Akubra Overload

[Who?]

I'm wondering if anyone here knows if this has been done in the US or Australia? Here in the US I finally got my hands on a black Stylemaster (one of 3 Stylemasters I have). As many know, for an Orthodox Jew, hats are very important to us, but mostly Borsalinos and their copies. I've always wanted to rebash a Stylemaster into a hat usable for the same purpose, as I feel like it's a better everyday wear than the "fancier" Borsalino. So, do we think I have the only explicitly "Jewish" Akubra or am I late to the party?

Are your hats constrained by law, custom, or both?

What would happen if you showed up wearing a black Snowy River?

 

[The Shoe]

It was announced yesterday that my Prefecture had officially entered the rainy season. No surprise there. We had constant rain from morning to night with the same forecast for the next couple of days.

What that means is that my polypropylene Akubra Capricorn will be on heavy rotation for work.

 

[jeffgarf]

Are your hats constrained by law, custom, or both?

What would happen if you showed up wearing a black Snowy River?

Funny you mention! First, there is only communal custom, no law, but certain differences do stand out (sometimes not well, in the case of bad-wool-wearing folks, or the ones not confident enough to pull of a cowboy hat - I only know one guy who is.). Like any fashion, certain trends may prevail during certain times, as well. Really wide brims are out. Youngsters can wear trilby hats.

My first attempt at this was with a Snowy River. I had one with small imperfections in the felt that I was repairing anyway, so I cut and reshaped the brim, rebashed it and confidently wore it in my synagogue with no one suspecting there was any difference between my hat and theirs. My next go was with an Adventurer I acquired, again recutting the brim and rebashing. I have been wearing that one periodically and was very satisfied with the results. The Stylemaster however, was always my endgame. I wear a gray one for regular hat wearing reasons and a selling another online. The formality of the brim binding really adds a nice touch.

Funny you picked up on the Snowy River, though.

 

[Who?]

Funny you mention! First, there is only communal custom, no law, but certain differences do stand out (sometimes not well, in the case of bad-wool-wearing folks, or the ones not confident enough to pull of a cowboy hat - I only know one guy who is.). Like any fashion, certain trends may prevail during certain times, as well. Really wide brims are out. Youngsters can wear trilby hats.

My first attempt at this was with a Snowy River. I had one with small imperfections in the felt that I was repairing anyway, so I cut and reshaped the brim, rebashed it and confidently wore it in my synagogue with no one suspecting there was any difference between my hat and theirs. My next go was with an Adventurer I acquired, again recutting the brim and rebashing. I have been wearing that one periodically and was very satisfied with the results. The Stylemaster however, was always my endgame. I wear a gray one for regular hat wearing reasons and a selling another online. The formality of the brim binding really adds a nice touch.

Funny you picked up on the Snowy River, though.

I think when you “cut and reshaped the brim” it wasn’t a Snowy River any longer.

Just a hat body, at that point.

 

[jeffgarf]

I think when you “cut and reshaped the brim” it wasn’t a Snowy River any longer.

Just a hat body, at that point.

The sweatband still said otherwise.

 

[Who?]

The sweatband still said otherwise.

If you transfer the sweatband to a bowler, that doesn’t make it a Snowy River.

 

[AlpacaSweater]

My new-to-me Snowy River after getting a new hatband at the hatter. I put in a very, very low cattleman crease, not much room to work with. The low crown works with the short brim. I flattened the brim completely, then added a slighter curl than it originally had.

 

[StoryPNW]

I snagged a Special Edition Fern Cattleman on sale from Akubra, 50% off! I couldn't wait to get back from the mailbox before putting it on. After I got back to the house I drenched it and put it on to dry while working outside, it shaped to my head quite nicely.

 

[The Shoe]

I snagged a Special Edition Fern Cattleman on sale from Akubra, 50% off! I couldn't wait to get back from the mailbox before putting it on. After I got back to the house I drenched it and put it on to dry while working outside, it shaped to my head quite nicely.
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Nice. I love my Cattleman. Mine’s bluegrass green. It looks a very similar colour to yours (or at least how it appears on my screen). Mine gets the rough treatment, though, being my barbecue hat. It’s holding up well so far.

