Most customers will be delighted with the fit and shape of their Akubra hat, and will find our simple instructions for bashing an open crown hat straightforward and easy to follow. For those few customers who require more, we offer the following custom hat shaping services. Please note that these services are special order — no returns or exchanges for either the custom service or the customized hat — and are only available for Akubras purchased directly from us.

Open Crown Shaping
We will add a bash to your open crown hat, setting the bash with steam. We offer these standard bashes:

Indy Bash — suitable for the Adventurer
Fedora Bash — suitable for the Squatter, Sydney, Bushman and Adventurer
Pinched Telescope Bash -- suitable for the Bushman
Open Telescope Bash — suitable for the Bushman and Squatter
Military Bash— traditional bash for the Aussie Slouch Hat

We actually recommend that our customers add their own bash, rather than using this service. Adding a bash is easy, with instructions provided with all our open crown hats. Adding the bash yourself enables you to first check the size and style, then perfect the bash to your own tastes. If you don't like your first attempts, reshape the hat until you are satisfied, then set the bash by wearing in the rain or steaming.

Long Oval
Akubra hats are made to a standard oval or shape around the hat at the level of the sweatband. This shape fits most people. If your hat is a little loose at the sides, placing the felt pads (included at no charge with our Akubras) inside the sweatband at the sides will often give a good fit.

If your hat size is a true long oval, we can reshape the Akubra to a long oval. Note that the long oval reshaping also changes the shape of the brim, generally coming down in front and rear. Those customers who are sure of their hat size and shape can make use of our Custom Long Oval service. If you are in doubt of your size, or whether or not you are a long oval, we strongly recommend you find a local hat retailer to assist you in person.

Crown Adjustment
The top of the crown should not be so low that itouches the top of your head when the hat is seated properly. Although not generally a problem, three of the Akubras we carry, the Snowy River, Stockman and Overlander, have relatively low crowns. Customers with high heads ("pointy" heads) might find the hat fits better if the crown is adjusted by lifting the dimple and valley at the center of the crown: Custom Crown Adjustment.

Please note:

1. Custom hat services are a special order. No returns or exchanges of the hat or the custom service unless defective or not as specified.

2. Please allow up to two business days extra processing time for our custom hat services.

3. If you want a custom hat service for a hat you have already purchased from us, please follow the instructions (included with your purchase) for returning your hat to us, and include our normal handling fee. Our Custom Akubra Hat Services are only available for Akubras purchased from us.

4. If you are unsure of your hat size or the desired style, we strongly recommend you find a local hat retailer to assist you in person with sizing and custom shaping. A lising of Akubra dealers in the US and Canada can be found at akubra-usa.com.

For more information ...
Please follow the links below for more information about Akubra hats and related items.

Akubra Hats
Bashing Your Open Crown Akubra
Hat Sizing
Fedoras & Dress Hats
Hat Care
Hat FAQs
Hat Manual (pdf)

Repacking Your Akubra
Returns/Reorder Form (pdf)