Akubra Overload

[Fed in a Fedora]

Can you post a crease you have done this way?

I also think this would make a great video for the monster bash thread

Scroll up to Post #5391. ;-)

I have a RM Williams on the way and a new Go Pro. I do not like the factory crease at all and plan to reshape it with the plastic block to remove the old crease. In shaping it, I might use the rope, but was thinking of a simpler center dent.

Might try making my first hat vid.

Fed

 

[moontheloon]

Scroll up to Post #5391. ;-)

I have a RM Williams on the way and a new Go Pro. I do not like the factory crease at all and plan to reshape it with the plastic block to remove the old crease. In shaping it, I might use the rope, but was thinking of a simpler center dent.

Might try making my first hat vid.

Fed

please do ... I think it would be a fantastic contribution to the "Monster Bash" thread

 

[Xylophile]

Just received my first hat--a Silver Belly Campdraft. What a great hat! This being my first hat, I was going to go for something a little smaller, like the Stylemaster. I'm glad I went with the SBCD.

Tried bashing, and am happy with the diamond crease, but can't get the sides to pinch very well. Any suggestions on this? Also, it's tricky getting the front to stay down; it wants to snap up. Here are a few photos:

Imperial or Heritage grade felt?

 

[RJR]

please do ... I think it would be a fantastic contribution to the "Monster Bash" thread

yes,+1.

 

[GGlep]

SBCD, first hat, first bash

I'm not totally content with the bash. I was trying for more pronounced dents in the crown and a brim that had more of a downward turn, but I can't seem to achieve these, even with steam. The brim keeps reverting to a flat look. As I continue to shape the front of the brim down I fear that I have made a little bit of a crease in it that will ultimately weaken it. So, I guess I will stick with the flat brim look for now. This is an imperial grade hat.

 

[GGlep]

By way of comparison, I was at LLBean last week and tried on a Stetson Moose River. I liked it alot, but felt the brim was a too stingy. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't get the Moose River and went for the Campdraft instead--I like this one much more and it's only a little more than half the price.
Here's the Moose River:

 

[Bob Roberts]

SBCD, first hat, first bash

I'm not totally content with the bash. I was trying for more pronounced dents in the crown and a brim that had more of a downward turn, but I can't seem to achieve these, even with steam. The brim keeps reverting to a flat look. As I continue to shape the front of the brim down I fear that I have made a little bit of a crease in it that will ultimately weaken it. So, I guess I will stick with the flat brim look for now. This is an imperial grade hat.

That hat will shape up over time. Try a good misting on the areas that need work and keep working at it. Its a tough hat.

 

[Bob Roberts]

By way of comparison, I was at LLBean last week and tried on a Stetson Moose River. I liked it alot, but felt the brim was a too stingy. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't get the Moose River and went for the Campdraft instead--I like this one much more and it's only a little more than half the price.
Here's the Moose River:

The Camp Draft looks so much better on you.

 

[Obsessed]

The Camp Draft looks so much better on you.

Absolutely.

 

[Duper]

By way of comparison, I was at LLBean last week and tried on a Stetson Moose River. I liked it alot, but felt the brim was a too stingy. In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't get the Moose River and went for the Campdraft instead--I like this one much more and it's only a little more than half the price.
Here's the Moose River:

The CampDraft is more your style. To quote an Indiana Jones movie " You have chosen wisely. "

,,,Mike in Canada

 

[Zombie_61]

SBCD, first hat, first bash...I'm not totally content with the bash. I was trying for more pronounced dents in the crown and a brim that had more of a downward turn, but I can't seem to achieve these, even with steam. The brim keeps reverting to a flat look. As I continue to shape the front of the brim down I fear that I have made a little bit of a crease in it that will ultimately weaken it. So, I guess I will stick with the flat brim look for now. This is an imperial grade hat.

Have you tried using distilled water? That's all I've ever used on my Akubras, and it worked out well. They seem to like water, so don't be shy. Put the distilled water in a spray bottle, and spray it onto the outer surface of the felt--you don't need to soak the felt all the way through, but saturate the surface where you want to re-shape it (just enough for the excess water to run off), let it soak in a bit, and the felt should shape almost like clay. You can use this method to shape the front of the brim as well (within reason). After you've shaped it to your liking, set it aside and let it dry at room temperature.

By the way, I agree with the comments above--the Campdraft suits you better than the Moose River.

 

[Rogera]

SBCD, first hat, first bash

I'm not totally content with the bash. I was trying for more pronounced dents in the crown and a brim that had more of a downward turn, but I can't seem to achieve these, even with steam. The brim keeps reverting to a flat look. As I continue to shape the front of the brim down I fear that I have made a little bit of a crease in it that will ultimately weaken it. So, I guess I will stick with the flat brim look for now. This is an imperial grade hat.

