Banjo or Coober

[gtdean48]

Not easily - the Stockman is the stiffest of my four Akubra hats!

So true, Doc. I had a Dallas which is basically a Snowy River with a round telescope crease instead of tear drop. It took some serious soaking but it can be done.

 

[G MAN]

I have the both color Banjo Paterson's, the Stockman, the Leisure Time, and the Angler.
All good hats and no regrets buying any of them but the Banjo is the best of these. It's Heritage quality felt with a better sweat band and the Barrumundi trim really adds to the hat.
Personally I prefer the Heritage Fawn over the Graphite Grey (which is almost black) and I get more compliments on that hat than all of the others combined including my Fed's. I don't know why, I think they all look great.
It may be that it goes well with a more casual look.

 

[jkingrph]

I have the both color Banjo Paterson's, the Stockman, the Leisure Time, and the Angler.
All good hats and no regrets buying any of them but the Banjo is the best of these. It's Heritage quality felt with a better sweat band and the Barrumundi trim really adds to the hat.
Personally I prefer the Heritage Fawn over the Graphite Grey (which is almost black) and I get more compliments on that hat than all of the others combined including my Fed's. I don't know why, I think they all look great.
It may be that it goes well with a more casual look.

I could have written this comment except for the two Banjo's, my only other Arkuba is a Territory.

After two years of wearing , mostly the Heritage Fawn, it is nice and soft and has received a lot of compliments. The Graphite Grey is just a bit dark for my taste, and generally gets worn when rain threatens.

 

[James71]

Any love for the Coober Pedy?

Ive had this hat a year or so. It doesnt get as much wear as it probably should, primarily because it arrived at about the start of my obsession with fedora style hats.

But be that as it may, its a damn nice hat. Named for the opal town in the Australian outback, the opal in the hat band sets it off nicely, and the colour is quite nice in a neutral / earth tone kind of way.

The felt is still quite stiff, and out of the box this was one of the stiffest of my Akubras. Just a few mins ago I gave it a shot of steam and shaped the rear of the brim into the down position that it came in. I had it shaped up for a while, but after having the CEO with the 'downturned all the way around' brim Ive uite gotten used to the style. Is that a safari style configuration?

Any love out there for this aussie style hat?

 

[danofarlington]

Ive had this hat a year or so. It doesnt get as much wear as it probably should, primarily because it arrived at about the start of my obsession with fedora style hats.

But be that as it may, its a damn nice hat. Named for the opal town in the Australian outback, the opal in the hat band sets it off nicely, and the colour is quite nice in a neutral / earth tone kind of way.

The felt is still quite stiff, and out of the box this was one of the stiffest of my Akubras. Just a few mins ago I gave it a shot of steam and shaped the rear of the brim into the down position that it came in. I had it shaped up for a while, but after having the CEO with the 'downturned all the way around' brim Ive uite gotten used to the style. Is that a safari style configuration?

Any love out there for this aussie style hat?

It looks great for an outdoor hat, especially for spending a lot of time in full sun, as in walking or working. I like wide brims. It would be at home in the American West. Is it hot to wear? And how does it take the rain?

 

[lolly_loisides]

You can keep your Coober Pedy hat James71. I think I'd prefer the real thing, a lovely milky white Coober Pedy opal. Especially set in a nice ring or perhaps a necklace.

 

[Preacher Man]

Good looking hat James. I considered the Coober Pedy before I settled on the Cattleman. Since you own both, tell me the differences in them if you would please sir. Just wondering since I had considered it. Yours looks good and looks good on you.

Thanks,
Preacher Man

 

[AlterEgo]

I like the Coober Pedy a lot, but I don't have one of my own. It's often been a finalist, but I've always selected another Akubra over it. The reason? To me, the Coober is an almost exclusively rugged, outdoor lid, and I've gone for a more versatile hat.

