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Akubra Overload

wsmontana

Practically Family
Messages
522
Location
Montana
I just received this Superfine “Clubman” in colour Bluejay. I haven’t been able to find out much about it but I did find an ad from March 1953. The felt is unlike any other Akubra that I’ve handled — it is very light weight, dry shapable, and multi-colored.

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The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,713
Location
Southeast Asia
I just received this Superfine “Clubman” in colour Bluejay. I haven’t been able to find out much about it but I did find an ad from March 1953. The felt is unlike any other Akubra that I’ve handled — it is very light weight, dry shapable, and multi-colored.

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Great find, very cool! I love my superfine Akubra. I only have one (a safari style) but imo the felt is superior to the heritage quality. The color on your clubman is fantastic as well!

So nice to see these vintage Akubras, thanks for sharing.
 

The Shoe

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,243
Location
Wakayama, Japan
I just received this Superfine “Clubman” in colour Bluejay. I haven’t been able to find out much about it but I did find an ad from March 1953. The felt is unlike any other Akubra that I’ve handled — it is very light weight, dry shapable, and multi-colored.

View attachment 605400 View attachment 605401 View attachment 605402 View attachment 605403 View attachment 605404

View attachment 605411
Nice! I have a 1960s Akubra Stylemaster with a Pocketweight designation. The felt on that is also significantly different to my modern Stylemaster. It’s much thinner (especially on the pinch, where the previous owner must have held it). It’s also unlined with a sticker on the crown tip and the brim has an amazing audible snap that I find quite satisfying.
I haven’t seen an older Akubra on the lounge, so if yours is indeed from the fifties, it would be the oldest I’ve seen, if not the oldest on the lounge.
 

wsmontana

Practically Family
Messages
522
Location
Montana
Great find, very cool! I love my superfine Akubra. I only have one (a safari style) but imo the felt is superior to the heritage quality. The color on your clubman is fantastic as well!

So nice to see these vintage Akubras, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Nathan! I briefly owned a modern Heritage Banjo Paterson and it was a beast that seemed to constantly shrink on me and not conform to my head. It didn‘t help that I dropped it in the river a couple of times but I’ve never had a hat so uncomfortable, unyielding and unshapable. Thankfully, it is gone now :).

This superfine is definitely a different animal and looks to be comfortable, conforming, shapable, and stylish. Also, according to the ad, people will just like you better in this hat ;-).
 

wsmontana

Practically Family
Messages
522
Location
Montana
Nice! I have a 1960s Akubra Stylemaster with a Pocketweight designation. The felt on that is also significantly different to my modern Stylemaster. It’s much thinner (especially on the pinch, where the previous owner must have held it). It’s also unlined with a sticker on the crown tip and the brim has an amazing audible snap that I find quite satisfying.
I haven’t seen an older Akubra on the lounge, so if yours is indeed from the fifties, it would be the oldest I’ve seen, if not the oldest on the lounge.
Thanks Shoe!

I would love to see your 60s Stylemaster! I used to have a modern Bushman but ended up getting rid of it in favor of an old (30+ years) unlined Bushman that I love. I like a tight pinch and the modern one didn’t accommodate.

That would be cool to have the oldest Akubra in the Lounge! I’m still trying to locate other “Clubman” hats but not having luck.
 

Mighty44

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,042

The Shoe

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,243
Location
Wakayama, Japan
Thanks Shoe!

I would love to see your 60s Stylemaster! I used to have a modern Bushman but ended up getting rid of it in favor of an old (30+ years) unlined Bushman that I love. I like a tight pinch and the modern one didn’t accommodate.

