Akubra hemp range

[AlterEgo]

I, too, am very interested in the Akubra Hemp Range and would, like Woodfluter, like to know about its rainworthiness.

A few other attributes I'd like to know, as well:

Is this hat suitable for very hot (90-degree F +) and humid (70% RH +) weather or would a different hat be better? (Don't suggest a Tilley. I already have three but am seeking a cool and ATTRACTIVE summer hat.)

Weight--how does it compare to a similarly-priced--$100--toquilla fiber Panama, ramie, Baku, Shantung, raffia or so-called Milan braid straw? Actual weight would be nice to know for comparison purposes.

Texture--How tightly is the straw woven and in what general pattern? How's the "hand": stiff and crackly, pliable and silent, or somewhere in between?

Fit--I have several fur felt Akubras and always get a 7 1/8 (57) that is initially a bit large but after several vigorous, sweaty walks in the rain, they shrink down a half size for a perfect "7 1/16 (56.5)" fit. Does this hemp straw hat, with the same Akubra reeded roan leather sweatband, shrink similarly?

In other words, I want a complete review of this new hat!

Bonus: In California and several other states, this hemp hat would qualify as both headgear and medicine. Does it require a prescription?

 

[Lensmaster]

It's a true 58 (US7/14) and fits perfectly.

The sweat is a lovely soft leather. Here's the inside shot:

Does this hat stretch a bit I'm just a hair bigger than a 58 but not a 59...though depends on the cut of the hat. But felt hats stretch a bit and 58 usually work.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm just bumping this up to give it greater visibility in hopes that Fred or someone else who has an Akubra Hemp Range will address the questions in my previous post.

I've learned the hard way to not get a new hat until the cognoscenti weigh in here, but I'm itching for this hat--provided I get the good word--since I have a special outdoor party hosted by a card-carrying Hat Guy I want to wear it to next Saturday, and my perfectly fine Panama just won't do. It is, literally, "old hat."

Fortunately for my gotta-have-it-quick situtation, I was not able to order the Range blind today, as David Morgan is, oddly, closed on Memorial Day, a huge retail sales day. So, that gives y'all another day to reply.

 

[Woodfluter]

A.E. asked some great questions! Same as I would have if I hadn't been too shy.

Ironically, there's a hemp braid Akubra called The Range - so "hemp range" has more than one meaning . Also of the same material but less fedora-ish are their "Planter" and "Byron" models (seems like same block with different fittings). I like that style too for more shade - bit over 3" brim. Those also have open-weave portions of the crown, for discreet ventilation while not looking like you're wearing a porch screen. (See Nungar Trading for pictures.)

Like to know some more about these hemp braids from those who have them in hand...and less important questions:

1. I you wear one without a sweatband, will you get a contact high?
2. Is it suitable for wearing with a smoking jacket?

- Bill

 

[CRH]

...

1. I you wear one without a sweatband, will you get a contact high?
2. Is it suitable for wearing with a smoking jacket?
...

Hey, Bill, what kinda joint do you think this is anyway?

:eusa_doh:

 

[AlterEgo]

Woodfluter, CRH--

You guys "doobie" witty.

Even so, please, someone, I want some info on the Akubra Hemp Range!

 

[Duper]

I'm real keen on the Balmoral as well. How does it compare to a SunBody Guatemalan fine palm hat for texture and weight? Can it be rebashed like a SunBody fine palm? I very much enjoy my Sunbody and it gets regular wear on the recent humid/hot days.

Thanks guys!

 

[AlterEgo]

Akubra Hemp Range Critiqued

Hat arrived Saturday, when the temperature was in the upper 90s, humidity nearly that, and thundershowers here and there. In other words, a perfect day for taking my new Range to task.

The over-arching attribute of this straw hat is its hardness and rigidity. Pausing to check it out as I opened the box on the front porch, my mailman said, "Stiffer 'n high school quarterback on a double dose of daddy's Viagra slow-dancin' with the homecomin' queen." My mailman, he's got a way with words.

Though the brim, both front and back, will snap up and down, the crown is helmet-like, having no give or flex at all. Not necessarily a problem, but I've never felt a straw hat so stiff. Is this just the nature of hemp, or is it loads of hat stiffener? At any rate, the material is marketed as much more rugged and long-lasting than Toquilla fiber, the stuff of Panamas, and this certainly appears to be the case with this hat.

Taking a long walk in the oppressive heat and humidity proved that the hat is up to this kind of weather:

Even with the hat well seated on my head just a 1/4-inch over the tops of my ears, the pinched telescope crown was still a good 1/2 inch off the top of my head--where it should be--despite the relatively low 4 1/2-inch crown height.

