Akubra Overload

[kyda]

We come from the land down under.

Just a query Gentlemen, have you seen the straw Akubra's????

 

[Colby Jack]

Hi Kyda...that's correct. Rabbit/hare...at one time from the outback...now I believe they import the fur from Europe...

 

[RBH]

Just a query Gentlemen, have you seen the straw Akubra's????

Not on someone I havent.
But would like to know more about them.

 

[carter]

Kyda, My daughter likes my Akubra Campdraft in Tawny Fawn. Here we are at the state capitol in Austin, TX just before Christmas.

 

[RBH]

Great Campdraft Carter!

 

[Mr. Paladin]

An excited American chiming in!!!

It has arrived!!! I e-mailed hatsdirect on Monday and got a prompt reply Tuesday from Ms. Nethercote saying it should be in in the next day or two. She was spot on! It sat on my doorstep today when I stepped out to get the mail. I am very pleased with its look and feel. It is softer than I imagined from some of the posts and I have had to restrain myself tonight from immediately beginning to experiment with the crease, but I have to get to work and would not have time to work properly; therefore-tomorrow. It is a bit large and I will have to pad the sweatband. I have thin leather strips on hand that I use for that purpose so will start there. For now, here are pics of the untouched hat.

Carlisle, I think BobC's photos show the color better than mine as mine make it look a bit lighter. I'm not a photographer so its the best I can do.

FED IV in "moonstone":

Have not yet decided what I want to do with it but it will NOT look like an IJ I am sure!

 

[BobC]

Congratulations, Mr. P. You're going to like that hat!

 

[Thwack]

I love the moonstone, fantastic color. I can't wait to see your bash. I needed the foam strips for about 2 weeks, now the hat fits nicely without them. Another couple weeks and things will be perfect! Good luck with yours.

 

[Swagman]

Akubra is to Australia what Stetson is to the USA.

Well said and just as I used to think that Stetson only produced Western style cowboy hats, I thought Akubra only produced wide brim outback style or Croc Dundee hats. So wrong since they both make stylish hats. Akubra calls them their "Fashion" line.

 

[kaosharper1]

It has arrived!!!

FED IV in "moonstone":



Have not yet decided what I want to do with it but it will NOT look like an IJ I am sure!

Paladin: Make sure to put it in the Non-Indy Federations thread when you're done!

 

[Jerekson]

Paladin, I gotta say that that Christmas greeting is about the best thing I've seen in ages. That would just make me bubbly all over if I got that...

Those Aussies are great.

 

[kyda]

We come from the land down under

We are fairly special!!!! , Carter and Mr P, you both have excellent taste in hats. Hope you get a great deal of wear out of them

 

[Swagman]

It has arrived!!!
FED IV in "moonstone":

Glad it arrived safe and sound. Show us how you bash it.

Now I'm anxious to get mine. I ordered the same earlier this week. And this is it for a while. I have to stop. The wife said that she realizes Akubras are made from rabbit, but didn't know that they multiply like them. I'm going to need an intervention soon.

 

[JohnnyB53]

Add me to the list of new moonstone Fed IV Deluxe owners. I ordered mine on Dec. 12, and it normally would have arrived just before Christmas, but here in Seattle we got socked in by the snowstorm of the century. It arrived at my local USPS Dec. 27, but they left a note in my mail box, so I picked it up at the PO Dec. 29. I opened the box in the car in the POs pkg lot. From that moment it remained in open crown form about 30 seconds before I put a basic center dent/front pinch with a brim side curl in it. I wore it the rest of the day.

In fact, it is my favorite hat, and as nice as my others are (Fed IV std. tawny fawn, Akubra David Morgan Adventurer, cruiser grey CEO), right now I want to wear the moonstone Deluxe everywhere, all the time.

I bashed my tawny fawn in an elongated teardrop, the Adventurer in a C-crown, but I'm going to keep the moonstone Deluxe in the crease/dent config. It's the way my dad wore his--mid grey with a crease/dent. He would turn 100 in March were he alive. I look and sound a lot like my dad, and this past week I was with several of my relatives, and when I wore the Fed Deluxe creased like my dad's hats it sort of freaked 'em out, but in a good way.

