Looking for hat information?

[Nathaniel Finley]

Thanks for the tips. A lot of it is confidence as I stated I'm used to baseball caps I wear hats out. I've slowly been starting to wear them out and I generally feel good.

The tip to pinch the campdraft a little more made a big difference. Thanks

The cattleman came in and is definitely shorter than the campdraft. My stylemaster feels so small now hahahahah

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You look really great in both of those, Littlewing!

 

[RJR]

You look really great in both of those, Littlewing!

+1

 

[Streak]

Hi all. First post here.
I am a long time hat wearer mainly due to all my years living under the African sun but having fair skin.
Fashion had very little to do about my hat choices. It was always function over form.
Now in the USA I mainly wear a large brim Tilley LTM2 that stays in the car and I grab anything I can when I head out to walk the dog.
I wear this hat mainly while fly fishing off the beaches and in the bay.or heading for a hike in the canyons.

After watching a bunch of seasons of Justified the look of the hat worn by Raylan Givens started growing on me and thought it would be time to look at something like that to be used when I want to look a little more stylish than wearing my Tilley.
I am in SoCal, I sweat profusely even when it's not that hot which is why I went for the high tech material in the Tilley.

I would want a hat with a large brim to give the best face protection. I prefer the tipped front and back brim with less curves.
So , given this, what would a good starter hat be for me?
Felt, wool, straw other?
New, EBay, outlet etc. etc.
Stetson, Resistol, Akubra etc.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Hey Streak. Good to have you here. Gonna get lots of opinions. I suggest you stay away from wool. Have fun deciding.

 

[KarlCrow]

there's examples of everything in the what are you wearing today thread. I would stay away from wool, my first hat in april was a stetson wool which cost nearly as much as my akubra campdraft, it doesn't hold its shape, the akubra does.

i know nothing much about straw, but if you want a good all rounder i reckon an akubra. But my knowledge is very limited compared to most here. If you sweat that much maybe ensure the hat has a leather sweat band rather than cloth or you'll discolour the felt/straw easier with sweat lines, i've read.

 

[RJR]

Hi all. First post here.
I am a long time hat wearer mainly due to all my years living under the African sun but having fair skin.
Fashion had very little to do about my hat choices. It was always function over form.
Now in the USA I mainly wear a large brim Tilley LTM2 that stays in the car and I grab anything I can when I head out to walk the dog.
I wear this hat mainly while fly fishing off the beaches and in the bay.or heading for a hike in the canyons.

After watching a bunch of seasons of Justified the look of the hat worn by Raylan Givens started growing on me and thought it would be time to look at something like that to be used when I want to look a little more stylish than wearing my Tilley.
I am in SoCal, I sweat profusely even when it's not that hot which is why I went for the high tech material in the Tilley.

I would want a hat with a large brim to give the best face protection. I prefer the tipped front and back brim with less curves.
So , given this, what would a good starter hat be for me?
Felt, wool, straw other?
New, EBay, outlet etc. etc.
Stetson, Resistol, Akubra etc.

Many thanks in advance.

Welcome to the Lounge,you certainly will get lots of opinions.For one;its pretty hard to fault your Tilley.
I'm not good with the search function here but there is a Justified/givens thread you may find interesting.I'm certain someone will get you to it.

 

[FedOregon]

You could try one of those palm leaf "straws," Sunbody hats.

Something with a wide brim like their Casa Blanca
https://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/product/329_6/casa-blanca.cfm

Or a Renata style

https://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/category/51/reata-collection.cfm

 

[Redfokker]

Hi all. First post here.
I am a long time hat wearer mainly due to all my years living under the African sun but having fair skin.
Fashion had very little to do about my hat choices. It was always function over form.
Now in the USA I mainly wear a large brim Tilley LTM2 that stays in the car and I grab anything I can when I head out to walk the dog.
I wear this hat mainly while fly fishing off the beaches and in the bay.or heading for a hike in the canyons.

After watching a bunch of seasons of Justified the look of the hat worn by Raylan Givens started growing on me and thought it would be time to look at something like that to be used when I want to look a little more stylish than wearing my Tilley.
I am in SoCal, I sweat profusely even when it's not that hot which is why I went for the high tech material in the Tilley.

I would want a hat with a large brim to give the best face protection. I prefer the tipped front and back brim with less curves.
So , given this, what would a good starter hat be for me?
Felt, wool, straw other?
New, EBay, outlet etc. etc.
Stetson, Resistol, Akubra etc.

Many thanks in advance.

Welcome to the Fray. I agree with others about no wool. I started this hobby with a Scala woolie, it sits unworn now that I have fine felts. If only two hats (this place will shoot that all to hell...) I would look at finding a nice vintage 50s/early 60s Stetson, Mallory or such on Ebay, and searching for a nice well made Panama. My advice to every new member is read, read, read. There is so much information on this forum it can be mind boggling. Search through Google and add "Fedora Lounge" to your key words. Welcome.

 

[Streak]

Thanks all for the help. I read and searched the forum for days! Yes, so much useful information.
I was just trying to get some guidance on my requirements based on use, location and amount of sweat!
The research continues.

