Slowly moving away from vintage and on to Akubra exclusively.

[MattJH]

I got my Akubra Fedora (Sydney) in the mail yesterday in Tanbark Brown / Burnt Oak and, really, I don't think I'll need another brown hat, ever. It's absolutely, positively perfect in every way. If every hat was like this, running the gauntlet of colors, I'd be completely satisfied.

I'm actually considering selling off all of my vintage hats at this point, with the exception of my tawny Brooks Brothers, my black Barbiso, and my straw Crofut & Knapp because I really, really like them.

I have two vintage light gray Champs (a Deluxe restored by Optimo and a Featherweight), but my Akubra Stylemaster in Moonstone is nicer than both of them. I have a vintage Dobbs in that green/brown hybrid color, but my Akubra Fedora in Brown is nicer. I have another vintage Dobbs in that green/grey hybrid color, but again, my Akubra Stylemaster in Moonstone is nicer.

I also have two Akubra Casuals in Regency Fawn and Carbon Gray, both of which are excellent beater hats due to the pliofelt. My ultimate, every day beater hat is my Akubra Traveller in Regency Fawn with the brim cut down to a dimensional 2"-ish cut. My yardwork hat is an Akubra Cattleman in Acorn Fawn. I never touch my Akubra Federation, so that one is listed in the classifieds.

Regardless, with the exception of my Brooks Brothers, Barbisio, and Crofut & Knapp, I think I'm going to sell off the rest of the vintage lot. Akubra hats are fantastic and the bonus is that I get to be the one to wear them down into a perfect fit. That whole process holds value for me.

 

[RBH]

I understand what you are saying DJ. My Campdraft is a fantastic fedora. I have been thinking of a Stylemaster for awhile.
I would still love a Borso thin ribbon, but alas that may never happen.
When you get into the larger sizes it is hard to find vintage.
I myself have found vintage 7 1\2 but not all of them suit my taste - i.e. brim width, ribbon [wide or thin] crown style.
So I say to you, go for it! Akubra is a fine hat, someday soon you may try for a custom.

 

[bolthead]

Hey, maybe you can be the "Akubra" spokes model?

You know, it's kinda funny that we never see these hats floating around for sale on auction. I know they're not vintage, but not all the hats on ebay are vintage. Wonder why that is?

I guess one of these days I'm gonna have to save up my piggy bank and invest in one eh?

By the way, do we get to see your latest addition?

 

[Joel Tunnah]

Yeah, if I was forced to wear only Akubra hats the rest of my life, I wouldn't be all that upset.

Joel

 

[WideBrimm]

Where O Where are those Used Akubras Hiding

You know, it's kinda funny that we never see these hats floating around for sale on auction. I know they're not vintage, but not all the hats on ebay are vintage. Wonder why that is?

I guess one of these days I'm gonna have to save up my piggy bank and invest in one eh?

And I keep wondering when I'm going to find an Akubra for sale (and in my size 57) at a Thrift or Antique store ?

 

[Benny Holiday]

8 of my 10 hats are Akubras. The Stylemaster, for me, is the perfect fedora. My only beef is that they don't make that great light grey felt that they used to.

 

[MattJH]

The Stylemaster, for me, is the perfect fedora. My only beef is that they don't make that great light grey felt that they used to.

Are you sure? That's what I got -- "Moonstone." It's a very light, almost blue-tinted grey. It was a custom order, but they made it.

 

[akaBruno]

Check out the Cruiser Grey "CEO" ...
http://www.hatsdirect.com/cgi/products.cgi?view=60&returncat=Fedora+Hats&returnpage=0

 

[beatola]

Stylemaster hat

What is the crown like?

Is it untapered?

How high is the crown?

What about the felt and the sweat/lining quality wise?

 

[Ande1963]

Egads! Dumbjaw selling off his 7 5/8 vintage fedoras would create a ripple in the large hat-buying market the likes of which hasn't been seen since the dawn of eBay!

I better start saving.

Anj

 

[jake_fink]

Are you sure? That's what I got -- "Moonstone." It's a very light, almost blue-tinted grey. It was a custom order, but they made it.

Pictures?

I've had my eye on the moonstone stylemaster for a few weeks. Did you get it from everything Australian? Is it featherweight?

Cheers.

