After 12 years of visiting Australia and purchasing my Akubra hat I have finally taken it out of the box. This first look and try on, since the purchase, is now on my RUclips channel. Watching this video answered all of my questions. Thank you.
Akubras are alot of hat for the money. They are fantastic. And great value. I see people these days getting overly pedantic about the care and upkeep. ENJOY your hat. At the end of the day its is there to protect you from the elements. Wear every mark and stain with pride! A hat tells a story, your story. A well worn hat is more fashionable than any overly new or manicured specimen!
I loved my old boss...he'd get a new hat throw it in the water trough then wear it until it dried. Perfect fit and functional! If the hat didn't survive much he'd say the hat was cheap and no good.
I recently ordered a Lightning Ridge from your store. Damn good hat, and thans to this video I have somewhere to go to maintain and clean it (Sand probably wasn't the best color to choose for my lifestyle lol). Just started wearing hats this summer, now it doesn't feel right to leave the dorm/house without one. Plan on ordering an Overlander sometime, DM seems to carry some Akubra models that you don't ever see anywhere else. Thanks for posting this video, Mr. Morgan.
Hi Jim. You can buy spray on starch from many western stores that will stiffen felt. Starch can yellow light colored hats, but with a brim it would be easy to just spray it on to the under side. It is a little bit sticky to the touch at first but should do the job. Will for David Morgan.
Just came in and picked up the "Angler" your staff was terrific! I am very happy with the hat! I tried on the Snowy River and I think I will also get this one fairly soon. You have some other neat stuff in your store that I am very interested in, and now that I know where it is, you will probably see more of me. Just wanted to say thank you for a great product and great cistomer service!
@MrMooseful You are most welcome, glad you found, and enjoyed the video. Being in the US I think of the Cattleman as more Outback than Cowboy, and I wouldn't be shy to wear it as an every day hat around the city even though of course it might be more at home fishing or backpacking say than night clubbing.
I've had Stetsons, I've had Henschels, Eddy Bothers, Dunlaps. . . Never knew what a really fine hat was until I bought an Akubra. Now I have three of them.
Hi Lozza, No water treatment is necessary for a good fur felt hat. Water will bead up and roll off for a while, and then the felt will start to soak up water but the felt will stay warm and won't leak. The precaution to take is to make sure that when you set the hat down to dry it is in the shape you would like as they do become more malleable with a soaking, and never apply heat to dry a felt hat, just let it dry at room temperature.
Are you sure you should brush counter-clockwise on the bottom?,Surely the direction of the fibers will be going the same way as the other side of the brim so therefore going clockwise from the bottom perspective?
Akubra is an excellent hat (and I have two: Leisure and Banjo Paterson).. very high quality and many compliments. Truly goes anywhere. Suggested to me by dermatologist. I bought a horsehair hatband for my Leisure (looks great). Well worth the price.
That's a nice looking hat. I am interested in a hat for long-distance backpacking . I need something that can keep the sun and the rain off. They've got hiking hats for that, but they are polyester and look like an old lady's sun hat. All my other gear is so utilitarian , but I'd like for at least the hat to have some style. I like the teardrop shaped crown on that one.
Hi Capi, The hats are turned inside out when the underside of the brim is pounced (sanded) on a spindle so therefore the fibers line up in the same direction top or bottom!
I have an Akubra Snowy River and I love it, but I noticed that the sweatband doesn´t works really, and when there´s a warm weather, the hat gets stains in the front of the hat, can I fix that problem?
I am very happy with my TWO Akubra Hats and have on order my third. My two are (a) leisure world (dark brown) made like iron (I added a horsehair band) and Banjko Paterson (brown) was and still is perfect. So I ordered a third hat (Banjo Paterson) in charcoal gray. I also have an American made Beaver brand 5X fedora (very nice hat) The dermatologist recommended them. (and I have three Panama Hats from Panador) Am I nuts? Probably; but not yet diagnosed (a hat obsession)
@TheTobyKing If it is a fur felt some brushing, steam, and with the help of that steam, some gentle work with your fingers can take out dents, if it is wool felt I'm not sure that the steam would have the same effect.
Hi Mark, Glad you are an Akubra man! We give specs on the Pilbara on the David Morgan website but for your convenience.. " The raw-edge brim is 3-5/8 inches wide and the precreased crown is 4-3/4 inches high at the front, 5-1/4 inches high at the sides.." Best - Will.
