Akubra Overload

[Nathaniel Finley]

I was in that store in Melbourne just last week and I left after 5 minutes. It's a real tourist trap, the hats are in awful condition, they looked like they may have been rejects from the Akubra factory. The staff knows nothing about hats. Later in the same week I was in the Hattery in Katoomba. This was a real hat shop with a large selection and a knowledgeable staff. I was helped by a young lady named Trudi who patiently fetched hats for me and let me make her nuts for 45 minutes until I found the right hat. She let me work the bash with the store's steamer behind the counter and I left happily with my new steel grey Fed 4. Just a great shopping experience.

I couldn’t agree more! Having purchased hats from both stores the experiences are worlds apart!

 

[Frunobulax]

Yes, it’s partially true, but the rabbit is also sourced more judiciously to create the higher quality felt..

Citation please. Does Akubra make this claim? I see no real difference in the quality of felt comparing this to my three CDs. It's just a bit softer.

As for the sweatbands, though I own one of the higher quality, I see no appreciable difference in them.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Frunobulax]

I was in that store in Melbourne just last week and I left after 5 minutes. It's a real tourist trap, the hats are in awful condition, they looked like they may have been rejects from the Akubra factory. The staff knows nothing about hats. Later in the same week I was in the Hattery in Katoomba. This was a real hat shop with a large selection and a knowledgeable staff. I was helped by a young lady named Trudi who patiently fetched hats for me and let me make her nuts for 45 minutes until I found the right hat. She let me work the bash with the store's steamer behind the counter and I left happily with my new steel grey Fed 4. Just a great shopping experience.

Trudi has always gotten rave reviews on the Lounge.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Zombie_61]

...As for the sweatbands, though I own one of the higher quality, I see no appreciable difference in them.

The sweatband on my Heritage Grade Fed IV feels a little softer than the sweats on my other Akubras. Other than that... *shrug*

Trudi has always gotten rave reviews on the Lounge.

Some people take their job/work/career seriously and want to be an asset to the company they work for and their customers; others...not so much. Trudi and Hats Direct/The Hattery have always treated me well, and I'd recommend them and do business again with them any time.

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Is this the Akubra Adventurer you were referring to?

https://hatsdirect.com/collections/the-akubra-range-1/products/adventurer

I toyed with the idea of getting one. I envisioned it as a quasi Indy hat that I could travel with. I still think it fits that bill, but so do a couple of other hats I own and the "need" went and I've moved on. It looks like an interesting hat and I've seen some photos of it being worn here on the Lounge and it looks good. If it is a style that you like I'd say go for it.



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Radically different hats with the same name:

https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/1128/adventurer-hat-open-crown

https://everythingaustralian.com.au/adventurer-hat.html

 

[Nathaniel Finley]

Citation please. Does Akubra make this claim? I see no real difference in the quality of felt comparing this to my three CDs. It's just a bit softer.

As for the sweatbands, though I own one of the higher quality, I see no appreciable difference in them.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

The sweatband on my Heritage Grade Fed IV feels a little softer than the sweats on my other Akubras. Other than that... *shrug*

David Morgan has info on both the sweatband difference and the Sydney felt distinction.

-Sweat difference:
https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/category/2_22_26/hats/akubra-hats/heritage-collection

“The roan leather for the sweatbands is tanned from selected sheepskins, for an exceptional quality. The bands themselves are cut wider than normal to ensure the greatest comfort.”

This is true and noticeable in my experience.


Sydney felt:
https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/92/sydney-hat-open-crown
“The fur felt is a lighter weight felt, using a special selection of finer fur, but otherwise similar to Akubra's Imperial Quality felt.“

Both of these differences might be subtle but they are easily noticeable (I noticed them without having to be told) and (IMO) a professional Akubra salesperson would make it their business to be able to talk these points.

 

[Nathaniel Finley]

The folks at the Hattery in Katoomba set a high standard for customer service and product knowledge.

I was in their store from 10 a.m. until closing time my first visit. I tired on practically every hat and received a rather thorough, patient initiation into the world of Akubra from Trudi and the other woman (whose name I’ve forgotten).

I left with my now-retired Banjo Paterson.

The second time i visited I just went in to say hello because I like them so much.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Anyone ever owned a Akubra Adventurer? I've been thinking about getting one.

The adventurer that im

Radically different hats with the same name:

https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/1128/adventurer-hat-open-crown

https://everythingaustralian.com.au/adventurer-hat.html

Thanks. I like that David Morgan hat a lot more.

 

[belfastboy]

David Morgan has info on both the sweatband difference and the Sydney felt distinction.

-Sweat difference:
https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/category/2_22_26/hats/akubra-hats/heritage-collection

“The roan leather for the sweatbands is tanned from selected sheepskins, for an exceptional quality. The bands themselves are cut wider than normal to ensure the greatest comfort.”

This is true and noticeable in my experience.


Sydney felt:
https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/92/sydney-hat-open-crown
“The fur felt is a lighter weight felt, using a special selection of finer fur, but otherwise similar to Akubra's Imperial Quality felt.“

Both of these differences might be subtle but they are easily noticeable (I noticed them without having to be told) and (IMO) a professional Akubra salesperson would make it their business to be able to talk these points.

