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Akubra’s dedication to quality has made them one of the premier hat makers throughout Australia and the world. David Morgan has proudly sold their hats in the United States since 1965.
Will Morgan visited the Akubra Headquarters in Kempsey, Australia. We thought you might like to get an inside peek into the making of an Akubra hat.
Brian Tucker, Production Manager, stands before the blowing machine. Here the fur is mixed, removing any clotted hair, felt or dirt. 
When the fur leaves the blowing machine, it is like soft cotton.
In the first stage of making the hat, the forming machine (not seen) will make 
a large cone that is extremely fragile and three times the size of the finished hat. From here, the hats will be shrunk, dyed and then shaped.
Stoving is the final wet process. The hats are dried overnight.
Trimmings, such as linings, ribbons and sweatbands (pictured here), are prepared in the factory. 
Ready for shipment!
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David Morgan is proud to present the Burke and Wills by Akubra. This hat is part of Akubra’s Heritage Collection of premium hats. It is a western-style hat with a crown that reaches to 5 inches at the front and 5 1/2 inches at the sides.
Like the Territory, the brim is a wide 4 inches. There are 3 eyelets on each side.
Unique for our line of Akubras is the center crease with side dents. This shape is often found in the American West where it is known as the Cattleman’s Crease. A horsehair band finishes off the hat with style.
Sand colored. Sizes 7 to 7 5/8 (56 to 61). $175.00
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Akubra hats are designed for the hot Australian sun. But they’re also designed for rain. There are no powders on an Akubra, so you don’t have to worry about streaking. There’s no need for plastic rain covers – these merely keep the felt from breathing properly and make your head uncomfortable.
If your hat gets wet, do not heat it. Heat will shrink the felt, as well as the leather. Stand the hat upside down on its crown, or hang on a hook in a cool place and let it dry naturally. Wet felt retains the shape in which it dries, so make sure the brim and crown are shaped as you want them before drying.
For other information on hat care, please visit our site.
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We often get requests to bash an Akubra hat, and we are happy to do so. But the truth is, anyone can bash a hat. It doesn’t take any fancy equipment. Here are two popular ways:
The cowboy method:
Cowboys used to get their hats wet by wearing them in the rain or dunking them in a stream. Once wet, they could bash the hat into the desired shape. Then, like cowboy boots, they wore them until dry. Drying it on the head not only kept it from shrinking, but helped it conform to the individual’s own head shape.
The steam method:
While we use a steamer, a tea kettle works just as well. Run the part of the hat to be shaped over the steam for a few seconds. The steam penetrates the felt, which allows you to work the hat into the shape that you want. We give step by step instructions online for a number of bash styles at: Bashing Your Open Crown Akubra
Remember, an open crowned hat can always be reshaped. And don’t worry about making the perfect bash. Take a look at the hats worn by such icons as Howard Hughes and Al Capone You’ll see ripples and dents where the hat was creased. That isn’t a bash with flaws, but a hat with character.
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