Akubra Value is Soaring Right Now

[Daoud]

Thanks! That's interesting. I'd heard that the newer Stetsons weren't all that great- I'm sure that the Campdrafts are wonderful hats- everybody here seems to think highly of them- I think the really appealing thing is that they can be worn so many different ways.

 

[carter]

This is how rumors get started.

My understanding is that the Campdraft used to be the Open Road, and was sold by Stetson but made by Akubra. So a Campdraft is more like a vintage Open Road than a new Open Road is though everyone seems to agree that they're still not as good as a vintage one.....

Am I correct in reading this as, to paraphrase, "Akubra originally made the Open Road in Australia and Stetson imported it for sale in the US market."? If so, you are misinformed. This has never been the case.

The Open Road was not made by Akubra [for export to the US] and sold by Stetson. Stetson created the Open Road. Stetson has made their hats continuously in the US since the company was founded in 1865. (This does not include straw hats.)

Stetson licensed overseas companies to produce hats bearing the Stetson name for sale in those countries. At one time Stetson had operations in Australia, Brazil, Columbia, Finland, Guatemala, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa and West Germany.

Akubra made Stetson hats as a Stetson licensee in Australia.

 

[Daoud]

So while it might be correct to say that the Campdraft is.....inspired by the Open Road, is very similar to the Open Road- nonetheless, it is NOT the O.R. and has no connection with Stetson?

 

[carter]

So while it might be correct to say that the Campdraft is.....inspired by the Open Road, is very similar to the Open Road- nonetheless, it is NOT the O.R. and has no connection with Stetson?

The Campdraft is a proprietary Akubra product and is in no way connected with Stetson or the owners (HATCO) of the Stetson brand.

Inspiration from the Open Road has infected many hat manufacturers. It is probably the most often-imitated/cloned style in existence. If not the most, then certainly one of the most.

I have old Open Roads in various grades of fur felt and modern Open Roads as well as Open Road clones from several hat manufacturers. I cannot say that any of these hats is a identical to another. They are all a bit different. Most are fur felt which is some combination of beaver and other furs. The Campdraft is rabbit fur felt. It's a very nice hat and a lot of the members like them. You might even say they are inspired by them. A new Camp Draft would not be a bad choice. I'm going to get at least one more.

 

[Lefty]

Stetson has made their hats continuously in the US since the company was founded in 1865.

Sort of, but not really.
They purchased hat bodies and had work done by many US companies at different times.
It's all here.

 

[kaosharper1]

Akubra made Stetson hats as a Stetson licensee in Australia. [/FONT]

OK. I guess I was misinformed. That was information that I thought I read here at the Lounge in other threads about the Campdraft.

 

[warbird]

1. Akubra did make a Stetson Open Road for Stetson with a Stetson sweat.
2. The campdraft is the closest thing to a vintage OR being mass manufactured today. It is far superior to the OR being made today by Stetson, which is stiff as a board and has a terrible feel to it. You will not get the cattleman crease out of it w/o leaving marks. It might as well be a traditional cowboy hat, which it is fine for a cowboy hat, but not as a soft fedora.
3. There are plenty of vintage OR's out there if you want a vintage hat. If you don't want to wait and you want an OR that says Stetson OR you can buy one from Stetson. You won't be happy with the one they are presently making unless you want that stiff style of hat.

If you want a great OR style hat there are many out there to be had, both new Akubras or vintage clones. All this naming business seems a bit absurd to me. I have a true vintage Stetson OR and a couple of excellent OR styled hats. I would bet none of you could tell me which is which if sitting on my head.

 

[Lefty]

1. Akubra did make a Stetson Open Road for Stetson with a Stetson sweat.

Were the Akubra made ORs sold in the US or, as Carter said, were they made by Akubra under license by Stetson for sale in Australia?

 

[Rick Blaine]

Were the Akubra made ORs sold in the US or, as Carter said, were they made by Akubra under license by Stetson for sale in Australia?