I have a Sydney from DM in Fawn and it is a nice felt, softer and more plush than my CD in BGG.

 

[Frunobulax]

David Morgan has info on both the sweatband difference and the Sydney felt distinction.

-Sweat difference:
https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/category/2_22_26/hats/akubra-hats/heritage-collection

“The roan leather for the sweatbands is tanned from selected sheepskins, for an exceptional quality. The bands themselves are cut wider than normal to ensure the greatest comfort.”

This is true and noticeable in my experience.


Sydney felt:
https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/92/sydney-hat-open-crown
“The fur felt is a lighter weight felt, using a special selection of finer fur, but otherwise similar to Akubra's Imperial Quality felt.“

Both of these differences might be subtle but they are easily noticeable (I noticed them without having to be told) and (IMO) a professional Akubra salesperson would make it their business to be able to talk these points.

I sit corrected!


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

 

[Cornshucker77]

The adventurer that im


Thanks. I like that David Morgan hat a lot more.

I do too.

 

[Zombie_61]

...“The roan leather for the sweatbands is tanned from selected sheepskins, for an exceptional quality. The bands themselves are cut wider than normal to ensure the greatest comfort.”...

Well, whaddaya' know? The sweatband on my Heritage Fed IV is wider than those on my Imperial Feds. The difference is only about 1/8"-3/16" (approximately .4 cm) though, so I can't imagine that alone being a huge selling point.

 

[Nathaniel Finley]

Well, whaddaya' know? The sweatband on my Heritage Fed IV is wider than those on my Imperial Feds. The difference is only about 1/8"-3/16" (approximately .4 cm) though, so I can't imagine that alone being a huge selling point.

When I received my Imperial Fed IV earlier this year I was worried that the downgrade in sweatbands from the Banjo Paterson would be an issue for me. It never has been.

Even more than that, now that I’ve got a couple of quality vintage hats I have to confess that the Akubra sweatband - either Imperial or Heritage - once it’s broken in is the most comfortable sweatband I’ve experienced.

 

[Nolucker]

Another thing about Trudi from the Hattery. I told her that she had a lot of fans in the online hat world, she said she was really surprised and had no idea that she was known by anyone on any hat sites. I found this to be quite charming. Go figure. A salesperson in a quaint little shop in a little town somewhere in Australia, celebrated by people a world away. We live in great times.

 

[homesicksteve]

Naomi.... also awesome @TheHattery.

 

[Obsessed]

Very sad news related to Akubra:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-42631208

 

[Obsessed]

Radically different hats with the same name:

https://www.davidmorgan.com/shop/product/1128/adventurer-hat-open-crown

https://everythingaustralian.com.au/adventurer-hat.html

I've been toying with the idea of getting the DM model in moonstone. I note that the ribbon on it matches the felt, unlike the moonstone Fed IV, which I believe has a somewhat darker ribbon.

For some reason I feel that the moonstone Adventurer would look much dressier than the brown, even though moonstone is generally a very versatile color. What do you guys think?

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I've been toying with the idea of getting the DM model in moonstone. I note that the ribbon on it matches the felt, unlike the moonstone Fed IV, which I believe has a somewhat darker ribbon.

For some reason I feel that the moonstone Adventurer would look much dressier than the brown, even though moonstone is generally a very versatile color. What do you guys think?

I agree that moonstone is a versatile color and in the one photo I've seen at the DM site it does look looks like it could be dressed up easier that the brown. The style of the Adventurer is by design less of a dress hat than the Fed IV. The Fed makes the transition to a casual hat with ease too. If you want a dress hat that works well casually than the Fed IV with its high contrast black ribbon gets my nod. If you want a casual hat that can be dressed up than the Adventurer would be my choice. That said, I do think that the Adventurer is tougher to make into a dress hat than it is to make the Fed into a casual hat. And yes, I do realize that the raw edge Fed isn't all that dressy. You had better just get them both.

 

[Obsessed]

I agree that moonstone is a versatile color and in the one photo I've seen at the DM site it does look looks like it could be dressed up easier that the brown. The style of the Adventurer is by design less of a dress hat than the Fed IV. The Fed makes the transition to a casual hat with ease too. If you want a dress hat that works well casually than the Fed IV with its high contrast black ribbon gets my nod. If you want a casual hat that can be dressed up than the Adventurer would be my choice. That said, I do think that the Adventurer is tougher to make into a dress hat than it is to make the Fed into a casual hat. And yes, I do realize that the raw edge Fed isn't all that dressy. You had better just get them both.

Thank you. I'm looking more for the "casual hat that can be dressed up" category. I actually like the look of the brown DM Adventurers that I'be seen posted here but I'm not sure I want to go that "Indy."

"Get them both" is the motto of this place, right? They should translate it into Latin and put it on top of each page.

 

[Scuttle]

"Get them both" is the motto of this place, right? They should translate it into Latin and put it on top of each page.

Carpe uterque.

CARPE OMNIA!



~ S.