Akubra Campdraft

[Zombie_61]

Woo and Hoo! I got a shipping notice today from Everything Australian for the Taupe Fawn Campdraft that I ordered on December 27th. That's just short of two months, and with 3-4 day shipping (the only option available when I ordered it for some reason) I might have it in my hands by the end of the week. :whoo: I guess it won't be too much longer before I find out what color "taupe fawn" really is.

 

[ManofKent]

... I guess it won't be too much longer before I find out what color "taupe fawn" really is.

I look forward to seeing it - a comparison shot with the Fed would be much appreciated too

 

[Zombie_61]

I look forward to seeing it - a comparison shot with the Fed would be much appreciated too

Certainly, my friend! We're supposed to finally get some actual rain here, starting on Thursday and lasting at least five to six days, so it'll probably be the middle of next week at the earliest before I can get some decent photos.

 

[rclark]

Woo and Hoo! I got a shipping notice today from Everything Australian for the Taupe Fawn Campdraft that I ordered on December 27th. That's just short of two months, and with 3-4 day shipping (the only option available when I ordered it for some reason) I might have it in my hands by the end of the week. :whoo: I guess it won't be too much longer before I find out what color "taupe fawn" really is.

Yes, please post photos of your new acquisition when you can! I love my CD SB.

 

[Zombie_61]

Yes, please post photos of your new acquisition when you can! I love my CD SB.

I bought my Silverbelly Campdraft primarily for two uses--a "sun hat", and a "rain hat". So far it's performed well as the first and, if the weather predictions prove to be accurate, in a few days I'll find how how well it performs as the latter.

 

[g.durand]

Al--it's one of my go-to rain hats, not that it's had a lot of use this winter. I'm sure you'll find it performs well.

 

[Zombie_61]

Al--it's one of my go-to rain hats, not that it's had a lot of use this winter. I'm sure you'll find it performs well.

I'm well aware of Akubra's reputation for durability, so I have no concerns whatsoever about the hat not being up to the task. Besides, my first Fed IV has weathered a few rainstorms with no ill effects. At the very least, I'm looking forward to finally giving my current Campdraft and my second Fed IV a proper "baptism".

 

[Zombie_61]

I received my new Taupe Fawn Campdraft today. I have to say, the colors of the felt, ribbon, and brim binding were not at all what I was expecting! Based on the photos in this thread, and specifically the photos RBH was kind enough to post, I was expecting it to be lighter in color and have a reddish hue. But (on my monitor) with indoor lighting the colors look just like they do in the top photo posted here by CRH, and with the camera flash they look like the second photo; the only difference to my eye is that there's not quite so much contrast between the colors of the felt and the ribbon/brim binding. To paraphrase Forrest Gump, "Buying a hat online is like a box of chocolates--you never know what you're gonna' get." lol And, yes, I'll post photos once the weather clears and after I've shaped the crown.

 

[ManofKent]

AL - sounds similar to the Acorn Fawn. I look forward to the photos

 

[Zombie_61]

I'll post photos once the weather clears and after I've shaped the crown.

First, let me apologize for the delay. After the weather cleared I was under the weather with a bout of diverticulitis (can't say I'd recommend it) and wasn't really feeling up to taking photos of a hat. But today was a pretty good day for it, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm not the world's best photographer, but I think they'll serve their purpose. First up, the obligatory noggin shots:

I apologize for having to wear sunglasses in my photos, but my eyes are very sensitive to bright light and if I don't wear them my photos turn out like...well, this:

My facial expression in that photo is something of a statement of my opinions regarding this particular hat. First, I think Akubra used more stiffener on this hat than on my other three Akubras combined. Snapping the front of the brim down the first time actually took a little effort, and it wanted to immediately snap back up; in fact, it still snaps up on it's own occasionally while I'm wearing it. Shaping the crown was another exercise in stubbornness, but the hat finally relented...sort of. My procedure for shaping hats into a teardrop crease is as follows: place it on my head to establish the front and center of the crown so that the pinch will be centered over my nose; give it a center dent to establish the centerline of the crown; expand the center dent to the teardrop shape, and form the side dents; push up the center bump of the teardrop; spray with distilled water and refine the basic shape to my liking; put it on to verify the pinch is centered; let dry. This is what I did on my first Campdraft and my second Fed IV, and it worked well.

But this hat fought me every step of the way. The center dent, side dents, and the basic teardrop shape all wanted to revert to the hat's original open crown shape. I'd finally get it to do what I wanted, and when I moved to the next step the hat would undo whatever I'd done previously, so I had to re-do each step over and over. Spraying it with distilled water helped, but not much. Obviously, it finally got on board with the program...or so I thought. After I'd shaped it to my liking I put it on to verify the pinch was centered over my nose, and set it aside to dry. After it had dried I put it on, and the pinch had shifted slightly to the left (my left, your right) as you can see in the first photo above. :eusa_doh: For now I'm going to leave it alone, but I might try to correct it at some point. I'm sure most (if not all) of you have had at least one hat that fought you, so I shared this so that you could laugh along with me!

