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Akubra Overload

monbla256

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,239
Location
DFW Metroplex, Texas
I live in the DFW area and DO NOT wear felts in the summer heat here in Texas! The felt will take the heat, my head just dosn't and I've found that Straws or Panama's work better in the Texas heat in the summer. Your body chemistry concerning heat my be different, but my experience tells me, NO FELTS in the Summer in Texas :)
 

Old Buzzard

New in Town
Messages
26
Location
ArkLaTex
I live in the DFW area and DO NOT wear felts in the summer heat here in Texas! The felt will take the heat, my head just dosn't and I've found that Straws or Panama's work better in the Texas heat in the summer. Your body chemistry concerning heat my be different, but my experience tells me, NO FELTS in the Summer in Texas :)

Amen...
 

RBH

Bartender
@colby jack

I really like your adventurer! I just bought my first panama from panama bob! Now I am interested in a felt fedora I can wear out to dinner and to lodge. I have read here on FL about the hats y'all had out in the elements and I believe these are the arakars?

What I am looking for is a felt hat in the style of a fedora with a low crown lightweight that can stand up to the Texas heat and not make me sweat! I would graciously appreciate any help all of you great FL members could offer.

Best,
Jerry

Just to let you know Colby passed away a year ago this month.


We miss him.
 

Txmason

Familiar Face
Messages
68
Location
Texas
Hey RBH,

Any suggestions for another hat besides the panama I bought? Any chance your visiting Texas brother?
 

RBH

Bartender
Last edited:

Harry Jones

New in Town
Messages
34
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Howdy,
For you more experienced Akubra owners out there, I have a question. I am considering a Territory but wondering about the stiffness of the felt. I have a Coober Pedy I purchased from David Morgan a few years ago. It is quite stiff, rather like typical American cowboy hats. I also have a Cattleman I recently got on Ebay as a project hat (to convert to a fedora) and it is soft and pliable, despite the moderately thick felt. I suspect this hat was originally purchased in Australia, as it does not have a liner or hooks for a chin strap. If you have or handled a Territory gotten from David Morgan, how would you describe the feel of the felt? I much prefer the feel and comfort of the Cattleman and hope the Territory might be more like this hat. Thanks in advance for the help.

Harry
 

monbla256

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,239
Location
DFW Metroplex, Texas
Howdy,
For you more experienced Akubra owners out there, I have a question. I am considering a Territory but wondering about the stiffness of the felt. I have a Coober Pedy I purchased from David Morgan a few years ago. It is quite stiff, rather like typical American cowboy hats. I also have a Cattleman I recently got on Ebay as a project hat (to convert to a fedora) and it is soft and pliable, despite the moderately thick felt. I suspect this hat was originally purchased in Australia, as it does not have a liner or hooks for a chin strap. If you have or handled a Territory gotten from David Morgan, how would you describe the feel of the felt? I much prefer the feel and comfort of the Cattleman and hope the Territory might be more like this hat. Thanks in advance for the help.

Harry

I've worn Akubra's since 1972 and currently have 8 various models from a Bushman to a Cattleman and have never gotten one I would call "stiff" . They were not as soft as many of the older Stetsons or Knox's or even a modern Borsolino, rather I always thought they might be termed as being on the "firm" side felt wise. My Cattleman was the firmest of them all and after almost a year of wearing out to my barn to mess with my horses and taking a couple of dunkings in a stock tank it's a nice "soft" hat for sure! A good rain and just wearing day in, day out in ALL sorts of weather will get them to act right!! I'll ALWAYS own and wear an AKUBRA :)
 

Harry Jones

New in Town
Messages
34
Location
Gainesville, Florida
monbla256,
Thanks for the input. Did your hats come directly from Australia, or did you get some thru David Morgan? I wonder if the Coober Pedy I got from DM is different (stiffer) than the ones made for the Australian market. The Cattleman I got on Ebay is different in respect to not having a lining (just an Akubra label in the crown). Perhaps my Coober Pedy is not typical, certainly seems different than what you describe.
 

monbla256

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,239
Location
DFW Metroplex, Texas
monbla256,
Thanks for the input. Did your hats come directly from Australia, or did you get some thru David Morgan? I wonder if the Coober Pedy I got from DM is different (stiffer) than the ones made for the Australian market. The Cattleman I got on Ebay is different in respect to not having a lining (just an Akubra label in the crown). Perhaps my Coober Pedy is not typical, certainly seems different than what you describe.

