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...
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...
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.
You're welcome. :)
I like to replace the bands on all of my hats. I usually have something in mind when I order one. Some of them (like the 3-color horsehair on the brown one and the tooled leather band on the last hat) I buy pre-made. Others I make myself.
I find changing the band or...
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...
Now THAT is the way customer service should be! It costs them very little, and in return they get a loyal happy customer -- who is also spreading the word to people who may also spread the word. That kind of PR is priceless.
Sometimes it pays to be a politely squeaky wheel.
I ordered this beautiful tri-color "Longmire" style horsehair band from http://knot-a-tail.com/ -- comes in several color combos. I got the one without tassels. Looks great, easy to adjust for size and move from one hat to another, if you like.
Knot-a-Tail also sells on eBay --...
It is long, but I thought it was a pretty comprehensive look at various aspects of hat shaping. Hat shaping definitely takes some skill and finesse, but with practice it can be done reasonably well, even by a relative newcomer.
Plus, it's kind of fun to customize your own hat. It adds a little...
One more vote for wider rather than narrower brim. Just an opinion, of course, but I think the wider brim has more panache.
Maybe the narrower fedora brims remind me too much of the "Mad Men" mid-late-1960s era, when fedoras were on their way out and brims got smaller and smaller.
I think...
Questions for either the pro hat makers or the DIY guys: How much brim size do you lose when a kettle curl or pencil roll is added?
For example, if you want to end up with a 3.25" curled/rolled brim, what width do you need to start with?
(And is there a difference between kettle curl and...
Just out of curiosity, do any of our resident hatters offer a similar-quality 30% beaver-mix western hat in the Akubra 30X's $220 range?
The prices I've seen from various reputable hatters on their web sites are more like the $300+ range, for beaver-bunny-mix hats. I would not mind being...
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