Western, anyone?

[H Weinstein]

Hot damn Weinstein that Loden looks fantastic! You say it's a re shaped rough rider? Where did you get the hat band?
Johnny

Thanks, Johnny. Yes, the loden "Longmire" hat is an Akubra Rough Rider I reshaped. I got the band from an online seller called Knot-a-Tail. They sell on eBay (http://stores.ebay.com/knotatail?_trksid=p2047675.l2563) and their website http://knot-a-tail.com/ -- pretty much the same prices either way.

 

[H Weinstein]

Welcome to the biggest problem in hat wearing


Nice Akubra collection!

Thanks, Joao. I love all your great hats

 

[Chamuco]

Hello Weinstein !!!

Would you be so kind to let me know more about this hat? Model and color.

Killer looking hat...I have been looking and looking at the picture and it is not only great looking but also might be a more wearable hat, more combinable hat, that a more western shaped one for me.

 

[Chamuco]

Hi, Chamuco --

I have 10 Akubra westerns. I thought about the Snowy River, but it has a pretty low crown, which seemed like it might rest on the top of my head. So I went for some taller crown styles, which also have slightly wider brims. Depends on your tastes.

The Bobby is a great hat with a 3.6" brim. The crown is softly shaped, not quite a cattleman block but close. However, it's easy enough to coax either crown or brim into shapes more to your liking with a little tea-kettle steam or just spraying it with distilled water. (Lots of us here can tell you more about how to do that. All of my hats I've reshaped myself, and it's fun. Plus you get a "custom" hat when you're done. But not everyone wants to go to the trouble.)

I have 3 Rough Riders (3.8" brim, which I cut to about 3.5") in loden (dark brown), light sand (very light but not quite white) and black. I love all 3 colors and wear them pretty much any time. I just brush them to keep them clean, but then I don't tend to engage in activities which would get them very dirty.

Everything Australian (http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au) is a great place to order Akubras. Really good prices, reasonable shipping, excellent customer service from Sam Menche.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Here are some of my Akubra westerns in various styles:

Hello Weinstein !!!

Would you be so kind to let me know more about this hat? Model and color.

Killer looking hat...I have been looking and looking at the picture and it is not only great looking but also might be a more wearable hat, more combinable hat, that a more western shaped one for me.

 

[Chamuco]

Welcome to the biggest problem in hat wearing


Nice Akubra collection!

Thanks Joao, indeed, but nice problem to have !!!

 

[RJR]

It certainly IS a nice problem.

 

[Joao Encarnado]

Thanks, Joao. I love all your great hats

They are mostly stock but thanks

 

[Joao Encarnado]

It certainly IS a nice problem.

Don't know if it is so nice when you get to 50 hats and look for more

 

[H Weinstein]

Hello Weinstein !!!

Would you be so kind to let me know more about this hat? Model and color.

Killer looking hat...I have been looking and looking at the picture and it is not only great looking but also might be a more wearable hat, more combinable hat, that a more western shaped one for me.

Hi, Chamuco --

Thanks for the kind words!

This started out as an Akubra Bobby in Sand (which is a light color, but a shade darker than it looks in this pic).
It's been through several re-stylings. I think it was my first Akubra purchase, about 4 years ago, before I knew much about how to rebash hats and before I obtained some inexpensive but incredibly helpful shaping equipment -- in my case, just a plastic Hat Shaper block (the straight-sided dome from hatshapers.com) and a really good wooden vintage hat jack/stretcher found on eBay for about $20.

As I got more hats, I could not decide what to do with this one. Eventually settled on re-doing it as a replica of the hat worn by Tim Olyphant as Raylan Givens in the TV series "Justified"...which is just a simple cattleman crown, the brim trimmed to 3.25 inches from about 3.6 inches and given an understated dip front and back and slight side curl. I found the correct tooled leather band at our local western-wear store. (It's a common band, probably easy to find on eBay or online.)

The standard shape of the Bobby isn't that different from how mine ended up. It wouldn't be hard to re-shape the crown a little bit. Do keep in mind that the brim would be a little wider than the one in my photo.

If you don't think you're ready to tackle your own re-shaping, or just don't want to bother, the Akubra Rough Rider in Light Sand (a shade lighter) gives you the same shape crown as mine with a little more curl to the brim.
The Rough Rider does have a wider brim, at about 3.8 inches.

The Akubra Kiandra comes in Sand and looks like it gives you a similar crown shape with a slightly smaller brim (3.1 inches). It's a little more "country" and less "western" but still more hat (and more sun protection) than a fedora style.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more questions!

Howard

 

[Chamuco]

Hi, Chamuco --

Thanks for the kind words!

This started out as an Akubra Bobby in Sand (which is a light color, but a shade darker than it looks in this pic).
It's been through several re-stylings. I think it was my first Akubra purchase, about 4 years ago, before I knew much about how to rebash hats and before I obtained some inexpensive but incredibly helpful shaping equipment -- in my case, just a plastic Hat Shaper block (the straight-sided dome from hatshapers.com) and a really good wooden vintage hat jack/stretcher found on eBay for about $20.

As I got more hats, I could not decide what to do with this one. Eventually settled on re-doing it as a replica of the hat worn by Tim Olyphant as Raylan Givens in the TV series "Justified"...which is just a simple cattleman crown, the brim trimmed to 3.25 inches from about 3.6 inches and given an understated dip front and back and slight side curl. I found the correct tooled leather band at our local western-wear store. (It's a common band, probably easy to find on eBay or online.)

