An Akubra Bushman Question!

Daoud · Aug 11, 2009

Howdy- I'm hoping someone more well-versed in Akubra lore can help me out here. I have two Bushmen-

the one on the left has a narrow ribbon, is lined-

, has the Akubra trademark and "Bushman Pure Fur Felt" on the sweatband, and on the lining "Akubra Imperial Quality Pure Fur Felt." Basically it looks to be the same hat David Morgan sells, minus the chin strap hooks. The hat on the right appears to be fairly old- it is NOT lined, on the sweatband it bears a completely different Akubra trademark and the words "Bushman Featherweight," and has a tag on the interior of the crown reading "AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE AKUBRA SUPERFINE QUALITY PURE FUR" which is the same mark as is on the sweat.

. This hat has a much wider ribbon than the other-1 1/4" vs. 1/2"- and also has two ventilation eyelets on either side of the crown. Both hats have bound edges and a 3" brim. I'm curious as to whether this latter hat is in fact older, or is it the true Australian version of the Bushman- certainly an unlined hat wih ventilation holes would be more practical for actual bush wear. I'd appreciate any information anyone has.....I can't find any references to this other Bushman anywhere!

CRH · Aug 11, 2009

Daoud said:
...I'm curious as to whether this latter hat is in fact older, or is it the true Australian version of the Bushman- certainly an unlined hat wih ventilation holes would be more practical for actual bush wear. I'd appreciate any information anyone has.....I can't find any references to this other Bushman anywhere!

Good question... My impression, and I think this is impression is from a reference I read here at the lounge, is that the wider ribboned Bushman is the older model - but I may be dreaming

.

Is that wide ribboned one the same hat I recently saw on eBay, size 57? I need a 58

.

Daoud · Aug 11, 2009

The wide-ribboned hat certainly SEEMS to be older. Actually, it is not the one that was recently on eBay.....in fact that's one of the reasons I was wondering about all this- I just bought that one as well, and got it today, and it looks brand-new. Seriously. If it's old, it has been very well-stored. I will be putting it up for sale on eBay next week- too bad it's a bit small for you. The pictured hats are a 59 and 60. The Bushman is my favorite Akubra.....it's really a versatile hat, although the model with the eyelets is a bit more "country" than the other. Brim's a good width on these hats- wide but not TOO wide. It's too bad they're so hard to find- apparently David Morgan and Bluewater are the only folks who carry the Bushman. Yates Menswear in Oz have the Bushman on their website, but I never had any luck communicating with them. I think they can be ordered from the factory through Hatsdirect and perhaps EA if you don't mind a three month wait.

JohnnyB53 · Aug 11, 2009

Daoud said:
David Morgan and Bluewater are the only folks who carry the Bushman. Yates Menswear in Oz have the Bushman on their website, but I never had any luck communicating with them. I think they can be ordered from the factory through Hatsdirect and perhaps EA if you don't mind a three month wait.

I have a David Morgan Bushman and also like it a lot. Very comfortable and great against the elements, whether sun or rain. The felt's great and I like the overall build quality.

Now that the AUD/USD exchange rate has settled down (about 84%), the Morgans aren't such a bad deal if you're in the USA. If you order direct from Australia, by the time you pay postage, it adds up to about as much as getting a Morgan. Plus, with the Morgan, you get very inexpensive shipping and a 90-day return period. And if you decide to return it, it's a lot easier and quicker to ship it back to Bothell, WA than Oz.

I almost got the David Morgan version of the Coober Pedy for Father's Day; I may still do that soon.

KY Gentleman · Aug 11, 2009

I have a Squatter that I bought from EA thats unlined and marked as "Squatter Featherweight". I have seen the Squatter in Imperial Quality on David Morgans' website.
I guess there are just several grades available on these models. I have several Imperial Quality Akubras, I like them better overall. But the featherweight Squatter has become my "knock around" hat and camping hat.

indycop · Aug 11, 2009

What is the bushman from David Morgan like? Does it have a liner, is it the same felt as say a campdraft? Colby Jack you have one, where are you?

