Club Obi Wan

Okay, I've been exhaustively researching which Indy hat to buy in the last month, and I've learned more about fedoras than I ever though I would shy of being a hat maker.

I used to wear fedoras in high school and college, but lost my two beloved hats during one of my many moves.

I want a fedora, and I'd love to get an Indy fedora, probably the Fed IV, but...I also want a fedora to wear everywhere that doesn't necessarily have to be screen accurate.

The Village Hatshop has some really great lids made by Jaxon, like the Bogie, the Safari, and the C-Crown. I know these aren't blocked like the Indy lid and have taper and not as wide a brim, but they are much more reasonable priced than the Fed IV.

So...what do I do?

If I could find a place in the U.S. that imported the Fed IV and wouldn't cost me forty bucks in shipping, I'd buy one in an instant.

However, I don't think this is the case, and I'm hesitant about the shipping cost as well as a concern that it won't fit and I'll be spending another forty bucks to send it back to AU to get a new one.

Help a newb out, please!

\S/

I discovered this forum shortly after seeing Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and deciding to finally own the hat I'd wanted ever since seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark 27 years ago.

Like you, I was doing research to determine which hat would best suit my needs and budget. Also like you, I didn't necessarily want a hat that was 100% screen accurate. I wanted a real Indiana Jones hat--something I could wear anywhere, any time, that would last longer than a few seasons without falling apart, but I also didn't want to have to take out a second mortgage on the house to pay for it. After reading numerous comments about Akubra's reputation for quality hats that are able to take just about any punishment I could dish out, I decided on the Federation IV standard.

Initially I balked at the shipping charge as well, but decided their reputation for durability was worth the extra cost. I received my hat just last week, only nine days after ordering it, and I couldn't be happier. After only a few days the hat snugged up to a near-perfect fit, bashed very easily (especially considering this was my first), and looks exactly like the hat I'd imagined myself wearing all those years.

As most Indy fans might say, I chose wisely. Only you can determine whether or not you can live with paying a little extra to cover the shipping costs. But between the price, the service I received from Hats Direct, and the quality, I'd recommend this hat to anyone looking for an Indiana Jones Fedora.

You can NEVER go wrong with a Fed IV.....It's worth every penny and more.

Go with a fed IV!

I bought a Jaxon Iconoclast early May, because it was fur felt and under $100.00 and it was an unhappy choice that I returned to Village Hat Shop. The real problem was that the hat was so stiff, including the leather hat band, that it did not fit well. I usually cut strips of craft felt and insert them between the hat band and hat to make a larger hat fit better. When I tried this with the Iconoclast, the hat band became lumpy, for lack of a better word.

I'm going to go with a Fed IV myself. I'm contemplating Carbon Gray, bashing it like the Raiders travel hat because it will be more versatile with my wardrobe. All bets are off for my brown Indy fedora. I may wait and see what sizes Bending Oaks come in. Thinking about the Henry, because that's about my patience level.

Right now, I have a DP outback style, which I purchased because it was the only one that was said to be waterproof. I'm going to try trimming the brim and replacing the ribbon and get it to look like dime-store Venice Pier from Crusade.

Ciao,

Bill

You won't be sorry with a Fed 4. Be sure to ask questions about the sizing.

Great customer service, btw...

Regards,
LJS

Is Hatsdirect the only place to find the Fed IV? I've searched but can't find an U.S. distributor.

RichardSK wrote:Is Hatsdirect the only place to find the Fed IV? I've searched but can't find an U.S. distributor.

Yes, it is.
Steve

The Fed IV is made EXCLUSIVELY for Hats Direct. So you can't buy in the US, though David Morgan has a similar "Adventurer" Model. I would just add that you might investigate the Keppler Indy for about the same price -- made in the US by Beaver Hat Co. for Lee Keppler.

Yeah, the Federation, Morgan's Adventurer, and the Keppler are your best options. Yes, the prices are over $100, but the best rabbit fur felt hats don't go below that.
I saw a Fed 4 in person this weekend, and I was impressed with the block. The color was a bit better, too. No more weird "brown-green-purple-black-brown" color.
I haven't checked in a while, but when I bought my Federations, the total including shipping was less than buying an Akubra from Morgan including shipping. Recent drops in the dollar may have changed that, though.

Is the David Morgan "Adventurer" identical to the Federation III, or is it yet another variation?

The Federation line and specs are specific to Hats Direct only and no other Akubra dealer.

You might want to look at the Akubra Campdraft, if you don't care if it's an Indy hat. These are very nice and a bargain for the price. Similar to a Stetson Open Road, and they come open crown.