Naturally, the 3 1/4-inch brim kept the sun off my face, yet the intense glare penetrating the ecru-colored hemp necessitated sunglasses (I missed the green underbrims of my Tilley and long-billed boating cap). The brim width, coupled with its extreme stiffness, means that when you bump something with it even lightly, the hat is knocked akimbo. Hit something hard, and the hat will be knocked off. (Note to self: drink beer AFTER the walk!)

The reeded roan leather sweat, as expected, held it own, and was not nearly as confining and hot as I'd anticipated. (This is the first straw I've ever owned with a leather sweat band.)

The 1 1/2-inch-wide band of open-weave encircling the hat at mid-crown, despite only 1 inch exposed due to the 1 1/2-inch-wide 7-pleat black pug partially covering it, nevertheless does provide surprisingly noticeable ventilation, especially welcome considering the only breeze was from my 5 1/2 mph walking speed.

I never did run into any showers, so its rainworthiness remains unknown. Unlike most hats, and because it's inevitable I'll ge caught with it in a sudden downpour, I'm inclined to give this one a good spray inside and out with Scotchguard or something like it. Couldn't make it any more stiff than it already is.

Catching my reflection in windows, I thought the hat looked strikingly good on me, especially noteworthy considering my instrinsic ugliness tends to have a halo effect on anything close by.

The texture of the straw, quite tightly woven in concentric circles of "ridges and plains" 1/8 inch apart, is rough to the touch. As jewelers would say of a gem, there are "inclusions" of darker straw here and there, and there are two 1 X 1/4-inch rectangular darker patches of unknown etiology embedded in the rear brim, which are not noticeable until you hold the hat up against the light, when they are obvious.

The brim it underwelted and stitched very finely and tightly down, but there are a few loose strands that would dangle were it not for the stiffener anchoring them solidly in place.

The hat is unlined, as it should be, and there is an octagonal fabric patch with the Akubra name and crest glued into the top of the crown. As mentioned, the sweat is every bit as good as any Akubra fur felt. In addition to the name ("Range"), bow, and size tags in the regular Akubra places, the sweat reads on the side, interestingly, "Australian Assembly" instead of the usual "Made In Australia." I can only assume this means that Akubra imports the hemp from parts unknown, perhaps already blocked, maybe blocked by Akubra, and then puts on its own sweat and puggaree.

As for size, I got my usual 7 1/8 (57). I knew this was a risk, for fur felt Akubras are always a half size large on me at first until rain and sweat shrink them down to fit perfectly, but I don't think hemp shrinks much if at all. So I asked the David Morgan sales consultant to find me a particularly tight 7 1/8. Even so, when it arrived, it was huge--a full size too large--and I had to put felt all the way around the underside of the sweat, which happily resulted in a perfect fit. I'd tentatively advise others ordering this hat get a full size smaller than your regular Akubra size. On the other hand, this hemp and/or the sweat itself could shrink to some unknown extent, so stay tuned, as I'll keep you posted.

Finally, a few words on weight: On a kitchen food scale, my 7 1/8 measured 6 1/4 oz. Compare that to my same size and almost same dimensions Akubra Lawson Heritage grade fur felt, at 5 1/4 oz; my same size small/medium lower-mid-grade Eddie Bauer Toquilla fiber Panama with similar dimensions and a Cool-Max sweat, at 3 1/4 oz; and my upper-mid-grade Toquilla fiber Featherweight Panama of somewhat smaller dimensions with a cotton sweatband, at 2 oz. So the Range is a comparatively heavy hat, especially for a straw, but not so heavy for its weight to be a decisive factor for most.

In summary, on quality of material and construction, the Hemp Range rates a B- compared to Akubra's usual A- range of fur felt hats. It's a good, if bone-stiff, hat that's very spiffy looking on the head. At $95 + $8 S & H from David Morgan, it is a very good, but not great value, in the scheme of straw hats. I'm happy with it, but not delighted.

 

[swisslet]

Alterego - would you say the hemp is looking like softening up any with wear?my hemp tilley felt like linen almost immediately, so can only think that akubra must have ladled on the stiffener.

 

[daizawaguy]

Thinkin of a Dobbs Naples - any views on how this compares to the Akubra hemps..?

 

[Duper]

AlterEgo, thanks for the detailed review. Much appreciated!

