outback hats, western hats w removable hatbands?

[alienhead]

Does anyone know of a good hat w/ a snap (or some other method) at the base of the crown which allows changing out the hatband? I prefer an Aussie style, 3" brim, straw or leather. Thanx.

 

[JackieMatra]

Most any hat with a pugaree hatband will allow the hatband to be easily changed for another pugaree because they typically are simply held onto the hat with little hooks which remove and attach very easily. You can also just put a pugaree over a hat's original hatband, particularly if the original hatband isn't a wide one with a thick bow.
Akubra's Bushman with a 3-1/4" wide brim and Campdraft with a 2-7/8" wide brim are quite amenable to this treatment.
http://www.kakadutrader.com/1606.html
http://everythingaustralian.com.au/shop-by-brands/akubra/campdraft-hat.html
http://hatsdirect.com/cgi-bin/products.cgi?group=Fedora+Hats
Akubra Reef and Range hemp hats have 3-1/4" wide brims and pugaree hatbands which I regularly change on mine.
http://everythingaustralian.com.au/row/shop-by-brands/akubra.html?dir=asc&order=name&p=3
http://www.australiangear.com/akubra-range-larger-brim.html
http://www.kakadutrader.com/1635.html
The Akubra Balmoral Weekender hemp hat has a 2-3/4" wide brim with a pugaree hatband.
http://www.australiangear.com/akubra-balmoral-weekender-natural-main.html
Shushan's has a reasonable selection of pugaree hatbands to choose from, albeit a little pricey.
http://www.shushans.com/sixthpage.html
Berkeley Hat will sell you their solid color pugarees, if you ask them, even though they don't say so on their website, for less than Shushan's, and they have seven pleats.
They usually have many more colors on hand than their website shows. Ask them if they can send you photographs of the colors that they currently have.
http://www.berkeleyhat.com/panamahat.html

 

[H Weinstein]

I change bands on several of my hats, depending on mood and season. Depending on the type of band, if it's snug enough, it should stay where you put it (assuming you don't do handstands!).

If it's an adjustable band -- a western-ish band with a buckle or a slide-adjustable horsehair band -- that makes it easier.

In a pinch, a couple of tiny dabs of white glue carefully hidden behind the band should keep a lighter-weight band in place. (Yes, the glue will leave a small mark on the hat, so placement is key -- you don't want it to be hidden by one band yet show with a different band.)

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Does anyone know of a good hat w/ a snap (or some other method) at the base of the crown which allows changing out the hatband? I prefer an Aussie style, 3" brim, straw or leather. .

Not sure what you're after but if you mean an Aussie leather bush hat then JACARU make a few models with snaps, notably the 'Wild Roo' & the 'Hunter' .............I've never seen a straw hat with snaps though...

 

[Drdan]

I change bands on several of my hats, depending on mood and season. Depending on the type of band, if it's snug enough, it should stay where you put it (assuming you don't do handstands!).

If it's an adjustable band -- a western-ish band with a buckle or a slide-adjustable horsehair band -- that makes it easier.

In a pinch, a couple of tiny dabs of white glue carefully hidden behind the band should keep a lighter-weight band in place. (Yes, the glue will leave a small mark on the hat, so placement is key -- you don't want it to be hidden by one band yet show with a different band.)

Excellent tip!

 

[The Good]

I have a related question. Is it possible to keep the Akubra leather band itself, but to remove the "Akubra" orange-brown logo on the side? You could see an example below, I'd rather do without it.

http://www.amazon.com/Akubra-Territ...1_16?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1440891641&sr=1-16

 

[Drdan]

I have a related question. Is it possible to keep the Akubra leather band itself, but to remove the "Akubra" orange-brown logo on the side? You could see an example below, I'd rather do without it.

http://www.amazon.com/Akubra-Territ...1_16?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1440891641&sr=1-16

The logo piece is affixed to the leather band with 2 rivets. Remove the rivets, and you can remove the logo, and you'll be left with two small holes, which won't be super obvious, and will be on the left side anyway.

To remove the rivets, first remove the band... One way to remove them is to use a Dremel tool to cut the rivet head and pin from the underside of the band. You can also remove them using a hammer and a punch. Another option is to use a drill bit smaller in diameter than the rivet's pin head, and drill through the entire rivet; the rivet will just fall apart.

Nice hat - I too would prefer it without the logo.

 

[The Good]

The logo piece is affixed to the leather band with 2 rivets. Remove the rivets, and you can remove the logo, and you'll be left with two small holes, which won't be super obvious, and will be on the left side anyway.

To remove the rivets, first remove the band... One way to remove them is to use a Dremel tool to cut the rivet head and pin from the underside of the band. You can also remove them using a hammer and a punch. Another option is to use a drill bit smaller in diameter than the rivet's pin head, and drill through the entire rivet; the rivet will just fall apart.

Nice hat - I too would prefer it without the logo.

Thank you, Drdan!

 

[Lean'n'mean]

Is it possible to keep the Akubra leather band itself, but to remove the "Akubra" orange-brown logo on the side?

It's possible but it isn't worth it. The bands on these hats aren't in fact real leather but 'bonded leather' which is simply leather fibres, collected from a factory floor, glued together & then coated with an embossed polyurethane layer to give it a leather like appearence, in short...... plastic. You'd be much better off throwing it away & either making a real leather hatband yourself or buying one. It will look better & last longer.

 

[Drdan]

It's possible but it isn't worth it. The bands on these hats aren't in fact real leather but 'bonded leather' which is simply leather fibres, collected from a factory floor, glued together & then coated with an embossed polyurethane layer to give it a leather like appearence, in short...... plastic. You'd be much better off throwing it away & either making a real leather hatband yourself or buying one. It will look better & last longer.

I agree... I'd just get a quality leather hatband.

The hatband on the Akubra is simulated caiman. You can get a real caiman hat band for $29.95 from YeeHaw Western. They sell them separately, although they are not listed online. Call, ask to speak with Jose, and ask what colors are available. Tell him that you want the hatband itself without the 3 piece western buckle or holes in the hatband. You can then have a sleek real caiman hatband after a bit of applying basic leathercraft skeills, or hat a show repair shop do it for you. I bought a blue one, and it is a nice replacement band.

http://www.yeehawcowboy.com/Los-Altos-Hats-500x-Straw-Cowboy-Hat-Customize-Brim-Hat-Band-500x-los-altos-western-straw-hat.htm