Akubra Campdraft

[Zombie_61]

Good to hear you're still OK. I was a little worried about you.

Thank you, I most sincerely appreciate that! A lot changed after my wife died 2-1/2 years ago, and I've been doing my best to keep up. I sold my house, moved 15 miles east, and a week from tomorrow I'll be getting married again to a woman I've known for 30 years. If someone had tried to tell me years ago that this was going to happen, I'd have had some strong words for them and perhaps suggest a shrink. That said, I've been quite busy lately.

 

[Frunobulax]

Thank you, I most sincerely appreciate that! A lot changed after my wife died 2-1/2 years ago, and I've been doing my best to keep up. I sold my house, moved 15 miles east, and a week from tomorrow I'll be getting married again to a woman I've known for 30 years. If someone had tried to tell me years ago that this was going to happen, I'd have had some strong words for them and perhaps suggest a shrink. That said, I've been quite busy lately.

Well, congratulations on the upcoming nuptials, Al. There are still miles left to go, my friend!

 

[BdSal]

Just got my campdraft today from EA, and I have a few questions.

1. Does the wavy surface of the crown go away with some steaming? It has these soft spots that makes the surface look uneven and wavy. Hopefully the attached pic can illustrate what I mean.

2. I measure an exact 57cm and, at their advice, they sent me a 58. Out of the box, the hat is huge. It sits low and covers the top of my ears right now. If I look down, it wants to fall off my head. I know they supposedly shrink, but I'm concerned about whether it will shrink enough.

3. The brim does not snap down. I can force it down, but with any movement it immediately snaps back up.

I realize some of this may be resolved with some steaming and time. I'm mostly concerned about the size, really. Seems like a long ways right now to a good fit.

I plan on shooting EA an email as well. They were very responsive with my initial questions. But I thought I'd pick your brains in the meantime.

Hi, all. Just wanted to provide an update on my BGCD, as I had several questions and many of you were so kind to offer advices/opinions.

The experience has turned around 180 degrees. I really dig how the hat has turned out and my previous concerns vanished.

1. Gone are the shipping waves/dents. All it took was some steam and brushing as several suggested.

2. The fit is great now. I didn't even use any spacers inside! The hat conformed to my head with just regular wear after a couple weeks. There was minimum sweating in it (the weather has been cold until now) and just enough steaming to get it shaped. I guess 58 is my Akubra size, regardless of what I measure.

3. The brim snaps down and stays down now. Solved it with soaking by spraying, shaping it, and letting it dry naturally.

Here's a pic of it now.
Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Woodtroll]

Gald you got it worked out to suit you - it looks very nice. Campdrafts are great hats, especially for their modest cost. I hope you get years of enjoyment out of it!

 

[Zombie_61]

Hi, all. Just wanted to provide an update on my BGCD, as I had several questions and many of you were so kind to offer advices/opinions.

The experience has turned around 180 degrees. I really dig how the hat has turned out and my previous concerns vanished.

Very pleased to hear this. As much as I liked my first Fed IV (my first proper/fur felt hat), the Campdraft became my favorite hat the moment I had shaped it and put it on my head. The color of that first one, Silverbelly, was considerably lighter than I expected, but I got used to it...until my Bluegrass Green arrived, that is.

2. The fit is great now. I didn't even use any spacers inside! The hat conformed to my head with just regular wear after a couple weeks. There was minimum sweating in it (the weather has been cold until now) and just enough steaming to get it shaped. I guess 58 is my Akubra size, regardless of what I measure.

Akubra's size 60 (60 cm) is just right for my head. I don't have a lot of fur felt hats (I kinda' got into wearing wool Pork Pies) and most of those are Akubra, so I haven't done a whole lot of experimenting. I do have one Stetson that was probably marketed as a Trilby, but I kinda' turned it into a Pork Pie and liked it so much that I left the feathers sticking out of the top of the bow.

3. The brim snaps down and stays down now. Solved it with soaking by spraying, shaping it, and letting it dry naturally.

View attachment 702813

I had a bit of a similar problem shaping my BGG Campdraft--no matter what I did, the front of the brim wouldn't snap down, and when it finally did it almost immediately snapped right back up. Finally I simply kept working the front of the brim with my hands, sometimes spraying it with water, sometimes not. Eventually it seemed to understand what I wanted, and the brim stayed down longer and longer until it just stayed down, period. Looked quite a bit like yours, in fact.But as much as I liked my BGG Campdraft, my Tawny Fawn Campdraft immediately caught and held my attention after it arrived. The shape, the color, the fit...it just worked.