I've seen the hat in moss green and black, but yours, James71, is the first fawn I've laid eyes on. Hard to say for sure with online photos, but it appears to be the same fawn as Akubra's Snowy River, Cattleman, and Territory, a tone which is considerably lighter than regency fawn and, to a lesser though significant degree, heritage fawn. That's appealing because the lighter fawn can be worn comfortably in warmer weather, making it more of a year-round hat.

One important heads-up for Americans and Canadians: David Morgan, the exclusive Akubra import distributor for Akubras to North America, offers the Coober Pedy with a completely different hatband, a half-inch country style grosgrain ribbon matching the color of the felt.

Interestingly, DM's Lightning Ridge features the same band as your Coober--the neat leather one with the oval triplet. Compared to its similar Heritage Grade felt brethren with "lesser" hatbands--Banjo Patterson, Lawson, Overlander--the Lightning Ridge is priced $15 more, currently 165 U.S. dollars. So, the price premium can only be explained by the presence of the up-level band.

All I can figure is that DM, in order to ensure it would sell, needed something snazzy to differentiate the LR from the several other Akubras it offers that are the same general style and shape. That's fine by me, because the band looks outstanding.

However, it seems somehow inherently wrong to put a ribbon on a hat named after Australia's famed opal fields. If you want a Coober Pedy with the "proper" opal hatband, you'll have to get it direct from an Aussie vendor like EverythingAustralian or HatsDirect.

The Coober looks great on you, James71!

Oh, turning the brim down all around could be called "safari style," though that term is seldom used in connection with an Outback hat and is usually reserved for hats with a somewhat narrower brim. Frankly, were I going on safari, I think the Coober Pedy with its brim turned down all 'round would be an ideal hat.

 

[Mav]

I think it's a cool hat. The only reason I don't have one is the same that AlterEgo stated.

 

[Dewhurst]

There are some hats like the Coober Pedy that I would love to buy someday. But they look so "outdoorsey" that I just don't know if it would be worth the money.

I haven't been outside since 2003.

 

[James71]

Gday all,

In comparison to the cattleman, the coober pedy is a much classier finish, both in the felt and in the fittings. Its got the standard white silk liner. Its also, at least all the examples that I have owned, quite a bit stiffer to start with. Im sure it will soften up with use but its hardly been off the rack since I got it, so its still as stiff as a board.

The coober pedy comes pre-bashed with a centre dent and two front dents, exactly the same as the CEO. Its got a fair bit of taper to it. The cattleman, however, has the teardrop bash and not very much taper. The cattleman has no liner at at all.


In a nitshell I treat the cattleman like a work hat and the coober pedy as one of my dress hats.

 

[daizawaguy]

Was my very first felt hat, bought some 10 years ago.

Never wore it much because of the brim size, and it fell of my balcony and was never found.

It was possibly the hat that launched my collection!

 

[AlterEgo]

Was my very first felt hat, bought some 10 years ago.

Never wore it much because of the brim size, and it fell of my balcony and was never found.

It was possibly the hat that launched my collection!

Though you didn't find your Coober, someone surely did and has probably been happily wearing it ever since.

Speaking of balconies, if they're more than a couple stories up, it's best to remove your hat before going out there.

There's an 18-story high-rise apartment building that, despite its proximity to my home, I'd never been in until this spring. I was chatting with the maintenance guy, A friendly Hispanic who lived there about halfway up, and mentioned what a terrific view there was from his window. He said that was nothing compared with the view from the top floor, where he said there was a vacant apartment from which I could check out the vista

So up the elevator we went, through the apartment, and then out onto the balcony. I had on my new Akubra Lawson; I think it was only the second on third time I'd ever worn it. Since it had been calm at ground level, I wasn't even thinking about wind. However, up there at nearly 200 feet, it was gale force and the first step onto the balcony I took, off went my hat.

I made a wild grab for it and, unbelievably, caught it! Had I not, it would have either been nabbed by some lucky person or destroyed by the snarl of cars, trucks, and busses on the busy urban streets below.

