Club Obi Wan

I have heard that the Akubra Fed/Fed Deluxe come with a more untapered/straight sided crown if you have a larger head.

So, I was thinking ... we used to sell these things at The VHS. They were sweatbands, like what you find in baseball caps, but with some stick-um on the back of them. What you did was stick them on the front (or back) of the sweatband of your fedora, and it accounted for the size difference if the hat was just a little big on you, but no other sizes were available. They were only a few bucks, so most people were keen on the idea if they really wanted a certain hat.

These stick-in sweatbands came in different thicknesses, to account for just a small difference in size to a full size difference. They were also good at keeping the hat on your head. With the stick-in sweat, there was more friction, so the hat was somewhat less likely to zing off of your head with a gust of wind if you'd been sweating prior. So maybe people could get one of these things, and then order a larger Akubra to get the straight sided crown.

Just an idea.

I think it's a good idea. The last six hats I have bought are 7 3/8 and I take somewhere between a 7 1/8 and 7 1/4. This is to allow for a folded sweat and/or stuffing, and for a pleat at the base of the crown to get a channel under the ribbon in the front dent. These are things I think the Raiders hat have.

Here's my Fed regular, size 59.



I've seen other guys 59s and 60s that had that straight sided look, so I was glad I need a bigger size, but I think your idea about getting something bigger and either using tape or shrinking down the sweatband is the way to go.

I wear a size 59 I just found out but I measured to adjust for the sweatband eventually shrinking a little over time so I don't think I would have to order any larger than that would I?

I was thinking about ordering the Fed. Deluxe and I had a question. What method of shipping that is the cheapest did you guys select for anything outside of Australia....like the US?

I was trying to figure out what the total cost would be and the shipping selections kind of confused me.

Well, if you're getting a Fed Deluxe, I'm assuming you're getting it from Hats Direct. You can select the cheapest shipping method to get the hat shipped to you from Austrialia to anywhere else in the world (Rest of world - Economy Mail option), and the total will come out to AU 194.50, which is about 142.00 USD.

I just understand that the larger sizes come more straight sided than the smaller sizes, so if you wanted to order a size bigger and get one of these stick in sweatbands, you could to that, too. I've heard Michaelson say that the size 60s are good for straight sidedness.

Your hat looks pretty straight sided, Winston, so maybe the 59s are good for this, too?

Pitfall,

I'd highly recommend going ahead and choosing express mail if at all possible. Because of the more favorable exchange rate between the US and Australia it's not that much more costly, and REALLY worth it. I ordered mine on a Wednesday night and it arrived five days later by Monday morning.

I think you're right about the sizing. If you're already ordering a little bigger I probably wouldn't go up any larger than that. Mine is a little big to allow for eventual shrinkage and I used the foam tape it came with to get a good fit. I think if I'd gone any more than .5cm bigger the hat wouldn't fit well at all.

Winston, I ended up having the hat shipped airmail which was about $26.00 US dollars. It should get here within 5 to 10 days.

Does anyone know why the bow on both the Fed and Fed Deluxe is doubled? Is that they way Indy's was in Raiders?

Also, are the ribbons dark brown or black on the Fed Deluxe?

I can't say for certain, but the ribbon on my regular is a VERY dark brown, and I'd assume they use the same ribbon on both hats.