Pics will follow when I have the time.

 

[JohnnyB53]

Does anybody in the Lounge have an Akubra CEO? That seems to have a thin enough ribbon for me to consider... gtd

I don't have one. If they had it in Moonstone I probably would. However, do you think the ribbon is that thin or is it the other dimensions of the hat that make it appear so? It has a 2-3/4" brim and a rather tall 5-1/2" crown. That probably means it has the same 1-1/4" ribbon other Akubras have.

Would still like to see one on someone's noggin though. Looks like a cool hat.

I have a cruiser grey CEO. I also have a moonstone Fed IV Deluxe. The two greys are a similar shade, but the cruiser grey has a little more blue in it. If you like moonstone, I'd think you'd like cruiser grey for the CEO. The moonstone, being more neutral, manages to work with tan/brown as well as black/blue/grey. The cruiser is just enough bluer that it's best with black/blue/grey.

I just measured and the CEO ribbon is indeed 1-1/4" wide. Interesting thing there--the binding on the brim is an exact match for the felt, but the hatband ribbon has a tinge of green or something in it.

I think the CEO is an extremely cool hat. It's hard to categorize because it's really a safari-styled hat in dressy trim and colors. In fact, Akubra makes a hat called the Safari that is identical except for the color choice and three vent holes on the sides of the crown (see here).

I like the CEO's versatility. It is easily at home with a sport coat, blazer, or suit, but works great with a short jacket and looks particularly powerful with a leather jacket. And if that isn't enough, you can make them more casual by attaching a pugaree. That really turns it into a safari hat and enables you to coordinate pugaree color with something you're wearing. Miller Hats carries a wide selection of pugarees for $10 ea. including black, grey, brown, hunter green, burgundy, navy, etc. Right now I have a light grey one which changes the hat's look and sense of proportions (the wider band tames the crown height), and plan to get three more in black, dark green, and burgundy.

Here in the Pacific Northwest I particularly like the wider downturn brim to shade the eyes from our low sun angle and to shed rain water. The downturn brim prevents water from pooling in the brim and the 2-3/4" width sends the water out well past spectacles, noses, and shirt collars.

And that great Akubra felt holds its shape in the rain and sheds water like a duck.

I've been very busy lately but will try to get pictures of me in my CEO with and without pugaree, and next to the moonstone Fed IV to give you a little more to go on.

 

[KatintheHat]

.
I bashed my tawny fawn in an elongated teardrop, the Adventurer in a C-crown, but I'm going to keep the moonstone Deluxe in the crease/dent config. It's the way my dad wore his--mid grey with a crease/dent. He would turn 100 in March were he alive. I look and sound a lot like my dad, and this past week I was with several of my relatives, and when I wore the Fed Deluxe creased like my dad's hats it sort of freaked 'em out, but in a good way.

Pics will follow when I have the time.

Great story Johnny. I have a recieved many "That hat reminds me of..." comments from my family members too. All the old hat boys have long past on. I guess that we are The Old Hat boys now.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Mister P Good for you. Based on your description and Bob's pix I ordered The hat. Looks great:eusa_clap

 

[Mr. Paladin]

Its Done!

OK! I have worked with this FED IV for a couple hours making it just as I wanted. I am really impressed with the ease in which it steams and molds. It also became stiffer after stemaing and shaping so that is a plus to me. The only thing I was a bit disappointed in was that I could not make the sides and rear of the brim turn up just a smidge more, BUT I did read the info from Hats Direct before I purchased and knew the hat was flanged a bit looser than others so it was not likely to turn up quite so well. I still think it came out fine. Its a diamond with a diamond center dent and I LIKE it!

 

[RBH]

You did well!
It already looks like a favorite!

 

[Colby Jack]

Paladin...that Fed looks great!:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap