Which Akubra is soft fur?

[art92101]

Seeking Akubra help. I am looking at the Akubra models; Fedora, Stylemaster, campdraft, sydney and even the Heritage Federation. which one has a soft hand? any of them? I like the old school style fedoras so any soft Akubras I missed are appreciated.

 

[Daoud]

Although I don't personally have one, I've been told that the Sydney is very soft.

 

[ken100]

softies

My couple of year old stylemaster is the softest akubra I have, my new stylemaster is a bit stiffer but I feel with a bit more wear it too will soften up,
I have a fairly new akubra hampton which is very pliable also.
Ken

 

[daizawaguy]

Soft if you mean it will form a shape if you push it, but not softer to touch than the standard felt of Akubra. Soft=less stiffner and thinner felt. I have the Fedora in brown.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Buy any one you listed. Wear it every day for at least a year (wind rain and shine) and it will be as soft as butter.
Johnny

 

[warbird]

Buy any one you listed. Wear it every day for at least a year (wind rain and shine) and it will be as soft as butter.
Johnny

This is very true. I like to quicken the process on my feds by smashing them while sitting and watching tv. They do get wonderfully soft, but it takes time. They do not start that way. And I don't know that my vintage hats started life as soft as they are now either. For all I know they had to soften up with age as well.

 

[art92101]

thanks!

Sounds like good advice. Thanks for all your instructive comments.

 

[PeeWee]

The Sydney is by far the softest of any of the Akubra's I own. I also have the Squatter, the Bushman, and a Campdraft on order. I hope it's as soft as my Sydney.

 

[MattJH]

Of Akubras, I've owned or handled the Plainsman, Cattleman, Fedora (Sydney), Federation Standard, Federation Deluxe, Stylemaster, Casual, and Traveler.

As far as softness goes regarding creasing / recreasing / suppleness, the Fedora (Sydney) wins, hands down.

As far as softness goes regarding weight and physical texture, the Stylemaster wins, hands down. It's almost fuzzy.

 

[NonEntity]

Ditto previous comments on the Sydney (AKA The Fedora).

It's the most comfortable right-out-of-the-box hat I've ever owned or even tried on, including crushables, and is the only hat in the Akubra line that's made of this felt.

Though the brim is stiff enough to snap up or down as you please and stay put--down in front, up in back for me, thank you--the crown is so soft that you will actually have trouble handling it without disturbing your bash.

But it's a cinch to put the bash right back in, stick it on your head, and venture into the great wide open.

 

[Woodfluter]

Me too!

This is very true. I like to quicken the process on my feds by smashing them while sitting and watching tv. They do get wonderfully soft, but it takes time. They do not start that way. And I don't know that my vintage hats started life as soft as they are now either. For all I know they had to soften up with age as well.

I've done the same thing, Warbird. Also worth noting: the Heritage grade felt hats are at least one ounce lighter than a comparable hat in Imperial grade, and I've found they soften up more. I thought they must be thinner too, but holding brims against one another, I can't see any difference - so it must have to do with the intrinsic qualities of the felt.

- Bill

 

[NonEntity]

I've done the same thing, Warbird. Also worth noting: the Heritage grade felt hats are at least one ounce lighter than a comparable hat in Imperial grade, and I've found they soften up more. I thought they must be thinner too, but holding brims against one another, I can't see any difference - so it must have to do with the intrinsic qualities of the felt.

- Bill

Bill,

Just what "comparable hat in Imperial grade" are you referring to? Is it the same size? Does it have the same brim width, crown dimensions, hat band, and sweat band (the Heritage hats' are larger)? It couldn't, for Akubra makes no such hat and never has.

The sum total of all those factors could account for a significant weight difference aside from the felt. The plain fact is that the process of manufacturing Heritage Collection felt, and I quote Akubra verbatim, "develops 25% more shrinkage, producing a denser and stronger felt, which in turn provides the basis for a superb pounced finish." In the presence of Earth's gravity, denser equals heavier, which, together with the more pronounced pounce, makes it initially stiffer and therefore more difficult to shape. So I stand firmly by the assertions I made in my previous post that you now refute.

Those are the facts. I know because I have a bevy of Akubras in each of the felts they make. I got my first, the Slouch, in the late 1960s, and many more in the ensuing 40 years. I'm open to learning something new every day, but if anyone knows Akubras, it is I.

I've been observing you for some time now, Bob, and note that you often disagree with people here no matter their experience and expertise. May I suggest that you listen and learn before a knee-jerk reaction of disagreement and heed the wise man's advice, "the day you think you know everything is the day before you know nothing."

I mean no offense, Bob--we're all in this hat thing together--but you have become increasingly tiresome, and I hope you take this suggestion to heart.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

SHEEEESH!

Feel better now, Non?

Uncalled for.

 

[Woodfluter]

I am truly sorry for any offense, NonEntity...is it possible you might have confused me with someone else? I generally agree with and support what others have said, and really don't think I'm at all inclined to quarrel! Oh, by the way, it's Bill, not Bob.

I never meant to refute anything you said in your post, about the Sydney. Never ever have I seen nor handled one, and don't have any opinion about it.

In any event, I do apologize for condensing what I posted on another thread, leaving out what led to my conclusions. I surely do not claim any grand, sweeping expertise in these matters. For clarification, and without wishing to be tedious, here's what I posted :
_________________________________
Here are some weights. All hats are either size 59 or 60. These all include comparable liner and sweatband, so the differences reflect felt alone. All measurements made with a triple-beam lab balance, so aren't approximate!

Federation III Deluxe...............149.6 gm (5.28 oz) (6.0 inch crown, brim 2-1/2 x 2-3/4)
Federation IV Deluxe...............141.3 gm (4.98 oz) (5.5 inch crown, same brim dimensions)
Banjo Paterson (Heritage felt)...141.2 gm (4.98 oz) brim 2-3/4
Akubra Kiandra (Imperial felt)....175.6 gm (6.19 oz) brim cut down to same as Banjo Paterson
Akubra Rodeo (Imperial felt)..... 177.8 gm (6.27 oz) brim cut down to 2-3/4, tall crown
__________________________________
The Kiandra (as modified) and the B.P. are almost identical in crown/brim size and have similar hatbands. Despite a significantly taller crown, the Rodeo (modified) is close in weight to the Kiandra - just a bit heavier. What I concluded from all this is that the Heritage felt hats are lighter by around an ounce.

Good point about different sweats - but the Heritage ones are 4.2 cm wide and the Imperials are about 3.5-3.7 cm. That should tend to make the Heritage hats heavier rather than lighter. You are free to draw your own conclusions - I'm ready to listen with an open mind. I'm here to learn too.

My observation that H hats softened more than I hats was based solely on my personal experience from manipulating and softening three I's and three H's. Limited sample, take it for what it's worth.

Sorry for the length of this post, just want to get the data on the table and clear things up.

All the best,
- Bill

 

[rrog]

Bill,
Thanks for the post and clarification. IMO, an informative post that is/was an appropriate response in the context of the original thread. Granted, I'm new around here (about 80 some-odd posts; okay, I'm VERY new!), but I've found your posts to be well-mannered. Other than mere differences of preference, such as "I like black hats" "Really? I like brown ones.", your posts have not been contrary at all. I appreciate your candor and your well-thought-out replies. And I'd still love to see some pics of your BP hat. I mentioned it in another thread and either you didn't see my request or I missed the pics. That's one I'm considering and would like to see one on somebody's head.

Thanks,
rrog

 

[MattJH]

I'm open to learning something new every day, but if anyone knows Akubras, it is I.

I've been observing you for some time now, Bob, and note that you often disagree with people here no matter their experience and expertise. May I suggest that you listen and learn before a knee-jerk reaction of disagreement and heed the wise man's advice, "the day you think you know everything is the day before you know nothing."

I mean no offense, Bob--we're all in this hat thing together--but you have become increasingly tiresome, and I hope you take this suggestion to heart.

Reacting in that manner speaks volumes to your character. You didn't deserve Bill's courteous reply. If the Fedora Lounge's rules were different, I'd be saying different things here. Suffice to say that this is a message board. On the Internet. About hats. So, I'm mostly laughing at you.

 

[Woodfluter]

Bill,
.....And I'd still love to see some pics of your BP hat. I mentioned it in another thread and either you didn't see my request or I missed the pics. That's one I'm considering and would like to see one on somebody's head.
Thanks,
rrog

rrog, I missed the request for some time :eusa_doh:
But now you can check page 11 of the "Akubra Overload" to see mine and G-man's.
Hope this helps,
- Bill

 

[ken100]

Settle pettel

Wow guys, whats that all about? softness of akubra felt, thats what I thought. Well after having a good feel of my collection of akubras I decided that my Hampton is the softest right out of the box, really nice to touch, pliable but with a great memory, the idea of older hats always getting softer I can dispute, my 25 ish year old snowy river is like a rock, still cool but damm, I think it has been fosillised.
Ken

 

[kaosharper1]

The softest one I have is the Sydney which is also very light.