Akubra Overload

[The Librarian]

Big Heads Anonymous

Nice to see another big head. Must be all the cheesesteaks and Tastykakes.

I'm a 7 5/8 and my Dark Brown Fed 3 Dlx is a 61cm. It needed some time to shape to my long oval head but now its like a part of me. Tight enough to stay on in wind but no red line on my forehead or headaches. Was gonna buy a Moonstone Fed 4 Dlx but the sizes only go to 61cm and they say their size chart suggests a 62cm.

For whatever it's worth, I've owned a Traveler, Casual, Federation III, Federation IV, Sydney Fedora, Stylemaster and Cattleman. I wear a 7 5/8 and these were all 61cm. They all fit identically except for the Cattleman, which was slightly too tight, mostly because of the inflexibility of the felt.

 

[Colby Jack]

I'm looking at a Fed Dlx in brown now...I wear a 61 and they said to buy a 62 also...[huh]

 

[indycop]

I'm looking at a Fed Dlx in brown now...I wear a 61 and they said to buy a 62 also...[huh]

Chop chop!!

 

[BobC]

I'm looking at a Fed Dlx in brown now...I wear a 61 and they said to buy a 62 also...[huh]

I received my Fed Deluxe and it fits very well. I ordered my same size, 58, as I did the Campdraft. The Fed fits a little bigger than the Campdraft, but I actually like its fit better. The Campdraft feels a little snug when I first put it on.

 

[MattJH]

I'm looking at a Fed Dlx in brown now...I wear a 61 and they said to buy a 62 also...[huh]

Get the 61.

 

[TopGumby]

After measuring my head and consulting the size crossover charts, I determined I was probably a size 60 and ordered a size 61 Stylemaster. It was a pretty loose fit! I knew that there would be a period of "sweating it in" but I'm not very patient, so I read up on how to hurry the process along by searching on this forum.

I wet down the sweatband and hit it with a hairdryer, twice. I wore it on two hard walks and while doing yard work. Still too big. I put some foam tape in it behind the sweat, fore and aft. Then I got really impatient and sprayed the whole hat down with water and let it set on a towel overnight.

That did it. It now feels just right, and if it shrinks further or I let my hair grow beyond the current whitewalls the tape will come out.

This hat tinkering is pretty fascinating. I'm now eyeballing the ribbon and bound edge...the ribbon got very dark when it was wet and I liked the look...

 

[indycop]

The Campdraft feels a little snug when I first put it on.

My silverbelly campdraft actually fits a little better than my taupe campdraft. I wonder if they did not long oval it as much...[huh]

 

[Colby Jack]

DJ...I was actually wondering about getting the 61 instead...I'll have them measure to make sure before the send it....

 

[Neil]

Sizing

ColbyJack, if you wear a 61, believe me, get a 61.
I am a true 7 5/8, measured to the millimetre by Graham at Optimo, and tell you, the 61 Fed will be as big as you need.

 

[NonEntity]

Clarification on Bushman & Squatter

Although there is a difference in lined/unlined; the Bushman @ David Morgan and the Squatter @ Everything Austrailian both mention being the original Akubra...the brim is 3.25" and bound on both and the crown height is not overly tall, either. Not necessarily an answer, but my guess would be that the bushman is modded specifically for DM from the squatter

I'm very familiar with Akubras in general and David Morgan's in particular.

First off, the name of an Akubra offered by one vendor may or may not be the same hat as one offered by another vendor selling it with the identical name. We've discussed this issue on other threads, and it continues to be a source of confusion and frustration.

However, virtually all Akubras sold by U.S.-based vendors, like DM and NogginTops, will be identical if they have the same name. But be wary in comparing these to Akubras offered by Australian vendors--the name may be the same but the hat different, or the U.S. hat may be exactly the same or with a minor difference (like the band) but be called something completely different down under. And then there are the Akubras that are manufactured for just one vendor and do not even appear on its own web site.

Now, to your point, Hoss. The U.S.-spec Bushman and Squatter are different hats, and both are offered by DM and have been for years. Here's how they differ:

The Bushman has a 5 1/2-in open crown, a 3 1/4-in snap brim, a 1/2-in ribbon band, and is offered in Nullarbor tan only.

The Squatter has a 5 1/4-in open crown, a 3-in drop brim, a 1 1/4-in grosgrain ribbon band, and is offered in mid-fawn, moonstone, and black.

Though they may appear very similar in catalogs and online, they are actually notably different when seen "in person." The Bushman is the traditional Aussie stockman's hat, while the Squatter is the typical hat worn by the first large landowners of the outback. As such, it telegraphs "Boss Man" versus the Bushman's "Workingman" look, and is a couple notches spiffier, making it suitable to wear in the field or city.

