The Perfect Safari Hat - Part II

[Mike K.]

After many requests from fellow Fedora Loungers, I am finally posting my most recent safari hat conversion. For this one, I decided to take everyone back to the very beginning of my quest and show you how things evolved. We begin way back in my college days when a friend let me wear (briefly) his fur felt Banana Republic safari hat which looked something like this:

Years passed by and the old Banana Republic changed for the worse, but I never forgot that great hat. It was my introduction to the fedora-style hat. The safari hat was/is a perfect fit for my life as a wildlife biologist, explorer, and hunter. So after lengthy searches on eBay, never finding a decent vintage BR hat, I set out to make my own. There were a few specific criteria that needed to be met - the hat must be fur felt, it needed to be a olive-khaki color, it needed to have a contrasting light-colored pleated band, and it needed a 2.75-3.00 inch brim.

Besides memories & photos of the old BR safari hat, I had a few models to use for inspiration. For example John Whitmore (from The Endless Summer movie) and the safari man himself, Robert Ruark.

Many of you know about my first safari hat conversion of the Akubra Riverina (http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=18199&highlight=riverina). Well that hat turned out pretty good for me and before I knew it, had attracted quite a following of other Loungers all making the "safari-ized" Riverina conversion. I still wear my Riverina regularly, even though there have been a few things bugging me. For one, the Riverina is a nice khaki color but not quite green enough for my tastes. Second, the brim was nice and wide but perhaps just a tad too much for my noggin. Lastly, that dreaded Akubra sweat band!! :rage:

Quick point of divergence - Akubra uses a "reeded roan leather" sweat band. Many of us have noted how incredibly hot and sweaty the Riverina gets, even on colder days. Well, it is not because of the satin liner. The Riverina's "roan leather" appears to be either "bonded leather" (lots of fine leather fibers cemented together in a plastic medium, then pressed into sheets with a grain texture) or it is leather with a very heavy lacquer coating. Whatever the case may be, the Riverina sweatband is too hot and doesn't do what a sweat band should do.​

Introducing The Next Evolution of the Safari Hat Conversion
For this latest project, I found Akubra's newest hat called the Kokoda which had the perfect green color and a little more ventilation.

I originally went with the ready-made puggaree for my hat, but was sent the wrong size. I also didn't like that it covered the ventilation holes. Additionally, my safari hat was about to go through some major modifications.

My Akubra Kokoda arrived as pictured from Hats Direct. Straight from the factory it has a huge brim, is unlined, and has that awful Akubra sweat band. Plus, mine arrived with ventilation holes that weren't aligned with the block of that hat.
First opening of the box - - - - - - - - - and the big green cowboy hat! lol

Here is the Kokoda (left, with my initial crown re-bash) next to the Riverina (right) for comparison. Note the greener color and a less crown taper of the Kokoda.

Wolfwood had the same idea and has already posted his hat conversion here:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=50002&highlight=kokoda

My modifications to the hat would be far more major. I have to give my sincere appreciation to Art Fawcett who did much of the modification work on my hat. First, Art professionally trimmed the monstrous brim down to precisely 2-7/8 inches and re-bound the edge. Next, he ripped out the nasty Akubra sweat band and replaced it with a very classy and beautifully colored genuine leather sweat. Finally, he re-blocked the entire crown with a nicer bash, a more pronounced pinch, and aligned the ventilation holes. Then it was sent back to me for finishing touches, namely the puggaree. It's nothing but a green fedora until that puggaree is added!

 

[Mike K.]

...and a few photos of the finished product.

As you can see, Art did an amazing job rebinding the brim edge.

I debated (and I'm still doing so) between the hand-wrapped puggaree made of cotton twill tape and a purchased pleated hat band similar to the ones on the vintage Banana Republic hats. For now I am sticking with the hand-wrapped band, mostly because I like the little "peak" in the folds at the front & center of the hat. The twill also makes an interesting texture. You'll notice that I add one additional wrap to the puggaree at the bottom. This is done by ending the next-to-last wrap at the base of the crown (where the brim starts), and then folding the last wrap in half and wrapping it around the entire crown to "close" the puggaree bottom. It is tucked underneath in back.