This is an Oz made Stetson OR. The sole difference from my vintage US made ORs is the brim; 2.75 vs. 2.88 on the Oz made model.

 

[indycop]

Stetson may be the "Paterfamilias" but Akubra is "Bonafide" so I will stick with them...

 

[Lefty]

This is an Oz made Stetson OR. The sole difference from my vintage US made ORs is the brim; 2.75 vs. 2.88 on the Oz made model

The box is throwing me off a bit. Just to be clear, is that one marked as both a Stetson and an OR? Do you know if it was sold in Australia or here?

 

[carter]

Sort of, but not really.
They purchased hat bodies and had work done by many US companies at different times.
It's all here.

True. I could have been clearer. My point was that that Stetson did not import and sell the Open Road made by Akubra. They licensed Akubra to make and sell the Stetson-branded Open Road in Australia.

 

[RedPop4]

Stetson may be the "Paterfamilias" but Akubra is "Bonafide" so I will stick with them...

lol lol lol
Damn, we're in a tight spot.
Excellent, IC

 

[Rick Blaine]

The box is throwing me off a bit. Just to be clear, is that one marked as both a Stetson and an OR?

Yes marked Stetson Open Road made in Australia under licence to JBS USA.

Do you know if it was sold in Australia or here?

Sold in Oz.

My Spanish made Royal Western was similar.

 

[carter]

True. I could have been clearer. My point was that that Stetson did not import and sell the Open Road made by Akubra. They licensed Akubra to make and sell the Stetson-branded Open Road in Australia.

Just to be certain, I queried Ron Lilburne at HatsDirect regarding the Akubra-Stetson arrangement. Here is his reply:

"Akubra made the Stetson brand in Australia and probably New Zealand, they did not export these.

The arrangement was broken in the mid 90's when Stetson ran into some trouble in the USA and Akubra did not really need the brand from a sales perspective. They always ran the same block shapes under a Stetson name and an Akubra name. They were in fact the same hats from a quality perspective. Some would argue that Akubra was the better hat when the arrangement was ceased. I think Stetson has lifted its game since then.

So the old Australian Stetson Open Road is identical to the Campdraft."

Ron Lilburne
Mountain Style
187 Katoomba Street
Katoomba, 2780
Phone / Fax 02 4782 1487
sales@mountain-style.com.au

 

[BobC]

As for me, I'm staying with my Campdraft. It's still fairly new and fairly stiff, but it won't be always. And it spends a lot of time where it belongs. Because I like it so much and because the price is so reasonable, I ordered another one to go with my first one.

 

[kaosharper1]

As for me, I'm staying with my Campdraft. It's still fairly new and fairly stiff, but it won't be always. And it spends a lot of time where it belongs. Because I like it so much and because the price is so reasonable, I ordered another one to go with my first one.

Here, Here!

 

[carter]

An autumnal rabbit run

As for me, I'm staying with my Campdraft. It's still fairly new and fairly stiff, but it won't be always. And it spends a lot of time where it belongs. Because I like it so much and because the price is so reasonable, I ordered another one to go with my first one.

I ordered and prepaid a Silverbelly today from HatsDirect. Ron writes that they will have this color by mid-November as they replenish their stock. They've had a surge with the exchange rate dropping. Not a bad problem to have since their Campdraft sales usually run in peaks and valleys.

Anyone looking for the mid-brown felt should consider ordering from Everything Australian since they write that they will have this color as well as tawny fawn and silverbelly in stock by February.

 

[indycop]

As for me, I'm staying with my Campdraft. It's still fairly new and fairly stiff, but it won't be always. And it spends a lot of time where it belongs. Because I like it so much and because the price is so reasonable, I ordered another one to go with my first one.

My Campdraft is pretty soft the silverbelly came soft and the tawny is softening rather quickly.

 

[indycop]

Anyone looking for the mid-brown felt should consider ordering from Everything Australian since they write that they will have this color as well as tawny fawn and silverbelly in stock by February. [/FONT]

Already done.