That would be cool to have the oldest Akubra in the Lounge! I’m still trying to locate other “Clubman” hats but not having luck.
It appears on a few posts on this page.
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/akubra-overload.33000/page-394#post-2949698
 

RickP

One Too Many
Messages
1,077
AKUBRA METROPOLITAN.....I got the mystery hat in today... straight from someones closet in Austrailia! Its an Akubra Metropolitan. Have been unable to find anything about this model but maybe someone can add to this... Its a 2" brim and 4 3/4" tall crown. Has a cool little triple stitched brim. Nice thinner felt that feels close to that on one of my Bogarts... fairly thin and firm but still nice and soft/ pliable. And The color matches my Chocolate Lab perfectly! Nice darker Brown. Did just a bit of vaccuming, brushing, and slapping with the sticky tape and the dust is gone. Just a little steam and it looks to have popped right back to the way it started out. Just need to attend to a couple little tears in a dry rotted sweatband
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The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,713
Location
Southeast Asia
AKUBRA METROPOLITAN.....I got the mystery hat in today... straight from someones closet in Austrailia! Its an Akubra Metropolitan. Have been unable to find anything about this model but maybe someone can add to this... Its a 2" brim and 4 3/4" tall crown. Has a cool little triple stitched brim. Nice thinner felt that feels close to that on one of my Bogarts... fairly thin and firm but still nice and soft/ pliable. And The color matches my Chocolate Lab perfectly! Nice darker Brown. Did just a bit of vaccuming, brushing, and slapping with the sticky tape and the dust is gone. Just a little steam and it looks to have popped right back to the way it started out. Just need to attend to a couple little tears in a dry rotted sweatband
Looks great! I love the accent stitches. Glad to hear it easily popped back to its original crease - definitely a c crease makes sense.

Thanks for posting and congrats on a unique and good-looking Akubra!
 

The Lost Cowboy

One Too Many
Messages
1,713
Location
Southeast Asia
AKUBRA METROPOLITAN.....I got the mystery hat in today... straight from someones closet in Austrailia! It’s an Akubra Metropolitan. Have been unable to find anything about this model but maybe someone can add to this... It’s a 2" brim and 4 3/4" tall crown. Has a cool little triple stitched brim. Nice thinner felt that feels close to that on one of my Bogarts... fairly thin and firm but still nice and soft/ pliable. And The color matches my Chocolate Lab perfectly! Nice darker Brown. Did just a bit of vaccuming, brushing, and slapping with the sticky tape and the dust is gone. Just a little steam and it looks to have popped right back to the way it started out. Just need to attend to a couple little tears in a dry rotted sweatband
PS, too bad about the tears in the sweatband. Is it workable or is it gone too far to salvage?
 

RickP

One Too Many
Messages
1,077
PS, too bad about the tears in the sweatband. Is it workable or is it gone too far to salvage?
being a leatherworker I have the fix.... two big bags of really thin lizard skins. cut and glued a bridge piece across the backside of the sweat. Got a bit of Pecards worked in and letting it sit for a while. After the glue has time to set Ill gently tap the surface down flat. will be perfectly usable as-is, since leather is an imperfect natural material, 1/2 of leatherwork is correcting ugly spots lol.... worst comes to worst I have a couple new leather sweatbands on hand. It will make a trip to the coffee shop in the morning
 

RickP

One Too Many
Messages
1,077
being a leatherworker I have the fix.... two big bags of really thin lizard skins. cut and glued a bridge piece across the backside of the sweat. Got a bit of Pecards worked in and letting it sit for a while. After the glue has time to set Ill gently tap the surface down flat. will be perfectly usable as-is, since leather is an imperfect natural material, 1/2 of leatherwork is correcting ugly spots lol.... worst comes to worst I have a couple new leather sweatbands on hand. It will make a trip to the coffee shop in the morning
In a perfect world with no limit to money, Id be looking for mint vintage hats... as it is some of my favorites are not so gently used beaters with warts and character.... always amazed me how well decent fur can clean up
 

G MAN

One of the Regulars
Messages
208
Location
Nobleton Ontario
Something new at the Hattery, The Banjo Paterson and the Leisure Time in a limited run of Fern.
I am so tempted but already have hats I don't wear as I always grab one of my Fed IV's.
Sorry if this is posted some where already as I haven't been keeping up lately.
 

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