The standard shape of the Bobby isn't that different from how mine ended up. It wouldn't be hard to re-shape the crown a little bit. Do keep in mind that the brim would be a little wider than the one in my photo.

If you don't think you're ready to tackle your own re-shaping, or just don't want to bother, the Akubra Rough Rider in Light Sand (a shade lighter) gives you the same shape crown as mine with a little more curl to the brim.
The Rough Rider does have a wider brim, at about 3.8 inches.

The Akubra Kiandra comes in Sand and looks like it gives you a similar crown shape with a slightly smaller brim (3.1 inches). It's a little more "country" and less "western" but still more hat (and more sun protection) than a fedora style.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have more questions!

Howard

Thanks Howard

Very helpful, love the color , lighter colors go well with Mexican warmer weather.

My next Akubra will be more on the western side.

I will order it as soon as I get the ones I am waiting for.

Already have a nice hat Jack, will look for the greasing tools.

Things change when you turn from Panamas , straws, an regular pre creased hats to open crowns and you want to get the right shaping for you.

Thanks a lot !!!

 

[H Weinstein]

Thanks Howard

Very helpful, love the color , lighter colors go well with Mexican warmer weather.

My next Akubra will be more on the western side.

I will order it as soon as I get the ones I am waiting for.

Already have a nice hat Jack, will look for the greasing tools.

Things change when you turn from Panamas , straws, an regular pre creased hats to open crowns and you want to get the right shaping for you.

Thanks a lot !!!

You're welcome

The plastic Hat Shaper was a great investment -- about $40 including shipping (in the US, anyway). Much cheaper than any of the wood blocks I saw on eBay, and does pretty much the same job -- allowing you to take any pre-creased hat and bring it back to open crown.

I use tea-kettle steam, but just spraying with water will probably work just as well. I've used the Hat Shaper dozens of times. Others here at The Lounge have used a Hat Shaper too.

 

[Brian Niebuhr]

It's been about a year since I've gotten a new hat. Too long. I was thinking about another Akubra but there just isn't a model that I want bad enough since they thinned the herd and I don't trust other hat companies enough to shell out the dough. Used hats in my size are few and rarely ever open corwned. I've been eyeballing the Miller open crown westerns for years. Nealry bought one about 10 years ago. I think it was "big country" or "big ben". Any other modern open crown westerns out there that can withstand rain as well as Akubras? I think it's fair to use them as a standard. Maybe not realistic but it should be considering how much new hats cost. We shouldn't have to spend money on hats that can't do their job. Any suggestions would be of great help!

 

[nigeloscar]

Check it out...

. Any suggestions would be of great help!

Hi Brian

I had the good fortune of popping into The Hattery in Katoomba yesterday. They have a great Western Akubra called the Wentworth which I particularly loved... worth checking out for sure!

 

[gtdean48]

It's been about a year since I've gotten a new hat. Too long. I was thinking about another Akubra but there just isn't a model that I want bad enough since they thinned the herd and I don't trust other hat companies enough to shell out the dough. Used hats in my size are few and rarely ever open corwned. I've been eyeballing the Miller open crown westerns for years. Nealry bought one about 10 years ago. I think it was "big country" or "big ben". Any other modern open crown westerns out there that can withstand rain as well as Akubras? I think it's fair to use them as a standard. Maybe not realistic but it should be considering how much new hats cost. We shouldn't have to spend money on hats that can't do their job. Any suggestions would be of great help!

You can get a number of open crown western models from American Hat Company.
Personally, I can't talk to their durability in the wet as I usually get older model Resistols of ebay to use as beaters around the ranch....

 

[Renault]

Well I hadn't bough a new hat in close to 3 years so I decided to treat myself today to a belated birthday present. Resistol "Top Hand" Showdown in Stone. I call this my "Joao Brim" model at 4 1/2"!

 

[RJR]

.

 

[gtdean48]

Well I hadn't bough a new hat in close to 3 years so I decided to treat myself today to a belated birthday present. Resistol "Top Hand" Sundowner in Stone. I call this my "Joao Brim" model at 4 1/2"!
...

Nice brim!
BTW where is Wilbarger Creek bottom? One of my customers is Wilbarger Hospital in Vernon, TX.

 

[Renault]

Nice brim!
BTW where is Wilbarger Creek bottom? One of my customers is Wilbarger Hospital in Vernon, TX.

Bastrop County Texas. I live between the creek and the Colorado River on Wilbargers and Popes bend.

Here's an interesting read on one of the Wilbarger boys

https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fwi08

Wild times!

 

[hatophile]

Wow, I am loving that Montana peak!

 

[Chamuco]

You're welcome

The plastic Hat Shaper was a great investment -- about $40 including shipping (in the US, anyway). Much cheaper than any of the wood blocks I saw on eBay, and does pretty much the same job -- allowing you to take any pre-creased hat and bring it back to open crown.

I use tea-kettle steam, but just spraying with water will probably work just as well. I've used the Hat Shaper dozens of times. Others here at The Lounge have used a Hat Shaper too.

Thanks again Howard !!!

Now I have my plastic Hat Shaper ordered.

Waiting to get it and use it !!!