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Akubra Overload

tropicalbob

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,954
Location
miami, fl
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?
I do. It's what got me into Akubras.
 
Messages
11,894
Location
Southern California
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?
I do remember the occasional "Fedora Lounge Special". It was quite a while after I received the hat before I realized the brim was 1/8" narrower than the normal Campdrafts (including my other two), but once I discovered it, combined with the orange liner, that was actually my first thought. By then so much time had passed since I ordered it that I thought it was a bit silly to bother the nice folks at Everything Australian, especially since I liked the hat so much and it's unique qualities were nothing more than an extremely minor curiosity.
 

milandro

A-List Customer
Messages
391
Location
The Netherlands
Just got hold of a “ Snowy River” in need of some TLC and some heavy resizing. The sweatband and the leather band couldn’t resist the heavy stretching but the had did with honors. Too early to take any pictures and it will receive a different leather band, and sweatband, but I plan to stick back the vintage Akubra sticker back in once I am done.
 

Wyldkarma

One Too Many
Messages
1,805
Location
Austin, TX
Akubra Snowy River
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milandro

A-List Customer
Messages
391
Location
The Netherlands
The rather old Akubra Sony river that I got came with a simple sticker and no lining (in fact that lack of lining I saw was quoted as a difference with other models, so it has to be an option now) but yes, it is the same model, I have ruined the original sweatband in the process of stretching but I couldn’t have been using that one. The felt is very elastic it really stretches a lot but it also quite rapidly shrinks back although it it now way bigger than it was originally.
 
Messages
18,915
Location
Central California
I’ve avoided Akubras with the grommet vents; however, I recently bought a Cattleman because the price was right and I needed hats to practice curling brims using a new tool I acquired.

The hat is what I was expecting. My only complaint is that the crown is much lower than I prefer. Even giving it a very shallow crease didn’t help much.

7401e61fae776d6e641143ec43b8a96f.jpg


1a8172a87e899e880fbef62ed7d76ec7.jpg


e818720d79320c84dc4ba20af2bc61b2.jpg


b5f1088eaa55ee6dc4c5eb80f4a5b386.jpg


a5ab372e5a08c90df65c6a131828bab8.jpg


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c944ef79ea67d3c9a6b894d645824195.jpg


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I continue my streak with Akubra: my long oval head does not fit well and I would have been better served with a size larger. A couple days in my band block helped, but I still feel that a size 62 would still have been better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

J Williams

Practically Family
Messages
638
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
I’ve avoided Akubras with the grommet vents; however, I recently bought a Cattleman because the price was right and I needed hats to practice curling brims using a new tool I acquired.

The hat is what I was expecting. My only complaint is that the crown is much lower than I prefer. Even giving it a very shallow crease didn’t help much.

7401e61fae776d6e641143ec43b8a96f.jpg


1a8172a87e899e880fbef62ed7d76ec7.jpg


e818720d79320c84dc4ba20af2bc61b2.jpg


b5f1088eaa55ee6dc4c5eb80f4a5b386.jpg


a5ab372e5a08c90df65c6a131828bab8.jpg


5cdc767372b5edfdf4c8a54f171913bd.jpg


c944ef79ea67d3c9a6b894d645824195.jpg


0acc072e281fd83240c6b6d913b160ef.jpg


I continue my streak with Akubra: my long oval head does not fit well and I would have been better served with a size larger. A couple days in my band block helped, but I still feel that a size 62 would still have been better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Putting that new curler to work! Nicely done.
 

milandro

A-List Customer
Messages
391
Location
The Netherlands
The rather old Akubra Sony river that I got came with a simple sticker and no lining (in fact that lack of lining I saw was quoted as a difference with other models, so it has to be an option now) but yes, it is the same model, I have ruined the original sweatband in the process of stretching but I couldn’t have been using that one. The felt is very elastic it really stretches a lot but it also quite rapidly shrinks back although it it now way bigger than it was originally.


I am still in the process of renovating the hat, the stretching of the felt went very well (aside from the details mentioned above).

Now is permanently jacked waiting for the sweatband to come (I ‘ve ordered one in England which is taking way longer than it should) and to be attached. As for the hatband, I have found a number of solutions some practically the same as the original (at the time Akubra had this simple plaited leather band no Akubra brand on it) but I have started to wonder whether it would be a good idea to use a Puggaree instead? After all this is an Australian hat and the resulting look would be an interesting crossover between a Safari hat and reminiscence of a military slouch. Naturally, purists only accept the hat as it was, but this is no longer an option. So , a certain “ conversion’ limited to hatband and sweatband has to happen.
Akubra restoration.jpg
 

milandro

A-List Customer
Messages
391
Location
The Netherlands
So this is what the refurbished snowy river looks like now.

The sweatband was replaced by my wife. I put a new hatband in the form of a belt and put a porcupine quill through the loop, which is a sort of Chutzpah since there are no porcupines (the echidna is not a porcupine) in Australia.
I am rather happy. I have noticed that the hat needs jacking, no other of my hats started its life much smaller, like this, and was stretched at least two sizes, so I don’t really have any comparison, but it seems to me that rabbit felt has a springiness of his own (which is funny when one thinks of it). click to expand if you so wish
Akubra Snowy River Stekel piccola.jpg
 
Last edited:

J Williams

Practically Family
Messages
638
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Hi guys. I was wondering if anyone has any thoughts regarding the regular Akubra felt vs the deluxe (heritage felt). Is the deluxe version worth the extra money, in your opinion? Thanks!

Someone with more Akubra knowledge will most likely reply but from what I have read and experienced by visiting David Morgan and feeling / trying on some hats that it's a bit of a luck of the draw scenario. Some people have had great soft felt in both heritage and standard ( imperial ) and some have had very stiff felt in both grades. I own a moonstone campdraft which only comes in heritage grade and it's a pretty soft hat that I can dry bash to a casual crease but it's a little furry for my liking. The imperial grade I handled at David Morgan had a nicer hand and finish but the felt was fairly stiff. I know they soften up with wear.

If memory serves from what I have read people have been happier with imperial vs heritage especially considering the price bump. Hopefully a few other members chime in. Either way they are great hats for the price.

When I order another it will be a bluegrass green campdraft which only comes in imperial.
 

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