Dear Sirs. Obviously you are not Stetson folks, but perhaps you can answer my question. Why do my 10x silverbelly hats get like small bubbles from dropps of water and my black dito isn't affected at all by heavy downpours? Sincerely
After seeing this video I ordered a Cattleman from your store last week. I really love the hat on the top shelf right side next to the Akubra sign. It appears to have a telescope crown. Is it still available? Thanks.
Thank you for your purchase! The only hat with a telescope crown we carried regularly in my memory was the boss but we did for a time at least wholesale the Flinders which has that round crown and the band might have been a match. Alas that style is, like the boss, now discontinued. I'm not sure that the crown appearance isn't a trick of the light / video blur causing the crown to look round. - Will
Hi Epic J, The grey hat at 1:03 is a Squatter. We dropped that style but added the grey color to our Bushman lineup which is nearly identical but with a narrow ribbon instead of the wider ribbon the Squatter had. The Bushman also has a snap brim so you can turn down the brim in front and/or back easily.
What color is the hat you're using in this video? I realy like the Cattleman and want to get one, but the only light-brown shade I can get without waiting for three months for the company to make it is this weird yellow-brown "Fawn," and that looks a bit ridiculous. I'd like a color that would match more outfits. Of course, it could just be the lighting in all the pictures I've seen. Great video. I love your store.
@antagonist42 The cattleman, with the three eyelets, narrow braided band and drop brim is fawn. Akubra's fawn color has a note of green in it which some people don't like, but it also ties into most earth tones nicely. It is one of the most popular colors. Maybe a gray or dark brown would be better for you. Thank you for viewing!
Hi David Very educational video, I have a Herbert Johnson fedora that I can't keep the brim shape , How do I stiffen the brim? I have tried steam and it doesn't last. Any suggestions? Thanks Jim
Hi Kurt, Thank you for watching our videos and the kind comment. Unfortunately I do not know of the best way to dye a fur felt hat. I imagine that a general search on dying felt would give you some ideas... and perhaps checking our hat renovator list to see if there is someone in your area you could ask. Past getting the dye fast, getting a particular color would be tricky. - will for David Morgan
Excellent video, many thanks for the clearest instructions on the subject, can't ask for more :-) How do you like the Akubra Cattleman? I can only order this one over the net, and am only slightly worried that it looks too 'cowboy-ish', what would you say?
Hello there! I have a rather poor quality felt hat but it has gotten out of shape a bit with some dents in it. How would I go about correcting those dents?
Like "Stetson" in America, across the pond in Australia "Akubra" is similarly used as a broader term for a fur felt hat with a good sized brim. Stetson stopped making hats in 1970 and is a design and licensing company now. Akubra still makes their own hats much as they have for over 100 years.
Could you please tell me the name of the hat you are holding 1.03 of the video? I seriously want to own an Akubra hat and am drawn to the turned down brim.
I've had a felt fur hat for about 6 or 7 years. However it's now begun to smell like a wet dog when it gets even the least bit wet. I've never got it soaked and while there may be dust on it I can't think of another reason why it smells. How can I clean it to remove this smell? I don't even own a dog and I'm pretty careful with it.
I'm interested in this answer too, I have a few hats I've kept in those plastic hatboxes and they now smell a bit musty, is there any product you recommend to help prevent that? And more to the point, can I do some kind of cleaning treatment myself to get them smelling fresh again? Thanks, Chris
Hi Kombi, and Chris. Moisture causing mold comes to mind as the cause of a bad smell. I've never had an Akubra turn smelly on me, I keep my hats on pegs in my foyer though. Exposure to sunlight should kill any mold, and then I'd advise control of humidity in storage, either in a box or in a closet, thereafter to keep it away. Felt hats can be cleaned by specialists that remove the sweatband and hat band and dunk it in dry cleaning fluid then add the trimmings back on. If the leather sweatband is smelly / decaying drying it out ( at room temperature, not with heat ) and then re-lubricating the sweat with a leather conditioner ( we sell Pecards' ) may help keep that part of the hat healthy. I hope this helps, - Will
You can do the same thing that gets rid of the smell from stinky sneakers. Place the hat into a plastic bag and seal it up, then put the bag into your freezer and leave it in there for a week or two. The freezing cold will kill the fungal bacteria in the felt that are the actual cause of the unpleasant odour.
