Converting an Akubra Cattleman into a Spring/Summer Fedora

[Doc Miskatonic]

Note: this thread is actually about converting an Akubra Plainsman, not a Cattleman sorry for the confusion.

I had been searching for a nice warmer weather fedora but just honestly could not settle on one. I have an Akubra Sydney that is a nice light weight fur felt but lined. I contemplated taking the lining out, and perhaps still will, but just couldn't bring myself to do so yet. I also wanted a lighter brown than the fawn of the Sydney so looked around online at Akubras. I bought a barely used Plainsman on eBay for well below retail for the purpose of converting to a wide brim fedora. There were several factors for choosing the Cattleman but foremost was the unobtrucive air vents.

These are small perforatred holes and not eyelits. Some people find that eyelits detract from a hat and make it more casual (although personally I do not care so much). but I liked the perforated air vents to make the hat cooler without detracting from the asthetics of the hat.

The Plainsman came as a telescope crown so I steamed it and reshaped it more to my taste using elements from a c-crown/fedora and Indy bash. The hardest part honestly was shaping the brim as it was completely straight and stiff.

I worked and reworked the brim over the span of a couple days to give it more of a fedora curve and I have to say I rather like the end result. I now have a nice summer hat that feels more like a fedora to me than just an outback/safari hat (which I have a couple of).

I have contemplated changing the hat band but for now I am leaving it as-is. Ultimately I think I would like a grosgrain ribbon with a bow but I am not artsy enough to manage that on my own and such an expense is not doabale at the moment. But for the time being I am pleased with the hat.

 

[Neophyte]

I can't see the end result as of yet. However, I gotta say I'm a big HPL fan and as such I think your TFL name is awesome.

 

[Doc Miskatonic]

LOL thanks. These days it is somewhat obscure. I was having problem with Photobucket but have since corrected the problem.

 

[Duper]

Hi Doc, nice rebash and brim reforming. I think your Akubra is actually a Plainsman, not a Cattleman. The pork pie style and ventilation holes are standard on the Plainsman. Check what it says on the sweatband. It is fun making something your own.

 

[Doc Miskatonic]

Doh! Well spotted sir! I meant to say Plainsman but was sorting all my Akubras today. I changed the band on my Cattleman so that was going to be my next post. I will correct in the post!

 

[gtdean48]

Here's my Cattleman. I just changed the crease but wear it year-round in GA USA....

 

[Doc Miskatonic]

Good looking hat. Although it has been pointed out my post is in reality about a converted Plainsman. I have contacted the admins to see if I can change the thread title to avoid confusion. I like that shade of your hat, what I believe on some Akubras is called sand. I have a Town&Country Akubra with that shade. Great hat but I had to change the hat band on it because it was so cheap looking. It had a "buckle" that was in fact not really a buckle -- it was a molded piece of metal made to look like it but didn't even have a real bar and prong. The leather was paper thin too. I replaced it with a nice dark tan braided Kangaroo band.

 

[gtdean48]

Same band here. Got a similar band on my Riverina = fake buckle & all.
This Cattleman is actually fawn & not sand, just my cheap cell phone camera....

 

[Doc Miskatonic]

LOL Well good looking hat all the same. I will post my Cattleman soon with the new hat band.