Akubra Overload

[G MAN]

Today was a good day for my old Federation III

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[johnnycanuck]

Feel like joining in. My Federation Deluxe III that’s over 16 years old. Probably the hat I wear most out of all of them. This last year it got so floppy the brim flips up in the wind and it has finally developed a grease mark were my sweat beads up on the back of the brim. I may have to start putting money off to the side for a new one.

Johnny

 

[StoryPNW]

I'm doing training out of town this week in Poulsbo, WA. The only hat I brought with me was my new Fed IV, its really growing on me. I have a feeling it will join me on many adventures.

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Are the sizes of military Akubras about the same as those of the CampDrafts?
TIA,
Fed

 

[dkstott]

Running around town doing some Christmas shopping in my Akubra Stylemaster.

 

[G MAN]

Today I wore my Stockman, my very first Akubra hat that I received as a gift on my 30th birthday.
That was over 28 years ago, it is one size too small as the store didn't have any hats in my size..
The shop owner convinced me that you should buy a new hat that is tight as it will stretch out and get looser with wear.
That's why the hat looks like new, every time I stretch it out it seems to tighten up again so I rarely wear it.

 

[Who?]

What method do you use to “stretch it out”?

 

[G MAN]

What method do you use to “stretch it out”?

When I first got the hat I brought it to the Hatter, a hat shop in Toronto and they used the heated hat stretcher.
Now I just throw in the hat jack and leave it in there when I don't need it for any other hat.
The hat jack works well but it still gets tight and I just don't like a tight hat.
Do you know a better way?

 

[johnnycanuck]

When I first got the hat I brought it to the Hatter, a hat shop in Toronto and they used the heated hat stretcher.
Now I just throw in the hat jack and leave it in there when I don't need it for any other hat.
The hat jack works well but it still gets tight and I just don't like a tight hat.
Do you know a better way?

I use a hat Jack from time to time, or a hat block the shape and size of my head. Got a few from Art Fawcett back when he made me hats. What can help is taking out the hat reed (wire inside the sweat band) help it stretch out without fighting it.

Johnny

 

[johnnycanuck]

Akubra Croc. Back when the made it with a pork pie crown. Never really wear this one. Brim hits my headrest in the truck.

 

[Who?]

When I first got the hat I brought it to the Hatter, a hat shop in Toronto and they used the heated hat stretcher.
Now I just throw in the hat jack and leave it in there when I don't need it for any other hat.
The hat jack works well but it still gets tight and I just don't like a tight hat.
Do you know a better way?

Get a smaller head?

 

[G MAN]

I use a hat Jack from time to time, or a hat block the shape and size of my head. Got a few from Art Fawcett back when he made me hats. What can help is taking out the hat reed (wire inside the sweat band) help it stretch out without fighting it.
View attachment 476220

Johnny

Many years ago I made a comment to my Dad who was in woodworking that I needed something to keep in my hats to prevent them from getting tight and we used some solder to wrap around my head and I used that to draw a template of my head size and shape. A few days later he came by with 10 of these wooden blocks and they are perfect.
This was before you could just go onto Amazon and get it the next day.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Many years ago I made a comment to my Dad who was in woodworking that I needed something to keep in my hats to prevent them from getting tight and we used some solder to wrap around my head and I used that to draw a template of my head size and shape. A few days later he came by with 10 of these wooden blocks and they are perfect.
This was before you could just go onto Amazon and get it the next day.
View attachment 476249

Thoes look fantastic. He could go into business making them for lounge members. Very cool and stylish.
Johnny.
The two things I have read on Akubra groups that actual Australians cowboys do to their Akubras when they are too tight is take the reed out of the sweat band or cut the back of the sweat band so it’s no longer a connected loop. I have personally taken a reed out (it was kinked) and it did make a difference. The hat conformed better to my head shape and took stretching easier. I have never cut a sweatband. So that’s at your own risk.
Johnny

 

[StoryPNW]

Many years ago I made a comment to my Dad who was in woodworking that I needed something to keep in my hats to prevent them from getting tight and we used some solder to wrap around my head and I used that to draw a template of my head size and shape. A few days later he came by with 10 of these wooden blocks and they are perfect.
This was before you could just go onto Amazon and get it the next day.
View attachment 476249

I did something similar, not nearly as nice though. I used wire to get my head shape and then sanded down a couple of hat jacks to be very close to my head shape, it was fairly easy and works really well.

 

[G MAN]

Thoes look fantastic. He could go into business making them for lounge members. Very cool and stylish.
Johnny.
The two things I have read on Akubra groups that actual Australians cowboys do to their Akubras when they are too tight is take the reed out of the sweat band or cut the back of the sweat band so it’s no longer a connected loop. I have personally taken a reed out (it was kinked) and it did make a difference. The hat conformed better to my head shape and took stretching easier. I have never cut a sweatband. So that’s at your own risk.
Johnny

Thanks for the advice , I haven't worn that Stockman in years and I don't know when I will again so I will just keep it the way it is.
I just wanted to tell the story of how little I knew back then and I don't know if the store owner was just trying to sell me a hat that didn't fit or really believed it would get bigger with time. I think it was the sale.
Truth is I usually go back to the same two hats, my Fed IV Deluxe and my Banjo Paterson.
Those are my most comfortable hats, the hats I never want to take off.

 

[BlackSmp]

Thanks for the advice , I haven't worn that Stockman in years and I don't know when I will again so I will just keep it the way it is.
I just wanted to tell the story of how little I knew back then and I don't know if the store owner was just trying to sell me a hat that didn't fit or really believed it would get bigger with time. I think it was the sale.
Truth is I usually go back to the same two hats, my Fed IV Deluxe and my Banjo Paterson.
Those are my most comfortable hats, the hats I never want to take off.

Watch collectors have a saying. “Buy the watch that smiles to you…”

The same is true for hats

 

[johnnycanuck]

Akubra Snowy River in Sand on this snowy day.

 

[BlackSmp]

Akubra Snowy River in Sand on this snowy day.
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Nice. Perhaps i should reply with me in my snowy river sand in the snow

 

[G MAN]

Akubra Snowy River in Sand on this snowy day.
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I like the hat band on the Snowy River, it sure stands out on that color.

 

[Gobi]

I went to buy a new tan Campdraft and I see they no longer exist. I'm pretty fed up with Akubra at this point. Everything I like they stop making.