to rebash it using steam and make the crown look like the Raiders style?

Here's a pic from the website of the hat I bought. I'll post pics of what the hat looks like in person soon.

Hi Pitfall,

Over 20 years ago, I bought the "Official Hat" in wool felt. That is what was offered at the time. I'm wearing it in "Prof. Ed Goes to a Halloween Party". It is the same style, yet is so stiff that it is almost a wooden hat!
I'm sure being fur felt, you can pretty much do what you want to that hat. Although, I found the shape pleasing as it came.
I'm no hat expert, but I've noticed that " a different bash for different folks" rule seems to apply.
We all have a different shape to our faces. Play around and see what looks good on you.
Now, that I have a white beard, I find that hats that used to look OK on me don't! Other hats that looked bad on me, now seem to be OK! Especially, a "Newsboy" style and a Tilley Endurable. Not to mention a black beret! A different panache with the beard.

Enjoy,

Prof. Ed

Prof. Ed wrote: I'm no hat expert, but I've noticed that " a different bash for different folks" rule seems to apply.
We all have a different shape to our faces. Play around and see what looks good on you.

You learn quickly, Prof! You're right, everyone's a bit different in their preferences. What matters is that you have a hat that looks good on you and that you're happy with.

bink

Thank you, Bink!

Now, if those freshman and returning learners, at college, would only understand that

Yeah...

After I got the hat I started messing around with the bash a little bit using a spray bottle filled with cold water. That was pretty stiff and still is but I like that I can mess with it and it will hold it shape. I also like the way the sides on my hat curve up. I do plan on getting one of these Akubra Fed fedora's sometime but for right now the official hat looks pretty good if I don't say so myself.

Here's the hat before I messed with the crown.






And here are shots after I bashed it using some water.

You did a great job! You look more "Indianaish" than I could.

Now, Henry Jones, Sr. , I'll have you beat

Regards,

Ol' Prof. Ed

Ha!

Thanks. I'm still not happy with the top pic. Once I tweak my gear and get the Jacket and new whip I'll post another pic.

There's a pic floating around here somewhere of one of ITG's fur felt Dorfmans that our own JPdesigns re-blocked and re-shaped, with FANTASTIC results. Maybe you could PM him and find out if he can do it for you.

Minnesota Jones summed up the fur felt dorfman pretty well at the QM recently. To paraphrase him, he said that the wool Dorfman is pretty much the "get what you pay for" hat; full of formaldehyde and stiff as a board, while the fur felt Dorfman isn't really that bad at all. You fiddle with it a little, re-bash it here and there, and you have a decent starter hat, fur felt, for under or around 100$. Everyone knocks them for this or for that reason, but they really aren't that bad.

As a quick for instance, notice Peter's Dorfman in the QM pics thread. I think the hat looks good on him. And, I'd wager that to him, it looked enough like an Indy hat to please him. It's not like that fellow doesn't have the money to spend on various hats of various qualities. He was happy with his Dorfman, and I was happy for him. That's where it's at right there, that's what matters.

Pitfall, I like what you've done with the Dorfman so far, and I'm glad it suits you such as it is. I think that the only thing left to do is get rid of that teardrop bash. I like teardrop bashes and tapered crowns for 30's era Bogart style lids, just not on an Indy lid. You may like that, though, and that's ok. Personally, I'd get rid of the teardrop, if at all possible.