Akubra Overload

[bluesforchallah]

Silverbelly Campdraft

 

[manga_blue]

Rare blending of Australian and Japanese lines

60s vintage Akubra Stylemaster on Mt Oyama outside Tokyo. Cosy under sleet too

 

[Zombie_61]

^ I do find it interesting how the human mind can recognize familiar shapes in unrelated objects. "That cloud looks like Abraham Lincoln", for example. Also, that's a great hat!

 

[ETBass]

Got my Cedar Brown Campdraft in a couple of days ago and have been playing around with how I want to shape the crown. Kinda decided on a diamond type bash. I finally had time today to work on it. I need some feedback on my bash. It is wet and still drying . Any of you experienced hat bashers tell me what you think.

 

[manga_blue]

^ I do find it interesting how the human mind can recognize familiar shapes in unrelated objects. "That cloud looks like Abraham Lincoln", for example. Also, that's a great hat!

The Stylemaster is one of Akubra's hidden gems

 

[Boomerang]

Got my Cedar Brown Campdraft in a couple of days ago and have been playing around with how I want to shape the crown. Kinda decided on a diamond type bash. I finally had time today to work on it. I need some feedback on my bash. It is wet and still drying . Any of you experienced hat bashers tell me what you think.

To steal a line I've seen here before, it looks perfectly imperfect! That's why I love hand-bashed hats. I just see a huge step-up in personality over a machine-pressed crease.

 

[Zombie_61]

To steal a line I've seen here before, it looks perfectly imperfect! That's why I love hand-bashed hats. I just see a huge step-up in personality over a machine-pressed crease.

Seconded. Hand-creased hats have so much more character.

 

[Scooterz]

Looks great. I sometimes keep fiddling with mine a few times over a week or two to deepen side dents as much as I can. I like the top on yours. You really can't do it wrong if you are happy with it then its perfect. There used to be some old posts and youtube videos by moontheloon about creases. I enjoyed reading them. May have to search the forum via google to find the older posts. I am not sure why but I can't go back that far unless I do it that way. Moon used to point out how casual guys were in the old days about bashing hats and that absolute symmetry is overrated. Wear it for a week or so before you do much more to it, I sometimes wish I had left a couple of hats with the first quick bash I did to take a few pics.

Got my Cedar Brown Campdraft in a couple of days ago and have been playing around with how I want to shape the crown. Kinda decided on a diamond type bash. I finally had time today to work on it. I need some feedback on my bash. It is wet and still drying . Any of you experienced hat bashers tell me what you think.

 

[Zombie_61]

...Moon used to point out how casual guys were in the old days about bashing hats and that absolute symmetry is overrated...

And he's right. If you pay attention to the hats in movies from the 1930s and 40s (like most of us here do) you'll see for yourself that the best ones are hand-creased and at least a little asymmetrical. One example that comes to mind is a scene from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World in which Spencer Tracy as Capt. Culpepper has followed a group of treasure seekers to a park somewhere on the coast of California. After he gets out of his car he reaches into the back seat to retrieve his hat, then very casually hand creases it by giving it a quick "karate chop" Center Dent. It's a brilliant little character moment, and wouldn't have been missed at all if they had decided to edit it out. But Mr. Tracy makes it seem so effortless because it's something he had probably done countless times in his life.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

And he's right. If you pay attention to the hats in movies from the 1930s and 40s (like most of us here do) you'll see for yourself that the best ones are hand-creased and at least a little asymmetrical. One example that comes to mind is a scene from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World in which Spencer Tracy as Capt. Culpepper has followed a group of treasure seekers to a park somewhere on the coast of California. After he gets out of his car he reaches into the back seat to retrieve his hat, then very casually hand creases it by giving it a quick "karate chop" Center Dent. It's a brilliant little character moment, and wouldn't have been missed at all if they had decided to edit it out. But Mr. Tracy makes it seem so effortless because it's something he had probably done countless times in his life.

I love when Tracy pulls that crumpled hat from the back seat of his car and quickly shapes it before putting it on. It’s wonky and organic and isn’t symmetrical at all.

To each their own, but I can’t understand how anyone would prefer a machine pressed shape or cardboard felt. However, as much as I admire the organic and authentic shapes of hats from when men grew up wearing them and the felt was soooo much better than what we have today, I often find myself obsessing over symmetry when shaping my own hats. One of the many quirks of being human.