Except for my Campdraft, all were bought from DM. I've not handled a Coober Pedy but when I got my Cattleman ( Fawn) it was firmer than my Bushmans or Squatters but with wear, rain and time it's much less so. They are NOT made as say a Borsalino with real soft and pliable felt, but they were not as firm as a modern US made Western. Give it some time or get another brand if you want a real "soft" hat from the start. Akubra makes some of the BEST all-around dollar value production hat today IMHO :)
 

Harry Jones

New in Town
Messages
34
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Thanks again. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Akubras. I will have others and the Territory may be the next one! Mostly just curious about the two I have now and their apparent differences.
 

James71

A-List Customer
Messages
447
Location
Katoomba, Australia
I wandered into the hattery this afternoon and picked up this thyme green akubra Hampton. it looks a bit grey in the pics but it's greener IRL.

eb0c7d2a.jpg


a3b8647f.jpg
 

Sam Craig

One Too Many
Messages
1,356
Location
Great Bend, Kansas
I wandered into the hattery this afternoon and picked up this thyme green akubra Hampton. it looks a bit grey in the pics but it's greener IRL.

Man, you are living the dream!

I have gone on the Net to scope out that place and Katoomba, in the midst of the Blue Mountains looks like the best!

Have you ridden the Scenic Railway? It's supposed to be the steepest incline railway in the world!

Not to mention getting to just walk into the Hattery.

So lucky!

Sam
 

Sam Craig

One Too Many
Messages
1,356
Location
Great Bend, Kansas
monbla256,
Thanks for the input. Did your hats come directly from Australia, or did you get some thru David Morgan? I wonder if the Coober Pedy I got from DM is different (stiffer) than the ones made for the Australian market. The Cattleman I got on Ebay is different in respect to not having a lining (just an Akubra label in the crown). Perhaps my Coober Pedy is not typical, certainly seems different than what you describe.

Harry,
I have four Squatters.
All but one were of the "American" line and the last, my most recent, I ordered from The Hattery in Katoomba, Australia, because I wanted one of the green one before they were all gone.

There is a marked difference.
They are similar hats, but my first ones, which I got from Kakadu Trader in New York state, have a slightly different shape and were quite a bit "softer" when they came. The Hattery Squatter had a subtle, but obvious, difference in shape and it was a lot stiffer.

I like to use a cold water spritz to shape Akubras ... though I learned the hard way you don't dare try it on a new Biltmore! ... and after I got the green Squatter into the crease I liked, it had "loosened" up a lot. I really like it a lot and it's very comfortable ... as are ALL Akubras.

I'm wearing my Bushman today, which Monbla helped convince me to get as my first new Akubra and I am still crazy about it.

This past weekend I finished my most recent make over on my Kokoda I bought from Picker this last year. I put a pencil roll in the brim and it looks a lot like the one Drover wears in the movie "Australia."
Sadly, the wearer doesn't look anything like the guy in the movie, but there you go.

The Akubra took the new shape just great. There are terrific hats!

Sam
 

Kirk H.

One Too Many
Messages
1,196
Location
Charlotte NC
I wandered into the hattery this afternoon and picked up this thyme green akubra Hampton. it looks a bit grey in the pics but it's greener IRL.

eb0c7d2a.jpg


http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a340/WJByrnes/a3b8647f.jpg[/IM
G][/QUOTE].







I agree with Sam, you are living the dream . That would be so cool just to be able to walk right in to The Hattery. Also that hat looks good on you with the Clubmasters.

Kirk H.
 

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