Akubra Squatter w/ narrower brim?

[KevKaos59]

Recently I was reading through the traveling hat thread and saw a photo of the Akubra Squatter. I fell in love with that hat, color and everything, EXCEPT the width of the brim. For some reason, I can't pull off the wide brim look. I need a brim that is right around 2" or 2 1/4". I might even maybe get away with a 2 1/2" brim, but you put a 3" brim on me and it looks like some planted an umbrella in my head. I noticed that Akubra will custom shape a crown for you, but I wonder if they do a custom brim width. Of course it is not as easy as having the brim cut back, since the hat has the ribbon edging (the proper term escapes me at the moment) which is one of the things I love.

My wife was asking for suggestions for fathers day, and the Squatter would have been on that list since it is widely accepted as an excellent quality hat without costing hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

Does anyone know if Akubra does this sort of custom work or do I need to be looking to the famous hatmakers here in the US for a truely custom hat? If that in any way sounds insulting to any other hatmakers in the world, it is not intended as such. Just searching for a soloution.

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

You should read the full Squatter thread if you haven't already. You might even want to restate your question in that thread to resurrect the conversation.

IMHO, a Squatter with it's brim cut looks close enough to a Federation to be not worth the trouble. There are different opinions in the thread linked above.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

To my knowledge, no Akubra vendor will trim a brim for you, but you could ask the folks at David Morgan. They do offer some extra services, so they might be willing to discuss a non-returnable modification.

That said, you do not need to go custom to get what you're looking for. The style and brim sizes you want are fairly common in current production hats. Stetson make a lot, including one open crown - the Nostalgia. It's hard to find, but a few vendors do carry it.

Also, Hornet Hats will happily modify any hat on their website. Durability versus rain may be ify, but it's still an option.

Lastly, if you simply must have a Squatter, send it to a hatter for a brim trim and re-binding. It will cost a few extra bucks, but less than a custom hat.

 

[gtdean48]

The current Squatter from Akubra OEM is a featherweight which is totally different than Imperial quality = no liner, less dense felt. I have a cut down brim on a charcoal grey. I'd really like to get the edge re-bound, too. I did put in a generic liner but can take it out for warmer weather. It is a substantially lesser hat than a Federation, IMHO. The Squatter from David Morgan is closer to the Federation, I'm sure.

 

[CRH]

The current Squatter from Akubra OEM is a featherweight which is totally different than Imperial quality = no liner, less dense felt. I have a cut down brim on a charcoal grey. I'd really like to get the edge re-bound, too. I did put in a generic liner but can take it out for warmer weather. It is a substantially lesser hat than a Federation, IMHO. The Squatter from David Morgan is closer to the Federation, I'm sure.

I'm not so sure.... about any thing with the felt in it...

Now I have to ask this. Is assessing the felt some sort of college boy drinking game? I mean really gentlemen.





This Akubra felt has me fascinated so I'm ordering a Fed lV in heritage just so I can make a comparison between Heritage, Imperial, and Superfine.

My bet is that the Superfine will be closer to the Heritage than is the Imperial. We'll see...

Now, KevKaos59, if you've made it this far then please allow me to buy you a cocktail because what you need is an Akubra Stylemaster- same style, less brim!

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

The current Squatter from Akubra OEM is a featherweight which is totally different than Imperial quality = no liner, less dense felt. I have a cut down brim on a charcoal grey. I'd really like to get the edge re-bound, too. I did put in a generic liner but can take it out for warmer weather. It is a substantially lesser hat than a Federation, IMHO. The Squatter from David Morgan is closer to the Federation, I'm sure.

I'm sorry, I wasn't referring to the felt but the shape of the crown and brim. To my eyes the shape of a Squatter cut to a 2 1/2 in brim and a Fed are virtually identical.

As for the material, I have a Federation IV (Imperial) from Hats Direct and a Squatter from David Morgan. Of the two, the felt on the Squatter is thicker and stiffer than the Fed. I have not seen the featherweight Squatter, so I can't compare the felt of the OEM version.

 

[Chuck Bobuck]

I'm sorry, I wasn't referring to the felt but the shape of the crown and brim. To my eyes the shape of a Squatter cut to a 2 1/2 in brim and a Fed are virtually identical.

As for the material, I have a Federation IV (Imperial) from Hats Direct and a Squatter from David Morgan. Of the two, the felt on the Squatter is thicker and stiffer than the Fed. I have not seen the featherweight Squatter, so I can't compare the felt of the OEM version.

I'm sure all the Akubras come out of the factory a little differently. My Imperial felt Squatter is very soft and thin compared to either of my Feds. Also, The crown of the Feds are taller and bigger round than my Squatter.

Theinterchange did a great job of cutting down his Squatter brim. I think it looks fantastic.

http://thefedoralounge.com/showpost.php?p=966406&postcount=1606

The Fed's brim could be a little big, at least the front and back, but it's not bound, so it would be easier to trim yourself. Also, the Stylemaster might be a good choice like CRH suggested. They're all a little different crown and brim wise.

 

[elvisroe]

The crown on my Fed iv is HUGE compared to that of my Sqatter. If not lower the squatter is certainly more tapered.

That's interesting Mahagonny Bill that your David Morgan squatter is a similar felt to the imperial because the felt on mine is certainly the lighter and softer featherweight. The David Morgan version also has a vent-hole doesn't it? Perhaps it's a different hat all together?

