Akubra Campdraft Question

[Zombie_61]

I can only echo what's already been said. I have three Campdrafts, and they all have "floppy ribbon syndrome". As soon as you accept it as a fact of life, you'll sleep better at night.

 

[RJR]

Your CampDraft is telling you that you move in a forward direction and that its leading ribbon flies to the rear. All 4 of mine do the same. (Well, the last actually now has a medium ribbon over the old ribbon and the ends are sewn.) But the point is that your hat is completely normal.

Just be aware that the wind cord is really cosmetic. Mine failed miserably in a high wind. I had a string blowing from my lapel and a hat blowing down the tarmac at an airport. Not a good thing.

Nice hat.

Enjoy,
Fed

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Is there anyway to get the crease out completely?

Take it back to an open crown. Then with plenty of steam & a rounded hard object like a ball held on the inside against the point of the crease, work to smooth it out. I usually use a pool or billiard ball to work out dents, dimples & creases. With a little TLC it works great unless the felt is worn slick or shiny.

 

[Frunobulax]

Take it back to an open crown. Then with plenty of steam & a rounded hard object like a ball held on the inside against the point of the crease, work to smooth it out. I usually use a pool or billiard ball to work out dents, dimples & creases. With a little TLC it works great unless the felt is worn slick or shiny.

Using a small child's head to stretch the hat's crown over works, too. Just ignore the screams when you use the steam iron on it. Kids bounce back and heal quick.

 

[DOGMAN]

Take it back to an open crown. Then with plenty of steam & a rounded hard object like a ball held on the inside against the point of the crease, work to smooth it out. I usually use a pool or billiard ball to work out dents, dimples & creases. With a little TLC it works great unless the felt is worn slick or shiny.

I've did it the same way with a rubber hand ball.Also have steam ironed creases out on one of my metal hat strechers,with cloth between iron and felt.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

I've did it the same way with a rubber hand ball.Also have steam ironed creases out on one of my metal hat strechers,with cloth between iron and felt.

My grandmother had a wooden egg for mending holes in the toe of socks. Your handball would probably be about the right size.

 

[DOGMAN]

My grandmother had a wooden egg for mending holes in the toe of socks. Your handball would probably be about the right size.

Now I have to look for a wooden egg...Would probably work great.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Now I have to look for a wooden egg...Would probably work great.

I haven't been able to find one in an antique mall either. I have no idea whatever happened to the one she had.

 

[Fed in a Fedora]

Now I have to look for a wooden egg...Would probably work great.

Use your lathe to turn one...

Fed

 

[Preacher Man]

I have a fix for the wind cord, it solves the problem Fed mentioned. It's cosmetic, it's not going to hold your hat near and dear to your lapel in a high wind. My fix is to simply cut it off! I have removed every wind cord I have. In my humble opinion my hats look better without the cussed things anyway! Just my opinion and my experience.

 

[MCrider]

After seeing this thread, I can hardly wait for my Campdraft to arrive in January! Thanks for getting me riled up already

 

[Paravians]

Well i tried to pull the wind cord quite hard repeatedly and it didn't come off, maybe akubra have improved it? I can cycle in 30+mph winds and my akubra hats don't fly off (unlike other non-akubra hats i have!) so maybe I will remove, or not use, the cord.

 

[Paravians]

You will be pleased! I got mine three days ago and already tried two different creases, softened it etc. it's a lot of fun! I think all hats should be open crown!

 

[Zombie_61]

Take it back to an open crown. Then with plenty of steam & a rounded hard object like a ball held on the inside against the point of the crease, work to smooth it out. I usually use a pool or billiard ball to work out dents, dimples & creases. With a little TLC it works great unless the felt is worn slick or shiny.

I've used a stainless steel mixing bowl as a "forming block" to smooth out previous creases on my hats. It's just large enough to fit loosely over my closed fist but not so large that it fills the crown, and the radius of the bowl's shape is a close enough match to my hats' domed open crown. I don't have an adequate way to apply steam, so I use distilled water in a spray bottle--spray the hat's dome, place the mixing bowl inside the crown, press any visible deformations flat against the bowl from the outside while positioning the bowl where needed, then let the hat dry. It isn't 100% perfect, but it allows me to minimize enough evidence of previous creases so they don't show (or barely show) when I re-crease the hats and, except for having to occasionally replenish my supply of distilled water, didn't require a large outlay of cash for hatter's tools that I'd barely use.

 

[belfastboy]

My grandmother had a wooden egg for mending holes in the toe of socks. Your handball would probably be about the right size.

Yep, my mom had one too and she used it,...a lot.....kinda sad I don't have it any more....not that I would use it.

 

[Paravians]

A mixing bowl is a brilliant idea. Today I was at the supermarket looking for a melon...

 

[Genester]

Hey everyone,

I recently got a CD and when shaping it after a good steam or spritzing with water there's a fair amount of shedding. I haven't experienced this with my other fedoras but I know this felt is particularly thin and wonder if others have had this experience? The colour seems to vary post steam/bash and when I try to re-bash it the former crease is very obvious. Not sure if i just got a defective one as there was also an issue with the felt spidering. I posted in another thread and they suggested massaging the crease with cold water. This helped a bit but with all the shedding I didn't want to keep working over those areas.

I was also considering ironing the brim completely flat and was wondering if the brim binding would impede this process. I'm not sure of the binding being sewn in after its flanged makes a difference do to the curvature?

Cheers,
Gene