Club Obi Wan

I know there's been much back-and-forth about how the new Fed IV's run in terms of size. So much so, I'm having trouble finding a trend. So, I'd like to see what a poll would reveal. What I'm looking for is how the hat fits you without sizing tape or alterations, based on how Hat Direct explains the determination of size.

I wouldn't expect to find much of a difference between the Standard and the Deluxe in sizing, but somebody knows otherwise, please chime in.

I just ordered two of them in 59" my Herbert Johnson is in a 59 and it's a bit tight so I will let you know when they come in.

My Fed IV Deluxe fit as advertized when I got it last month. No complaints!

RZ

I made a remark to hatsdirect about this, as I have another style ( gasp! ) on order from them. They replied that the Federation runs 0.5 cm small.

I find my fed 4 to be a little more snug than what i would want it to be, but its nothing really worth complaining about. one good thing about it i suppose is it takes a pretty strong wind to take it off my head.

I am very happy with the advice Hats Direct gave me.
It's worth exchanging a few emails with them before ordering.
My queries were to do with my head being exactly between sizes. I followed their advice and bought larger than I first thought - and used the foam tape inlay - as they reminded me the hat would shrink to begin with.
I've had the hat 4 months now. For a few weeks I needed the thick tape then moved down to the thinner tape. As the hat has settled in I have removed sections of the thin tape and now I have hardly any tape in it.
However, the leather sweat band does shrink further if i wear it all day in wet conditions, which they did tell me to expect.
When that gets a little tight I just flip the sweatband up and gently stretch it by hand.

My noggin is 56.5 cm. I ordered a 57 on their advise. It was roomy when i got it, I put a 1 inch piece of the foam on either side and it fit great. After about 2 weeks of regular wear, I had to take the foam out, and it now fits perfect. I couldn't have had a custom that fits any better. Its been holdingg steady now for 8 months of regular wear.

I got a sixty and It was a little loose, put the foamn in and it fits perfectly. I have had it for two or three weeks now.

I ordered a size 62, and got a reply from them basically asking if i was sure about that (I'm used to it), and I told them my head measured 61.5, and I was told they would look for the hat that fit me best, and they did! As it turns out, they measured several size 62 hats until they found one that measured 61.5 and sent me that one.

My Fed III Regular size 61 fits my head perfectly. A little snug, but wind has never knocked it off. Any snugger and the vein in my forehead would buldge out and I'd have a stroke.

So I ordered a 62 Fed IV DLX and put not even half the sizing tape underneath the sweatband and it fits fine.

But out of the box, it fell right down to my ears.

As it fits on me, it is very "blocky" and it even has a little of the reverse taper.

And like enigmata wood, I've been taking little bits of tape out every few weeks. So I don't know if the hat is shrinking or if the sweatband is, but if it gets too tight, I get a headache.

I've ordered 2 Fed IVs -- one brown and the ohter carbon grey. Both were a bit large when received and I had to use the sizing foam initially. Over a period of a few weeks, both slowly shrank and now neither have the sizing foam and they fit perfectly.

I ordered mine in 62 because I didn't realise that they had separate sizing instructions for the Fed until it was too late. They didn't ask for any sort of confirmation on the size, either. My hat runs a little bit snug and I'm afraid that if it shrinks even a little bit, I may be in trouble...

I find that Akubra is the ONLY company that gets sizing right. Every other hat I've owned has been a little off, but Akubra really is true to their measurements.

Both my Fed III & Fed IV are a 59. The IV is just a tad tighter but not unwearable in the least. It'd just hold on more on a windy day!

Fits like a glove.



Not that I usually wear my gloves on my head....

My Fed IV Deluxe is a 59, and when I first tried it on, it slid way too easily down to my ears. I attached the foam underneath the sweatband per the instructions, and it fits much tighter. I used just about all of the foam to create a full ring, and I'm curious how much of a difference it would make if I were to remove some of it. When I take off my hat, I have that red stripe on my forehead, which makes me think it's a bit tight now. For example, will removing some foam so there are only strips on the side make enough of a difference to prevent the redness but also keep it snug enough so it doesn't drop down and rest on my ears? I don't want to go removing too much of the foam strip because I don't have any extra. I'm curious as to what others who have used the foam for a better fit have done. Thanks.

I have two Fed IV standards, a brown and a carbon gray, in size 57. At first the brown felt a pinch larger than the gray, but with both I needed to use the sizing tape all the way around. This was only the case for a few wearings though as I have had to cut the tape down as it formed to my head with each wearing. As of now I have only a piece of foam on each hat in the back and the fit for both is great -- snug but not headache/redline forming.
In short, Fed IV standard, great hat, great fit, you just may need to start with some sizing tape and cut it back as the sweatband shrinks and forms to your head.
Hope this helps,
Frank

basilbakerst wrote:My Fed IV Deluxe is a 59, and when I first tried it on, it slid way too easily down to my ears. I attached the foam underneath the sweatband per the instructions, and it fits much tighter. I used just about all of the foam to create a full ring, and I'm curious how much of a difference it would make if I were to remove some of it. When I take off my hat, I have that red stripe on my forehead, which makes me think it's a bit tight now. For example, will removing some foam so there are only strips on the side make enough of a difference to prevent the redness but also keep it snug enough so it doesn't drop down and rest on my ears? I don't want to go removing too much of the foam strip because I don't have any extra. I'm curious as to what others who have used the foam for a better fit have done. Thanks.

I have used something other than "sizing tape" to adjust the fit on other hats, but if I were to use the tape, I wouldn't glue it in... for future reference.
Anyway, yes; try removing the front tape first. If you need to remove more, remove it at the back. Then, if you still need more room, remove the sides. And don't worry about running out of tape. There are many inexpensive options out there that can replace the sizing tape. ;-)

Before I ordered my Fed IV (standard) I followed the measuring instructions on the Hats Direct website; using a "tailor's tape" rather than string (or some other method) I measured three times and got 60 cm each time, so I ordered a 60. When my hat arrived it was a bit loose (certainly enough for me to pull down over my ears as other members have experienced), but fit well when I tried a bit of the foam tape provided. I didn't like the way the foam tape distorted the headband, so I removed it and wore the hat as-is; after a few days it cinched up to a near-perfect fit. A strong gust of wind might pull it off, but under normal conditions it fits quite comfortably; snug enough to remain securely on my head, but not so tight that it leaves the infamous "red marks" on my forehead.

I have two Akubras (soon to be 3) and both were purchased at the same size a 59. My head is right in the middle of sizes, its a 58.5 and im a bit of a long oval. The brown lid i had to put foam all the way around and it hasn't shrunk much at all in the eight months that i've had it. The moonstone initially i had to put foam in only the front to bring the sides in a bit more so it would **** up and not slide down. The moonstone has shrunk a lot, and it fits firmly now, but the brown has yet to shrink at all and all the foam is still in it. Weird, i know.