You go down the bakery isle get yourself that box of baking soda for the fridge or freezer. Baking soda will kill off odors and bacteria that causes mold at the source. Put it in a big enough airlock tote your hat on a stand like this guy describes, come back to it in four days to a week to even a month. Can't wait to wear it, a hair dryer works well on medium high heat. Just member to hot on the inner wrist just might be to hot for your hat depending on the quality of hat. This might cause some shrinkage tho, while the baking soda will not.
First hat seen is the Akubra Cattleman, second gray hat with wide band is the discontinued Squatter, packing marks are being removed from an Akubra Snowy River, then it is back to the Cattleman being brushed and showing the water on top of the hat.
I like these videos not because I'm into hats, but because his voice is soothing.
Bought a couple of Akubra hats and came across your video. You seem like a pretty interesting dude! Thanks for sharing your story
After 12 years of visiting Australia and purchasing my Akubra hat I have finally taken it out of the box. This first look and try on, since the purchase, is now on my RUclips channel. Watching this video answered all of my questions. Thank you.
Akubras are alot of hat for the money. They are fantastic. And great value. I see people these days getting overly pedantic about the care and upkeep. ENJOY your hat. At the end of the day its is there to protect you from the elements. Wear every mark and stain with pride! A hat tells a story, your story. A well worn hat is more fashionable than any overly new or manicured specimen!
My Federation IV has become an old pal. Can’t be fussed to worry about the scuffs. 👍
That was a most helpful video, thank you Mr. Morgan
I loved my old boss...he'd get a new hat throw it in the water trough then wear it until it dried. Perfect fit and functional! If the hat didn't survive much he'd say the hat was cheap and no good.
I recently ordered a Lightning Ridge from your store. Damn good hat, and thans to this video I have somewhere to go to maintain and clean it (Sand probably wasn't the best color to choose for my lifestyle lol). Just started wearing hats this summer, now it doesn't feel right to leave the dorm/house without one.
Plan on ordering an Overlander sometime, DM seems to carry some Akubra models that you don't ever see anywhere else. Thanks for posting this video, Mr. Morgan.
Hi Jim. You can buy spray on starch from many western stores that will stiffen felt. Starch can yellow light colored hats, but with a brim it would be easy to just spray it on to the under side. It is a little bit sticky to the touch at first but should do the job. Will for David Morgan.
Just came in and picked up the "Angler" your staff was terrific! I am very happy with the hat! I tried on the Snowy River and I think I will also get this one fairly soon.
You have some other neat stuff in your store that I am very interested in, and now that I know where it is, you will probably see more of me. Just wanted to say thank you for a great product and great cistomer service!
Great bunch of tips. Thank you.
@MrMooseful You are most welcome, glad you found, and enjoyed the video. Being in the US I think of the Cattleman as more Outback than Cowboy, and I wouldn't be shy to wear it as an every day hat around the city even though of course it might be more at home fishing or backpacking say than night clubbing.
That is a fine collection of hats you have, thank you for sharing! Best - Will
Hi Tristan, I believe that Akubra's Snowy River is the hat worn in The Man from Snowy River.
The hat worn in 'The Man From Snowy River' is at 1.17 - 2.05
I've had Stetsons, I've had Henschels, Eddy Bothers, Dunlaps. . . Never knew what a really fine hat was until I bought an Akubra. Now I have three of them.
Hi Lozza,
No water treatment is necessary for a good fur felt hat. Water will bead up and roll off for a while, and then the felt will start to soak up water but the felt will stay warm and won't leak. The precaution to take is to make sure that when you set the hat down to dry it is in the shape you would like as they do become more malleable with a soaking, and never apply heat to dry a felt hat, just let it dry at room temperature.
The front and rear crown heights at the bash are symmetrical and very near 4", the sides on go a little higher. - Will for David Morgan.
Are you sure you should brush counter-clockwise on the bottom?,Surely the direction of the fibers will be going the same way as the other side of the brim so therefore going clockwise from the bottom perspective?
