shrinkage!

hi folks!

One week or so in with my new Akubra Cattleman. I'm halfway between a 62 and a 63, so following lots of advice, bought the 63. On arrival, it slipped down to my ears - majorly big! I felt I could almost turn it around on my head with no friction!

Since then, whilst I've not had much chance to wear it out for a major "sweat" (!!), i've been wearing it nightly. I've put some folded tissue under the sweat as per Akubra advice, but it still feels a bit big. three times now I've thoroughly soaked the sweat and let it dry on my noggin, but it doesn't seem to have shrunk at all (maybe a tiny tiny bit)

Perhaps I need some more major wear, but any views on this - read some good posts on here, but not that keen on doing the old water and hairdryer bit - terrified of getting it wrong, as it is a lovely hat!
Thanks

Paul

I have several Akubras and all have shrunk. My first Snowy River matched the description you gave and it came down over time to the point I have to use a stretcher on it. Give it a little time and an all day wear or two. I did not wet the band down as it just reduced ... it was so big I thought it was mis-sized when it first arrived.

cheers, sounds like i need more patience !

Akubra Man said:

I have several Akubras and all have shrunk. My first Snowy River matched the description you gave and it came down over time to the point I have to use a stretcher on it. ...

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I second what Akubra Man said except I'm still in the shim stage with my Akubras.

I've also had a few vintage felts over the years and the only ones that I ever really liked were the ones that started out too big, sometimes significantly so.

Here's what I use. It's "felt" weather stripping available everywhere and damn inexpensive too. I cut off a long enough strip to get the hat comfortably tight and then just trim off as needed. I've had the best luck with the shim in the back. The sweat band will wrinkle at first but works out with wear.

CRH said:

I second what Akubra Man said except I'm still in the shim stage with my Akubras.

I've also had a few vintage felts over the years and the only ones that I ever really liked were the ones that started out too big, sometimes significantly so.

Here's what I use. It's "felt" weather stripping available everywhere and damn inexpensive too. I cut off a long enough strip to get the hat comfortably tight and then just trim off as needed. I've had the best luck with the shim in the back. The sweat band will wrinkle at first but works out with wear.

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Great advice!
I use the foam stripping but will need to search out the 'felt' type.
Thanks!

So Do I Russ.....

RBH said:

Great advice!
I use the foam stripping but will need to search out the 'felt' type.
Thanks!

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....but that's only because I couldn't find the felt type. [huh]

My two Fed IVs needed sizing strips when I first got them, one in mid-November and the other on Dec. 29. The November hat came down to size at the end of December, and the December hat came to fit just few days ago I.

And I use the ultimate sizing strips--thin, soft, flexible leather similar to the sweat band itself. On some I've used scraps from Italian garment leather and on another one or two I've used scraps of kangaroo leather from the David Morgan showroom.

JohnnyB53 said:

... and on another one or two I've used scraps of kangaroo leather from the David Morgan showroom.

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:eusa_clap

Here's what I do:

I buy a roll of the Velcro in about 1/2" width. Y'know the kind that has adhesive backing on both parts of it. You see it in office supply and hardware stores. I separate the fuzzy part from the prickly part and use the fuzzy part inside the hat band. I can cut it to desired length. For vintage hats, I do not expose the adhesive, I leave the backing on and just place it in the sweat. But one could stick it in there permanently if desired. With the fuzzy side facing in toward my head, it's a comfy fix for a loose fitting lid.

All of you guys with your cutting edge, 21st century solutions. I roll up a piece of Kleenex and stuff it under the sweat band.

I can't resist saying how it confounds me each time I read about Akubras here.

Always two basic types of comments:
1) How wonderful these hats are and what tremendous quality they are....
2) How inconsistent they are in their sizing, crown heights, colors - and how they shrink and taper...

I can't say that I get it. I guess I'm spoiled by vintage hats and I'm a lucky size 7 so I've been able to get a lot of them. I only have one Akubra; a Snowy River. I don't mind it for a work hat but it basically feels like a cheap western to me with a chinsy little black & white printed label poorly glued in the top of the crown which fell out, and a skimpy sweatband which doesn't feel like leather. I'm sure the fedoras are better, and I'm glad they are available for fellas who need a larger size hat, but dammit, I hat to always read about them shriveling up on you guys. Since they are such great hats and all. [huh]

Pduck said:

All of you guys with your cutting edge, 21st century solutions. I roll up a piece of Kleenex and stuff it under the sweat band.

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Careful there, Pduck, or someone here may challenge you to a fire building contest with sticks and stones* and sinew.

*you'll need a sharp pointed edge to drill your bowl .

