Akubra Overload

[ShadowXY]

Tablelands 56 in Brown Olive just flew in from Tennessee. Fits & love it!!!

Great shape but had to remove some silver sparkles that were on & inside the hat from some celebration?
Conditioned the band, brushed it & gave it a damp wipe with microfiber cloth.

Nice color. Very usable & won't show garden dust etc. A work hat that protects from sun.

I think the Territory will be a very similar color. I like it. It's dark enough & has some contrast to go with my usual black wardrobe.

 

[ShadowXY]

Tablelands is one I looked at purely as a sun hat/beater, that or a cattleman would be functionally identical. I’d probably go for a lighter colour to reflect a bit more heat.
One thing I have noticed, based on messing with my Campdraft, is that a teardrop is warmer on the head than a simple crease since the latter is higher and doesn’t touch the top of the head. High crowns definitely have a function.

I like the Olive Brown as it's really usable. I like silverbelly but when your out digging in the dirt with dust flying around you or you have garden dirt on your hands & touch a light hat it's not going to hold up look wise.

This is the first time I've ever seen a tablelands on the bay in my size & it was reasonably priced in really excellent condition. Crown seems the right size. This crown when it fits on my head is ok. The 55 Shark just wants to sit on top of my head like a beanie & I like the hats to sit lower. I'm under 5 foot so as much as a high crown can add to my height it might also just be a bit too much. I have a tall resistol.

Pleased with this hat. Not lets hope I am just as happy with the Territory which also seems to be a harder hat to find for reasonable even in sz 56.

 

[Maq0524]

My Akubra Federation IV in "Expedition" bash which I got last year.

 

[ShadowXY]

I just rubbed some Saphir nappa leather conditioner on the back of the leather band. The water made it a little stiff.

I really didn''t intend to wet the leather band but I sprayed the entire top & the underside of the brim & some settled on the band.

It's dry & it's much better & wearable although a bit tighter than yesterday. I wore the hat for a couple pf hours with the towel under it & it mostly dried but not all the way. Hard to stay all day with a towel & hat on your head. This is not a quick process but it worked well to make the hat more usable.

I really should get 56 as I'm a full 55 & these hats or bands shrink but I bought a 55 used Snowy River & it would not set on my head. I didn't know then it might have worked out after a few wears or some foam but I was new to hats.

I'm learning styles & what looks good. I thought I never looked good in hats but one really needs a hat that fits & is shaped for the face. I'm a very petite lady but have a strong jawline & squarish face. A high pointy western tends to make my face look wider. I'm fond of the teardrop pinched look more than the traditional cattleman.

It wants to go higher than this but can pull it down to here where it's fine. Couldn't do this before.

I bought a Hat Jack in Med. It would be good to keep the shape when it's wet & have it a little big so it will be able to shrink to size.
$16 shipped from the bay. I guess they run $25 to $30 new? Looks like an older one & be nice if it was a good wood.

Well, The Shark is still just not right. I don't like where it wants to sit & it fights my head.

Got the Hat Jack today. I bought a blue M & a Red S. The blue is good for getting a good stretch in when the hat is wet & holding it until it dries. That might work especially if I do a steam treatment.

Wore it & sweated in it today. Wiped the sweat band & inserted the M Hat Jack as far as it comfortably fits.

It's good to have a Med for stretching & a small for stabilizing.

 

[Dan718]

When I switched up from cheapish wool felts to fur felt with leather headbands the first thing I noticed was that I needed to go up from a 57 to a 58.

I have a Borsalino in 57, which is fine as a dress hat as the fit should be a little higher on the head, is fine if my hair is short but not if I need a haircut. It’s a bit like how a dress uniform feels tight compared to casual clothes. But for daily wear and to accommodate shrinkage of a leather hat band, especially in an Akubra, going a size up is a must if I’m not to feel like I have my head in a vice.

My feeling is that a hat stretcher is great for keeping a hat from shrinking, or stretching one that’s already shrunk, but trying to go up a size is essentially a fight with the structure of the hat.

So watching this thread and thinking that eventually you’ll probably end up getting a size up. Without damaging the hat you might not be able to get just the right fit, and if you do it may not be permanent. Sometimes we just have to cut our losses.

 

[ShadowXY]

I hate that vice feeling!

I am a 6 7/8 technically & I bought that at first as an Akubra Snowy in 55 was too big. Loosely my head is close to 22 inch.
A Resistol in 6 7/8 is also on the small side.

I have found some 6 7/8 fit fine & some are just not setting down enough as I like them lower.

I think I should just buy the 56/7 & hope it is or will shrink as I don't like a hat high on my head.

If the Shark doesn't work out as a hat I love I'll use it for rain & really bad conditions.

It was the 2nd Akubra I got & 1st I kept as it was a good price. It might even have shrunk since I got it or
my style & my taste has matured & I know what feels & looks best on me.

The shark is in the hat mold, steamed a little & still at 6 in wide X 7 1/2 in long so it's sizing a 6 3/4 or 54? That's why I am having trouble with it.

The Drover 55 fits nice.

 

[ShadowXY]

I hate that vice feeling!

I am a 6 7/8 technically & I bought that at first as an Akubra Snowy in 55 was too big. Loosely my head is close to 22 inch.
A Resistol in 6 7/8 is also on the small side.