 

[Zombie_61]

...To each their own, but I can’t understand how anyone would prefer a machine pressed shape or cardboard felt. However, as much as I admire the organic and authentic shapes of hats from when men grew up wearing them and the felt was soooo much better than what we have today, I often find myself obsessing over symmetry when shaping my own hats. One of the many quirks of being human.

I understand this to a degree. Every time I shape a hat one of my goals is to make it as symmetrical as possible simply because that's the way my brain is wired. And, while I wasn't obsessive about it, for the first few years after I began wearing hats regularly it would annoy me when the crown or brim would begin to become asymmetrical. But I soon realized the hats looked better that way; more character than I could give them if I tried. So, while I aim for symmetry when I shape the hat, now I enjoy watching them take on their own character far more.

 

[ETBass]

Got the Taupe Fawn Campdraft in today some how. I really like the color. This one is in the imperial felt. Feels a little more pliable. I was able to put a dry crease in it . I am gonna play around with it for a couple of days before I put water or steam to it to set the crease.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Recent selfie in my Regency Fawn Leisure Time (and circa-2006 ATF tanker jacket). I think of the Regency Fawn as a "brown" color, but it's an odd grayish-brown shade that reads as gray in some lighting.

 

[ETBass]

After having these two Campdrafts for long enough to shape and wear them I have formed a few impressions. The Taupe Fawn is in Imperial felt. The Cedar brown is in the Heritage felt. They were both easy to shape after wetting them. Neither would hold a shape by just dry bashing. I think the Heritage is definitely the softer feeling of the two and the sweatband is much better in my opinion. The Heritage models are being discontinued which is a shame in my opinion. After my experience with these two I placed an order for another Heritage in Silverbelly. I have really enjoyed wearing both of them.
Taupe Fawn Imperial

Cedar Brown Heritage

 

[manga_blue]

Recent selfie in my Regency Fawn Leisure Time (and circa-2006 ATF tanker jacket). I think of the Regency Fawn as a "brown" color, but it's an odd grayish-brown shade that reads as gray in some lighting.

View attachment 297519

Nice hat! By coincidence I tried on exactly that model at out town's produce store last week. They had sizes 57 and 60 while I needed 58 or 59. Always the way

 

[johnnycanuck]

Akubra Coolabah for the win today.

The thickest and stiffest Akubra I own. Still fight with it to get it into my LO head shape. Love the croc band though.
Stay safe everyone
Johnny

 

[Scooterz]

Sacrilege perhaps? Here is what happens when I have too long to ponder what ifs. It helps that I can get ribbons sewn on for very little dough. I had this grey smoke vintage ribbon sitting around for some time now and today I answer the question what would happen if I had this put on a Fed IV....Johnnycanuck you might want to be seated or just look away.

The little black spot above the bow I thought was a defect in the felt hidden by the old ribbon but once I got my glasses on it was just a black thread that I have since done away with. Banish me to the conversion corral if you must.

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

Got my Cedar Brown Campdraft in a couple of days ago and have been playing around with how I want to shape the crown. Kinda decided on a diamond type bash. I finally had time today to work on it. I need some feedback on my bash. It is wet and still drying . Any of you experienced hat bashers tell me what you think.

that looks great. Had a silver belly campdraft in my cart last order and went with the Avalon instead because it had a unique color in Tempest (kind of blue/grey, darker than moonstone). Seeing this makes me want one LOL. I like that shade of brown. I need to sell off some stuff first though. I got way too many like the name implies LOL. I'm selling a Stylemaster and a Sydney, size 58 if anyone interested. Throwing in a couple other hats as well just to get them out the door.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Sacrilege perhaps? Here is what happens when I have too long to ponder what ifs. It helps that I can get ribbons sewn on for very little dough. I had this grey smoke vintage ribbon sitting around for some time now and today I answer the question what would happen if I had this put on a Fed IV....Johnnycanuck you might want to be seated or just look away.

View attachment 297957
View attachment 297958
The little black spot above the bow I thought was a defect in the felt hidden by the old ribbon but once I got my glasses on it was just a black thread that I have since done away with. Banish me to the conversion corral if you must.

Looks great to me. One of my favourite hats has the thin “playboy” type ribbon. Gives it a more casual, relaxed look.
Next we will have to see it on your head.
Wear it in good health
Johnny

 

[Scooterz]

Looks great to me. One of my favourite hats has the thin “playboy” type ribbon. Gives it a more casual, relaxed look.
Next we will have to see it on your head.
Wear it in good health
Johnny

Your wish is my command. I just have never been a big fan of black ribbons on everything.
Here is the politically correct version.