Club Obi Wan

I know this dead horse is well beaten. But, I was going through my closet last night and came across an Akubra "Down Under" from Outback Trading Company circa at least 10 years ago. This is the classic telescope crown western/Australian/"Gambler"/Croc Dundee/ Cowboy etc hat.
This is what it looked like on a website selling it (David Morgan):

Well, I decided to rework it for shiggles.
The starting dimensions: Crown, unbashed 5 1/2"
Brim: Front 3"; Rear: 2 7/8"; Left & Right: 3"
This is the starting point:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0385.jpg
and
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0384.jpg
and
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0389.jpg
Note the complete lack of "pointiness of the original block. Tapered and domed, derby-like, but decidedly not pointy but nevertheless "Australian".
First, I wetdown the whole hat and smoothed out the crown an a kitchen re-block block AKA stainless steel mixing bowl.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0388.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0387.jpg
Next, I formed the bash.
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0397.jpg
Fianally, I trimmed and sanded the brim:
Front 2 7/8"; Rear: 2 3/4"; Left & Right: 2 5/8"
Wet down, hat jack in and this is the result (note Maker's Mark bottled "courage" for shears assist!:
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0391.jpg
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh28 ... G_0395.jpg
It needs a new hat band; but, the horrid brass stirrup and braided leather monstrosity (with multi-colored feathers--thank you very much) is gone!
i wanted a non-brown fedora and here it is.

It looks great! Nicely done!

Very nicely done! you can barely see any sign of the original crease.

Rambler, please resize your images as per the rules so we don't have to turn them into links: viewtopic.php?t=9523 and kindly remember your pic limit, too: viewtopic.php?t=21315

Thanks.

Not bad!

How much side taper is there when viewed from the front? High angles shots can be misleading. Can we see a straight and level front picture?

- Mac

I tried to buy a Down Under from David Morgan last month. He had them on sale as a "discontinued item" . I thought they might be a telescoped Bushman. Yours looks more like a Federation block- but 10 years telescoping may have altered the top of the crown's shape. Anyway, David Morgan quoted a 4 inch crown, like yours, while everyone else quotes 4 1/2 inches. That's why I was interested. I put the lower telescope line on the Raiders hat at about 3 3/4, so this was close. But DM had just sold the last one. Hatsdirect, Everythingaustralian, ect. quote a 4 1/2 inch crown. http://www.everythingaustralian.com.au/ ... 0&cat_id=2 VERY interesting Rambler. Nice Hat!.............. Yeah, DM doesn't sell 'em anymore, but their home page isn't missing out on the Indy 4 buzz, putting an "Adventurer" on top- http://www.davidmorgan.com/?ad_code=GO_ ... awodHiK31Q Funny- Wasn't Crocodile Dundee thought to be a Raiders spin-off?

I just saw this post and had to laugh. I ordered a Down Under in black from Hats direct in a size 60 and it took about three months to get. I ordered it in October and received it right after Christmas. They said it was a "made to order hat" because Akubra dosent normally make this hat in black. So I had to wait for three months for a hat you had sitting your closet you forgot you had. See one mans trash really is another mans treasure.

RussM wrote:I just saw this post and had to laugh. I ordered a Down Under in black from Hats direct in a size 60 and it took about three months to get. I ordered it in October and received it right after Christmas. They said it was a "made to order hat" because Akubra dosent normally make this hat in black. So I had to wait for three months for a hat you had sitting your closet you forgot you had. See one mans trash really is another mans treasure.

Did you request the colour knowing that they don't usually offer it?