I'd be interested to take a look at an open crown squatter along side the shorter brimmed Akubra Sydney/Fedora because I think they'd be pretty close in the crown.

 

[KevKaos59]

Now, KevKaos59, if you've made it this far then please allow me to buy you a cocktail because what you need is an Akubra Stylemaster- same style, less brim!

Yep, still hanging in there with all this good info flying around. You are correct on that Stylemaster. I found it online and had not seen that one before. Seems to be a nice assortment of color available as well, which was the problem with some of the other Akubra's. I just need to see if the Moonstone Grey is the color I am looking for. Thanks for the nudge in what might be the right direction for me.

 

[Doctor Strange]

The Stylemaster is a great hat. I have one in the very dark Carbon/Steel/Mid-Grey, and it gets WAY more wear than my Mid-Brown Federation III. Part of this is due to matching - I wear a lot more black/blue/grey than brown - but the Fed is a seriously big hat... It feels like a cowboy hat (which may be fine in some parts of the world, but comes across as affected in urban NY), whereas the Stylemaster's elegant dimensions feel perfect.

And the Moonstone is a great color - I would have gotten my own Stylemaster in this lighter color, but I already have a Stetson Temple in Caribou Gray that handles the light-gray-with-dark-ribbon slot just fine.

 

[KevKaos59]

Like you Doctor Strange, I tend to wear a lot more blacks, blues and greys than I do brown. I have several vintage hats, but so far they all pretty much just look like old vintage hats. None of mine look as nice as the ones I have seen on this site. Guess I have not been will to spend enough on single hat purchases at the auction site. Two of my vintage brown hats are in nice condition, but one is a really stingy brim and the other is Royal Stetson that has a greenish tint to it that is hard to match up to. Several grey hats, but most are like I described earlier, or in need of reblocking, some stiffening and a new bash which I do not feel confident that I could do well. I have a new Bailey Gangster that doesn't get much use at all because the brim at 3" is to wide for me, and now that I have layed my hands on some vintage felt and can tell the difference, it comes up lacking. Probably only been worn less than a dozen times. I am now looking for a bang-for-buck hat. One that is new but feels more like vintage felt, pinch crown and a teardrop crease that isn't going to cost 100's of dollars. So far this Stylemaster looks like a strong contender. I assume they come with liners? I ask because others in here have spoke of their Akubra's NOT having liners.

 

[Doctor Strange]

My Stylemaster (purchased Spring 2009 from Everything Australian) has a very nice reddish-gold liner, vs. the plain white of my other lined Akubras. And Akubra's sweatbands are excellent - much better quality than those on my recent-vintage Stetsons. The felt, while the same "Imperial Quality", is much softer and more flexible than my other Akubras... though it seems just as indestructible.

Note that I changed the factory bash by deepening the front dents all the way down to the ribbon: it took zero effort and they've never popped back out!

 

[KevKaos59]

Now THAT is a smart looking hat. And you wear it well Sir.

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap
:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Just checked that site. Great price, but a 3 month wait for the Moonstone. That's OK though, because most any hat is to hot to wear during a mid atlantic summer.

 

[Doctor Strange]

Thanks!

EA sometimes has more in stock than it says in their standard descriptions - send them an email and ask.

(If you're in a hurry, HatsDirect keeps the Moonstone Stylemaster in stock, but their base prices are higher, and their shipping - while faster - also costs more.)

But yeah, felt hat weather in these parts is basically over for the next few months anyway...

 

[KevKaos59]

Not really in a hurry, but I did take a peek at the Hats direct site. When you display the moonstone, it has brim edging that is the same color as the hat, but has a dark bank. I would love it to have a ribbon and edging that matches the color of the hat. Seems odd that they don't match. Either both dark or both lighter like the hat. I may have to consider the steel like yours, but I have had my heart set on the lighter grey/silver.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I have definitely seen pictures here of Moonstone Stylemasters that have same-color ribbons and edge bindings. I don't have time to search for them now (and most referenced images from photo-hosting sites are blocked by my work system anyway, so it would be pretty useless to try from here), but I believe they were posted by one of our Australian members, and were taken in one of the major hat stores in Australia - but not the Hattery (HatsDirect).

So I don't think all Moonstone Stylemasters have the contrasting ribbon/edge: in fact, the Stylemaster model generally has a same-color ribbon/edge, as (for some reason) it's considered dressier.

So here's my suggestion: if you are considering getting a Moonstone Stylemaster from Everything Australian, where you're likely to endure the dreaded three-month wait for a special order anyway... Email them and ask if they can request that the factory make yours with a same-color ribbon/edge. I'm pretty certain that it won't be a problem, nor will it involve any extra charge. (This is one of the good things about Akbura making up all their different hat styles/colors/sizes on a three-month-rotation schedule - simple special order requests like this one are handled with a minimum of fuss.)

Anyway, I'd write and ask them. From what others here have reported - and my own experience - EA's Sam Menche is indeed a mensch, and he will go the distance to satisfy his customers.

 

[Neophyte]

Here's my modified Squatter.

 

[Tone]

Looks great.

 

[Neophyte]

Looks great.

Thank you. It's making it hard to choose what I want for my next hat...Campdraft or Squatter in Grey........

 

[Tone]

You've got it in a pseudo c-crown / center dent type thing at this point, I take it?