Wearing and Caring for Akubra^® Hats

Akubra Hats are made to be worn by active outdoorspeople. They are made to give full satisfaction during years of service, through sun and rain. There is no need to baby an Akubra, but if you treat it with understanding, it will look better and last longer.

Do not pick up any hat by pinching the crown, either at the top or front. Pinching will flex the felt, and eventually cause a hole or crack to develop in the felt. It is best to pick up the hat either by the front and back of the brim, or by placing the thumbs inside the leather sweat band at the sides with the fingers just touching the outside of the brim.

Rain or sun do not harm a pure fur felt hat. There is no need for plastic rain covers — these merely keep the felt from breathing properly and so make your head uncomfortable. Do not heat a wet hat. Heat will shrink the wet felt as well as the leather sweatband. 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 properly shaped before drying. Do not leave a hat standing flat on its brim, as this will distort the brim. Never put a hat on the back ledge of a car or truck in the sun, as heat will shrink and damage the leather sweatband. If your hats must of necessity be dried or stored under warm conditions, storing the hat on a hat stretcher, set to your hat size, will be beneficial.

Dust and grime are bound to accumulate on a hat under any normal conditions. Dust can be removed by brushing with a soft brush. Always brush with the nap, in a counterclockwise direction. Dust can also be removed by wiping the hat with a damp (not wet) towel.

With a little care, an Akubra hat should last years. If your Akubra is very old, meets with an accident, or suffers abuse, consider having it renovated. Hat renovators, once common in most cities and towns, are now few in number. As a service to our customers, we have listed the US Hat Renovators we know who will renovate fur-felt hats at our retail web site.