Akubra Campdraft

I think you will really like the color,mine has become a favorite.

Seb Lucas said:

I like that hat and colour Zombie. One of the best hats I've seen on you - I think it's the thinner ribbon...

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After re-reading your post, I think my previous response may have come across as being dismissive of your opinion, which was not at all my intent. So for that, I sincerely apologize.

In fact, your post made me seriously re-think my opinions of my new Campdraft. I mentioned it to my wife the other night, and she told me she also thought my Taupe Fawn Campdraft looked better on me than my Tawny Fawn Fed IV. :shocked: Now, when I say my wife couldn't care less about hats, that's a major understatement. She supports my newfound fondness for fedoras but doesn't really "get" it, so when she expressed a preference for one hat over another my jaw hit the floor so hard that it left a permanent impression.

Anyway, thank you for opening my eyes and my mind!

Zombie_61 said:

After re-reading your post, I think my previous response may have come across as being dismissive of your opinion, which was not at all my intent. So for that, I sincerely apologize.

In fact, your post made me seriously re-think my opinions of my new Campdraft. I mentioned it to my wife the other night, and she told me she also thought my Taupe Fawn Campdraft looked better on me than my Tawny Fawn Fed IV. :shocked: Now, when I say my wife couldn't care less about hats, that's a major understatement. She supports my newfound fondness for fedoras but doesn't really "get" it, so when she expressed a preference for one hat over another my jaw hit the floor so hard that it left a permanent impression.

Anyway, thank you for opening my eyes and my mind!

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No need to apologize - I didn't think you were being dismissive. I'm glad you've warmed to that Campdraft. I really do think it suits you very well indeed. Cheers - Seb.

So my search for a vintage OR is growing tiring. My big fat 7 5/8 head seems to be the main culprit also, as I'm not a bonafide fedora guy at this point (sure that'll change once I get past this boot obsession I'm currently in :lol I have some reservations about spending more than $150 on a hat... However, I also can appreciate quality when I see it, and am wondering if the deluxe is worth the extra $100 or not. What do you guys think?

Also, do CDs run pretty true to size? Like I said, I'm a 7 5/8, an was planning to order a 61, but if anyone's experience would suggest I size differently, if really love to hear it.

Thx in advance for any insight and feedback.

(Here's to taking the plunge into the "hat" threads!!!)

bretron said:

So my search for a vintage OR is growing tiring. My big fat 7 5/8 head seems to be the main culprit also, as I'm not a bonafide fedora guy at this point (sure that'll change once I get past this boot obsession I'm currently in :lol I have some reservations about spending more than $150 on a hat... However, I also can appreciate quality when I see it, and am wondering if the deluxe is worth the extra $100 or not. What do you guys think?

Also, do CDs run pretty true to size? Like I said, I'm a 7 5/8, an was planning to order a 61, but if anyone's experience would suggest I size differently, if really love to hear it.

Thx in advance for any insight and feedback.

(Here's to taking the plunge into the "hat" threads!!!)

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I'm a dead on 24", 7 5/8 Long Oval & all my CDs are 61.
They feel big in open crown form out of the box, but after creasing & wearing, they fit my head like a custom.
I have 2 Heritage grade Deluxes, a Silverbelly because we at The Lounge got them to do the first run of Deluxes & the other because that is the only way to get Moonstone.
If you are not a "bonafide fedora guy", I am not sure you are going to care for the subtle upgrades. The felt is denser, the sweat is nicer, the ribbons (band & edge) are better, but being $100 better is based on what you value in a hat.
I have a slightly used Glen Grey, 61, Imperial CD that is sitting in the box since I got the Moonstone.
$85 shipping included if you are interested.

@Gtdean48, that is insanely tempting!!!! I had my heart set on a silverbelly, but man, let me think about that...

Any to your sizing and quality points, thank you. There's no doubt that value is 99.9% subjective; and your feedback is a good reminder of that. I think I'm probably aptly suited to just get the standard CD for this reason... Cheers

bretron said:

@Gtdean48, that is insanely tempting!!!! I had my heart set on a silverbelly, but man, let me think about that...

Any to your sizing and quality points, thank you. There's no doubt that value is 99.9% subjective; and your feedback is a good reminder of that. I think I'm probably aptly suited to just get the standard CD for this reason... Cheers

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No rush - I wasn't actively selling it until I read your post...
The Imperial Silverbelly is a good start, where I started. I then got the Mid-Brown, the Glen Grey, the Bluegrass Green,.... It is a slippery slope for sure!

Haha, you should see my jacket and boot collection

bretron said:

Haha, you should see my jacket and boot collection

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Don't even go there...Lucchese, Rio of Mercedes, Ariat, Justin, etc.,...Aero, Alexander Leathers, Magnoli, USWings, Vanson (on order), Fidelity.....

My brother from another

bretron said:

My brother from another

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Truly kindred spirits...

bretron said:

...Also, do CDs run pretty true to size? Like I said, I'm a 7 5/8, an was planning to order a 61, but if anyone's experience would suggest I size differently, if really love to hear it.

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In my experience, no they don't run true to size. I have two Campdrafts, one Silverbelly and one Taupe Fawn. Both hats, size 60, were only slightly large when they arrived, and fit a little better after shaping the crown. After the sweatbands had shrunk and the fit of the hats had "snugged down", I measured the sweatbands and got measurements of 58.5 cm on both hats--a full size-and-a-half smaller. Now, I also have two Fed IVs, also size 60. When they arrived they were so large that I could pull them so far down that my head filled the open crown. After shaping the crowns and wearing them for a few days until the sweatbands shrunk, I measured the sweatbands and got measurements of 59.5 cm on both--half a size smaller.

