Banjo or Coober

[VitaminG]

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.

I just had to check your location - with the hat, the check shirt & the wall of corrogated iron behind you, you might have been from western Queensland. The hat is a great fit on you

 

[kwitie]

Had one for 15 years now. Love it. Perfect for a sunny day in the Countryside..

 

[kenmcneill]

...and tapered hats like the Pedy, which I normally would never consider, suddenly become quite appealing.

If you look at the detail pictures on the David Morgan site, you'll see that the Coober Pedy really doesn't have as much taper as it seems in my picture. Between the angle and short lens, things are a little distorted. The bash pulls it in at the top, but the bottom is fairly straight.



Ken

 

[Neophyte]

See, that's what I thought about the Lightning Ridge, but when I had it in my h
and, the taper was pretty extreme (keep in mind my other hat is a Campdraft, so the bar is set high in terms of shape lol). The crown on the Pedy looks very, very similar to the LR.

Here's what I mean. Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, Cattleman:

 

[monbla256]

From the straight-on DM photos, there looks to be a difference, but I'd be willing to bet that if one could get a front-on pic of these three hats w/open crown, you'd think you were looking at the same hat style. Just felt color, brim binding and bands are different. When I first got my new Bushman it was very straight up at the sides until I put the center dent in it and it really tapered when I put the close front pinch in. Same thing with my Squatter as I have the SAME crease in it as the Bushman! They probably are the SAME hat just creased and finished differently !!

 

[Neophyte]

Same thing with my Squatter as I have the SAME crease in it as the Bushman! They probably are the SAME hat just creased and finished differently !!

I don't know about that last conclusion, but when considering the Pre-creased Akubra hat lines, it's almost certain that quite a few models have the same block. Judging by the straight-on DM shots, I'd venture to say that the Coober Pedy and Lightning Ridge have the same block. The Lawson, Angler and Banjo Paterson have different brim shapes, but extremely similar crown shapes. In addition, the Cattleman, Overlander, Stockman, Snowy River, and Territory seem to have the same crown shape.

 

[theinterchange]

Here's what I mean. Coober Pedy, Lightning Ridge, Cattleman:

Great idea, posting the images side-by-side... and this actually made up my mind... the next hat I buy will be a Cattleman.

 

[Neophyte]

Thanks! Kudos to DavidMorgan for one of the most comprehensive photo layouts in the modern hat world!

Good choice on the Cattleman. It's a striking shape.

 

[monbla256]

I still maintain they are the same base hat....

.... here's some pics from DM of the Bushman, Squatter and Cattleman ( in that order) . The first two are open crown and the Cattleman is precreased. Only the brim sizes and bands have been changed to protect the inocent

 

[Neophyte]

I don't know Monbla, I can tell from here that the crown on the Bushman is a bit more "oval" in shape than that of the Squatter. Even if they were the same, though, I don't see how that would matter. They are all about the same price.

 

[monbla256]

My point of reference is the STRAIGHTNESS of all these crowns vertically And having creased BOTH the Bushman and Squatter I would have to say they are the SAME crown shape when NOT creased. They BOTH take on more of a taper when creased with a center-dent/front pinched crease. From a manufacturing standpoint it would make sense to me !! Doesn't change that they are DIFFERENT hats when finished
BTW I like them ALL ( don't know as I would call the Akubra crease a Cattleman, wore to many Resistols and Stetsons with the REAL Cattleman crease 'course I live in Texas so I might be a LITTLE prejudised

 

[monbla256]

Nice to see a hat "in situ" so to speak What color is your's? Looks good !!

 

[splatt]

It's the Santone Fawn color.

My Coober Pedy hat has a stiched brim and a leather trim which has an opal attached to it like the one shown at Hats Direct.

 

[Dave McCone]

I've had a Coober Pedy for several years and don't wear it often; my favorite go-to hats are the Banjo Paterson in both Fawn and Graphite Grey. I'm not sure if I have an odd version of the Coober Pedy, but it is cowboy-hat-stiff, to the point where it doesn't flex at all on your head [I'm probably borderline Long Oval, so I end up with gaps along the side of the hat and the hat hitting at the forehead and back of the head] . The brim is also 3 inches, which works well for a sun hat, but can be disconcerting if you are used to a smaller brim. I've tried wearing the Coober Pedy in the rain or otherwise trying to flex the hat to make it soften up a bit, to no avail. Is this normal for a Coober Pedy? Anybody else have any words of wisdom for softening this hat up for greater comfort?

 

[Neophyte]

Find something entertaining to watch, douse that brim in some distilled water, and work it with your hands for a while. My lightning ridge started out extremely stiff, but through this method, it's almost as floppy as my Campdraft now.

 

[James71]

I like my coober pedy, but it gets scarce little wear. I tend to wear a cattleman for "likely to get filthy" occasions and one of the fedora style or campdrafts for more formal occasions. The coober pedy gets relegated to country shows and visiting the country cousins. When I wear the next cattleman out I will use the coober pedy for my next bush hat.

I get about 2 years out of a bush hat before its retired to the top of the wardrobe. Theres quite a collection of floppy cattleman up there.....(a herd of cattlemen?)

 

[splatt]

And it looks good on you James71.

The reason you retire your bush hats every two years is that "The Hattery" (which is the www.hatsdirect.com store front for those non-aussies) is probably a short stroll from your house

 

[Gargs]

I'm bouncing back-and-forth between the Akubra Banjo Paterson and the Coober Pedy hat. Have looked at them, know all the details, etc. So I'm asking you for totally subjective input - which do you prefer and why? I don't need specific information (relating to dimensions, etc), but your experienced thoughts.
Thanks,
Steve

 

[Blackthorn]

I think it's a toss up, but I have the Banjo and love it.

 

[gtdean48]

I like the smaller brimmed Banjo, less of a safari look to me. Don't care for the vent holes either. Taller crown is preferable too....