I had to order both at the same time to compare side-by-side and make a decision. I definitely preferred the look of the Squatter on my head, but its mid-fawn color was positively drab alongside the warm Nullarbor tan color of the Bushman. So I sent them both back!

 

[MississippiLong]

Does anyone have any pictures or thoughts on the Hampton. It's calling out to me, even though i shouldn't buy any hats until after the holiday.

 

[Hoss & da Posse]

I'm very familiar with Akubras in general and David Morgan's in particular.

I appreciate your taking the time to clear that up for me...I agree with your assessment of the Nullarbor Tan color and I like it very much. Is it a special color available only through DM? I've looked through the Akubra website and don't find it mentioned as an option for any hat listed...of course, I don't find a Bushman on their site either so maybe it goes hand in hand. Akubra offers so many colors with similar names and shades, it gets hard to keep score. The Australian sites offer Squatters in Nigeria Brown and Deep Fawn but I have no way of telling how close, if at all, the are to the Nullarbor Tan and have no interest in paying 2x the $ just to get it...

 

[Colby Jack]

Hoss...drop them an email at Hatsdirect and ask if they have the Bushman...they may have it, but not on there web site...:eusa_clap

 

[NonEntity]

I appreciate your taking the time to clear that up for me...I agree with your assessment of the Nullarbor Tan color and I like it very much. Is it a special color available only through DM? I've looked through the Akubra website and don't find it mentioned as an option for any hat listed...of course, I don't find a Bushman on their site either so maybe it goes hand in hand. Akubra offers so many colors with similar names and shades, it gets hard to keep score. The Australian sites offer Squatters in Nigeria Brown and Deep Fawn but I have no way of telling how close, if at all, the are to the Nullarbor Tan and have no interest in paying 2x the $ just to get it...

I've never seen another hat other than the Bushman at DM offered in a color named Nullarbor Tan, but common sense tells me that Akubra would not brew this dye for only one model for a single vendor. Perhaps other Akubras are offered in this color, but it's called something else. Here we go again!

By the way, this color name comes from Australia's Nullarbor Plain, a semi-arid region in the extreme south-central part of the continent forming a crescent around the Great Australian Bight, a gulf of the Indian Ocean.

I've never been there, but null means zero, and arbor refers to trees, so I assume it's a treeless plain, and the ground is this tan color.

Idea: Get the Akubra you like best, bleach it, then go to the Nullarbor Plain and grind it around in the dirt there. Voila--you have the style and color you want!

This may or may not be helpful, as one must look at a hat in the flesh under natural light to really assess whether or not he likes the color, but here are the David Morgan Akubra earth-tone hat color names, from lightest to darkest: sand, fawn, mid-fawn, heritage fawn, Nullarbor tan, regency fawn, moss green, British khaki, dark fawn, mid-brown, and dark brown.

Terms for colors are never spot-on, but ones like "burnt orange" and "fuchsia" are much more descriptive than "taupe" or "fawn." Just what the heck is "fawn"?

Webster's first definition says it's a young deer that still has its distinctive baby coat. The only fawn I've ever actually seen was a white-tailed deer, and its fur was covered in little off-white spots. I don't wanted a spotted hat!

Webster's second definition is that fawn is a synonym for "kid," a young goat. Well, I've seen a baby goat, too, and it also had spots. When I stooped down to pet it, it butted me hard right between my eyes. Then, everything appeared to have spots!

Webster's third and final definition is "a variable color averaging a light grayish brown." Hmmm, "variable." Exactly.

Personally, after Nullarbor tan, my favorite DM earth-tone color is heritage fawn, but, as the name suggests, it's only available in Akubra's premium Heritage Collection, and in two DM models, at that: the Banjo Paterson and the Lightning Ridge. I have a Banjo, and it's a terrific hat despite that it's pre-creased, and I ordinarily prefer an open crown I can bash myself.

Bottom line is that, no matter what model or where you buy, if it's an Akubra, it's a superb quality hat that will last practically forever.

 

[BobC]

I have a Banjo, and it's a terrific hat despite that it's pre-creased, and I ordinarily prefer an open crown I can bash myself.

Mr. NonEntity, since you have a Banjo and since I have one ordered, is it possible that you would be willing to post some pictures of yours, particulary the crown? The pictures I have seen were on Hatsdirect.com and Everything Australian's website, and those are not very informative. I like the looks of the hat, but more descript pictures would be very helpful. Thanks.