Akubra is an excellent hat (and I have two: Leisure and Banjo Paterson).. very high quality and many compliments. Truly goes anywhere. Suggested to me by dermatologist. I bought a horsehair hatband for my Leisure (looks great). Well worth the price.
That's a nice looking hat. I am interested in a hat for long-distance backpacking . I need something that can keep the sun and the rain off. They've got hiking hats for that, but they are polyester and look like an old lady's sun hat. All my other gear is so utilitarian , but I'd like for at least the hat to have some style. I like the teardrop shaped crown on that one.
Hi Capi,
The hats are turned inside out when the underside of the brim is pounced (sanded) on a spindle so therefore the fibers line up in the same direction top or bottom!
I have an Akubra Snowy River and I love it, but I noticed that the sweatband doesn´t works really, and when there´s a warm weather, the hat gets stains in the front of the hat, can I fix that problem?
Wolfgang the hat shown is the Cattleman, made in Australia by Akubra.
I am very happy with my TWO Akubra Hats and have on order my third. My two are (a) leisure world (dark brown) made like iron (I added a horsehair band) and Banjko Paterson (brown) was and still is perfect. So I ordered a third hat (Banjo Paterson) in charcoal gray. I also have an American made Beaver brand 5X fedora (very nice hat) The dermatologist recommended them. (and I have three Panama Hats from Panador) Am I nuts? Probably; but not yet diagnosed (a hat obsession)
Is that the hat warn in The Man From Snowy River?
The hat worn in 'The Man From Snowy River' is at 1.17 - 2.05
@TheTobyKing If it is a fur felt some brushing, steam, and with the help of that steam, some gentle work with your fingers can take out dents, if it is wool felt I'm not sure that the steam would have the same effect.
Due to the corialis effect, do you have to brush hats in the clockwise direction in the Southern Hemisphere?
Hi Mark, Glad you are an Akubra man! We give specs on the Pilbara on the David Morgan website but for your convenience.. " The raw-edge brim is 3-5/8 inches wide and the precreased crown is 4-3/4 inches high at the front, 5-1/4 inches high at the sides.." Best - Will.
Dear Sirs. Obviously you are not Stetson folks, but perhaps you can answer my question. Why do my 10x silverbelly hats get like small bubbles from dropps of water and my black dito isn't affected at all by heavy downpours? Sincerely
After seeing this video I ordered a Cattleman from your store last week. I really love the hat on the top shelf right side next to the Akubra sign. It appears to have a telescope crown. Is it still available? Thanks.
Thank you for your purchase! The only hat with a telescope crown we carried regularly in my memory was the boss but we did for a time at least wholesale the Flinders which has that round crown and the band might have been a match. Alas that style is, like the boss, now discontinued. I'm not sure that the crown appearance isn't a trick of the light / video blur causing the crown to look round. - Will
@@DavidMorganLLC Thanks for the reply. Really looking forward to wearing my Akubra!
Hi Epic J, The grey hat at 1:03 is a Squatter. We dropped that style but added the grey color to our Bushman lineup which is nearly identical but with a narrow ribbon instead of the wider ribbon the Squatter had. The Bushman also has a snap brim so you can turn down the brim in front and/or back easily.
What color is the hat you're using in this video? I realy like the Cattleman and want to get one, but the only light-brown shade I can get without waiting for three months for the company to make it is this weird yellow-brown "Fawn," and that looks a bit ridiculous. I'd like a color that would match more outfits. Of course, it could just be the lighting in all the pictures I've seen.
Great video. I love your store.
@antagonist42 The cattleman, with the three eyelets, narrow braided band and drop brim is fawn. Akubra's fawn color has a note of green in it which some people don't like, but it also ties into most earth tones nicely. It is one of the most popular colors. Maybe a gray or dark brown would be better for you. Thank you for viewing!
I noticed the Cattleman in your video has a lining, all I've seen come unlined.
Are these specially made for David Morgan ?
I like the lining!
Hi David Very educational video, I have a Herbert Johnson fedora that I can't keep the brim shape , How do I stiffen the brim? I have tried steam and it doesn't last. Any suggestions? Thanks Jim
Hi Kurt, Thank you for watching our videos and the kind comment. Unfortunately I do not know of the best way to dye a fur felt hat. I imagine that a general search on dying felt would give you some ideas... and perhaps checking our hat renovator list to see if there is someone in your area you could ask. Past getting the dye fast, getting a particular color would be tricky. - will for David Morgan
@Bushmawyn Thank you for watching! The cattleman crown is about 4 1/4" in front and 3 3/4" in back.