 

[MattJH]

Pictures?

I've had my eye on the moonstone stylemaster for a few weeks. Did you get it from everything Australian? Is it featherweight?

Cheers.

I can take pictures when I get home. It's not featherweight, but it is light. It's a very nice hat. I ordered it from Aussie Bush Hats and Oilskins along with the Tanbark Brown Fedora/Sydney with the red lining.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Widebrimm: One word - ebay. I have a few Akubra's from there. Just look for ones with the lettering on the sweatband still intact, especially the name on the front (usually the fist thing to wear out/off). usually means it has not seen much action. I have a great sand coloured Snowy river that has never really been worn that I got for under $20 because the brim was mangled. A little water treatment and it was as good as new.
Johnny

 

[beatola]

What is the crown like?

Is it untapered?

How high is the crown?

What about the felt and the sweat/lining quality wise?

anyone?

 

[MattJH]

What is the crown like?

Teardrop/semi porkpie. It's the same as in all of the pictures online.

Is it untapered?

No.

How high is the crown?

I'd estimate 4.5" - 5". I'm not home to measure it, though.

What about the felt and the sweat/lining quality wise?

It's an Akubra!

 

[Fredthecat]

Dumbjaw,

I agree, for the most part Aukubra has become my hat of choice over vintage.
They fit right, look great and wear well.

I wear an Aukubra Angler daily for doing wildlife fieldwork and my new Traveler just passed the “smashing flat and looking great” test to the Arctic Circle and back. For working in the rain I still wear my Aukubra Bushman I bought 20 years ago.

Although, I do still like the thicker/softer felt of an old Stetson Open Road and I enjoy the felt and colour of my Dobbs (that same odd green/brown you mentioned).

Could you provide a website where you ordered Aukubras made. I can't locate the Tanbark Brown / Burnt Oak colours you mentioned.

If you get a chance pictures would be great to view.

Thanks, Fredthecat

 

[Atomic Glee]

Akubras are great hats. For me, a 7 7/8 long oval, you're not going to find vintage except very, very rarely, and then for a small fortune.

I've got three Akubras now - two Federations (one brown, one grey), and my new Campdraft. They are all fantastic quality hats. Yes, they're not as thin/soft as vintage felt. They do get better with age, though - my grey hat has always been very soft, my brown stiff at first but has been getting better, and my Campdraft is somewhere in between but is already softening up nicely. Thing is though, they are incredibly tough and hold up to anything I throw at them. My Federations have been soaked - SOAKED - and once dry do not exhibit one iota of taper or shrinkage. Akubra knows how to make quality hats - they've had decades of practice, after all. And they still care about getting the styles right - you're not going to find tall crowned untapered dress hats for that kind of money from anywhere else these days. The Campdraft IS the Open Road, perhaps even a bit better looking. They have obviously stuck to what they know are classic styles.

The sweatbands are good, the liners classic. The felt is great, if not vintage thin & soft in most cases. The style is great. And they fit my big cranium.

And as mentioned before, there's something about getting a great quality hat and letting it mold itself to your head. My Campdraft feels better every day.

Akubra's my hat of choice. Someday, yeah, I'll get a custom from Art, because he's amazing and his hats are second-to-none. But Akubras are easily, far and away, the best hat for their kind of price that you're going to find, and they'll last forever.

 

[WideBrimm]

Widebrimm: One word - ebay. I have a few Akubra's from there. Just look for ones with the lettering on the sweatband still intact, especially the name on the front (usually the fist thing to wear out/off). usually means it has not seen much action. I have a great sand coloured Snowy river that has never really been worn that I got for under $20 because the brim was mangled. A little water treatment and it was as good as new.
Johnny

Thanks. I'll have to give them a try.

 

[Flitcraft]

Tough to argue with Akubra quality. They wear like iron and always look great.

 

[Benny Holiday]

Are you sure? That's what I got -- "Moonstone." It's a very light, almost blue-tinted grey. It was a custom order, but they made it.

I've tried Everything Australian, the Strand Hatters and Hats Direct, and all have told me that Akubra no longer produce anything lighter than a mid-grey colour (the one in my avatar). Koop Kooper has got an Akubra Bogart in a colour called Sky Grey that's fantastic, that's the colour I've been after.