I have found some 6 7/8 fit fine & some are just not setting down enough as I like them lower.

I think I should just buy the 56/7 & hope it is or will shrink as I don't like a hat high on my head.

If the Shark doesn't work out as a hat I love I'll use it for rain & really bad conditions.

It was the 2nd Akubra I got & 1st I kept as it was a good price. It might even have shrunk since I got it or
my style & my taste has matured & I know what feels & looks best on me.

The shark is in the hat mold, steamed a little & still at 6 in wide X 7 1/2 in long so it's sizing a 6 3/4 or 54? That's why I am having trouble with it.

The Drover 55 fits nice.

Wore the Shark today. Fit's much better & really fine but the stretch tore the leather sweatband about 1/4 inch in the front. Arrrghhh... Just trying to make it wearable which it is now but it was hot & my head sweated so put the form back in to keep the shape. Likely going to be a constant battle against the shrink when worn on hot days.

Oh well.

Thinking of sending the Boss back. I know it's hard to judge hat sizes without a tag but a hat 2 sizes bigger than your biggest head size 7 is also not going to work out.

 

[Dan718]

Wore the Shark today. Fit's much better & really fine but the stretch tore the leather sweatband about 1/4 inch in the front. Arrrghhh... Just trying to make it wearable which it is now but it was hot & my head sweated so put the form back in to keep the shape. Likely going to be a constant battle against the shrink when worn on hot days.

Oh well.

Thinking of sending the Boss back. I know it's hard to judge hat sizes without a tag but a hat 2 sizes bigger than your biggest head size 7 is also not going to work out.

I think you’re right. If you’re tearing the leather than stretching isn’t going to help, the hat is now structurally compromised.

You may end up paying more for repairs and adjustments than you would if you were just to get a hat in the right size.

 

[ShadowXY]

I think you’re right. If you’re tearing the leather than stretching isn’t going to help, the hat is now structurally compromised.

You may end up paying more for repairs and adjustments than you would if you were just to get a hat in the right size.

When I wet it the leather dried stiffer. I tried to condition it with a good conditioner Napa by Saphir but the hat is over 30 years old & leather is going to degrade with time.

Really had no choice as it's not useful unless you found someone with a 54 sz head.
Also maybe a 55 could use it if they just wanted it to sit really high barely on the head. See After pic 1 vs before pic 2.

I measured the circumference of the form & it's close to 22 so it's coming in around a 7 now. If 55/ 6 7/8 is truly 21.65 in, I'm closer to 22 in so I'm a 7

Not going to invest in repairs but if it's stable it's still usable for a beater. One always needs a hat that they don't care if it's used in less than ideal conditions or downright messy garden.

The Boss is too big as it was said to be a 6 7/8 - 7. It's more like a 7 1/4.
Beautiful hat but I may be deluding myself that that hat could work with trying to shrink it.

 

[ShadowXY]

Territory is here Sz 56 in an Khaki (Olive) or Eucalypt Color. Not sure what color it is but the hat fits & looks great for a big brim.
It's similar to the Tablelands but wider brim & it's more brownish olive than the Tablelands Olive Brown which is really much more of a greenish tone. Hard to see in photos (last is Tableland). I'm still going with the hopefully Eucalypt. Doesn't look as dark as Khaki.

Did great have three nice Abubra's that fit. Drover is last photo.

Territory came in a big box which should hopefully be big enough to ship the Boss with it's Outback box back. I like the Boss but it's way too big & was sized wrong by the seller. Amount of padding needed to work the hat would stretch the leather sweatband & end up making it worse.

Have to decide what to do with the Shark. Brim & hat is just too short for my head. The bigger hats balance my strong jawline.

 

[Dan718]

Territory is here Sz 56 in an Olive Color. Not sure what color it is but the hat fits & looks great for a big brim.
It's similar to the Tablelands but wider brim & it's more brownish olive than the Tablelands Olive Brown which is really much more of a greenish tone. Hard to see in photos (last is Tableland).

Did great have three nice Abubra's that fit. Drover is last photo.

Territory came in a big box which should hopefully be big enough to ship the Boss with it's Outback box back. I like the Boss but it's way too big & was sized wrong by the seller. Amount of padding needed to work the hat would stretch the leather sweatband & end up making it worse.

Have to decide what to do with the Shark. Brim & hat is just too short for my head. The bigger hats balance my strong jawline.

That looks the business, and will definitely keep the sun off! Looks like an ideal fieldwork hat.

 

[ShadowXY]

That looks the business, and will definitely keep the sun off! Looks like an ideal fieldwork hat.

Thanks!

I really like this teardrop pinch front. 56/7 comes plenty deep even though it's not a deep crown hat.
Actually just balanced perfectly.

I need the sun protection in Southern CA just the felt is really not an all around use when it's over 90 or 100F.

Really like black but these neutral colors seem to still fit the bill for a darker contrast.

I think this is an older Territory. Square tag but the lid liner is the black & white without color so I think that puts it in the early square tags of about 2001 ish? So this hat is still about 20 years old & it looks like new!

I'm stoked to have found it. $60 plus tax & shipping. Because of the brim it had to come in a huge box. So paid about $80 for it which is much less than a new Territory.