Doc Glockster
One of the Regulars
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- 199
- Location
- the ranch
I think I was pretty clear about my experiences with Akubra
all 11 hats I have owned were somewhat poorly constructed “cheap” feeling hats ... just did not have that quality feel to them ... felt cheap and wool like
a good number of them extremely inconsistent in size.
One 58 would be slightly snug while the next would come down over my eyes.
the felt on all of them had an unfinished feel and look... and depending on the color can be quite stiff and as a result spider when creased... can’t stand that
many of them had the ribbon tacked too high above the break which gave the hat an odd look ...
every single one of them had that horrible toliker mark at the break that Akubra has become famous for ... this is probably what bothers me most about Akubra
The sweatbands on most of them leave a lot to be desired ... they have a sort of rubbery texture that I do not enjoy against my forehead
but like I said .... you spend $130 you get a $130 hat .... I just thought with all the hype surrounding them that maybe I was getting some misfits
... but 11 misfits ?.... nah
The three I still own are the best of the 11 but still all have the toliker mark and the silverbelly CD is stiff as a board
They are fine hats ... I wear them in heavily inclement weather or while doing yard work ... they are pieces I wouldn’t mind just leaving outside for days
Unfortunately as far as modern hats these are the issues we deal with in this price range ... you get stuff that is just eh
I have many of the same complaints about modern Stetsons which cost much more
My entire point in this thread is that these hats do not equal the hype built up about them on this forum
But hey I’ve bought 11 of them and still own 3 so I’m a glutton for punishment I guess
This is just one mans opinion ... and I am clearly in the minority on this forum
I’d just rather spend a little more and get a better hat
Good write-up. I'm not sure what a toliker mark is but this is the kind of detail I wanted to see in a write-up.
I can agree with many of the points: I am almost a perfect size 59 cm, and some Akubras come a little over that, some just right. I've never had to return one that was too small for the quoted size, though. I've also found that the sweatband "sizes" itself pretty well after a few wearings.
Coarseness of felt: On the slouch hat I agree it has a "wool" appearance--but it's a military hat not expected to wow fashion wonks. My Angler and Banjo Paterson look really nice.
Rubbery feel of sweatband: I noticed it too. It's sheepskin. I prefer the feel of this softer sweatband to the almost "stiff plastic" feel of a Stetson sweatband (just for comparison).
I’d just rather spend a little more and get a better hat
My inkling is that you want a really "fine quality", sort of "upscale" hat like men of means wore in the '30's and '40's. Nothing wrong with that.
There is an old (allegedly) Russian proverb: "The best is the enemy of good enough."
I glean that you opt for the "best". I opt for "good enough."
Other than that, we are not that far apart.