I agree I have a Keppler and Akubra Fed and both are very durable and can take a beating. Other than adding some fullers earth to the Akubra, look like the day I got them.
I guess my main gripe today is that the fans take it for granted that they can get all this top quality authentic gear.
That's also a gripe I hold. There is alot of 'I just got my piece of gear and it's the best...' from gearheads who haven't even handled half of the offerings that are available. Back in the day when Rundquist was a regular here, trying out all the gear and finding out what you like seemed to be the norm. Now, as he points out, it's all so simple. You have everyone pretty much telling you what you should buy.
I still say try out everything (within reason). That used to be the fun part of the hobby.
Great advice for anyone getting into or wanting to further this hobby. Use the search function, DO the homework yourself and purchase what's best for you based on the info thats already there. If you're smart enough you can read between the lines.