Confused about bash etc.

[bindibadgi]

G'day all, a newbie here, so please forgive the ignorance. [huh]

I did some searching around, so please also forgive me if I'm missing some information in a forum here somewhere.

I've been wearing my old fur hat for too long (I think it has shrunk and since I never did anything about it it's now got too tight and quite uncomfortable). I'm thinking of getting an Akubra Territory, since I like wide brims, but I don't much like the crease on it. I re bashed my own hat (very amateur job - I might post a pic if I think to take one) because it had the same sort of crease. I will wear the hat out in the rain etc and I don't want it catching water in the top, since it either soaks through eventually or it pours out on whatever I'm doing every time I tilt my head too far.

So does anyone know if there's somewhere I can get that hat with a better bash (I am not too sure of bash names but I think what I want is a pinched centre dent), or else how I can do a better job of re bashing?

Also, I read that some people have been getting inconsistent sizing from mail orders. It looks like nowhere around me actually stocks that hat, so I might have to mail order. How do I pick the size? In shops, it's almost always the 58 that fits me best, but how can I be sure? I read about the light bulb shrink method, but I don't want a hat that's too small, or way too big either for that matter.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Matthew Dalton]

Welcome to the lounge.

How would you feel about the Overseer? It has a wide brim and comes open crowned, so you can put your own bash in without worrying about a previous crease.

As for your size, do you have a measuring tape? Or failing that, a ruler and some string or belt or somesuch? Just wrap it around your head at about the level that you'd be wearing the hat.

As the 58 means a 58cm circumference, there shouldn't be a huge difference between hats in that size.

 

[Dinerman]

have you tried bashing with steam?

 

[Feraud]

The Territory and Overseer are both nice looking hats. You might want to go with an open crowned hat to start fresh. You can bash or rebash a hat quite easily to a style that suits you.
I used steam, some have recommend a spray bottle with water, others have bashed a hat "dry".
I used the hat sizing chart on the hatsdirect website when I ordered my Akubra Federation Deluxe. There was no problem with the hat fit.

 

[bindibadgi]

Thanks for the replies, and the welcome!

The overseer does look quite good, but it brings me to another area of my ignorance (there are many). What is the difference between imperial and superfine quality in Akubras?

As for the bashing, I actually used a spray bottle of water, but I almost needed to soak the thing before it would accept a new shape. I found it difficult to reshape because it was a cheaper hat with thinner fur where the fold used to be (it was a pinched telescope). It was also filthy around the old fold, and nothing seems to get it out! I tried brushing, and I think I even eventually tried some mineral turps or shellite or something, but no luck! It's not too much use trying any harder to clean it, since it doesn't really fit me any more anyway.

Oh, and am I right in assuming that the overseer doesn't actually come with the brim turned up like in that link above? I would hope to acheive a brim like the territory comes with, so I guess I'd just use the old spray bottle again.

 

[Russ]

I imagine the Territory would be a little difficult to rebash since the felt will be a bit stiff and stubborn. I had a heck of a time rebashing my two Akubra Colly hats, but finally succeeded with a spray bottle full of water. None of my hats look the way they were when I first bought them!

The Overseer with that wide brim will allow you to invite all your friends to come over and stand in the shade. Brim shapes are pretty easy to change. They do this on their own anyway with time. Since the Overseer is open crown, the felt is apparently pliable, and the brim should be fairly easy to work with. I do love that ribbon!

 

[bindibadgi]

I took some pictures last night, so you can see my current hat.

It used to have a pinched telescope but I got sick of the rain collecting in it, so with the aid of a spray bottle (lots of spraying was needed!) I created more of the shape I want. I changed the brim too because it came all curled up at the sides (which reduces it's usefulness as shade in the sun) so it's now much more subtle, except that it curves down a lot at the front.

In these pics, you can see the dirt where the top of the old bash was, and like I said, it seems impossible to get that out. But since the hat has shrunk (maybe I left in in the sun when it was wet but I can't remember when that could have happened - it no longer rains in Australia ) it's no use trying to clean it. Also the felt is kind of thin at that point.

Oh well, I think I found a hat store about half an hour's drive away so I'll check it out when I can. I think they stock the Territory, but according to their website they don't stock the Overseer. Maybe they can get it in.

They do stock the Sombrero though. Now that's a good use of 13 rabbits!

I'm still confused about the difference between imperial and superfine, and also, if I'm crazy enough to get a Sombrero, can that curl in the brim be corrected?

I hope to get one of the three mentioned, but my ideal hat is kind of a mixture: nice wide brim, brim shaped like on the Territory, crown shaped like something else, say the Coober Pedy.

 

[bindibadgi]

Now I should say things like my last post more often. It just started to absolutely pour with rain! lol. Now I wish I had my hat.