I am interested in one as a canoeing hat that I can put that cord on to keep from losing it.

Tone · Aug 11, 2009

indycop said:
What is the bushman from Daviv Morgan like? Does it have a liner, is it the same felt as say a campdraft? Colby Jack you have one, where are you?
I am interested in one as a canoeing hat that I can put that cord on to keep from losing it.

Who's "Daviv" Morgan?

indycop · Aug 11, 2009

Tone said:
Who's "Daviv" Morgan?

oops, David Morgan.:eusa_doh:

JohnnyB53 · Aug 11, 2009

indycop said:
What is the bushman from David Morgan like? Does it have a liner, is it the same felt as say a campdraft? Colby Jack you have one, where are you?
I am interested in one as a canoeing hat that I can put that cord on to keep from losing it.

David Morgan's Bushman is a fully formed hat, with high open crown and hemmed 3" brim. Color is Nullarbor Tan, a Morgan exclusive that is (I think) a beautiful medium tan. Brim is a fairly stiff snap; open crown wants some steam or lots of water to shape. Hat is lined and has standard Imperial quality sweat band. Hatband is about 1/2" grosgrain and Morgan's come with the eyelets to attach a chin strap/stampede string. In fact, they offer their own hand-braided ones of kangaroo for as low as $18, which are pretty cool.

I wore mine horseback riding earlier this summer and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I never lost it, but did wish I'd gotten a stampede string. The hat is great in the summer; it weighs less than it looks, the higher crown helps keep the head cool, and the broader brim keeps more sun off your head and shoulders.

It's sort of like a mid-tan Campdraft with broader brim. It's more of a country hat than a fedora, but that also depends on how you bash it. The crown and brim are also big enough that you can "cowboy it up" like this example from Morgan's website:

Goose. · Aug 11, 2009

indycop said:
oops, David Morgan.:eusa_doh:

Thinking that Indy Cop has been hitting that "Captain Morgan"

Well, in the words of Herman Munster, "DARN! DARN! DARN!".

Just when I thought that my next, and last, Akubra on my Bucket List was the Campdraft Silverbelly, I see this thread.

It was also the first hat made by Akubra when they started manufacturing in the early 1900s. It was one of the first hats we sold in the 1960s, and it continues to be appreciated both in Australia and America for its simple, straightforward style, and its practical comfort.

Source: http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=81

daizawaguy · Aug 11, 2009

Goose Just when I thought that my next said:
:cheers1:

indycop · Aug 11, 2009

Goose. said:
Thinking that Indy Cop has been hitting that "Captain Morgan"

Actually........................you hit the nail on the head...:eusa_doh:

CRH · Aug 12, 2009

Hardy Yarrr to ya Maties...

I'd reckon a gent could drill some holes and install some grommets on this Squatter and call it a Bushman. The crown may fall about a quarter of an inch short but who's look'n

?

Good idea on a Bushman for a river runner, indycop :cool2:.

We're having fun but we still haven't solved Daoud's conundrum

.

Goose. · Aug 12, 2009

.

Why do I keep thinking "Captain Morgan"??? lol

Daoud · Aug 12, 2009

Well, if you're gonna drink, life's too short to drink Captain Morgan, that's for sure.

I wouldn't exactly call it a conundrum, but it is a bit puzzling. The hat thing I mean, not why you shouldn't drink Capt. Morgan.

Another difference between these hats and Captain David's is that my Bushmen have 3" brims vs. 3 1/4"- I'd have to say that these are just plain different hats than the other Bushman model, taking into account all the differences.

It's really hard to come up with any concrete info on Akubra questions most of the time- I don't even find the Bushman listed on the Akubra website. Very strange.

Tone · Aug 12, 2009

Who sold these other "different" Bushman hats?

