Many years ago we were contacted by both Indiana Jones fans and hat collectors who wanted a genuine pre World War 2 fedora. Hats from this era were generally taller and had fuller crowns than the hats of today. Most were sold as "Open Crown" hats with the pre creased styles becoming more popular after WW2.
The Hattery and Akubra Hats, together set about creating a new hat, selecting an older set of hat blocks we believe date back to the 1920's. Advice from Mark Cross (Indygear.com) and Steve Delk (Adventurebilt) the hat maker for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, have assisted with the final result. The blocks used for this hat are original wooden blocks made by Akubra Hats. They have no pre determined shape. At no stage do we make any claim that this hat is a replica of the Indiana Jones hat as used in the movies. This hat has been made on a set of older hat blocks, and has been left in an "open crown" state allowing customers to shape according to their desire.
When we introduced the first model we needed a name. The year was 1998 - the Centenary of Federation in Australia, with many historical pictures published showing people in hats such as the one we created. Hence the name The Federation. Hatsdirect has been at the forefront of offering "Open Crown" style hats into the collectors market. The hat has been through 3 transitions since its introduction, introducing a contrasting ribbon, a dimensional cut brim, a better quality version. We have now introduced a new set of specifications and refinements based on feedback and customer requests and have logically arrived at The Federation IV.