HarpPlayerGene said:

I can't resist saying how it confounds me each time I read about Akubras here.

Always two basic types of comments:
1) How wonderful these hats are and what tremendous quality they are....
2) How inconsistent they are in their sizing, crown heights, colors - and how they shrink and taper...

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How they shrink and taper? Nah, you're thinking modern Stetson. lol In general the Akubras intentionally run a little big, but they pretty consistently shrink to fit in my experience, and you'd be hard pressed to find complaints about taper.

There are in particular a couple of FLoungers who have gotten incredible wear and weather-worthiness out of David Morgan Bushman hats. One guy wore his Bushman through Montana winters and trailblazing Alaskan mountain passes for 43 years.

Look at people like BobC, IndyCop, and RBH who have a slew of vintage and/or custom hats, and yet wear Akubras and eagerly anticipate deliveries of new ones.

HarpPlayerGene said:

I can't say that I get it. I guess I'm spoiled by vintage hats and I'm a lucky size 7 so I've been able to get a lot of them. I only have one Akubra; a Snowy River. I don't mind it for a work hat but it basically feels like a cheap western to me with a chintzy little black & white printed label poorly glued in the top of the crown which fell out, and a skimpy sweatband which doesn't feel like leather.

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Your Snowy River is not representative of current Akubras, cowboy or otherwise. The Snowy River is fully lined. The western style Akubras are fairly stiff, like most western hats anywhere. The open crown Akubras are pretty soft, whether fedora, country hat, or western (their sombrero is open crown). The open crown fedoras get butter soft once broken in. My fawn Fed IV certainly is.

The current Akubra sweatbands are excellent and would never be mistaken for plastic. The standard one is wide, absorbent, and form-fitting and can comfortably be worn all day long. The sweatband in the Heritage line and the Federation Deluxes are even nicer and they practically feel like you're wearing nothing at all.

I wear my Akubras in severe weather every chance I get. They shed water like a duck, dry out quickly and mine always retain their shape. By comparison, when I tried on a current ($175) Stetson Open Road, it felt like a costume prop.

I totally understand your fondness for vintage lids, but if you want a new hat with vintage styling and proportions, at a factory--not custom--price, that you don't have to baby and that will hold up in inclement weather, Akubra's the one, especially Fed IV, Campdraft, CEO, Fedora, Bogart, and Stylemaster.

Like I often say: Low price, durability, velvety-fine felt--pick any two.

JohnnyB53 said:

How they shrink and taper? Nah, you're thinking modern Stetson. lol

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Amen to that as well! :eusa_doh: lol

Thanks for the insight. And I'm glad to hear it. I had the opportunity to really check out the details of the Fed in person in Tennessee last month, but was so preoccupied by the vintage hats at the meet-up that I just didn't get around to it.

Your descriptions of the lined hats with good trimmings and felt help make up for my neglect in finding out first hand about their quality.

You guys deserve the best!

JohnnyB53 said:

... that you don't have to baby and that will hold up in inclement weather, Akubra's the one, especially Fed IV, Campdraft, CEO, Fedora, Bogart, and Stylemaster. ...

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Don't forget the Squatter .

Any fur felt can shrink to some degree, better quality felts less so than lesser quality felts. What really shrinks hats are fast drying cycles in uncontrolled environments like from sopping wet out of a river left to dry on your head in a blazing sun vs. left to dry slowly on a hat stand away from direct head in your 72 F (22 C) house.

Put your $500 beaver hat through several uncontrolled wet/dry cycles over a period of time and tell me how it turns out...... c'mon I dare you .

CRH said:

Don't forget the Squatter .

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I KNEW I'd forgotten at least one good one. The DM version of the Squatter just kills. It's every bit as tough as their Bushman, but dressier, and you can get it in moonstone.

crh said:

Any fur felt can shrink to some degree, better quality felts less so than lesser quality felts. What really shrinks hats are fast drying cycles in uncontrolled environments like from sopping wet out of a river left to dry on your head in a blazing sun vs. left to dry slowly on a hat stand away from direct head in your 72 F (22 C) house.

Put your $500 beaver hat through several uncontrolled wet/dry cycles over a period of time and tell me how it turns out...... c'mon I dare you .

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The same holds true for quality leather. I used to run a Red Wing Shoe Store, and--given the high price and quality of their shoes--we gave a lot of attention to helping customers get the most wear out of their investment. One sure way to ruin boots for all time is to put a soaking wet pair on the radiator or forced air register to dry out. Our advice was very similar to how you treat a soaked hat--put a form in it (like a hat stretcher) to help it retain its shape and let it air dry at room temp.