Just Got The Snowy River.....

[Atticus Finch]

.....that I bought on e-bay---and I love it! It is a bit different from other Snowy Rivers that I've seen. It has no lining and it has a grosgrain hatband, both of these "oddities" appearing to be original to the hat. When it arrived, it still had the paper size tag in the band as well as the remnants of a price tag.

I bought a size 7 3/4 because, in most hats, that is my size. But evidently Akubras are sized more like modern Stetsons, so my new hat is a tad large. No worries, I put a piece of paper behind the sweatband and now it fits perfectly. I also expect it will fit more comfortably when my hair gets shaggy, which happens from time to time.

I don't plan to "baby" this Akubra as I do my Stetsons. I plan to wear it more in nasty weather than in nice. Indeed, a coastal low is predicted to blow through our area beginning tomorrow. I expect that by the end of this weekend, my new hat will have seen its first cold rain and sleet.

I'll let y'all know how it fares.

Atticus

 

[RBH]

Sounds great!
but... when do we get to see photos?

 

[Atticus Finch]

Sounds great!
but... when do we get to see photos?

Hopefully, this weekend I'll snap some photos of the Snowy River as well as a Stetson Gun Club I recently bought.

The way this coastal low is now shaping up, I may be able to get some photos of the Akubra Snowy River next to a Snowy Trent River which runs in front of my house.

Here's the Snowy (Trent) River a couple of winters ago.

Atticus

 

[NonEntity]

I assume it's a used, or should I say "previously owned" hat. If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay?

As I learned here at the FL just recently, Akubra has offered the Snowy River in various iterations--with or without a lining, differing hat bands, with or without a feather, and in colors other than the usual fawn, medium gray, and black. I believe certain vendors will have a batch made per their specs, and that accounts for the difference. I assume all Snowy Rivers, however, are made from the same quality Akubra felt (Imperial Quality), have the same dimensions and style (4-inch telescope crown, 3 1/4-inch raw edge brim, rolled at the sides and turned down front and back), and have reeded roan leather sweatbands. Do you know enough about "regular" Snowy Rivers to tell? What color is yours?

No, you need not baby any Akubra. Just brush it off occasionally, and if it gets truly soaking wet, reshape with your fingers if need be, hang it on a blunt knob by the back of the sweatband so that the brim doesn't touch anything, and let it air dry.

By the way, the best way to size down a hat is inserting a pair of felt pads made just for that purpose under the sweatband. Depending on the shape of your head, put either one at the front and the other at rear, or one on each side. They reduce a hat about one full size.

Although Akubras fit my head true to size, 7 1/8, like you many say they run large. Most of those same folks also say it'll shrink a size after heavy sweating or a good rain.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Hi NonEntity,

Thanks for the information, especially about how to down-size my hat. Where would one find the felt pads that you mention? I had actually thought of using small pads cut from the foam used to insulate around doors and windows, but felt sounds like a much better idea. Truthfully, the hat isn't very much too large. It may well shrink to size as I intend to wear it often in foul weather.

I'm holding the Akubra in my lap as I type this. I notice that "pure fur felt" is printed on the sweatband and in the crown. Sadly, I know very little about the various qualities of felt. I can say this: it is about one-third lighter than my Stetson Gun Club's felt and not as stiff. The Akubra's raw edge brim is 8cm (about 3.25") and the crown is about 10cm (4"). The sweatband is leather and appears to be roan. It is very soft and has been embossed with a grain, but it is not "reeded". The hat is "fawn" and it has a 1cm grosgrain hatband that has been stitched to the hat beneath the knot. It also sports a yellow and white feather. I paid fifty-six USD for this beauty. Not a great deal, but used hats in good condition and my size are difficult to find.

If I am able, this weekend I'll get some photos of it sitting on my punkin' head.

Atticus

 

[HamletJSD]

Just wore my Snowy River out into our first bit of snow today (Birmingham doesn't get much, so I just had to find something to do outside while I had the chance!) ...

Believe me, it is no worse off. They seem to take pretty much anything and can, if they do happen to get bent out of shape, easily be set right.

Mine was also from eBay, but not as unusual as yours! Congrats!

 

[NonEntity]

Atticus,

Based on the dimensions and your description, you definitely have a real Akubra Snowy River, albeit not the "usual" version. At $56 for a 7 3/4 in good condition, that IS a good deal--about half the price of a new one.

"Pure fur felt" can mean a lot of things, but when it comes to Akubras, it means 100% rabbit under-fur, the soft and downy stuff beneath the coarser guard hairs. Wild rabbit fur is best, and Akubra uses more of it than any other hat manufacturer, and they cut the fur from the skins themselves. In fact, Akubra controls every facet of their hat-making process--no outsourcing--to assure top quality.

As for the much lighter weight and greater pliability of the Snowy River's felt compared to your Gun Club, that's par for the course, but you need not baby an Akubra--they're very rugged hats that keep their shape.

With the exception of their crushable models, all Akubras have reeded roan leather sweatbands, so I'm sure yours does, too. "Reeded" means that the sweatband is supported by a thin impermeable strip of material with a very thin plastic fiber encased in the edge. Reeding improves the fit and comfort of the sweatband and inhibits the transfer of perspiration from the leather to the hat itself. "Roan" leather translates as full thickness sheepskin that is tanned to be soft and absorbent.

I've never had or tried on an Akubra that did not fit my 7 1/8 noggin true to size right out of the box, but since arriving here at The Fedora Lounge recently, I learned that many find them a size too large upon first wearing. According to them, a little sweat and/or rain shrinks it down to a perfect fit.

I'm sure there are many other sources for the felt pads to make your Snowy River fit right now, but David Morgan sends a pair gratis with every hat they sell, so contact them at 1-800-324-4934.

I know you've been a Stetson man, but, as you will find out, the Akubras are better hats.

 

[Doctor Strange]

NonEntity said: At $56 for a 7 3/4 in good condition, that IS a good deal--about half the price of a new one.

I just checked at EverythingAustralian - at today's exchange rates, a new Snowy River is $79.11, plus $15.20 for ten-day shipping. (And yes, that includes some colors that go up to sizes 63 and 64.)

Not to suggest that Atticus didn't do well on this auction (he got an unusual variation on the standard hat, and in great condition), but to point out again that new Akubras can be had for great prices...

 

[Atticus Finch]

Hi NonEntity,

Again, thanks for all the information. I know a fair amount about some things that we discuss on FL, but I am a babe in the woods when it comes to hats. You may have noticed. But the more I learn about hats, the more I love them. And, thanks to folks like you who are willing to share their knowledge, this is the best place in the world to learn.

I'm not really a Stetson man so much as I just never knew that there were other excellent brands available. I guess I'm kinda like the flight jacket newbe that thinks Avirex and Cooper are top-of-the-line A-2s. I doubt that anything will ever replace my Open Road---there is just something about Southern Lawyers and Open Roads---but I'm learning pretty quickly that the Akubra is a superior hat in terms of comfort and quality---especially quality. In fact, I've now got my eye on a Banjo Patterson.

By the way, now that I know what "reeded" means---yep, the sweatband on my new hat is, indeed, "reeded".

Again, thank you for all the good information.

Atticus

 

[Prairie Shade]

I have Seniority

I'm on my third one and while I think there are better hats out there, I like mine and the ones I have pitched. They will shrink when exposed to weather but all in all, congrats! PS mine have all been unlined dating from almost 15 years ago.