Finally, here is a look at the inside of the hat. The Akubra fake leather sweat band has been replaced with a genuine leather one. I really love the chestnut color of the leather as it really compliments the green color of the hat. The lack of a satin liner, while not as refined looking as the Riverina, does make for a cooler and more comfortable hat (and the real leather sweat band also helps a lot).

The final product is not too dissimilar from the Riverina conversion. This latest creation has a slightly shorter brim, a better green color, a vastly improved leather sweat band (along with more ventilation holes), and is unlined. I was happy with my "safari-ized" Riverina. I am even more happy with my Kokoda safari hat!

 

[danofarlington]

...and a few photos of the finished product.

As you can see, Art did an amazing job rebinding the brim edge.
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e153/Lizard-of-Oz/New%20Safari%20Hat/IMG_0208.jpg[/[/QUOTE]
Nice hat color.

 

[Wolfwood]

Ah, that's a very nice look!, indeed! It would be great to see a couple of shots of it on your head as well, though, to see how the brim width works.

I'll have to post new pics of my Kokoda safari project as well after the tweaks I've given to it over this summer.

 

[Woodfluter]

That is one terrific looking hat, Mike! And Art did great work, as we'd expect.

I'm puzzled about the Akubra sweatbands. My Riverina (sans liner and now with 14 eyelets) hasn't posed a steambath issue, even though I do sweat a good deal. I just checked it all over with a hand lens and it looks and feels just like typical chrome-tanned leather, same as in vintage hats. It doesn't have a repeating grain pattern, the thickness varies a bit, has minor irregularities on the underside - all the stuff you'd expect to see. Not at all like the "leather" sweat in my modern Dobbs milan, which is exactly as you describe (and hot and non-absorbant).

Could Akubra have used different sweatbands in different examples of the same hat? So far haven't encountered a pressed-composition one like you described, although I've seen them in other makes pretty often. Could you show us a picture of the old one, and I'll post a shot of the one in mine?

 

[Mike K.]

That's entirely possible Woodfluter. A number of us who purchased our Riverinas from Outback Outlet have noted a bad sweating problem, even with the liner removed. Mojave Jack told me that he had the problem wearing the hat on very cool, crisp days when sweating usually isn't much of an issue. The sweatband on my Riverina actually appears to be two thin pieces glued together. Maybe it isn't true bonded leather, but instead has an overly thick lacquer applied. Whatever the case may be, it has been a very hot and sweaty hat.

 

[Mike K.]

Ah, that's a very nice look!, indeed! It would be great to see a couple of shots of it on your head as well, though, to see how the brim width works.

I'll have to post new pics of my Kokoda safari project as well after the tweaks I've given to it over this summer.

Looking forward to seeing your new photos Wolfwood! Great minds think alike. I purchased my Kokoda several months ago, along with that same puggaree, but because of some surgery and work tie-ups I never got around to posting until now. I think Akubra got it right (for us at least) with their 'khaki' color found on the Kokoda, Territory, and Military Slouch hats. The brim on the Kokoda was just too big for me, so I had Art trim it down to the size on the Riverina (actually just a hair shorter). I would have done the cutting myself, but I wanted to have the edge binding so that's why I enlisted Art's professional assistance. I will get more photos (of me wearing the hat) posted when I can.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As yet another "safari" hat project, what does everyone think about using the Akubra Territory (left) as the starting point for a Robert Redford style Out of Africa hat (right)?

 

[Wolfwood]

The brim is indeed somewhat wide, but it is "just" on the side of ok for my 6'2" frame.

As far as it comes to Akubra Territory, that was actually one of the Akubras I considered before I purchased the Kokoda. It would fit the role very well, I think!

Here's the latest incarnation of my Akubra Kokoda, by the way - I managed to reveal the vent holes by squashing the puggaree as low as it could possibly go.