That said, all four hats are very comfortable to wear even though the Campdrafts have a slightly more snug fit; I really don't notice the difference unless I switch from a Campdraft to a Fed IV in the same day. After all, we're talking a difference of only one centimeter. Also, all four of my hats are made from Akubra's Imperial Quality (non-deluxe) felt. As I understand it, their hats made from the Heritage Quality (deluxe) felt don't "shrink to fit" quite as much as their hats made from the Imperial Quality felt; whether this is due to the differences in felt quality, different materials for the sweatbands, or both, I have no idea, but it's something to consider.

I've had two. The ones I had ran a little large but no more than half a size, maybe less. They 'shrank' pretty quickly - 2-3 months.

Just bought my first CD (bluegrass green) from Sam at Everything Australian while in Australia. I love this hat, and it is slowly becoming my go-to.

bretron said:

Also, do CDs run pretty true to size? Like I said, I'm a 7 5/8, an was planning to order a 61, but if anyone's experience would suggest I size differently, if really love to hear it.

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For whatever it's worth, I'm a pretty standard 7 5/8 myself, that's what fits in a modern Stetson, '70s Bailey, vintage Mallory, 61 in Borsalino. I only have one Campdraft, but I have four other Akubras, and they are all size 61. All of them fit loose when I got them, some more, some less. One was held up only by my ears out of the box, which was pretty alarming when I got it, but they all fit fine now. For me, it usually took a half-dozen to a dozen wearings for them to conform. Some say it's just the sweatband, and maybe it is, but it seems to me that the sweatband loosens up within 15 minutes or so of wearing, I think the hat doesn't fit quite right after that until the felt itself shrinks a bit. Much better a bit too large than too small, anyway. I have two more size 61 Campdrafts on order and no doubts about size. I'm just sort of reconciled to the fact that they take a while to fit right (and look right, at least by my personal aesthetic). Like we used to say about many other things, quality doesn't mean that there's no break-in, quality is the distance between broken-in and broken-down.

1mach1 said:

Just bought my first CD (bluegrass green) from Sam at Everything Australian while in Australia. I love this hat, and it is slowly becoming my go-to.

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Everybody looks good in a campdraft!

CRH said:

Everybody looks good in a campdraft!

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:arated:

In response to betron.

I run between sizes 7 1/2 and 7 5/8. Last year I bought a Campdraft deluxe because I wanted it in Moonstone (which I love) size 61. I used every bit of the window insulation stuff, I mean Hat sizer, to size it down a little. It is still a little big on me, I am not sure it every really sized down, but I wear it almost everyday none-the-less.

I've been thinking of ordering another just like it in size 60 to see if I like the fit better. I would probably do it in a regular campdraft without hesitation if I could get it in moonstone. I can not emphasize enough how much I love the moonstone. Although, a silverbelly might grow on me.

enrique, I wear a 7 1/2 LO. My 2 Akubras, both in size 60 shrank up just enough to be perfect fits.

enrique said:

In response to betron.

I run between sizes 7 1/2 and 7 5/8. Last year I bought a Campdraft deluxe because I wanted it in Moonstone (which I love) size 61. I used every bit of the window insulation stuff, I mean Hat sizer, to size it down a little. It is still a little big on me, I am not sure it every really sized down, but I wear it almost everyday none-the-less.

I've been thinking of ordering another just like it in size 60 to see if I like the fit better. I would probably do it in a regular campdraft without hesitation if I could get it in moonstone. I can not emphasize enough how much I love the moonstone. Although, a silverbelly might grow on me.

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I have the Heritage Campdraft in Moonstone and in Silver Belly, both acquired in the past few months, both in size 61.

Hard to believe that they're the same hat, same grade. The Moonstone was larger, the felt MUCH thinner and more supple, much more like vintage, you really have to handle it by the brim for it to keep a crease. The Silverbelly came hard, too hard to dry-crease at all, and much thicker- it feels almost twice as thick. It's softening up slowly.The Moonstone is still just a hair too large, but it's gradually coming down.. gets a little better each time I wear it for an hour or so, or spray distilled water around the hatband.

It's not the first time I've been in doubt about Akubra's felt grading. I have a couple of vintage 2005-or-so Federations, I guess the "III" though I don't remember them being numbered, one in tan (don't remember what it was called) in Imperial and the other black in Heritage. Anyone would guess exactly the reverse just from handling them without looking inside- the Imperial is thick and soft, the Heritage is thin and stiff as a board, cardboardy, feels almost like cheap wool felt.

They will all shrink to fit with enough wearings, and spraying or rain helps. I bought a Balmoral at the same time as the Moonstone Campdraft, and I'm having more trouble getting that down to size- some sort of hemp fiber. It softened quite a bit and came down from where I got it (it was sitting on my ears), but it seems to want to stabilize at just a hair large. Still working on that one.

It's easy to get the leather sweatband to shrink a little, but unless you damage it, it will just stretch again if you wear it for long enough. IMHO, the Akubras don't really fit right until they fit right after an hour on a warm day. By that time, they often feel a little snug when you first put them on, but much more comfortable after fifteen minutes or so.

To be honest, the Moonstone is fine as a color but doesn't really do that much for me, it feels too formal with many casual outfits. I'm anxiously awaiting the re-stock of the 61 in Bluegrass Green.