Belatedly, the maintenance super said, "Oh, yeah, I was gonna tell ya not to wear your hat out here, bro. I lost a really nice Panama last year the first time I came up here when I started last summer. It fell in the swimming pool, but would have been salvedgable. So I'm hollering my lungs out for someone to fish it out, but I must have been too far up for anyone to hear. Next thing I see is this obese chick doing a 'depth-charge' dive right on top of it. I don't think she even saw my hat."

"When she finally came up, it was in her hand, so I was momentarily relieved" he continued. "She slung it out, stuck it on her head,, and lay down on a lounge. I ran down all 36 flights of stairs to get there as fast as possible and claim my pricey Panama. When I got to her, she readily took it off and handed it over. But the crown was split on both sides from forcing it over her fat head, so the hat was ruined."

To put the period on his story with the obvious advice, I said, "So the moral of the story is..."

But he interrupted and finished with, "These American chicks--they gotta lose some weight, man!"

 

[monbla256]

Any one here have a Coober Pedy style of Akubra ? ....

.... and if so what are your impressions? I'm considering either a Fawn (olive tan) or the Moss Green color. Inquiring minds want to know

 

[theinterchange]

The Coober Pedy, for some reason doesn't get much respect around here. Did you search the "Overload" thread? When I first joined, I read through every page of the thread, but don't remember much if anything beyond "Hey, Anybody own a Coober?" type posts.

Randy

 

[kenmcneill]

I have the David Morgan version, with the ribbon instead of the leather band, in fawn. I really like the hat. Very comfortable, and the proportions are perfect, IMO. I almost ordered another from Australia, but I much prefer the DM version with the ribbon.

 

[theinterchange]

I completely forgot about your Coober, kenmcneill! AND I even complimented you on it. :eusa_doh:

Randy

 

[monbla256]

Your pic has made my mind up....

I have the David Morgan version, with the ribbon instead of the leather band, in fawn. I really like the hat. Very comfortable, and the proportions are perfect, IMO. I almost ordered another from Australia, but I much prefer the DM version with the ribbon.

... looks like a Fawn from DM is going to be making it's way to Texas this year !! Thanks

 

[Preacher Man]

I've got a Coober Pedy in Fawn. Got it from Hats Direct. In my very humble opinion, the Coober Pedy is the best cool weather outdoor hat I've ever worn. It's close cousin, the Cattleman is the best warm weather outdoor hat I've worn. My Cattleman also came from Hats Direct. The Coober Pedy is lined and has 3 vent holes in each side, it does a fantastic job of protecting my head, shoulders, neck, and face from the sun or anything cold and/or wet falling from the sky. If you don't have one, get one, you'll never regret it.

God Bless,
Preacher Man

 

[Neophyte]

I've got a Coober Pedy in Fawn. Got it from Hats Direct. In my very humble opinion, the Coober Pedy is the best cool weather outdoor hat I've ever worn. It's close cousin, the Cattleman is the best warm weather outdoor hat I've worn.

Thanks for the input, Preacher Man. I had suspected that the low amount of Coober Pedy's represented on the lounge may correspond with a large amount of Cattleman's. I find it easy to believe that, with the taste in high, straight crowns so profused here, many would probably take the Cattleman over the Pedy.
I myself like them both, and I really do like the Coober Pedy (turns out that when I grow out my facial hair during the colder months, it softens my angular features, and tapered hats like the Pedy, which I normally would never consider, suddenly become quite appealing.

Monbla256, I believe there's a thread around here similar to yours called "Any Love for the Coober Pedy?". Type that into Google Search, followed by "thefedoralounge", and I think you'll find some helpful info. Also, typing "Coober" into the search function, clicking on a thread, and using thread tool "Search within this thread", and typing in "Coober", I'm willing to bet you'll find a TON of results. Hope this helps, as the links for threads in the FL are a little kinky right now, but are being worked on. Good Luck!