 

[FedOregon]

As @Redfokker says... for the heat, true, a nice semi-calado Panama hat with a decent brim offers great protection from the sun while giving the best ventilation. Get the leather sweat installed if your hat comes with cotton or grosgrain. At my niece's wedding I wore a basic Panama made in Cuenca, Ecuador.... and my sweat went through the cotton sweat band and into the straw. No lasting stains, but if one does that repeatedly I have no doubt stains will stay.

Don't discount a ventilated summer hat from Tilley, Outdoor research, etc, either, as @RJR posted.

Several guys here swear by the old Pith helmets for the best in hot weather...

Check 'em all out and see what fits you best.

 

[Streak]

I like the look of Akubra Territory. Has the eyelet vents at the side as well as a large brim. It's a fair amount of cash at $165 but it at least it gets the ball rolling in my research.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/produ...erritory-fur-felt-australian-western-hat.html

Just after posting this I found this post about the Riverina. Felt being about 1mm thinner may make it even a batter bet for my needs.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/akubra-questions.73126/page-2#post-1864081

Did anyone say this would be an easy decision?

 

[Zombie_61]

I like the look of Akubra Territory. Has the eyelet vents at the side as well as a large brim. It's a fair amount of cash at $165 but it at least it gets the ball rolling in my research.

http://www.villagehatshop.com/produ...erritory-fur-felt-australian-western-hat.html

Just after posting this I found this post about the Riverina. Felt being about 1mm thinner may make it even a batter bet for my needs.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/akubra-questions.73126/page-2#post-1864081

Did anyone say this would be an easy decision?

If you decide on the Territory, you can get it for quite a bit less through Everything Australian (click on the "Currency" field in the upper right corner to change the price to U.S. Dollars). You can probably get the Riverina for less there as well. It might take a few extra days (or a few months if they don't have the hat you want in stock), so it's up to you if it's worth paying more to get it sooner.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Two great choices. Both are also available cheaper thru hatsdirect. Ordering from Australia is almost always cheaper than ordering an Akubra from the States. That is a great review of the two hats. One extra point I think I would make is who they look with face shapes. The square crown looks better with square, wide or full faces. I have a Cattleman and a Coolabah. When I was 50 pounds heavier and had a beard both hats looked good but now that I have lost all that weight and shaved my beard I have a skinny face. The Coolabah look a lot better on mE now than the Cattleman. The Cattleman looks like a lot of hat on my skinny face in recent pictures. Just my opinion but something to think about.


Johnny

 

[Streak]

Thanks guys, both online store prices do seem good even including shipping to the USA. I see that VHS offers price matching so maybe I can ask them if they will price match and order from them.
Johnny, very well done on losing 50lb's, I'm sure shaving the beard off had a huge affect too! Good points. Even more reason to go into a local store to try them on first. I have two VHS stores not far from me but they don't carry both models.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Thanks guys, both online store prices do seem good even including shipping to the USA. I see that VHS offers price matching so maybe I can ask them if they will price match and order from them.
Johnny, very well done on losing 50lb's, I'm sure shaving the beard off had a huge affect too! Good points. Even more reason to go into a local store to try them on first. I have two VHS stores not far from me but they don't carry both models.

Thank you very much. Keeping it off is an interesting slow challenge. the Banjo has a similar crown shape as the Riverena. Maybe try it on and visualize it with a wider brim. Not much help but at least you can go to a shop and see for yourself with the Territory.
Johnny

 

[Streak]

Thanks Johnny.
I lost a bit of weight on a no/low carb diet a few years ago. I have stuck with the low carbs (no pasta, sandwiches, pizza as little rice as possible) and the wight stays off. I'm 58.
I find with low carbs that you don't ever feel hungry and just eat according to the clock where all you then have to worry about is portion size.
I keep tubs of raw almonds around for a quick snack. Keep up the good work, your health will love you for it!

 

[srq2002]

Is there anywhere in the U.S. to purchase and Akubra Campdraft, or are they only available mail order from Australia?

 

[Zombie_61]

Is there anywhere in the U.S. to purchase and Akubra Campdraft, or are they only available mail order from Australia?

There are probably a few vendors in the U.S. who sell them, but after their mark-up they're always more expensive. You're much better off ordering from Everything Australian--reliable service and reasonable prices. The only downside is that you might have to wait three months if they don't have the hat you want in stock. If that's the case and you need or want it sooner, you can order it from Hats Direct/The Hattery but they're more expensive.

 

[Kentucky Kidd]

I'm new to the site...
I'm ready to purchase my first "nice" fedora...
I'm ready to pay between $150-$250...I'd like something in the brown/tan color family and not at all rigid...very soft that will keep it's shape.
I have been looking at the Stetson Stratoliner...but I'm unsure about it.
I want something in a wide brim like the Stratoliner...I wear a 7 3/8 in most hats and I'm wondering if most fedoras run true to size.
Any suggestions out there?
Thanks!

 

[Bob Roberts]

I'm new to the site...
I'm ready to purchase my first "nice" fedora...
I'm ready to pay between $150-$250...I'd like something in the brown/tan color family and not at all rigid...very soft that will keep it's shape.
I have been looking at the Stetson Stratoliner...but I'm unsure about it.
I want something in a wide brim like the Stratoliner...I wear a 7 3/8 in most hats and I'm wondering if most fedoras run true to size.
Any suggestions out there?
Thanks!

CUSTOM.