William G.
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 158
Welcome! I like the hat in your picture, it doesn’t look cheap.
I’m guessing you wouldn’t be happy with a wool hat long-term. I bought one before I found this place, and right out of the box it was miserable — it was a floppy, shapeless mess, and that was the way it looked brand new with all the tags still on it. My understanding is that wool hats don’t hold up well to rain, and you’re looking at chemical waterproofing and chemical stiffeners to shape them. If one ever loses shape, it’s also my understanding that it will have to be re-blocked.
As for vintage, the only vintage piece I’ve got is a ‘70s era Dobbs. I like it a lot. The felt is very thin and soft, I don’t think it would be durable for many outdoor activities, though. I do think you’d like Akubra, and depending on the style, used Akubras are fairly common — they’re basically the Australian version of Stetson, and I believe they made Steton’s Australian hats for many years. Check with eBay.com and Etsy.com for vintage hats, and keep in mind you can unroll cotton balls and put them under the sweatband to reduce a hat’s size if you end up with one that’s a little bit too large.
As for styles and whatnot, I wear an Akubra Snowy River that I shaped more like a cowboy hat whenever I’m out doing yard work. It saves my bald spot from getting burned, and the 3 inch brim is pretty close to an umbrella if it rains. That thing is thick and tough, and it takes a great shape with a little bit of steam. It has a very low crown, though. I got caught out in a light hailstorm a couple of years ago and it didn’t offer much protection at all. OUCH!
I’m guessing you wouldn’t be happy with a wool hat long-term. I bought one before I found this place, and right out of the box it was miserable — it was a floppy, shapeless mess, and that was the way it looked brand new with all the tags still on it. My understanding is that wool hats don’t hold up well to rain, and you’re looking at chemical waterproofing and chemical stiffeners to shape them. If one ever loses shape, it’s also my understanding that it will have to be re-blocked.
As for vintage, the only vintage piece I’ve got is a ‘70s era Dobbs. I like it a lot. The felt is very thin and soft, I don’t think it would be durable for many outdoor activities, though. I do think you’d like Akubra, and depending on the style, used Akubras are fairly common — they’re basically the Australian version of Stetson, and I believe they made Steton’s Australian hats for many years. Check with eBay.com and Etsy.com for vintage hats, and keep in mind you can unroll cotton balls and put them under the sweatband to reduce a hat’s size if you end up with one that’s a little bit too large.
As for styles and whatnot, I wear an Akubra Snowy River that I shaped more like a cowboy hat whenever I’m out doing yard work. It saves my bald spot from getting burned, and the 3 inch brim is pretty close to an umbrella if it rains. That thing is thick and tough, and it takes a great shape with a little bit of steam. It has a very low crown, though. I got caught out in a light hailstorm a couple of years ago and it didn’t offer much protection at all. OUCH!