 

[Marcus G]

I snagged a Special Edition Fern Cattleman on sale from Akubra, 50% off! I couldn't wait to get back from the mailbox before putting it on. After I got back to the house I drenched it and put it on to dry while working outside, it shaped to my head quite nicely.
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I've got the limited-edition fern, too! And I certainly did go a bit wild with the 50% off sale. Anyway, when you drenched the hat to shrink it down, did you also drench the inside to get the leather sweatband soaked? I ask because mine fits too big at the moment, and I've not done that method to shrink mine, but I'd like to try.

 

[Ent]

I've got the limited-edition fern, too! And I certainly did go a bit wild with the 50% off sale. Anyway, when you drenched the hat to shrink it down, did you also drench the inside to get the leather sweatband soaked? I ask because mine fits too big at the moment, and I've not done that method to shrink mine, but I'd like to try.

Such treatment is used by some especially the NT approach of beat the hell out of the hat, but given every Akubra that I have had tends to shrink naturally so try using foam under the hat band and wear it like that for a few months.

Akubra’s tend to in my experience lose a hat size. A 62cm starts a little loose and at times I have to use a hat jack to reverse the shrinkage.

Often an extended time between haircuts can be the difference between a well fitting hat and one a little loose.

 

[StoryPNW]

I've got the limited-edition fern, too! And I certainly did go a bit wild with the 50% off sale. Anyway, when you drenched the hat to shrink it down, did you also drench the inside to get the leather sweatband soaked? I ask because mine fits too big at the moment, and I've not done that method to shrink mine, but I'd like to try.

I just soaked the outside. I have a long oval head and wanted to see if this would help the hat shape to my head, which I think it did. I dont think it really made it shrink much though.

 

[StoryPNW]

Nice. I love my Cattleman. Mine’s bluegrass green. It looks a very similar colour to yours (or at least how it appears on my screen). Mine gets the rough treatment, though, being my barbecue hat. It’s holding up well so far.

I don't have a bluegrass green to compare to but this one is a medium dark green, not much blue to it. Someday I'll get me a Campdraft in bluegrass green.

 

[jeffgarf]

I'm wondering if anyone here knows if this has been done in the US or Australia? Here in the US I finally got my hands on a black Stylemaster (one of 3 Stylemasters I have). As many know, for an Orthodox Jew, hats are very important to us, but mostly Borsalinos and their copies. I've always wanted to rebash a Stylemaster into a hat usable for the same purpose, as I feel like it's a better everyday wear than the "fancier" Borsalino. So, do we think I have the only explicitly "Jewish" Akubra or am I late to the party?

Today was the true test of my Akubra Stylemaster. Wearing this hat for the entire Jewish Sabbath, it stormed every time I went outside and since we do not drive and walk everywhere we go, it was a number of times. While I have an overcoat with a special hood for covering hats in bad weather, I did not bother with it during the drizzle. The Stylemaster handled it all like the true champion it is.

 

[rogueclimber]

Not so sure I like the new Akubra business model.

The first two Akubra hats I purchased from Strand Hatters were delivered within 4 days (Australia to California)

Now that Strand is:

For over four decades, Strand Hatters has been a trusted place for locals, travellers, and those who know a good hat when they see one.

Now, we're answering the call to adventure — stepping into a new chapter as Akubra Strand Arcade.

My most recent order, place June 19, is still undelivered (granted it was half price for a Campdraft...)

 

[GLewis]

It was announced yesterday that my Prefecture had officially entered the rainy season. No surprise there. We had constant rain from morning to night with the same forecast for the next couple of days.

What that means is that my polypropylene Akubra Capricorn will be on heavy rotation for work.
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Hot and wet at the same time!

 

[Ent]

Not so sure I like the new Akubra business model.

The first two Akubra hats I purchased from Strand Hatters were delivered within 4 days (Australia to California)

Now that Strand is:



My most recent order, place June 19, is still undelivered (granted it was half price for a Campdraft...)

