Akubra Lawson

[Riot Earp]

Anybody got one of these? NogginTops has a nice sale on 'em, and so I bought one in chocolate. Akubra's Premium felt, with a bound edge.

 

[AlterEgo]

I really like the Lawson but have not yet got one because of the limited color choices. The chocolate one you got I think is the same as the dark fawn color offered by www.davidmorgan.com. Since the Lawson is quite similar to the Banjo I already have--only with a wider brim and different, great-looking braided kanga-leather hat band--and I do not want yet another hat in any shade of fawn, I really want the moss green color.

DM used to offer that color, and when I checked its site a couple months ago, it was discontinued and so on sale for a very attractive price for an Akubra Heritage Collection. I was all excited until I discovered they were are sold out of my size. Should've signed up for the E-mail alert and got one as soon as they went on sale.

Anyway, I checked all the other usual vendor suspects, but found the only moss green Lawson to be had was a special-order from Everything Australian--and that's a three-month wait.

To paraphrase the Doors' Jim Morrison, "I want my hat, and I want it NOW!" Given that, does anyone know of a vendor who stocks the Lawson in moss green in size 57/7 1/8?

 

[Riot Earp]

I couldn't find a moss green Lawson in 57 anywhere.

Chocolate (dark brown) is the only hat color I look good in. It's strange but true.

 

[Chinaski]

Yes, I do have one. It's my go to hat for any more strenuous outdoor activity - yard work, hiking, etc. I got mine at Aussie Bush Hats and have been pleased with it. If you like the looks you can't go wrong.

 

[Phantasm]

I just bought one at David Morgan this week. I had never been there before but they have quite a responsive sales staff that focus on service. This hat was one that I had been leaning towards for a while and its a lovely hat that looks great. They have an interesting catalog with items that aren't commonly found.

 

[AlterEgo]

Lawson Now In Hand

I got my dark fawn Akubra Lawson yesterday and have hardly been able to take it off my head since. My camera battery and the back-up will no longer accept a charge, so that's why I have no pics.

Thanks again to Chinaski for posting pics of his on another thread--same photo as above only much larger--which convinced me that the dark fawn color would work for me even though my preference would be for a considerably lighter shade. By the way, that "dark fawn" color of David Morgan's is, in fact, the same as Akubra's "loden" and Noggin Tops' chocolate--by far the best term for this shade of brown--so the color issue is settled once and for all.

It blew off my head twice in the first hour I had it, which prompted my thread, "Installing A Chin Strap," which you can read if you care to.

Keeping in mind that I have a number of Akubras, here's my review of the Lawson:

The Heritage Collection premium felt from which it is constructed arrived very stiff and not quite as thick, as measured with a micrometer, compared with my Fed IV Deluxe. Intentionally aggressive handling has softened it up a bit already.

The premium sweatband is just as soft as, but not nearly as thick, as the one on my Fed. The precreased crown height measures 4 1/4 inch at the front peak, 4 3/8 at the sides, 3 3/4 at the rear. The wide center dent just touches the top of my head, which gives me a mild case of hat hair, so I'll probably lift the crown about a quarter inch or so.

The 5/8-inch-wide kangaroo leather hat band, a beautifully woven eight-plat center ridge style, has an almost matte finish, not somewhat glossy as it appears in Chinaski's pics and every other photo I've seen of the Lawson. That's not really a problem, but a bit more sheen on mine would help differentiate it from the dark fawn/loden/chocolate felt against which it is somewhat camouflaged.

David Morgan describes the three-inch bound edge brim as having "a slight roll on the sides." I would say it arrived with more of a moderate roll, which imparts too much of a western/cowboy look for my taste. I've been bending it down every time I think about it, which has so far taken it down to a very slight roll. The first rain we get here, I'll take a long walk in it, and then juke with it some more until it's virtually flat. I can already see that it will then look similar to the semi-gaucho styles that Clint Eastwood wore in his 1960s and early 1970s spagetti westerns. That, to my eye, will be ideal for this hat.

Size is puzzling. As I mentioned, I have several Akubras and know how they fit--about a half size large at first, then they shrink down--Imperial Quality moreso than Heritage felt--after perspiration and rain do their thing. However, this Lawson, my usual 7 1/8, runs huge--like a 7 1/4 if not larger. Even after I put felt a full 360 degrees under the sweat, it's still a tad loose. Yes, it will surely shrink, but I can see now that I'll never be able to remove all the felt for it to fit snugly. Not a big deal, but annoying nonetheless.

Overall, though my new Lawson arrived with a few hiccups, I'm very happy with it--my first truly casual fur felt hat and one with the widest brim I've ever owned.

 

[Tone]

Don't forget to show us some pictures of how that new Lawson looks on you while it's being worn.

 

[Chinaski]

Congrats on your purchase, AlterEgo. It will surely fit the purpose for which you intended. When mine arrived I also felt it would be too big forever, but true to Akubra form, it now fits like a glove. Enjoy in good health.

 

[bluemoon]

New Hat Day: akubra Lawson heritage fawn

Just recieved this package from Australia. It's a Akubra Lawson in heritage fawn. I don't believe this color is available in the US.

 

[randooch]

Congratulations!

Post pics here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?28145-Post-New-Hats-Here!

 

[Chepstow]

Congratulations!

+1
Great Hat!

 

[Blackthorn]

Nice!

 

[Blackthorn]

I have a Banjo Patterson, also by Akubra, and they are very similar. The bound brim is different and the color, and there's a slight difference in brim width (very slight), but other than that, they are almost the same hat. IMHO these are the finest factory made rabbit hats, bar none.

 

[bluesmandan]

I ordered a Lawson for Christmas. Got it in the "Loden" which is the chocolate brown color (not green as one might expect). Ordered the 58, since I wear a size right between 57 and 58, and did some shrinking techniques on it, and though it felt two sizes too big when I got it, it has shrunk down nicely. What a great hat! When I played golf Monday, the guy running the course stopped me to ask about it and where he could get one.

 

[BobHufford]

...did some shrinking techniques on it, and though it felt two sizes too big when I got it, it has shrunk down nicely.

Congrats! Can you list (or point to) these shrinking techniques? I've got a couple of Akubras (and an American Hat Co.) that need to come down a bit. Thanks.

 

[Bamaboots]

Try here, Bob.

 

[rogerstg]

Try here, Bob.

+1. I've used the lampshade method successfully on several hats.

 

[jkingrph]

I just placed an order for one in Loden from Australian Gear. $133 delivered to Texas, not too bad.

 

[bluesmandan]

Congrats! Can you list (or point to) these shrinking techniques? I've got a couple of Akubras (and an American Hat Co.) that need to come down a bit. Thanks.

First thing to do is simply wet your hair and wear the hat. When your hair gets dry, wet it again, and wear the hat. Do that all day, and it should shrink a little. If that's not enough... the place I bought it from said to wet the inside of the sweatband and leave it in a hot car for 4 hours. Since it's winter here, I turned the sweatband out, sprayed the inside of the sweatband with water, rubbed it in, then put it on a clean pan in the oven on 170 for just 1 hour. That seemed to do the trick, though I may do the process one more time just to snug it up a tad more.

 

[BobHufford]

Thanks for the shrinkage advice everyone!