The description of the build of the body ( tightly woven in concentric circles ) sounds very much like a SunBody hat. Does it seem like you could reshape the crown like a SunBody or is what you see what you get?

 

[AlterEgo]

Alterego - would you say the hemp is looking like softening up any with wear?my hemp tilley felt like linen almost immediately, so can only think that akubra must have ladled on the stiffener.

I've worn the new hat every day but one, and the hemp shows no sign whatsoever of loosening up. When my new Akubra fur felts are stiff, I simply manually ply them back and forth until they soften up a bit, but the straw is so rigid on the Range that I would not even consider doing such a thing for fear that I'd break it. Time will tell.

That one day--yesterday--that I did not wear it, a sudden and intense thuderstorm blew up, so I've yet to give it the rain test. This morning, I did, however, Scotchguard another straw for the first time ever (the above-mentioned relatively cheapo Eddy Bauer Panama) to see what it does to the "hand," breathability, and color, so I trust that will give me an indicator of how a water-resisting treatment will affect the Range, as well.

But before I do that, I'd prefer to first somehow soften up the Range, and I now think it's primairly the loads of hat stiffener that's the culprit. If anyone has suggestions as to how to remove it without compromising the hat's excellent as-is shape/blocking, please comment here.

 

[AlterEgo]

AlterEgo, thanks for the detailed review. Much appreciated!

The description of the build of the body ( tightly woven in concentric circles ) sounds very much like a SunBody hat. Does it seem like you could reshape the crown like a SunBody or is what you see what you get?

Duper, I didn't see your post until I'd already submitted the above, thus my 2-in-a-row posts.

I say it's tightly woven, but nowhere near the close weave of a really fine Panama. In fact, miniscule specks of sunlight penetrate the Range, so I can assert its unknown SPF is far short of the max 50 claimed by some other hatmakers.

As for re-shaping it, I love the shape as is, so that's not a consideration for me. I'm quite good at re-shaping fur felts, but a complete novice at doing straws and so no help there.

 

[danofarlington]

Any more thoughts on the Akubra Range hemp hat? How does it hold up in a downpour, and how do you like it overall, after a year?

 

[Wolfwood]

Came to this thread for a quick advice on the water tolerance of hemp braid hats, but I can see that there's no definite answer yet.

Well, I should be able to tell something after a couple of hours after my hat has dried up... I was relaxing on the pier at our summer cabin with my Akubra Balmoral over my eyes when our 3-year-old ran to me and gleefully tossed my hat into the lake... It is now drying up and we'll see how it turns out...

 

[danofarlington]

Came to this thread for a quick advice on the water tolerance of hemp braid hats, but I can see that there's no definite answer yet.

Well, I should be able to tell something after a couple of hours after my hat has dried up... I was relaxing on the pier at our summer cabin with my Akubra Balmoral over my eyes when our 3-year-old ran to me and gleefully tossed my hat into the lake... It is now drying up and we'll see how it turns out...

I wish I were on a lake right now casting a Rappala into the water looking for walleyes (game fish in Minnesota). But alas, there are few lakes in Virginia. History, yes. Lakes, no.

 

[Oldsarge]

Well, having read the entire thread, I still don't have enough of an answer to induce me to buy one. I guess I'll have to wait, especially since I wear a long to extra-long oval. If the Range is that stiff I doubt I would find it comfortable unless DM can import one in the proper shape for me. Sigh, I guess I'll just wait for more info . . . or just go get a SunBody!

 

[Wolfwood]

My Balmoral is pretty stiff and I as I don't intend to try to loosen it up (the fit and shape is perfect for my head - more so than Akubras felts have been (I'm slightly longer oval than them)) I don't know if it is possible.

A swim in the lake didn't loosen the stiffener up much, but it did allow me to fix the swoop of the right-side brim (which wasn't quite as nice as the swoop on the left side (which you can see on my avatar)). It survived the swim very well, though, and shows no signs of losing its shape.

 

[danofarlington]

Am I getting the impression that the Akubra Hemp Range will stand up to heavy rain, in the sense of not falling apart and keeping its shape? I'll eventually buy one, if so.

 

[jkoerner]

... David Morgan says the following:
"Hemp straw hats are stronger than Panamas made of toquilla fiber, are more durable and will last longer. However, like other straw hats, we recommend that you keep it away from water."

...wondering why the warning...can anybody shed some light?

In the U.S., the problem is that after getting wet they can start to sprout. If the wet straw leaches into your skin, it could cause you to start giggling uncontrollably, drawing attention to yourself, which could result in your arrest to face severe criminal penalties.