 

[Interbak]

Hey mike,

My vote is to stick with the hand wrapped pug treatment, looks great. I may have to steal that pattern for my Bailey.

Brian

 

[Woodfluter]

That's entirely possible Woodfluter. A number of us who purchased our Riverinas from Outback Outlet have noted a bad sweating problem, even with the liner removed. Mojave Jack told me that he had the problem wearing the hat on very cool, crisp days when sweating usually isn't much of an issue. The sweatband on my Riverina actually appears to be two thin pieces glued together. Maybe it isn't true bonded leather, but instead has an overly thick lacquer applied. Whatever the case may be, it has been a very hot and sweaty hat.

Thanks Mike. I surely don't want to hijack this thread, but it seems like the best place to quickly resolve this mystery.

What my modified Riverina looks like now (I know, no pugaree!) with 14 eyelets and no liner. Ordered from Outback Outlet. in May 2008:



Here's the Riverina sweatband:







You'll notice some incipient parting or splitting on the edge view. If you look at this under a hand lens, it's typical of what you see with chrome-tanned leathers. There are fibers pulling apart in between. If someone mechanically augmented that separation process, you'd get "split suede" - that's how it's made. It doesn't look like anything laminated. The grain pattern in the first pic seems natural - I can't spot a repetition anyway.

Now here's shots of the sweat in my Dobbs milan (recent):





Shiny surface, not absorbant, back side clearly shows it's compounded of random fibers of some sort - almost looks like pressed carpet padding. Yuck. (Thinking of getting it replaced.)

If Akubra put something like the latter in your Riverina, well shame on them! I'd have complained, despite the low price back then.

Oh, and real leather shouldn't have any lacquer.

- Bill

 

[DUKE NUKEM]

I really like this hat.

 

[Gummy]

Picture of me with my Kokoda Safari'ized on a recent hunting trip
http://i1113.photobucket.com/albums/k509/GummyMjollnir/GMThhuntingsm.jpg

 

[vintage68]

I really like this hat.

"I had a farm in Africa...." I'm a big fan of the hat as well.

I really like how your hat turned out Mike. I'm curious, why didn't you go for a full custom job from the start? Was it for the divine madness of a hat project?

 

[Levallois]

My Akubra that I set up with a pungaree about 6 years ago. A great field hat during the winter months.

 

[Effingham]

Dammit, I hate it when cool threads have been ruined by removed photos.

 

[vintage68]

I agree, and not by me either. The photo is missing from my Photobucket account too. Odd, since the photo is available on several places around the 'net, so I didn't think it would be a copyright issue.

 

[Effingham]

There are a lot of wonderful sites I'm on where people post pictures of their projects, but they only keep 'em up for a while -- on a temporary site or something -- and eventually purge them. Seeing said threads a year later is like... sad ghosttown time.

 

[Burton]

A very interesting topic and I would love to see some photos of people actually using "the perfect safari hat" on an actual safari. I used a Baron Hats "The Hunter" recently hunting in Tanzania and it worked great. Also I see some kind of "Kokoda" hat that several folks are mentioning and it reminded me of a solo trek I did years ago of the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea. Would love to see some action photos rather than shots of these hats in the den. Please post!

 

[Gummy]

A very interesting topic and I would love to see some photos of people actually using "the perfect safari hat" on an actual safari. I used a Baron Hats "The Hunter" recently hunting in Tanzania and it worked great. Also I see some kind of "Kokoda" hat that several folks are mentioning and it reminded me of a solo trek I did years ago of the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea. Would love to see some action photos rather than shots of these hats in the den. Please post!

I did put a link of me with my Kokoda on a hunting trip, not safari but hunting none the less, I was not sure if I would offend somebody as it has dead birds in it so I put a link to the photo. The link is here above.

Regards,
Gummy

 

[Burton]

Gummy, I saw that photo and really liked it! The hat in action rather than the usual staged den shots. Where was the photo taken?