Akubra Federation vs. Akubra Adventure

Indy Byrd

New member
I ordered my Adventurer in an open crown and bashed it myself. I also took my new hat, after I bashed it, out to the garden and threw it in the dirt and kicked it around a little...well actually a lot. I figured if it was an Indy hat, it had to look it. It survived my beating. I have also wore it in caves and in the heat and rain with no problems what so ever.

I hope this helps in the decision process.. Just out of curiosity, what hat size are you? I might be interested in parting with my Adventurer since I have a new hat coming.
 

HenryJunior

New member
Yeah I'm wanting the Adventurer, gotta save up for it though. Thanks for the offer Byrd but I want get a hat of my own, I want to make it kind of my own personal hat.:hat:
 

Indy Byrd

New member
When I was kicking my Akubra in the garden I did step on it like that a time or two. I have also sat on it, my 1year old has had it playing with it, its fell off while riding horses, etc. and it still looks pretty good. I guess to each his own on how to age his/her hat. I just didn't want a hat that looked "new".

I just hope my Steele and Jones Crusader will stand up to the same abuse. I will be traveling to Europe and to Egypt as well as a few more countries abroad next year and I aim to wear my gear all the time!!

And Henry Junior, its no problem buddy, I was just asking to save you some money!! I understand what you are talking about getting a personal hat. My Steele and Jones is a custom hat just like the Penman's are.
 

HenryJunior

New member
Well this past weekend by pure chance in a Hat shop I found the Dorfman Pacific Wool Hat. The price was alright and I really didn't want to turn it down.

The hat in it's original factory pressed bash is terrible. Thankfully the wool felt with enough work can be modified. By hand I worked out the creases and tenderized the felt back into what was roughly an open crown. Then I built a rig made out of a bucket and a plastic bowl. Working warm water into the the felt with my hands I stretched and pressured the felt to get the factory creases out. I it stuffed with rags and until it stayed tightly on the rig. I kept it wet for a while and left it over night.

I can see very faint water stains in the wool felt but it's now able to be custom bashed! I think all the work stretched the crown a little higher but not by much, it was already 1 inch too short compared to the hero. Unfortunately I still have to use water and clips to reinforce the bash pinches but it's going to look a lot better.

One aesthetic change was darkening the head ribbon, (the hat I purchased had a ribbon almost the same shade as the felt) which was simple enough, one pass of black Sharpie over the entire ribbon got the correct shade and after it dried is nice and permanent. I'm considering trimming the part of the brim with an embedded shaping cord to get the correct raw edges, but the brim may be too short afterwards.

I'll post pictures soon, sorry I don't have any before but it looked just like this:

IJ557_BRN_3Q.jpg

This hat comes with an incorrect tear-drop like dip in the back and very weak dimples.

Anyway this is the stepping stone towards the DM Adventurer or FED4, I just wanted this now :)
 

Marshall2288

New member
You gotta start somewhere. I'm gonna get the Fed IV I think. i've owned other Akubra hats and they are all top notch.
 

HenryJunior

New member
Well you've seen the previous stock photo of the hat, here's what mine looks like now after all the work:

dpcustom1.png


dpcustom2.png


dpcustom3.png


Again thanks for the responses and support guys! :whip:
 

Indy Byrd

New member
Definitely an improvement! My first Indy hat was a Dorfman, but since I got my DM Adventurer, it went to the kids and it has definitely seen some mileage then!! The only problem I had with my Dorfman, was when mine got wet, it shrunk!! I hope you don't have that problem with yours! Anyway, looks good and I hope you have many adventures in your hat!!
 

HenryJunior

New member
Thanks Byrd! My one other modification I'm holding out on is trimming the brim. Dorfman put some kind of molding cord into it and makes it have a very exaggerated swoop an thick edge. I'm sure I can cut it down to the correct raw edge but I'm worried it will look too short. Anyone have an opinion? Should I just leave it be?
One thing is the crown is an inch too short anyway making the brim smaller could help.
 
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Indy Byrd

New member
In my honest opinion, I would leave it be. You run into the risk of cutting unevenly, and the felt starting to fray which could ruin the hat fairly quickly. If you are buying another hat soon, just leave it be. Its better to have a stand in rather than no hat at all!!
 

HenryJunior

New member
Yeah I'm just going to work out whatever wire or cord is in it until it's soft, the brim is already too short compared to the hero anyway.:hat:
 

Marshall2288

New member
Dude, I think it looks great after the bash you did. I would leave it alone. Start wearing it out and have some adventures in it! Honestly thats the best looking DP that I have seen. I'm no expert, mind you, but I think it looks great. Did you do some "dirtying up" to the hat or is that just the pics?
 

HenryJunior

New member
Thanks Marshall! Yeah I don't want to risk ruining all the work on it by skewing the brim or taking a chunk out of it.
I believe that's just the poor webcam quality but there is some faint water stains from reshaping then bashing the wool.
:whip:
 

Marshall2288

New member
Well non the less it does look really good. Even though its not the exact specs, the way you bashed it makes it instantly recognizable as an Indy hat.
 

HenryJunior

New member
I appreciate that Marshall, when I bought the hat I was worried I had paid too much for a hat with poor quality and didn't look a thing like a movie hat. I put a lot effort to get it to look this way and more natural character and weathering will come over time. Well I think I've highjacked this thread long enough, back to topic, in my case the DM Adventurer I'm going to get someday, hopefully soon!
:whip:
 

Marshall2288

New member
Hijacked? Shoot before you came along the last post in this thread was 2009. I think it's safe to say you can talk about any you like :hat:
 

Jefemmefatale

New member
Akubra Federation Vs Adventurer

As each movie in the series has a different hat your preference may depend on your favourite movie. The Akubra Adventurer is more consistent with the Temple of Doom hat as it has slightly tapered sides when shaped where the Federation is more desirable for the first movie fans as the sides are parallel. The hat block used on the Federation is pre decimal which gives it the traditional old 40's world appeal. Also the Federation can be ordered in Carbon Grey which is accurate to the Grey Clipper Fedora used in the two scene where Indy boards the plane and at the end in DC in the first movie. A word of caution if you order the Deluxe the grey is a fair bit lighter in colour. The traditional and more accurate colour of the Indy Fedora in the movies is Sable and not chocolate brown although the brown does look appealing. There are a few Australian internet sites that a person can purchase these hats but check with the seller as some will shape them at no extra cost. :)
 
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