How Akubra fur felt is made.

[SHARPETOYS]

Here is a good site to read about the felting process. I had read at another site that Akubra was buying there rabbitt pelts from China so I called Akubra and they told me that was nonsense. All of there hare /rabbitt pelts comes from Australia. This so called hatter just loves to spread lies and rumors about other hat company's and hatters except his own over priced junk he peddles.


http://www.akubra.com.au/create.html

 

[shamus]

what's the difference between a china rabbit and an ausi rabbit?

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Downy-under-fur from downunder

Its my understanding that wild hare from the outback has superior downy-under-fur compared to a pen rasied rabbitt fur of China. They only use the under-fur to make the fur felt.

 

[MK]

.

And here I thought it was just the accent.

 

[Angelicious]

I don't know about fur quality, but the rabbits from China are (AFAAIK) commercially farmed (and I shudder to think about their production methods and "quality control"). Rabbits in Australia (and New Zealand) are an introduced pest. I'm not sure how much damage they do in Aussie, but here in Aotearoa they destroy more farmland than any other animal, so I am all for wild-bunny hats!

More with regard to ladies' hats (and other garments), possums are also a major pest here, stripping native forests. That's why I'm always happy to wear real fur garments, as long as they're safely-caught wild rabbit or possum. (Possums in Aussie are endangered though!)

Save a tree, wear a possum!

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Thank you Angelicious for your most informative post. I knew when I read the lies this hat seller spreads about any and all , I'd better find out the real facts so that my fellow Fedora Lounge members would not buy into this used-car salesman bull.

Neat site on how Akubra makes felts.

 

[Bebop]

Sharpetoys, in a very diplomatic way, could you tell us which, if any hatters to stay away from due to their misinformation about Akubra rabbits origins?

 

[BellyTank]

Hmmm..., that's the third time and from another different source I've heard about Akubra doing business in China. Maybe there's some truth in it then.
The difference is, I heard that the production was being moved to China, which is believeable and quite likely, same as has happened to New Zealand's last hat real hat factory- moved to China.
I would have presumed though, that the rabbit fur would still be from Australian sources, or wherever they were already getting it.

Speaking of New Zealand, Possum fur must be of some use in fur felt... they're a pest too a good resource.

The hat industry is really taking off in China-

B
T

 

[Panamabob]

Unmentionable name on this forum.

 

[Biltmore Bob]

And I thought the difference between Aussie and Chinese rabbits

were the eyes...

 

[Panamabob]

Probably heard the moving stories in the usual places.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

were the eyes...

No the Aussie rabbitts wear these.

http://www.akubra.com.au/products/military.jpg

 

[Fedora]

When I heard the rumor about Akubras being made in China, I doubted the truth of it right off. Akubra is a big company, and an old company. And they have all of those wild rabbits, with that good underfur. Seems like the perfect place to make hats to me, right where they are. I think it is just bogus info, by the king of Bogusville. Fedora

 

[BellyTank]

Yeh, I heard it there too but also two other sources. A lot of companies are shifting production to China these days but it's not something they'll advertise-

B
T

 

[Panamabob]

Yeah, but if you call them and ask them, which has been done, they will tell you that they didn't move.

 

[BellyTank]

Well... that was actually about the source of pelts coming from China- that's nothing that I've mentioned. I was speaking of hat production-

B
T

 

[Panamabob]

There is nothing better than asking the source.

 

[BellyTank]

I don't speak any Chinese languages-

Here's one for you Bob-

http://www.pencils.com/

B
T

 

[Panamabob]

The source:

Akubra Hats
PO Box 287
Kempsey NSW 2440
Phone: (02) 6562 6177
Fax: (02) 6562 8726

Some for you:

www.jaxonbilthats.com
www.adventurebilthats.com
www.optimohats.com

 

[BellyTank]

Thanks Bob-

B
T