That's a cool hat, what's the model? My only fur felt is a vintage 70's resistol stagecoach, the band is to eccentric for frequent use.
how about the price of each hat in AUS dollar today..?
Useful, thanks
Excellent video, many thanks for the clearest instructions on the subject, can't ask for more :-)
How do you like the Akubra Cattleman? I can only order this one over the net, and am only slightly worried that it looks too 'cowboy-ish', what would you say?
How do I change the band on an pieanor hat that is felt
Hello there! I have a rather poor quality felt hat but it has gotten out of shape a bit with some dents in it. How would I go about correcting those dents?
I’m confused but I’m new, I thought these were called Stetson hats? Is that not right?
Like "Stetson" in America, across the pond in Australia "Akubra" is similarly used as a broader term for a fur felt hat with a good sized brim. Stetson stopped making hats in 1970 and is a design and licensing company now. Akubra still makes their own hats much as they have for over 100 years.
Could you please tell me the name of the hat you are holding 1.03 of the video? I seriously want to own an Akubra hat and am drawn to the turned down brim.
I've had a felt fur hat for about 6 or 7 years. However it's now begun to smell like a wet dog when it gets even the least bit wet. I've never got it soaked and while there may be dust on it I can't think of another reason why it smells. How can I clean it to remove this smell? I don't even own a dog and I'm pretty careful with it.
I'm interested in this answer too, I have a few hats I've kept in those plastic hatboxes and they now smell a bit musty, is there any product you recommend to help prevent that? And more to the point, can I do some kind of cleaning treatment myself to get them smelling fresh again? Thanks, Chris
Hi Kombi, and Chris. Moisture causing mold comes to mind as the cause of a bad smell. I've never had an Akubra turn smelly on me, I keep my hats on pegs in my foyer though. Exposure to sunlight should kill any mold, and then I'd advise control of humidity in storage, either in a box or in a closet, thereafter to keep it away. Felt hats can be cleaned by specialists that remove the sweatband and hat band and dunk it in dry cleaning fluid then add the trimmings back on. If the leather sweatband is smelly / decaying drying it out ( at room temperature, not with heat ) and then re-lubricating the sweat with a leather conditioner ( we sell Pecards' ) may help keep that part of the hat healthy. I hope this helps, - Will
Awesome! Thanks!
You can do the same thing that gets rid of the smell from stinky sneakers. Place the hat into a plastic bag and seal it up, then put the bag into your freezer and leave it in there for a week or two. The freezing cold will kill the fungal bacteria in the felt that are the actual cause of the unpleasant odour.
You go down the bakery isle get yourself that box of baking soda for the fridge or freezer. Baking soda will kill off odors and bacteria that causes mold at the source. Put it in a big enough airlock tote your hat on a stand like this guy describes, come back to it in four days to a week to even a month. Can't wait to wear it, a hair dryer works well on medium high heat. Just member to hot on the inner wrist just might be to hot for your hat depending on the quality of hat. This might cause some shrinkage tho, while the baking soda will not.
What hat is that one Mr David ?
First hat seen is the Akubra Cattleman, second gray hat with wide band is the discontinued Squatter, packing marks are being removed from an Akubra Snowy River, then it is back to the Cattleman being brushed and showing the water on top of the hat.
I love hats
Damnit! I brushed mine clockwise and it looks like a tribble.
That's the trouble with tribbles.
great tips, thanks a lot
good information. thanks.
What do you use to waterproof it? is there anything I should rub into the hat to maintain it ?
I have just done my Akubra hat video. No you are not crazy!!!. You are welcome to have a watch of my collection :) 17 of them in the video x
i bought rorshachs fedora today. i love it
We all know that shrinkage is a bad thing. 😂🎉😮
Brushing the underside of the brim should be clockwise, not counter clockwise.
Akubra at least turns the hat inside out to pounce so counter clockwise is best top or bottom. - Will
I made a video of my lovely Akubra hats. Please have a look xx
I never seen Clint Eastwood making all that fuss with his hat ,in a fistfull of dollars
I meant "customer service"
... says a man without a hat...