Akubra CEO

[Benny Holiday]

That's the CEO on your head? All I can say is WOW! How does it compare to the Federation? Is the crown straight sided?

Russ, I've never actually seen a Federation, because, as Aaron Hats mentioned, Akubra seems to make and ship different hats to different markets. The Federation isn't sold locally that I'm aware of, although it can be ordered from Hatsdirect over the 'net.

You know, I've been wearing the CEO for seven years or so now, and I still can't tell you if the crown is straight-sided! I've always just enjoyed the look of it overall. I'll have a look tonight and let you know what the crown's like.

 

[Spellflower]

Benny,

The reason you haven't seen the Federation in Sydney is that it is exclusive to hatsdiirect.com, as they (in collaboration with the folks at COW) designed it and convinced Akubra to make it to satisfy the demand for a high quality, low cost Indy hat.

However, it is available at one store, and that is hatsdirect.com's brick and mortar store in Katoomba, called The Hattery. I highly recommend taking the first train out there on your next day off, eating brunch at Blues Cafe, and then strolling down to their shop. It is a great shop with terrific customer service, where you can try on a Federation, and if you choose to buy it, they'll bash it for you so you can wear it as you spend the rest of the day bushwalking around the Three Sisters. Then you can spend the night at the Flying Fox hostel, and be back in Sydney by noon the next day.

 

[Benny Holiday]

I've checked out the CEO

Russ and Atomic Glee, the front side of the crown angles back slightly. The top is blocked in a centre dent which has given the crown a reverse-taper effect.

Spellflower, when did you visit Katoomba? My house is only an hour and a half drive west and then up through the mountains from there. You're so right, next time I'm up that way I'll definitely drop into the Hattery - it's only recently I learned that it's hatsdirect's shop. In the past, my wife and I have done a bit of antique shopping in Katoomba, Leura and other parts of the mountains, and the Three Sisters are a favourite spot for bushwalking, as is Lawson. Very picturesque!

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

I ordered my Fed Deluxe from Hatsdirect earlier this year. I live on the west coast of the U.S. and the hat arrived five days after I ordered it, and that included a Saturday and Sunday. I e-mailed them and asked if they used a rocket ship for delivery.

 

[indyjim]

I have the CEO in fern green, which I chose because I thought it would be versatile with jackets in brown, black, gray, etc. Very nice hat, very comfortable. Mine is not as straight sided as the Feds when facing straight on and, of course, does not have as tall a crown. Don't forget, also, the CEO has a bound edge. I wear it with the brim down, all the way around.

 

[MattC]

How stiff?

I have an Akubra Stockman, and it is very stiff (like an American western hat). That has it advantages, but I am long oval, so the stiffness makes it both an uncomfortable fit and a real bear to reshape. Are the Federation and the CEO very stff?

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

I have an Akubra Stockman, and it is very stiff (like an American western hat). That has it advantages, but I am long oval, so the stiffness makes it both an uncomfortable fit and a real bear to reshape. Are the Federation and the CEO very stff?

Matt, this worked for me. Even a long oval western sometimes pinches the front of my head. To correct this problem I found that when not wearing the hat I put a 1" dowel cut to a length just longer than what the current length is in the hat and after a short time the felt memorizes the new shape and no more pinching. As a word of caution, cover the ends that contact the leather sweat with moleskin so that the wood will not skuff the leather.

 

[Atomic Glee]

I have an Akubra Stockman, and it is very stiff (like an American western hat). That has it advantages, but I am long oval, so the stiffness makes it both an uncomfortable fit and a real bear to reshape. Are the Federation and the CEO very stff?

Neither of my Federations are cowboy-stiff. The brown and the grey Feds, though, are different levels of stiff. The brown is the stiffer of the two - the grey is actually rather soft.

 

[MattC]

Thanks for the tip

Bud. I'll give it a try.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

I hope it helps Matt.:fedora:

 

[Spellflower]

Benny, I was in Katoomba this past July. I traveled all over Australia's east coast, and Katoomba is one of the places I'd most like to visit again. It reminded me of a nice small New England town. Something about the air was very like a crisp fall day in Vermont.

As for The Hattery, I had no idea I was walking into the only shop in the world that sells the most popular modern production fedora on the internet. I'd only started wearing a fedora before my trip Down Under. For years before that, I wore a leather Minnetonka Aussie style hat, but I was reluctant to wear it in Oz, lest I stand out as a tourist (little did I realize that you Aussies actually do wear those hats!) I departed on my trip wearing a crushable wool felt "Indy" hat, which I chose because it was cheap, and because the salesman at Arnold Hatters in NYC told me that the fur felts required more babying, and shouldn't be worn in the rain, whereas the crushable hat was scotchguarded. Oh, how ignorant I was just a few months ago!

