Product Background Information Archives - Page 2 of 3

Happy 4th of July!

July 3, 2013

Independence Day reminds us that we live in a country that gives us a chance to work hard and make a difference. Many of our products are made by people with that philosophy. For them, made in the USA is a mark of pride.

Welch Suspenders

The Welch Company Inc. has been manufacturing suspenders in Portland, Oregon since 1967. Their suspenders are recognized for quality and reliability. We sell both X-back and Y-back suspenders with either clip ends or leather ends that fasten to buttons.

Learn more here.

Geier Gloves

Geier Glove Company is from Centralia, Washington. They’ve been around for over seventy years. They’re known throughout the West for high-quality gloves and moccasins. We provide gloves in deer, goat, kangaroo, bison and elk skin.

Learn more here.

Cavin Richie

Cavin’s designs are a reflection of his surroundings. His line includes birds, mammals and amphibians. Each item is accurately detailed. For the past thirty years he has carved using shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. These carvings became the basis for his lost wax casting jewelry.

“Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”

Learn more here.

Bolo Ties by Frederick Design

April 25, 2013

Frederick Design creates elegant and affordable jewelry made of lead-free pewter. The jewelry is hand-crafted in Canada by various artists, including First-Nations.

We now carry two pewter bolo ties from Frederick design. The first is the Orca Bolo, shown leaping out of the water.

Orca Bolo Tie, Pewter

The second depicts the raven stealing the sun. Unlike our other raven jewelry, this shows a frontal view of the raven holding the sun in its beak.

Raven Stealing The Sun Bolo Tie, Pewter

The black cord is machine-braided synthetic material. Overall length, not including the metal tips, is 36 inches.

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Frederick Design

Kickin’ It Up!

March 29, 2013

Kickin’ up the back brim of your hat can add an additional flare to your Akubra. Your hat will have more of a fedora style than the traditional Aussie style.

It’s easy to kick up the back brim. All you need is a little steam from a tea kettle. Run the steam over the top of the brim for just a few seconds to get it soft. Then, push up the back from underneath with your thumbs. Push up at the base of the brim, right where it meets the crown.

You can watch this video to see how to steam your hat.

The Cattleman, kicked up.

Banjo, kicked up

Traveller, kicked up

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Akubra Hats

How to Adjust Your Welch Suspenders

March 15, 2013

Welch suspenders are world-renowned for their quality. They are made in the USA, in Hillsboro, Oregon. David Morgan sells a variety of suspenders ranging from formal to casual wear. They can be worn for light or for heavy, outdoor work. We also sell suspenders to hold up heavy utility belts worn by police officers.

Some customers have difficulty in adjusting the length of the suspenders. The trick into getting the clasps back into position is to use your thumbs on the front and your index fingers on the back. Once the teeth are in place, you must push up with your thumbs and push down with your index finger. You will feel the top of the clasp fall into place.

We’ve created a video that shows this. If you still have any questions, please contact us.

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Welch Suspenders

Ready for Adventure!

March 1, 2013

No search for treasure is possible without the essentials. Protect your head from blistering sun, spiders and snakes (or just rain) with a real, rabbit-fur felt hat. The Adventurer is an open-crown hat that can be shaped just like the legendary archaeologist’s own fedora. It was designed by Akubra with specs from the prop master of Indy IV.

Our leather gloves are made from deerskin or kangaroo. Don’t be fooled by how soft and thin the kangaroo leather is, it’s incredibly tough. Gloves are available in brown, black or gold.

And for those rare cases where you just might need a bullwhip…

Who Says Fedoras Are Only for Men?

February 14, 2013

There’s no question that Akubras look classic and stylish on men. But they also look great on women! We’ve already mentioned The Hampton, but other hats look great, too. We have several open-crown hats that you can crease yourself, or keep them uncreased, such as with The Adventurer, below. Our open-crown hats include The Sydney, The Bushman and The Slouch.

The Adventurer, in black.

The Adventurer

If you’re looking for a straw hat, our Gambler has a telescope crown, which you may find more interesting than our straw fedoras.

Gambler

How to Replace a Whip Fall

July 13, 2012

Falls and crackers take the brunt of the wear from whip cracking. Over time, the end of the fall will wear off. When it gets down to 12-18 inches, it needs replacing.

Leather falls also stretch and should be replaced when they have become noticeably thinner than the end of the thong. In addition, the kangaroo strands adjacent to the fall will, in time, break because of the sharp flexing at this point. The fall should be replaced as soon as the first strand breaks.

People often ask the difference between red and white falls. Neither one is better than the other. Red hide falls tend to hold their thickness but eventually break. On the other hand, white hide falls stretch more but need watching to prevent them from getting too thin.

We get many questions on how to replace a whip fall. For whips with the thong strands intact, it’s quite easy! If the strands of the whip are damaged, the process is a little harder, but you can do it with a little patience. Here is a link to the instructions at davidmorgan.com.

If you wish to have us change it for you, you can check out our service here.

Update:

We now have a video that demonstrates a whip fall replacement. Click on the YouTube Icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to see all of our videos.

Akubra Makes a Fine Rain Hat

April 6, 2012

We’re often asked if you can wear an Akubra in the rain. The answer is a definite, “Yes”! There are no powders on an Akubra, so you don’t have to worry about streaking. Nor do you need a plastic rain cover—that merely keeps the felt from breathing properly and makes your head uncomfortable.

When you first buy your hat, you’ll notice that the water beads on the felt. Akubra treats the felt, which makes it water resistant for several years. After the treatment fades, you will still have a quality, water-resistant hat. The rain will soak into the felt, but it will not leak.

David has had his Bushman for about thirty years. He usually wears this hat on his daily walks. And with Seattle boasting 158 days of rain per year, he needs one.

Below are a few shots of David’s hat before and after a walk. You can be certain that your Akubra will hold up just as well!

David’s, “Bushman”, about 30 years old.

Water will still pool at the top, but at this age, it will get wet, but not leak. Newer hats which still have the treatment will not soak into the felt.

Back from a walk. The hat is soaked, but the water did not get David’s head wet.

Care instructions:

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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Akubra Hats

Hat Accessories

Bash Your Adventurer – Indy Style

December 9, 2011

How hard is it to bash your Adventurer? Not as hard as you think! David and Mike show you how a little steam is all you need to prepare you for your next adventure with Indiana Jones.

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Adventurer Hats

The Indy Bash with Close-Up Photos

Akubras and Rain

November 23, 2011

Akubra hats are designed to protect you from the sun and rain. The felt is dyed and no powders are added. This means that you do not have to worry that your hat will streak if it gets wet.

When you wear your hat in a brief shower, the water will first bead up — in a light rain, you may never see the felt absorb the water. In a heavy shower or a long walk in the rain, the felt will get wet. However, the water will not seep through the hat. Felt provides good insulation when wet, so you will remain comfortable.

Whenever your hat gets wet, let it air dry. Do not put it near a heat source, since heat may shrink the hat. Hang it on a hook, if possible. If you do not have a hook, rest it on its crown. Leaving a hat on its brim will flatten and distort the brim.

Below we’ve pictured David’s thirty-something year old Bushman. He wears it on his daily walk. In the Pacific Northwest, a hat is essential in the winter.