Richard had asked upthread for a comparison between the colors of the Tawny Fawn and the Taupe Fawn, so here's a photo to illustrate that:

The colors are fairly accurate for bright direct sunlight, far more accurate than the previous photos. As you can see, the Taupe Fawn is slightly darker than the Tawny Fawn and not quite as warm. Also, the contrast between the ribbon/brim binding and the felt is far more obvious in bright light. In subdued indoor lighting the contrast is almost non-existent, especially from more than five feet away. I like warm, golden browns much more than I like reddish or greenish browns, so I prefer the hue of the Tawny Fawn; your mileage may vary.

And, just because, here's a photo of the three hats I've shaped into a teardrop crown:

My teardrops aren't perfect, but at least they're consistent. The crown heights, front and back, on all three hats are within 1/4"; not bad for an amateur who "eyeballed" all three hats. The teardrop bump is a little taller on the Taupe Fawn Campdraft compared to the other two, but they both started out that way and the bump "relaxed" into a deeper position as I wore them. Considering the extra stiffener this hat has, that probably won't happen but I'm okay with it.

On a side note, with the brim snapped up this hat sort of reminds me of a hybrid between a Western hat and a Porkpie. Between that, the color, and the difficulties I had shaping the crown, I think I'm going to call this hat the "Cowpie". I'll either really like it, or really hate it; time will tell.

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks Al.

It looks good - slightly darker than I expected, but a nice colour.

With the teardrop it's quite reminiscent of the pre-bashed Squatter (I re-shaped the supplied porkpie into a teardrop on mine).

 

[Zombie_61]

...It looks good - slightly darker than I expected, but a nice colour...

If I'm honest, it was darker than I expected as well. In subdued indoor lighting it's closer to the color of the first three photos I posted, though perhaps a bit lighter. Standing in front of that bright wall might not have been the best idea, since the true color is really misrepresented in those photos. I don't dislike the color, but I do prefer the Tawny Fawn.

...With the teardrop it's quite reminiscent of the pre-bashed Squatter (I re-shaped the supplied porkpie into a teardrop on mine).

Except for the dimensional brim and wider ribbon on the Squatter, and I think the Squatter has a more tapered crown, for all intents and purposes they appear to be the same hat. I'd have seriously considered getting a Squatter for myself, but the Steel Grey and Deep Fawn colors are too dark for my tastes.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I like that hat and colour Zombie. One of the best hats I've seen on you - I think it's the thinner ribbon. I had that one but it was a lot lighter fawn. Moths got to it. I now have a grey one but I'm not big on grey hats. I have a squatter too its a wider brim than the Campdraft (apart from the sides) and the crown is a bit taller and I think less tapered. But my squatter is 20 plus years old. The felt is better too. More resilient, smoother and less fluffy.

 

[Zombie_61]

I like that hat and colour Zombie. One of the best hats I've seen on you - I think it's the thinner ribbon...

Thank you. I like my Campdrafts but, based on what I see in the mirror, I really think the narrower dimensional brim of the Fed IV suits me better. The problem with taking these "selfies" with the camera held at arms length is that they're often somewhat distorted, so it's difficult for me to determine which style is better when I see photos of myself. I should probably enlist the aid of my wife to take a few from a bit more of a distance to get a better idea.

...But my squatter is 20 plus years old. The felt is better too. More resilient, smoother and less fluffy.

Among other reasons, one of the good things about getting a new Akubra is that it reminds you of how soft the felt gets by handling and wearing them. Compared to this one, my other Akubras are downright floppy. :lol:

 

[Zombie_61]

I took some more photos today to see if I could do a better job of it, and I'm posting these because I think they represent the hat's color in direct sunlight better, and also represent the overall shape of the hat better than my previous photos.

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Post a photo or two if you get a chance.

What's the hat the lady is wearing?

As the ship date for my Silverbelly CampDraft nears, I am contemplating doubling down. This brings up the obvious question of which color is next.

I wear gray more often than anything else, but the Bluegrass is interesting.

Are the images quoted good representations of the Bluegrass color? (I have waded through this long thread and am puzzled by what color could reasonably be expected to arrive.)

I have been looking for CampDrafts in BlueGrass for months and there is a dizzying array of variations (from lime, mint, gray/green and even a deep forest - almost spruce green) due to varied lighting when the photos were taken and various monitor settings when viewed. I float from never wanting one to really wanting one even though there is only one real color.

A good photo recommendation or even a good verbal description would be helpful and appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Fed

 

[ManofKent]

Fed in a Fedora - the blue-grass green does look slightly different in different lighting. I think the photo below taken in bright but overcast weather is about the most neutral representation I can find amongst my photos (at least on my monitor). It's definitely not lime or forest green. It does have a slightly blueish tone rather a grey-green:



Obviously what you wear it with will alter your perception...

 

[Rogera]

Richard's picture is a very good representation of the color. You will not be disappointed with the color. It is a very versatile green, nothing outlandish. I love mine.

 

[gtdean48]

Richard's picture is a very good representation of the color. You will not be disappointed with the color. It is a very versatile green, nothing outlandish. I love mine.

:arated:

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

:eusa_clap

That is exactly what I needed.

That color is just what I was hoping that it would be.

Thanks all!

Fed

(Wrote to Sam to ask about adding to my existing order.)