Club Obi Wan

Hello friends and enemies! It's been a while since I've had anything worth posting here, but I finally got a chance to take some pictures of my Federation Deluxe. To tell you the truth, I actually prefer the regular Federation. The felt isn't as fuzzy and for some reason, it breathes better. I sweat a lot more wearing the Deluxe than I ever did wearing the regular Federation. The color is much, much richer and to some that is worth it.
Back in April (wtih a LC bash):


With my tapered Akubra Federation (right):


Now (with Raiders pinch):

It looks very natural on you. Is this the oen you use in your Indy movie?

Ken

Thanks, Ken. I try to make it more my own. Don't want it to look like a costume, y'know?

Ray,

Is that jacket cowhide?

It looks JUST like my cowhide temple jacket.

Nope- authentic lambskin, naturally distressd to Michaelson's standards.

ghost,I love your style ,you always make indygear look great

@Ghos7a55assin: Man, that felt looks really fuzzy compared to the Reg. Federation. Have you thought about getting it pounced by a hatter?

BTW- Where's the moustache?



Henrik.

Why thank you, CairoIndy.
Henrik, that moustache was drawn on. it was fake. we used it for a movie.

That hat looks good. I actually like it better with the more relaxed pinch.

Those are interesting comments on the regular versus deluxe Akubra.
The pictures look great and those background posters are awesome!!
I assume they are vintage.

I've had a couple of reg. Fed. and Fed. Deluxe in for reblocks recently and it's a shame to see such a nice felt pounced that poor. I can however be "fixed" to a much nicer and smother surface, so don't let the fuzzy appearance fool you to believe, that it's not a nice hat.

Regards,

Marc

Feraud- You can find those vintage posters in Hong Kong for really cheap. Sorry again that I didn't have a chance to meet up with you and Jack in New York. Next time for sure!

Ghos7a55assin wrote:Nope- authentic lambskin, naturally distressd to Michaelson's standards.

Good man!

Regards! Michaelson

Well don't think I don't like the hat! I wear it all the time! It's my daily brown hat at the moment (considering I've outgrown my other good brown hat) and it's great. I'll probably send it over to Optimo when it has tapered beyond wear, and I'll ask Graham for a nice pouncing with the reblock.

Ghos7a55assin wrote:Sorry again that I didn't have a chance to meet up with you and Jack in New York. Next time for sure!

Definitely!

Thanks for the tip regarding the posters.

Yes, the Deluxe's felt is much denser than the Regular's. If your hat is too hot, rip out the liner. If you ever want to put it back in, you can buy a hot glue gun for about $4, a little hot glue is all that holds it in to begin with. If you want it to be even cooler, you can sand it thinner, a thin felt is more accurate anyway, and will crease better. Here's my Deluxe. I sanded the whole thing thinner for about an hour, then spent a couple hours just sanding the felt under the ribbon, because it's super thick there. Be carefull not to break a sweat atatchment stitch with sanding- you won't be able to fix it and your sweat will fall out. - It's the type of stitch you can grab one end of and pull the whole thing out like a zipper. Since this hat was 3 sizes too big, I sanded the outside of the crown, you should probably sand the inside, so the hat doesn't get smaller. I use very coarse sandpaper. I don't even finish with a finer grade, because it doesn't look fuzzy. You'll be amazed how much fluff you generate- only takes a few minutes to get this much-

Great picture. I know some may disagree and say that Raiders is the best look but I love a tie with the jacket.

You definitely wear it well.

Thanks for posting the pics

That post on pouncing by 3thoubucks was significant enough to coax me out of lurking mode. Downright exciting! I'd love to hear more about how to pounce a hat by myself (I find sanding wood very gratifying for reasons I don't understand, and I bet I'd have a great time with my fuzzy felt hats).

What grades and types of sandpaper are best? What kind of motion is best? Circular? I assume there is no machine involved when it's a do-it-yourself project, right? Is there an existing thread on the subject I can jump on so this one doesn't get eclipsed?

Later addition: I did find a thread that mentions sanding here:

viewtopic.php?t=12530

Also talks about setting the hat on fire, but I'm afraid I might burn my ears if I do that...

Russ wrote:I assume there is no machine involved when it's a do-it-yourself project, right?

I just pictured somebody running out to the garage and grabbing the belt sander.

I hand sand using 50 or 80 grit aluminum oxide, and sand in any direction. There's absolutely nothing to it, have no fears. Even with coarse sand paper it goes slow. Just stop now and then and use your fingertips to feel how thin it's getting. I have taken 1/2 the thickness off a Miller cowboy hat. This article says 30% is sanded off these Italian hats. http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA ... 56,00.html Fedora has warned that it can lead to quick tapering. ... Oh, and Ghos7, that pic of you with the posters is verry classy!

Serial Hero wrote:

Russ wrote:I assume there is no machine involved when it's a do-it-yourself project, right?

I just pictured somebody running out to the garage and grabbing the belt sander.

Uh-oh. While not exactly a belt sander, I have been there and done that.

I'm kind of shocked... both regarding the vibrating sander and the 50 / 80 grit sand paper, but maybe I'm just too obsessed with a smooth looking surface...

Please consider, that - being a family oriented site - some kids might go ahead and spoil the lids they got for Christmas if going by these "recommandations". I'd recommend using a 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, if you absolutely need to thin out the felt. Takes a bit longer, but that'll also remove quite a bit over time and you wouldn't spoil the entire overall look by doing so. In fact if used on a Fed. or Fed. Deluxe, it'll look better afterwards - but a light pouncing would do! Counter clockwise on the top side of the hat, clockwise on the bottom side... But do as you think. I'm sure your preferred hatter will gladly sell you a new one

Regards,

Marc

I've tried hand pouncing two hats, BUT they were both beater fedoras which had seen MUCH better days before I ever got them. One was a freebie and the other I paid five bucks for. If you want to experiement with pouncing, I highly recommend going this route before trying it on a nicer hat so you get used to the process.

Yes, like sanding a fine wood, it needs an eye in the mix. I would start on an old worn out hat to get the feel, and then go at it!!! Now from a hatter's viewpoint, thinning a felt out by sanding down too much wrecks the longevity of the felt. The reason for this is that felt is felted from the outside in. The mechanical motion that generates the felt process is accomplished on the outside of the body. Sure, they turn the hat, inside out and fold it, but the outside of the body is still where the best felt will be, once you get rid of the fuzzies. A piece of felt is like a sandwich. 3 layers comprise a felt body. The the inner layer is called the core, and it is felted less, than the outer layers. Remove both out layers and you are left with the core. This layer will shrink and taper faster than the outer layers. If I were gonna thin down my own hat, I would turn the hat inside out, and remove one outer layer and part of the core. I would then turn the out back, to where the finer outer layer is exposed to the elements. I would never pounce down a customers hat. They make thinner felt and that is the way to go for a long lasting and durable hat. IMHO. Fedora

Marc wrote: I'm kind of shocked... both regarding the vibrating sander and the 50 / 80 grit sand paper, but maybe I'm just too obsessed with a smooth looking surface...

Vibrating sander?! That is an orbital sander. The look that I was after was intentionally unrefined. You can see more here if you missed it. It is not really Indy-related though...

I must say that a new looking hat, that is a freshly blocked Indy hat would sure look good with the Fuller's Earth treament. By the time most hats get that "used" looking, the crown has lost some of the original shape. Hmmm. I said I would never sell a dirty hat, but perhaps this is the only way to pull off the Cairo hat with more accuracy. Fedora