Australian western style hats?

[Yahoody]

I've been watching NETFLIX'S "Muster Dogs" last couple of days. Some great dog work. But I also found the hats interesting. Looks to be a good collection of Sunbody hats, old and new. And a few nice felts as well. Episode 2 had everyone showing up in a new hat

Seems every hat I have seen so far is worn at least 1 size or two sizes larger than what "we" would normally wear. Here a tight hat, and a shaved head means they stay on in the wind. But I get the idea of a loose hat to keep your head cooler with some added ventilation.

BYW...only time I have ever seen anyone intentionally wear a hat with some serious cob webs on it. I know little about the country. But might be a little sketchy any where. But Australia!?

Anyone else use the "ear drop" method of fitting a western hat?

Care to comment?

 

[CKC]

It's the over-sized straw hats with no vents in the crown that I don't understand. Some venting in the crown is much better than just wearing a bigger hat. Felt, is a little more understandable to me.

I have a friend in Australia who got me into Akubras. He tells me that out there they laugh at how they always see Americans wearing perfectly clean "cowboy" hats and don't understand why we think a clean hat is a good thing. He says the dirtier the hat the better, and it's practically a badge of honor for your hat to be dirty and show obvious signs that you wear it "in the bush".

When I told him about my 100X Open Road and called it a dress hat, he said "what's a dress hat? Do you wear it with a dress?" Ya', know...the way you'd expect a good friend to respond.

One of the reasons he swears by Akubras is that they're so durable. He wears a felt hat year-round (Akubra Rough Rider) and tells me that most people in his area wear felt all year. When it's hot out he just dunks it in water to keep himself cool. Since both heat and water tend to make felt and leather shrink he buys his hats 1 full size larger than I what I would consider the "correct" size.

I don't really disagree with what he calls his "Australian perspective" on hat wearing. But, I don't tell him that.

 

[Yahoody]

In my world we have working hats and we have "go to town hats". Kinda like boots and our clothes. You might wear beat up boots but never dirty boots or dirty clothes to town. A matter of pride that you look "presentable" in public.

At least not intentionally dirty and never to a social function of any kind. Well worn? Sure. Not everyone can afford new duds. Local horse sale last Saturday. People show up to buy some nice ranch horses from all over the US. Just 30 horses sold once a year. Horses are used in a small branding prior to the auction to show the horse's skills. No on shows up with a filthy hat, riders, or buyers. No doubt everyone has a beat up old hat at home hanging on a hook.

I did notice one of the muster dog owners giving water to her dog in her felt. Done the same for horses. But not with my go to town hat for sure.

We, "the community here", generally switch from cooler weather wearing a felt, to a straw hat as it gets warm. But we also go from -10/-20F to 110F, winter to summer, so bigger temperature swings for us during the seasons I suspect.

Just curious as i sure liked seeing all their hats in use Just curious as to how they fit them.

 

[Yahoody]

And the new hats!

 

[M Brown]

My 'work' hats are a size larger than my normal size, which allows me to wear a folded bandana on my forehead under the hat to help soak up sweat. And my #1 work hat is an Akubra Territory.
Although, right now during this excessive heat wave, my daily work hat is a Cabelas UV protective bush hat with a neck drape.

 

[Yahoody]

Since I posted this, I ordered a new Sunbody a full size larger. Could have gone two sizes! But no recent hair cuts No question the hat is cooler to wear oversized.

I do a lot more work on the ground than I do in the air, so I can make the time to put on a tighter hat when needed. Fun to learn something new . But, heaven forbid I ever lose my hat! Even on an emergency landing

Thanks for taking the time to comment gentlemen.

 

[Who?]

Since I posted this, I ordered a new Sunbody a full size larger. Could have gone two sizes! But no recent hair cuts No question the hat is cooler to wear oversized.

I do a lot more work on the ground than I do in the air, so I can make the time to put on a tighter hat when needed. Fun to learn something new . But, heaven forbid I ever lose my hat! Even on an emergency landing

Thanks for taking the time to comment gentlemen.
View attachment 531430

Looks like Horse 1, Yahoody 0.

I hope nothing broke, that’s a long way down, especially if you go up before you go down.

 

[Yahoody]

So far so good. Thanks for asking. Bumpy rides are expected with young horses.

But it is the end result I am looking for No matter how long it takes. So far 6 for 6.

Same critter a year later. Wonderful horse today.

The last airtime I got was from a lot bigger horse and a lot farther up. That one I slowly limped away from.
He's still a work in progress .

But better...today than yesterday. Hard to ask for more. Another keeper.

 

[Benny Holiday]

My wife has relatives out in the bush, 9 hours drive west of Sydney. The folks out there invariably have beaten-up, well-used hats - at least in the smaller towns of 800 to 2000 people. They're hard people, going from drought to flood to drought again; I honestly don't know how they do it. It's a try, hard, unforgiving country to be honest. I go out there with my city hats, Akubras and Stetsons mostly; I'm from the edge of the city and no use pretending I'm not. No one cares, but I could never be mistaken for being "on the land" as they say.

What people there wear for town festivals etc I don't know, but the only hats I've seen always look like these:

 

[Lean'n'mean]

View attachment 533465

That's what an Akubra Bronco should look like.