 

[NonEntity]

I don't have any pics of my Banjo Paterson handy, but David Morgan's web site has several that are better than any I could ever provide. This link will get you to a page that has a 360-degree rotating 3-D image that shows the hat's crown extremely well:

http://www.davidmorgan.com/popup_im...atches=1&tab3=1&tab4=1&tab5=1&name=&aiID=1774

If that doesn't work, try http://www.davidmorgan.com/popup_image.php?pID=1&tab=images&swatches=1&tab3=1&tab4=1&tab5=1 and then click on the "other images" button or simply go to www.davidmorgan.com and find it.

As you can see, the BP has side dents in the front about and inch and a half apart and a wide center crease with a mound in the middle. As such--and I know I'm inventing a new term here--I'd call it a hybrid bash, somewhere halfway between a full center crease and pinched-front telescope crown.

Personally, I love the hat as is, but, of course, being 100% fur felt, you could always put steam to it and re-shape it by hand.

However, before you do, consider:

The special rabbit and hare fur in the Heritage Collection line, plus the process of making it, results in an especially dense and strong felt. That makes it more difficult to re-shape. Also, these premium hats have a truly superb pounced finish which might be compromised no matter how careful you are in re-forming it. I'm speculating, but given that Akubra offers no open crown models made with the Heritage Collection felt, these are likely the reasons why.

Finally, I don't want to punch my crown up, but I'd say if I did, it would be about 5 inches high. So, the BP is an inherently low crown hat that does not give you much to work with. You'd probably find that re-bashing it with a full center crease, telescope, or anything but the shallowest diamond crown would not allow the hat to seat properly on your head unless you have a particularly flat-topped cranium. Even if the hat did fit, it has considerable upward taper, so I think alternative bashes would discombobulate its pleasing-as-is proportions.

Lastly, how much are HatsDirect and Everything Australian charging for the Banjo Patterson, and how much is shipping and handling? Not to make you paranoid, but I've seen BP's from Down Under vendors that were unlined, so be sure to clairfy that, as well as the type of hat band it comes with. David Morgan's lined BP with Barramundi skin hat band is currently $150 plus $8 UPS ground S & H, and I got my last hat here in the Mid-South on Christmas Eve only 4 days after the day I ordered it.

No, I'm not on David Morgan's payroll, but I do like their outstanding customer service, fine products, and no-gyp S & H.

 

[BobC]

I ordered mine from Everything Australian:

http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au/shopexd.asp?id=10

Mine was $75.29 US plus $13.60 shipping or $88.89 total. There was one hitch though. They were out of my size when I ordered and said it would be 4 weeks before they could ship the hat. I ordered Oct. 28, so I wouldn't be surprised if the hat shows up here in the next two to three weeks.

I'd like to see the hat on someone's head, front and profile views, just to get an idea of how it sits. I surely can wait for it to show up though and see it on my head.

 

[NonEntity]

Well, Bob, that's interesting.

Right now Everything Australian shows the BP to be $125 (Australian) and $22.80 (Australian) for the least expensive S & H--10 days. I filled out everything through the online checkout process except my credit card info, and it never did give me the cost in U.S. dollars--a serious problem. "Throw another MasterCard on the barbie, mate!"

Do the numbers you provide reflect the same price as now, only translated into the conversion ratio at the time you ordered? If so, those prices are extremely attractive, only 56% of DM's delivered price but 2.5 times the delivery time.

Other folks here on FL have ordered stuff from EA and had all kinds of problems ranging from getting the wrong color hat to months upon months of delays with no response when they wanted to cancel the order and get their money back. Others have had no problems at all.

Sometimes peace and guaranteed hassle-free customer service from an American vendor are worth the extra money, but please respond ASAP to my price question above.

Oh, sorry, but I do not show my face or any personal identifying information anywhere on the Net, so I'll not be submitting photos of me wearing my BP.

 

[G MAN]

NonEntity, There is a drop down on the top left of the page of Everything Australian web site that let's you set your currency.
This morning the Banjo Paterson was $80.26 in U.S.
I have two and the fawn is my favorite hat.
BTW, I have ordered seven hats from Australia, 3 from Everything Australian with no problems.

 

[panama jack]

NonEntity,
I currently have a hat on order from Everything Australian. Because I changed the color of the ribbon I was told it was now a custom order and would take three months...but that's ok. Every time I have e-mailed Sam at E. A. he has been very prompt with an answer.
Many people on this forum have ordered hats from E.A. and have been very happy and from what I have seen their prices are better than most places on the net.