Akubra is made for rugged terrain. It’s no surprise that we’ve received pictures of happy customers wearing their hats from all over the world. This is our first from Peru. Our Kiandra made it all the way to Machu Picchu.
We’d love to receive more photos of you with your Akubra. Or, if you’re a little shy, just send one of the hat, as in these photographs. We’ll post it here!
There have been a few times when our customers wondered why their new kangaroo leather goods were a light tan and not a dark brown. This is understandable when you see a photo of Indiana Jones with his dark brown whip
When we receive our kangaroo leather, it is a light tan. Almost immediately the color begins to darken. In the two photos below, the two whips are placed on top of a piece of kangaroo leather that we received a few months ago. You can see in the image how light the skin is.
Compare the skin with the two whips. The lighter whip in the photographs is approximately one year old. The darker whip is approximately ten years old. Both have remained indoors and have not been directly exposed to sunlight.
Close up of two whip handles, ages (left to right) one year and ten years.
Two whips, ages one and ten years.
We strongly recommend that you do not try to prematurely age your skin. This is a natural substance and excessive trauma on the skin will weaken it. We all know what happens to our skin when we expose it to intense sunlight and heat
Cavin Richie moved to the Puget Sound area in 1970 to be near the sea. For over thirty years his carvings have reflected his surroundings. All of his work is highly detailed. His line includes birds, mammals and amphibians. He begins the lost wax casting process using shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. Cavin loves the earthy look of bronze and the way it shows the detail of his original designs.
“Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”
Below are the steps that Cavin uses to create each of his remarkable pieces. The carving alone can take up to twenty hours. Each piece is a miniature sculpture.
Cavin begins by sketching the wildlife into the shed antler.
The antler is smoothed.
The wildlife is cut out of the antler.
Details are added to the piece.
A rubber mold is created that will be used for the wax model.
A wax model is created. A second mold is created around the wax model.
Liquid bronze is poured into the mold. When the bronze cools, the bronze piece is removed from the mold.
The rough casting is chased, the findings are soldered on and the patina is applied.
Cavin Richie has a tremendous talent for capturing the essence of nature in his jewelry. His bird designs are exquisite. Below are just a few of our latest additions. More can be discovered here.
Art Edison of Edison Leather Works purchases kangaroo leather from us. He graciously sent us several photographs of his work. Art considers his work a “serious hobby” and he is not set up for (or interested in getting) lots of orders. He likes making a few things and selling them on a limited basis.
From the photos you can see the craftsmanship of his work. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to check out his blog postings, they are very enlightening.)
While we sell Art kangaroo lace and skins, please note that not all of the photos below are fully made with kangaroo leather.
Wallets:
The wallets are all hand-stitched using traditional 2-needle saddle making stitching. The black one is a trifold and the colored ones are bifolds.
Purses:
Like the wallets, the purse is all hand-stitched. The exterior is medium weight kangaroo, and it is fully lined with a very lightweight oak-tanned cowhide (Hermann Oak). The handle is kangaroo. There are several types of braids (flat, round, turk’s head). The round braid goes all around the gusset of the bag underneath and is doubled.
Belts:
These are a few belts that Art made with our factory cut narrow lace. The black was as ordered and all the colors were dyed using Fiebings, either regular or professional oil. All of the colors require a fair amount of “elbow grease” to rub out the excess after they dry well. Art typically dyes them, lets them hang to dry for a few days, and then gives them a thorough coat of Pecard’s Leather Dressing. Then they sit for several days and when he’s ready to braid them he rubs them a lot with rags.
For the past few years, Australian musician and advocate Dobe Newton has given out Akubra hats and Drizabone coats to attendees of the Americana Festival in Nashville, TN. Last September, Tacy Judd, a freelance photographer who works for the American Music Association, was a winner.
Gene LaFallette at Shenandoah Photographics took some outstanding photographs of Tacy with the Cattleman and her Drizabone coat. Enjoy!
We are pleased to announce that we are now selling nearly all of Cavin Richie’s jewelry. Cavin’s designs are a reflection of his surroundings. His line includes intricately detailed birds, mammals and amphibians.
For the past thirty years Cavin has carved with 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.”
A patina of green, white, black and other colors complement the earthy metal and give each piece a unique finish. All the Wildlife in Bronze jewelry designed by Cavin Richie are made in the USA.
Will and Mike made another journey to Denver for the annual Western and English Sales Association convention. The largest trade show of its kind, it features hundreds of vendors purveying equestrian-themed items. From western rodeo and dressage to everyday items such as clothing, boots and jewelry, everything is on display.
For five days, people from around the world descend upon Denver to see the latest products each vendor has to offer. This coincides with the Stockman’s Show, which attracts more of the Western crowd.
It was fun to meet old friends and be part of the spectacle.
View of downtown Denver looking out from the Hard Rock Cafe.
One of our neighbors sporting her new head dress.
Beautiful bronze sculpture of the cowboy lifestyle.
Beautiful show-quality leather saddle
Closer view with more details of the exquisite tooling
David Morgan is attending the January WESA (Western and English Sales Association) convention in Denver, CO. The Denver WESA Market is the premier trade show for the western industry. For over 90 years, WESA has brought together retailers and exhibitors in a friendly, down-home environment.
Join us if you happen to be at the show! Will and Mike will be happy to show you our hats. This year we are introducing our expanded line of Cavin Richie jewelry.
Last year we printed a poem by Tom Mosher. We’d like to print it again.
THE TRUE MEASURE
“Of a cowboys treasure”
His boots were comfortably old
Why, they’d been twice resold.
They were special made from down Tucson way
He always went for quality, he would say
There were several fine hats, hung on his rack
His favorite came from Australia, an Akubra, Kiandra in black
We love receiving pictures of our customers wearing Akubra hats. Because Akubras are hard-wearing, we have had photos sent from all over the world: from the middle-eastern deserts to the American Southwest, from Europe and Africa to South America. Below are a few we’ve accumulated over time. As you can see, some have an artistic flair.
Enjoy the photos!
JJ and friends at the Singapore Zoo.
Self Portrait and a surrealistic painting.
Hans Dietrich Zimmer, from Germany sporting his Adventurer.
