Akubra Campdraft need's fixin!

[SGT Rocket]

Hi All,

I have a question. I own an Akubra Campdraft in Silberbelly. It is of the Heritage series. I use it as a dress hats and I really love it.

A couple of days ago, I noticed something along the front of the brim. I think liquid or something must have dropped on the brim of my hat because there is a length of copper coloring right along the outer-side of the brim. It is about two or three inches in length, so it is very noticeable to me. It is right in front, maybe a little off center to the left, right where the sewing is at that outer brim.

Does anyone know where I could send my hat to maybe get the brim cut just a little shorter, then sewed-up again (the outer brim has that stitching around it that is really nice)?

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[gtdean48]

Only 2 places I know would be able to bind a brim edge like an original = Optimo & Art Fawcett.
Major Mike at Buckaroo needed a part to be able to do 4 ligne edge binding & I never heard if he got that part.
If he did, that makes 3.
Art may be able to clean it too....

 

[Hat Dandy]

You can try to clean it with naphtha (or even lighter fluid).

 

[RJR]

Like HD,I think I'd try naptha.

 

[gtdean48]

Zippo lighter fluid is same as naptha & blotting with a q-tip or cotton ball may get the stain out too....
Talcum powder rubbed in & brushed out could also....

 

[Florida_Marlin]

I was moving from one house to another a couple years ago, wearing my Silverbelly CD Deluxe ween I rubbed my noggin against the roll up door on a UHaul truck. Big ugly black smear on the crown. A nice naptha bath took care of it. Looks good as new. Regards

 

[milliedog]

Sgt Rocket, I see you are in the Twin Cities, you may try Hamline Drycleaners on Snelling Ave. They clean and re-block hats and could likely help you out.

 

[SGT Rocket]

Thank y'all,

I think I'll try the naptha and if that doesn't work I'll see if Hamline Cleaners can help. But if both fail, I guess I'm sending it out to Art Fawcett or Optimo.

Thanks a bunch for the ideas!!!!!!

 

[SGT Rocket]

Hey Y'all,
I took the hat down to Hamline Cleaners and they said it wasn't a stain. As it turns out, something got on the hat that took the color right out of the trim on the outer edge of the brim. It can be fixed by trimming down the brim.

I was thinking the brim was a little on the wide side for my taste anyway. I'm thinking I might cut the brim down to the size of an Open Road brim, but I'm afraid the crown of the hat may be a little tall for that.

Any opinions?

 

[gtdean48]

Quite a few here have the Campdraft with a 2 5/8" brim in Bluegrass Green as a special order. It looks & wears good at that brim width.
A few others have trimmed standard CD's down & lost the edge binding & are happy with it like that too.
Salvage the hat with a brim trim & wear it in good health.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Sergeant, as I've learned here over the last few years, the tall square crown combined with a relatively small brim (2.5" or less) was a staple of dress hats in the 1930s. I think that proportion looks awesome. A CD with a brim of 2 3/8" or 2 1/2" would look great. If the brim trim leaves the hat looking unbalanced to your eye, you could bash the crown down a bit more. Just a thought.

 

[milliedog]

Sarge, got another recommendation for you. If you want to have the brim trimmed take it to Schatzlein Saddle on Lake Street. They just did one for me today for $5. Took a whole inch off. The tool he uses takes off 1/4 in at a time.