Arrrrghhh my Akubra shrunk!

[Lumps of cheese]

Well me being the knob that i am i left my akubra hat in the sun and it has shrunk.
Does anyone know the best way to stretch it back out? Any help appreciated.

[Rufus®]

sure your head hasn't grown??

[Lumps of cheese]

sure your head hasn't grown??

Hope not, it's big enough already

[Philthy]

Do you have kids? I remember 'inheriting' my dads akubra when i was 5 or 6 years old after it blew out of the header. He found it in the same paddock almost a year later. Surprisingly it was still in pretty good condition!


EDIT: No, I don't know how to stretch them out, but thanks for sharing this moment anyway

[commsirac]

Have one that has shrunk too, some tosser thought it would be funny to throw it in a pool.

Never done anything about it, thinking perhaps to put it in warm water(to reset the fibres.....(try and sound like I know what im talking about) and stretch it over a dummy skull(no suggestions thanks) and leave it there till it dries


Edit, just did a search and yes akubras shrinking is a problem...amongst other advice they suggest not leaving them in the sun or letting them get hot.........yeh, Ill take it off when the sun is out...

Only found one suggestion on how to stretch it, which was fairly much as I suggested.

[Tom_1569]

No idea how to stretch it, but from memory dont you use the oiling solution, to stretch them like you do when you first buy them? Im not 100% sure mines a handy-down which is why its special to me.

On topic kinda, anyone know the best way to stiffen the brim? mines go all floppy.

[commsirac]

On topic kinda, anyone know the best way to stiffen the brim? mines go all floppy.

I think you rub it against a girl akubra

[jatsvl]

I have a kakadu from sydney oilskin company when it gets all wet and sweaty and I take it off it dries out and shrinks so I wet it then pull it down over my head keep working then it stretches out again.

[Dayvo]

maybe leave your head out in the sun and it might shrink to the same size as your hat , Just a thought.

[dynamytedave]

When I bought mine the lady at the shop said the steam from a boiling kettle would help bring it back into shape. Maybe if use it on the leather band and put it on to stretch it out it might help. I left mine in the boot of my car and the brim went floppy aswell.

[Paytz]

Have one that has shrunk too, some tosser thought it would be funny to throw it in a pool.

Never done anything about it, thinking perhaps to put it in warm water(to reset the fibres.....(try and sound like I know what im talking about) and stretch it over a dummy skull(no suggestions thanks) and leave it there till it dries


Edit, just did a search and yes akubras shrinking is a problem...amongst other advice they suggest not leaving them in the sun or letting them get hot.........yeh, Ill take it off when the sun is out...

Only found one suggestion on how to stretch it, which was fairly much as I suggested.

Does it also advise to only wear indoors or in shady areas?? seems abit strange for an outback hat that it can't be in the sun

[Tasmaniak]

old thread revival but I soaked mine in hot water and epsom salts....a lot of epsom salts and it allowed me to stretch it but I used my ex wifes mannequin with a towel wrapped around it's head.

[Doubleshadow]

Just be careful you stretch it and when you put it on your head, it shrinks back and strangles the **** out of your head .

You can always try putting your head in a vice and shrinking it to the size of your hat. Just be careful, if you make your head too small, then you will have to shrink the hat. Like the cat chasing its tail, you might end up with a pin head.

[Rhino Racing]

If it has only shrunk a small amount you can take it back to an akubra agent, they can have it re-sized for you.
If you using steam to reset the bash in your hat or to reshape the brim, DO NOT let the steam acumulate in the hat where your head would normally go.... The leather band on the inside will shrink like hell and there is no going back. (It kinda shrivels it)
What i have done in the past and again quite recently was completely soak the hat, inside and out with room temp water.
Then i get a sports ball (small socccer ball or volleyball works well) Let some air out of the ball so that it fits inside the hat. Then pump it up gently so that you have some pressure on the band and it stretches a bit. About an hour later pump it up a little bit more. Then i leave it for a couple of days. The hat may have a weird shape to its brim etc... dont worry u can fix it. Then using steam from a kettle, shape the brim and put the bash in the top of the hat that you want. Leave it another day to set. Then deflate and remove the ball. Dont worry if it is slightly large cos it will naturally shrink down again a small amount.
If i go out and my akubra gets really wet and i am not wearing it the next day i put the ball back in it again and just leave it like that for a couple of days.