 

[bindibadgi]

I went hat shopping with my wife on Saturday. I tried on several styles, and I was told in no uncertain terms that the wide brims look stupid on me. She is probably right. lol

Well, we reached a compromise and I'll be getting a Wentworth, which incidently comes standard with the bash I prefer. I'll be getting the sorrell tan colour (not pictured in the link).

Now I'm wondering about wind cords/trolleys/whatever you call them. It wasn't an issue with my old hat because it was so tight fitting. Any ideas on aftermarket wind cords?

 

[Blackhorse]

G'Day - thought I would send you toward windcords. But first, I've got an Akubra Banjo Paterson, a Coolabah and a Leisure Time...all of which have their place. All good items.

Check out "Aussie Bush Hats", "Everything Australian", "Noggin Tops", etc. (you'll have to convert them to web-ese...like "www.noggintops.com" or just do a search to find them). They have wind cords, braided chin straps, etc.) One of them (either aussiebushhats or everythingaustralian) gave a free braided cord with hat purchase. Good luck! Enjoy the hat...your kids will fight over it when you're gone!

 

[bindibadgi]

Thanks Blackhorse. I checked them out, and it's given me an idea. I think I'll try my hand at making a detachable chin strap. I'm thinking that I could make something like this one.

It looks like it's fairly easy to make, and doesn't require any modifications to the hat (if you click on the image to enlarge it, it actually shows instructions on installation, so now I know how it works too!).

 

[Blackhorse]

Good on ya! One of those sites...I think it's EverythingAustralian...has a section about hooking up a chin strap that I paid good attention to. They said that the hats had a "blank" spot along the inner hat band to allow for a strap to go through...though for the life of me I don't find such a thing on any of my three. Regardless of how much I wanted a chin stap I'm not one to go monkeying with stitching on the sweatband...I may try something else though. The Coolabah and the Paterson are CRYING out for a strap!

Good luck!

 

[bindibadgi]

Well since this morning I had another idea. If you were to make a strap with a thin end (like several strands of thread for example - something that would still be strong enough) then you could stick that up between stitches where you want it (maybe with a sewing needle), and then tie it to a paper clip or something up behind the sweat band. It's not as quickly detachable, but it does not require modification of the hat and it is reversible if you wish.

 

[Blackhorse]

That's actually quite a good idea. I've been cleaning a small collection of pocket watches and remember that many of the fobs are attached to a bar about an inch or so long...most likely to go through a vest button hole or some such. Now a small horizontally positioned bar like that would be an ideal anchor for the set-up you described! It would hide behind the sweatband and not be felt...because it would be made of metal (just a little joke there...sorry). We use a REALLY strong fishing line over here for Sturgeon (they're up to 12' long) called "TuffLine" and it's TOUGH! It's Polyester and braided I think in the heavier test lines...not braided in the test that's down around 40-50 lb. It's normally white - but I've seen it commercially died a dark green (the white won't take a dye I guess unless it's done some special way). You could use a needle designed for embroidery (my daughter has some of those) with a larger gauge and a larger opening for the thread. It would work very well. But what to use for the bar inside the hatband? The perfect thing would be 1" - 1 1/2" long with a small hope drilled right in the center. Know of anything like that? If not, I don't think it would be at all difficult to fabricate. I guess there's no readon it couldn't be made of wood...with a circular groove cut into the center..around which you could tie the line.

With a chinstrap...there is a secondary (well, actually primary) issue that buggers's the whole idea. The center part of the strap is supposed to be up on top of the hat brim...around the back...with the two ends stuck through those non-existant holes through the hatband. Then you use one of the little push-button slider thingies to either make it loose or tighter. So, instead of using one long strap that went up and around the brim...you would be using two individual strap pieces - one for the left and one for (yes, you guessed it) the right. Whatever. For this, I'd most likely get hold of some rawhide laces or something and loop and secure one end...and then tie the "holding thread" through that and up into the sweatband. Again, whatever.

Are we making this WAY too complicated?

So once more...good luck. I might give it a try here and post my results...lousey photos and all.

 

[bindibadgi]

I like the fishing line idea. That stuff IS tough!

I was actually thinking about pocket watches, which is what gave me the idea. I thought of various things, some of them are even easily detachable. For instance, if you were to get a large paperclip (humour me on the paperclip for now) you could bend it in half, and then poke the ends up either side of a stitch. Being careful (using some needlenose pliers for example) you could then bend the ends down behind the sweatband, and you'd have just a small loop of steel protruding below the sweatband. I doubt it would be noticed while the hat was on, and it would be quite neat if you were careful anyway. Then you could attach and detach a wind cord at will.

As to the single/double strap, I don't think it really matters that much, since if it were double you could easily chop them evenly, and if it were single, you'd just fold it and stick the grabby thing over the doubled strap from the middle. If you wanted to leave the cord attached you could do the usual thing of hooking it over the back of the hat and tightening the grabby thing so it won't fall off.

I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures, and if I get a chance I'll try some of this myself, and I'll try to get some pics up too.