By the time I got to Katoomba, the wool hat was starting to lose its shape, and had stains from salt water, obtained on my Great Barrier Reef excursion. I had been hoping to find some kind of a replacement, but Sydney's hat shops had only Bush hats, no fedoras. As I poked around a flea-market in Katoomba, I noticed the proprietor was wearing a very nice green fedora. He actually complimented my hat before I could his, and in the ensuing conversation, he told me that his was an Akubra, called "The Sydney." It looked old, so I didn't hold out any hope that i might find one myself. Walking on, I found The Hattery, and was delighted to find the perfect replacement for my battered hat, a Federation, which, the Milliner promised me would resist the elements much better than the hat I came in with. The Federation has indeed done a very serviceable job in several downpours since then.

Enjoy your Katoomba holiday, and have fun trying on your first Federation!

 

[Blackhorse]

Any chance of posting a photo of that Fern Green CEO? I know, I've seen it at one vendor site...but you can never tell what the shade is relly like. I love the shape overall, and have thought seriously about the Fern color. As you mentioned, I believe, it would do well with black, gray, charcoal, tan, brown, etc. - all of which are "my" colors. I've wanted something in Silver or Sand to get off the black and dark brown/fawn stuff and Fern might just be a cool stand in for the Sand!

 

[dr greg]

lookout

I had been hoping to find some kind of a replacement, but Sydney's hat shops had only Bush hats, no fedoras.
QUOTE]
Are you sure, this place is right in the centre of town
http://www.strandhatters.com.au/default.html
http://www.strandhatters.com.au/cache/item-24public.html?cache=no
and they've always had a good range when I was in there on my rare trips to the big smoke.
I have no assocuiation with them, just good service I recall from many years ago.

 

[Spellflower]

Good to know, in case I ever get back Down Under! I didn't mean to imply that I'd done a thorough search of Sydney hat shops, just that the ones that I did happen upon sold only bush hats, and seemed more geared to tourists. On the other hand, it worked out well, since Strand doesn't seem to sell either of the Akubras which I now own (Federation, Fedora). If I had wandered in, I might have bought a Stylemaster, but since I passed it over for the Federation in Katoomba, I'm glad I didn't.

 

[Fedora]

I just had some correspondance with Ron at Hatsdirect in Katoomba and here is what he told me in my query regarding felt.

Regarding felt

I have read a number of posts about felt quality - as far as Akubra are concerned any change they have made to felt quality is for the better. I did have a chat to one of the felt makers when I was in the factory (full tour!) and he said drought and rain affected the quality of the pelts, so I guess it is natural to see some variation from time to time. Akubra have 2 years stock of pelts on hand sourced mainly from Australia but also other countries, they select the pelts which are graded and blend the fibres to get the best result. Akubras felters are considered amongst the best in the world.

Some years ago they used to make a felt called "Superfine" which was a slightly lower quality, but they no longer do this. This felt was often thicker but not as dense. Many mistake thickness for quality, as you know this is not necesarily the case. Hats stamped Superfine now are simply unlined...

To complicate matters further, they do have a number of grades within the "Imperial Quality" standard - for instance the hat called The Fedora is Imperial Quality but is worked on more to achieve a specific result, whereas a Cattleman is treated differently. The grade could be something to do with the quality of the fibres and the number of processes it goes through.

The Heritage Grade is a major step up with a better mix of fibres, taken from specific areas of the pelt (softer) and mixed with wild English Hare which brings other qualities to the felt. The felt then passes through many more stages than the Imperial Grade. I am getting some Black Deluxe Feds made in a variation of the Heritage Grade - can't wait to see them. We are piggy backing a special run on the back of a private style made for one company in Melbourne. This is likely to be a limited once off run.

I guess to us maybe the grades within grades should be called something different, but I am not about to lecture a company now in its 5th generation of family ownership about how they should do things!

So, the rumor that I posted earlier can be filed under rumors. Just wanted to set the record straight. When Ron mentioned "Akubra felters" he is referring to the guys that blend the various furs that are used to create the hats. This is an art. And to set the record straight, Akubra is NOT using bodies made in China for their hats. This rumor was spread recently on various forums by a person of questionable character. Nuff said. Fedora