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Akubra Overload

Messages
19,096
Location
Funkytown, USA
Hi guys - I have a couple Akubra-specific questions and I figured this would be the best place to ask!
1. I like the Campdraft and I would like to be able to switch up the bash now and then (a cattleman one day, maybe a teardrop the next). I have never held a CD so is this realistic? Is the felt malleable enough or would I need to steam it each time I wanted to change it? If so, would something like a (modern) Stetson Stratoliner or Stetsonian be a better bet?
2. Out of all the hats I have, I have yet to own a Silverbelly. Does that color get dingy easily around the areas that are most often handled?
Thanks so much for your help!

1. You can switch the crease on any open crown hat and rebash at will. However, with any hat, you'll usually need to use steam to set it, whether Akubra, Stetson, or Borsalino. You can also misting the crown, set it, and let it dry.

Many vintages dry bash easily and hold their crease. That's a feature that is rare in a modern hat.

2. Any light colored hat is prone to showing dirt, oils, etc. If it's a real working hat, it will get discolored.

Sent from my moto g(6) using Tapatalk
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
My silverbelly hats, and other light colors, do show stains and dinginess more than other colors. It takes some work to keep them clean, but nothing too onerous. I have animals and live in a world with lint etc. and find black hats are the hardest to keep looking good.

You can reshape any open crown felt hat, but doing it regularly with an Akubra doesn’t sound practical. The modern felt does not return to open crown without any visage of the old crease remaining unless you put in some work. Misting the felt, steam, and even partially blocking might be needed for best results. Also, “working” the felt by creasing and re-creasing it will weaken it and eventually cause holes to appear; not an issue if shaped/creased a few times, but every few days....




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

GLewis

New in Town
Messages
40
Hi guys - I have a couple Akubra-specific questions and I figured this would be the best place to ask!
1. I like the Campdraft and I would like to be able to switch up the bash now and then (a cattleman one day, maybe a teardrop the next). I have never held a CD so is this realistic? Is the felt malleable enough or would I need to steam it each time I wanted to change it? If so, would something like a (modern) Stetson Stratoliner or Stetsonian be a better bet?
2. Out of all the hats I have, I have yet to own a Silverbelly. Does that color get dingy easily around the areas that are most often handled?
Thanks so much for your help!
Bulldog, if you can, just get a couple of Campdrafts. You probably will end up doing that! I love my silver belly Campdraft!
 

dkstott

Practically Family
Messages
715
Location
Connecticut
I've seen Akubra hats with Red hat liners as well as White hat liners listed as Imperial quality felt on eBay.

Were Akubra originally sold with red hat liners? Is there any difference in quality??
 

XB234C

New in Town
Messages
30
Location
Montana
Anybody got pics of them wearing the CEO or of just the hat? Thinking about getting one. Thanks. Didn't want to wade through 344 pages.
 

TheOldFashioned

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,042
Location
The Great Lakes
Anybody got pics of them wearing the CEO or of just the hat? Thinking about getting one. Thanks. Didn't want to wade through 344 pages.

Do a Google images search:
IMG_1650.jpg
Note that once you click on the some of thumbnails the picture is blurred out by photobucket.

There's also a post in the old WHAYWT? thread.
 

johnnycanuck

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,005
Location
Alberta
I've seen Akubra hats with Red hat liners as well as White hat liners listed as Imperial quality felt on eBay.

Were Akubra originally sold with red hat liners? Is there any difference in quality??
My first Federation has a red liner back in 2000, 2001. Everyone past that has a white one.
Johnny
 

johnnycanuck

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,005
Location
Alberta
Anybody got pics of them wearing the CEO or of just the hat? Thinking about getting one. Thanks. Didn't want to wade through 344 pages.
My sister has one. Good looking hat with better than average sun protection with the down turned Brim. I don’t have any pictures though.
Johnny
 
Last edited:
Messages
11,894
Location
Southern California
My first Federation has a red liner back in 2000, 2001. Everyone past that has a white one.
Johnny
All of my Akubras have white liners except for my Bluegrass Green Campdraft which has a mostly orange liner:

E63fe6K.jpg


Also, the brim is 2.75" all around instead of the advertised 2.875". My guess is this was a special order that somehow never got shipped, so they sent it to the next American who ordered one in size 60. Whatever the reason, I like it and I'm glad they sent it to me.
 

Doctor Strange

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,220
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
A couple of my Akubras have the reddish-gold liners - vintage-2007 Stylemaster and vintage-2015 Campdraft - but the others have the standard white ones. They're all the standard Imperial felt. I don't think we've ever seen a consistent pattern (in terms of product line or manufacturing era, etc.) re the different lining colors.
 

Doctor Strange

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,220
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
Zombie_61, I seem to recall that there was a special order run of Bluegrass Green Campdrafts with the shorter brims made a while back, perhaps shortly before you joined? It was instigated by some folks here once they managed to come up with enough orders for the factory to do it - a "Fedora Lounge Special" - and it was through Sam at Everything Australian.

I don't want to search for the old threads, but does anyone else remember this?
 

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