My recent order was cancelled after a month when they acknowledged that they had no stock.

 

[Lew Decker]

My recent order was cancelled after a month when they acknowledged that they had no stock.

What?!

 

[Ent]

What?!

Yep. In the sale they lost stock control. Orders turned up randomly over the next month or more and finally one was cancelled.

I was rather looking forward to the carbon grey Bogart but it was not to be.

I am concerned Akubra is heading down the same path as RM Williams with “fashion” lines rather than a collection of classics. We see with some lines sizing has become S,M,L and maybe XL rather than cm. Prole-shift I think is a term that is used so get ready for one size fits all adjustment bands, hopefully not.

 

[Marcus G]

Yep. In the sale they lost stock control. Orders turned up randomly over the next month or more and finally one was cancelled.

I was rather looking forward to the carbon grey Bogart but it was not to be.

I am concerned Akubra is heading down the same path as RM Williams with “fashion” lines rather than a collection of classics. We see with some lines sizing has become S,M,L and maybe XL rather than cm. Prole-shift I think is a term that is used so get ready for one size fits all adjustment bands, hopefully not.

I'm sorry that your order was cancelled.

My recent experiences with Akubra do not reflect your experience. During the recent half-price sale, I placed two orders with two hats each to be sent to me in Japan. Both orders arrived in a week with no problem at all at customs that I usually get when I order from Everything Australian or The Hattery. Mind, I've always gotten those orders in a timely way, too, but they were held at customs unless I gave specific instructions to write the price I had paid on the outside of the box. At any rate, that 50% off sale was strictly for hats with the old branding. I suspect that they simply ran out of the hat in your size with the old branding, though one certainly should have been held for you if inventory was available at the time of your order.

Those hats were flying off the shelves during the sale. I put one in my size in my cart one evening and didn't pay for the order. When I went back to my online cart the next morning to pay, I was too late and my size had been sold out, so I missed out. That was my fault. If your card had been charged, and you still didn't get the order then you certainly have a complaint. I imagine that they were flooded with orders. You might consider asking customer service for the same model in the new branding for the same price that your card was charged. If they deny you, at least you can still purchase that model at retail price if you really want it. Or look for the same hat at other websites on sale.

As told to me by The Hattery, the online sites that continue to sell Akubra had to agree to sell for the same price as Akubra, but that may or may not hold true for hats with the old branding.

One thing I'm unhappy about is that prices are more even in Australian dollars if you order from an Asian country. I'm unsure about why that is cuz taxes and duty seems to be charged separately.

As for sizing, exactly which hats are you talking about with S, M, L sizing? I see nothing on their website to indicate a move away from sizing in centimeters. What am I missing?

At this point, I seriously doubt that Akubra are going to move drastically away from what has brought them so much success. Hat lines have changed all the time throughout history with different models being discontinued and others being introduced. Some classics have even been re-introduced recently. I think that we should not speculate and there's nothing we can do about it anyway. The trend seems to be moving toward more 'Western' hats for now, but their offerings of city hats are quite awesome as is.

As for actual evidence of structural change, I do have one of the newly branded hats. The sweatband has changed, which is actually a thing that Akubra owners have complained about for ages due to shrinkage. The new sweatbands are different in color, coming in at a much lighter 'tan/beige' color. Also, they are much softer. Whether this is a good change or not remains to be seen. Personally, I'm worried that the color will show dirt/sweat more, but that may or may not be the case. I also wonder if the sweatband will shrink as much as the old ones. I actually hope that the shrinking continues because I bought it big as I have done with older ones, many of which have shrunk to fit me well. In the new Brisbane store, they told me to buy a size up due to shrinkage, so I guess they still expect the new sweatbands to shrink. I can report that after wearing the new one and sweating in the hat almost daily for 6 weeks about an hour a day (it's my walking hat, a Cattleman in sand) that it is starting to shrink like the old ones, but who knows how much? It's too early to tell, and it hasn't been rained on yet.

Anyway, these hats are still my favorite. I'm off to Brisbane next week and will likely get another soon.