 

[Aleksio]

Could someone help me achieve a flatter back brim on my Campdraft? I want the back brim to stay snapped up, but to be much flatter—almost completely flat, with just a slight upturn. Right now it’s still in the factory shape, and it’s too curved for my liking. I’d like it to look similar to the one this guy has in the video:

.

 

[hambone71]

Could someone help me achieve a flatter back brim on my Campdraft? I want the back brim to stay snapped up, but to be much flatter—almost completely flat, with just a slight upturn. Right now it’s still in the factory shape, and it’s too curved for my liking. I’d like it to look similar to the one this guy has in the video:

.

I'm sure someone will be along shortly to give expert advice.

 

[Streak]

I just ordered the black camp draft which has been discontinued and is being sold at a discount. I plan to bash the hat using the cattleman crease to get it as close as possible to the Joe Leaphorn (Dark Winds) style. I want to change the cloth hatband to a plain leather one similar to the one on Joe's hat like this

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/463167142942137988/

. Should I Keep it black or go with a different color? I see that Tandy does a plain leather hatband that I can dye any color and then fit one of their hatband buckles. Does this make sense? Open to other suggestions.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I just ordered the black camp draft which has been discontinued and is being sold at a discount. I plan to bash the hat using the cattleman crease to get it as close as possible to the Joe Leaphorn (Dark Winds) style. I want to change the cloth hatband to a plain leather one similar to the one on Joe's hat like this

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/463167142942137988/

. Should I Keep it black or go with a different color? I see that Tandy does a plain leather hatband that I can dye any color and then fit one of their hatband buckles. Does this make sense? Open to other suggestions.

You didn’t say what size you wear but the problem you are likely to encounter on a modern new CD is the crown height required so as not to have a cattleman crease touch the top of your head. As your hat size gets larger the hoods required to make the size simply aren’t there. CD crown heights can run anywhere from 5.5 -6”.

I wear a 7-5/8 & some yrs ago now I ordered a new TFCD. I was able to crease it with enough clearance so as not to touch the top of my head, but I had to stand the dents up more vertical & also make the center crease a bit more brick shaped.

 

[Streak]

The hat will arrive today - I am a 59cm - 7 3/8" - looking forward to bashing for the first time. My Fed IV was bashed Indy style by hats direct so I want this one to look different.

 

[Streak]

I am quite happy with the result of my first attempt at bashing. Now I need to find or make a plain leather hatband.

 

[M Hatman]

Here is a resent find NOS. I believe is is in "Fawn" another color they no longer offer for the Campdraft. I am not sure though as it is a bit darker than my other one. I took two pictures, the first better detail the second closely shows the true color.

Speaking of colors, Akubra has dropped Black for a color option for the CD (I am glad I finally ordered one last year) and now it appears they are dropping "Bluegrass Green"( As I heard this I just ordered another (this is one of my favorite most worn hats, so I wanted a replacement). So what all this means is I guess going forward they will be only offering the CD in 'Sand".........

Anyway here is the 'Fawn?" CD I am wearing today!
(I also posted this in "Akubra Overload".)

 

[DaveProc]

Here is a resent find NOS. I believe is is in "Fawn" another color they no longer offer for the Campdraft. I am not sure though as it is a bit darker than my other one. I took two pictures, the first better detail the second closely shows the true color.

Speaking of colors, Akubra has dropped Black for a color option for the CD (I am glad I finally ordered one last year) and now it appears they are dropping "Bluegrass Green"( As I heard this I just ordered another (this is one of my favorite most worn hats, so I wanted a replacement). So what all this means is I guess going forward they will be only offering the CD in 'Sand".........

Anyway here is the 'Fawn?" CD I am wearing today!
(I also posted this in "Akubra Overload".)


View attachment 777136 View attachment 777137

That's a great catch Mark. I have one in Fawn floating around and a Squatter in Fawn as well

 

[Dan718]

Does anyone else ever feel that a hat isn’t theirs until it’s been worn in the rain?
Overall I find Akubra shrink noticeably in the first week or so, but a wetting and drying helps shrink a little and allows the hat to conform better to my head.

The Campdraft seems to be a little in the large side so I made sure to let it get a moderate wetting this afternoon, but the effect on the sand coloured felt looks pretty nice to me.