SBCD, first hat, first bash

I'm not totally content with the bash. I was trying for more pronounced dents in the crown and a brim that had more of a downward turn, but I can't seem to achieve these, even with steam. The brim keeps reverting to a flat look. As I continue to shape the front of the brim down I fear that I have made a little bit of a crease in it that will ultimately weaken it. So, I guess I will stick with the flat brim look for now. This is an imperial grade hat.

Man wish I was at home right now. I'd make a videoand show you how put brim swoop in my Akubras. It's easy. If someone doesn't beat me to it ill do it later.

 

[GGlep]

Heating up some distilled water. Going to give it another try.

BTW, there's no problem in creating the form that I want with steam--it just doesn't stick after a day or two. The brim just wants to revert to the upward snap that it originally came with.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Time will fix that as the felt relaxes and formed to your head. You may want it to look a certain way but you natural form will mild the hat a distinctive way. But with the deep dents have a look at rid video to give you an idea on how to do that.

Also check out penmans other videos they can be helpful
Hope that helps.
Johnny

 

[RJR]

Time will fix that as the felt relaxes and formed to your head. You may want it to look a certain way but you natural form will mild the hat a distinctive way. But with the deep dents have a look at rid video to give you an idea on how to do that.

Also check out penmans other videos they can be helpful
Hope that helps.
Johnny

All of Penman's videos are helpful,imo.

 

[GGlep]

The hat that I have does not mold like the one in the video. That one seems to form like clay and the felt in the indy hat holds the bash well.

I wondered if the dimensional brim on the Federation makes creating the downswept brim a bit easier vs the Campdraft. The brim on my SBCD just wants to snap up, even after using steam to straighten it out. Compare the photo below, which I just took, with the photo that I took yesterday (posted above). Yesterday's bash was achieved with some steam. Today the brim reverted to the way it came when it was shipped.

To get the flat or a modest downturned front brim on my CD, should I continue to steam/apply water with a spray bottle or just work it with my hands? If I continue to use steam/water or even just use my hands to shape it, will this remove stiffness from the brim and ultimately leave me with a floppy brim (no likey floppy).

 

[tropicalbob]

Hi, GGlep,
I'd say keep doing what you're doing, and it'll eventually come around. As far as it becoming floppy, I don't think you need to worry about that. My oldest Akubra, a BGCD in the Imperial felt, is very soft and comfortable now but is in no way "floppy." They just seem to get better as they get broken in. From what I've read on this forum and from my own experience, it goes something like this: you get the thing and you love it, but you can't do anything with it, even after a few bouts with it; then you put it aside and wear your old hats for a little while: then you get determined that it's not going to get the better of you and you wrestle with it once again and it starts to obey: then you wear it all the time.

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

It is an Akubra, you need not be shy. Turn it down and keep turning it down. It will learn. I also hold mine in the shower with warm water to wet it before shaping. Some like distilled water, but if it is good enough for Roy Rogers to do on a video, it is good with me. (Google Roy Rogers hat shape video and YouTube.)

 

[moontheloon]

sometimes you have to be aggressive with a CD

heat it up real good get after it ... dig in ... you won't hurt it

 

[Zombie_61]

Heating up some distilled water. Going to give it another try...

I spray it on at room temperature, but now you have me wondering if heating it up would help?

...I wondered if the dimensional brim on the Federation makes creating the downswept brim a bit easier vs the Campdraft. The brim on my SBCD just wants to snap up, even after using steam to straighten it out...

I think it has more to do with how the brim is flanged, whether or not the brim is bound, and the amount of stiffener applied to the hat. The brims on my Silverbelly and Bluegrass Green Campdrafts snapped down with no problems, but my Taupe Fawn Campdraft was ridiculously stiff and required a bit of effort just to get the front of the brim to snap down, then it would almost immediately snap right back up. After a few days of snapping it down and wearing it, it would finally stay down on it's own.

The brim on the Fed IV isn't flanged as deeply as it is on the Campdraft. On all three of my Fed IVs the brims were almost flat when I received them, and the brims developed a little curl/cupping on their own during the first few weeks of my wearing them. I mention this because none of my Fed IVs have that "snap down/snap up" quality that the brims on the Campdrafts have. So, depending on how you like your brims shaped, the relatively flat brim on the Fed IV can be easier to shape, or more difficult to shape.

It is an Akubra, you need not be shy...I also hold mine in the shower with warm water to wet it before shaping. Some like distilled water, but if it is good enough for Roy Rogers to do on a video, it is good with me. (Google Roy Rogers hat shape video and YouTube.)

I use distilled water because our city dumps a lot of chemicals in the tap water, and I'm concerned those chemicals might leave the felt discolored or stained after the water dries. If you don't have that problem where you live, tap water should be as good as distilled water.