Weird. Guess the first question would be where did these two, rare Bushman versions come from? Where'd you buy them? A retailer or ebay?

The current Bushman, the consistent version (the one from David Morgan), is the style shown here. Though the color is more of a tan than the brown seen here.

It has been that style for quite a while. Mine's a few years old by now and that was what it was then.

No ventilating grommets in the crown but does have the single chinstrap eyelet on each side. Brim can even be trimmed and still be in good balance with the crown.

It looks great either way.

That is interesting about the variation of Akubra hat models sometimes; and what actually ends up being delivered when other retailers place a special order outside of the hat's exclusive dealer. Luckily, the hats out of DM are consistent with their photos so there are rarely surprises between what's ordered and what's delivered, model-wise. No air vent grommets high on the crown of the DM Bushman, thank goodness! Yikes!

Anyway, from where were the other two Bushman hats purchased?

Colby Jack · Aug 12, 2009

IC...I think the Bushman would be a great canoeing hat...it feels somewhat tougher than the Camp Draft...more dense felt IMO......

Daoud · Aug 13, 2009

All my Bushmen are eBay scores, and all were from estate sales so none of the sellers had any real information as to the origin of the hats.

I always wanted a Bushman from the first time I saw it in the DM catalogue as a kid.....just seemed like the quintessential Australian hat, together with the Slouch...but I HATE buying retail. So now I have a whole passel of Slouches and these three Bushies, and David Morgan hasn't seen a cent of my money. I guess if I was going to buy a new Bushman, he'd be the guy to see, though.

As far as the Bushman for a canoeing hat, I'd say heck yeah! I don't own a Campdraft, but I do own an O.R., and if the felt is very similar I'd say the Bushman is perhaps a bit sturdier. I really think an unlined hat is best for outdoor use, but unless the weather is absolutely scorching I'd say he Bushman would be great. I wear mine more than any of my other felts. The color is great, too.

A detail I did not touch on about my "other" Bushmen is the color- while my lined model seems to be the same color as the DM offering, the unlined ones are somewhat different, and their color does not exactly coincide with that of any standard Akubra color, although it is close to Tawny Fawn. Can't really tell from my pictures.

DMc · Aug 16, 2009

Daoud said:
Howdy- I'm hoping someone more well-versed in Akubra lore can help me out here. I have two Bushmen-

the one on the left has a narrow ribbon, is lined-

, has the Akubra trademark and "Bushman Pure Fur Felt" on the sweatband, and on the lining "Akubra Imperial Quality Pure Fur Felt." Basically it looks to be the same hat David Morgan sells, minus the chin strap hooks. The hat on the right appears to be fairly old- it is NOT lined, on the sweatband it bears a completely different Akubra trademark and the words "Bushman Featherweight," and has a tag on the interior of the crown reading "AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURE AKUBRA SUPERFINE QUALITY PURE FUR" which is the same mark as is on the sweat.

. This hat has a much wider ribbon than the other-1 1/4" vs. 1/2"- and also has two ventilation eyelets on either side of the crown. Both hats have bound edges and a 3" brim. I'm curious as to whether this latter hat is in fact older, or is it the true Australian version of the Bushman- certainly an unlined hat wih ventilation holes would be more practical for actual bush wear. I'd appreciate any information anyone has.....I can't find any references to this other Bushman anywhere!

The unlined Bushman appears to be the original version made for Australian distribution and now discontinued. The lined version would be that made exclusively for David Morgan.
While the call-names of Akubra hats may remain relatively constant, those purchased from Australian stockists may be trimmed differently to those from international stockists. This practice began before the internet made international marketing & purchasing so easy, when each Country's range sold exclusively without much confusion.

Daoud · Aug 17, 2009

Thanks- great to hear some info from someone a bit closer to the source! That's what I had suspected about the ventilated Bushies- while the ventilation grommets may not be sartorially splendid, they are certainly practical for hot weather use. I need to shape the one I'm going to keep and start wearing it, speaking of which!

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