Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Akubra Campdraft

Lastmohecken

Familiar Face
Messages
91
Location
Ozark Mountains, United States
It's odd how people's perceptions vary. I love the look of a Fedora on most other people, but it's hard to get used to the look on me, when I look in the mirror, because I have worn cowboy hats with 4 and 4.5 inch brims all of my life so even the Campdraft or Open Road seems small to me, but I am getting more used to them, as I like the smaller size for riding in cars, etc.

But I don't think I will ever buy a stingy brim, in anything, although I do have one converted cowboy hat, that never looks quite right to me, with the 2.75 brim, so I currently have it rolled up on the brim, like a small cowboy. I have considered cutting it down to a 2.5 inch but I don't know, I am afraid I would end up throwing it away, afterward.
 
Last edited:

tonydi

New in Town
Messages
35
Location
los angeles
I'm sure I'll end up selling or maybe trading it, then to keep trying to like it. I dry bashed it about as low as I could with the dome of my head left with no room, but its more the wide brim that I dont care for. I have a Resistol that I think may be a Wide Country (unmarked inside) from pics I've seen here with a 2 3/8 brim and a narrower ribbon that suits me much more. The campdrafts brim is almost right at 3". The Open Road thats on its way has a 2 3/4 brim, and I hope a narrower ribbon. Its all subjective really, but fun to fool around with.
 

James71

A-List Customer
Messages
447
Location
Katoomba, Australia
Its really a matter of a persons size. Im 6'1 and 240lbs with very wide shoulders and anything with less than 60 or 70 mm of brim looks tiny on me. Campdrafts and squatters suit my dimensions. When my short skinny friend puts them on he looks like a mushroom. He is better with the stylemaster size hats or smaller.
 

danofarlington

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,122
Location
Arlington, Virginia
But I don't think I will ever buy a stingy brim, in anything, although I do have one converted cowboy hat, that never looks quite right to me, with the 2.75 brim, so I currently have it rolled up on the brim, like a small cowboy. I have considered cutting it down to a 2.5 inch but I don't know, I am afraid I end up throwing it away, afterward.

You'll never be a hipster.
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
The CD brim is a good 2 7/8", lots of brim that takes getting used to if you didn't previously wear 3" Open Roads & other wide brims. The ribbon is over 1/2" wide where my thin ribbon from Art Fawcett is just under 1/2" wide, a true 4 ligne which is OR style....
 

Jantjeuh

Familiar Face
Messages
70
Location
Europe
Yes exactly!! From the side its not to bad, but from the front I feel like the flying nun! I think I would prefer it if the ribbon were not as wide, but I dont want to start cutting the brim and looking for a thinner ribbon. Also the color is really light tan, and not what I have in mind for silverbelly.
I guess I'm not able to post pics yet.
This sounds strange, the cd has a crazy thin ribbon.. Any thinner and it would be invisible i think?

Haha, niceone about the flying nun :)
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
This sounds strange, the cd has a crazy thin ribbon.. Any thinner and it would be invisible i think?
...

I just measured a 1950's Stratoliner & a 1980's Alessandria, both have ribbons of 3/8" wide.
I re-measured 3 Campdrafts on my hat rack, this time making sure I did not catch the wind cord. All 3 are 1/2" wide.
My conclusion, CD's are 6 ligne ribbon bands & the others are 4 ligne ribbon bands.
So, yes the CD's could have thinner ribbons but look good to me like they are....
 

tonydi

New in Town
Messages
35
Location
los angeles
It doesnt seem to take much in either brim size, crown height or ribbon width to make a big difference to the eye of the beholder! Tom, would you say your Stratoliner is a "scaled down" CD?
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
It doesnt seem to take much in either brim size, crown height or ribbon width to make a big difference to the eye of the beholder! Tom, would you say your Stratoliner is a "scaled down" CD?

Well yes, since a Strat is really a lightweight Open Road with a different brim flange to it. I have a late 1940's Stratoliner with a 2 3/4" brim that is the same dimensions of a same era Open Road. The felt is much lighter & the brim is cupped a great deal more due to the flange.

I guess since the Strat came out in the early 1940's & this configuration of the OR came out in the late 1940's that the Open Road/Campdraft is a "scaled up" Stratoliner....
 

Short Balding Guy

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,557
Location
Minnesota, USA
Well yes, since a Strat is really a lightweight Open Road with a different brim flange to it. I have a late 1940's Stratoliner with a 2 3/4" brim that is the same dimensions of a same era Open Road. The felt is much lighter & the brim is cupped a great deal more due to the flange.

I guess since the Strat came out in the early 1940's & this configuration of the OR came out in the late 1940's that the Open Road/Campdraft is a "scaled up" Stratoliner....

Sir, if you would not mind clarifying some vocabulary for me I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance. Hinge, flange and cup are troubling me when I pick up my hat and try to sort out the details.

Flange refers to the "natural snap" hinge point of the front brim? Cup is the design of the brim dimensions that make it curl upwards all around when not "snapped at the flange? I hope others can also be edified by my query. My engineering background is a disadvantage at times as I have been trained to qualify/quantify the fundamentals of a function (like a hat) before working the metrix of a design, like a hat.

Until now, I had not put it together that the Stratoliner and OR were brothers. Little brother and big brother, if you may.

Thanks, Eric -
 
Messages
10,524
Location
DnD Ranch, Cherokee County, GA
Sir, if you would not mind clarifying some vocabulary for me I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance. Hinge, flange and cup are troubling me when I pick up my hat and try to sort out the details.

Flange refers to the "natural snap" hinge point of the front brim? Cup is the design of the brim dimensions that make it curl upwards all around when not "snapped at the flange? I hope others can also be edified by my query. My engineering background is a disadvantage at times as I have been trained to qualify/quantify the fundamentals of a function (like a hat) before working the metrix of a design, like a hat.

Until now, I had not put it together that the Stratoliner and OR were brothers. Little brother and big brother, if you may.

Thanks, Eric -

A flange is the device used by the hatter/factory to shape the brim. This gives the brim a cupping effect depending on the curve of the flange used.
http://www.millerhats.com/miller_fedora/fedora_flange.html
What I was trying to convey is the Stratoliner brim is shaped with a more curved flange than an Open Road so the Strat brim has a more drastic cupping to the brim.
You may need to contact 1 of our Lounge Hatters to get details to satisfy your engineering level questions.
 

tonydi

New in Town
Messages
35
Location
los angeles
Has anyone had a chance to examine the "new" Stetson Stratoliner. I was just looking at it at TheFedoraStore.com It doesnt come open crowned, but it looks good to me, and to be able to just order one in my larger size would be great. I would always rather have vintage, but Stratoliners seem rare, especially in a larger size.
I fear I should have gotten one of these instead of the CD, but live and learn.
 

T Rick

Practically Family
Messages
934
Location
Metro Detroit
Has anyone had a chance to examine the "new" Stetson Stratoliner. I was just looking at it at TheFedoraStore.com It doesnt come open crowned, but it looks good to me, and to be able to just order one in my larger size would be great. I would always rather have vintage, but Stratoliners seem rare, especially in a larger size.
I fear I should have gotten one of these instead of the CD, but live and learn.

Well, here is the original thread on the new Stratoliner from Stetson. In it, you'll (eventually) find pics, as well as a discussion of why it's not like a vintage Stratoliner.

Here is a thread on a hat many here seem to consider to be what Stetson should have produced, and may in fact produce (remains to be seen). There are also eventually some pics of a couple of prototypes that were made for evaluation. We now wait with baited breath while the powers that be try to iron out the details and make it happen.
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
107,033
Messages
3,026,828
Members
52,537
Latest member
OldBoot
Top