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[Lean'n'mean]

Hello All.

I am on a quest of sorts, but with no leads. Would someone know what brand of Hat Ernest Shackleton wore during his Endurance expedition in 1914? See below photo. Colour and material would be fantastic to know as well.

No idea of the brand (possibly British, Lock & Co or Herbet Johnson ) it certainly looks typical of the dandy fedoras of the late 19th early 20th century. I think it's safe to say it was probably black & made from fur felt, (beaver, beaver/rabbit)

 

[Mark Chmielewski]

Thanks Lean. That's much appreciated.

I have sent a message to HJ to see what they say and then on to Locks if need be.

I will let you know.

 

[Mark Chmielewski]

All,

For those that are interested, HJ and Lock & Co have both confirmed that Shackleton's hat is not theirs. I have been given some more leads so the quest continues!

 

[Musher]

Does anybody know when Deion's hats by Dobbs were made?

 

[Lean'n'mean]

All,

For those that are interested, HJ and Lock & Co have both confirmed that Shackleton's hat is not theirs. I have been given some more leads so the quest continues!

Problem is, there were quite a few hat makesrs in London at the beginning of the 20th century which are now defunct. I summize that the hat was of Londonian origin since Ernest spent a lot of time in the capital.

 

[Bill Hughes]

So here's the deal. My wife and I were at a restaurant today for dinner. The waitress asked me if I would like a drink to go? I said yes. She sets a Pepsi filled styrofoam cup on the table. We stay for a short while talking. I look down and my 50s Whipped looks to have something on the underside of the brim. (I had placed in crown down on the chair beside me). Closer inspection shows the top of the crown has a standing Pepsi puddle. The styrofoam cup had a crack in the bottom and the Pepsi had leaked out and ran off the table onto the brim and into the crown of my Stetson fedora. I cleaned it up as much as I could on the spot. Once home I took out the liner and used warm water to clean the felt. The bow had been sewn through the liner (liner was still stitched in) so I had to pop those stitches to remove the liner.

Here is the question. I can see how much the ribbon had faded. Do I just reuse the old ribbon or replace with vintage ribbon of the original (or as close as possible) color?

 

[Blare]

So here's the deal. My wife and I were at a restaurant today for dinner. The waitress asked me if I would like a drink to go? I said yes. She sets a Pepsi filled styrofoam cup on the table. We stay for a short while talking. I look down and my 50s Whipped looks to have something on the underside of the brim. (I had placed in crown down on the chair beside me). Closer inspection shows the top of the crown has a standing Pepsi puddle. The styrofoam cup had a crack in the bottom and the Pepsi had leaked out and ran off the table onto the brim and into the crown of my Stetson fedora. I cleaned it up as much as I could on the spot. Once home I took out the liner and used warm water to clean the felt. The bow had been sewn through the liner (liner was still stitched in) so I had to pop those stitches to remove the liner.

Here is the question. I can see how much the ribbon had faded. Do I just reuse the old ribbon or replace with vintage ribbon of the original (or as close as possible) color?
View attachment 317369 View attachment 317370 View attachment 317371 View attachment 317372

Oh no! That was probably enough to make your heart skip a few beats! My vote would be to just reattach the old ribbon. But it makes an interesting point. I wonder how often is the case that these old ribbons we love the look of... as in this case where originally a dark pewter bronze a bit over the years... giving this a look that was never originally intended... but still so cool. I imagine most times.

 

[Bill Hughes]

Oh no! That was probably enough to make your heart skip a few beats! My vote would be to just reattach the old ribbon. But it makes an interesting point. I wonder how often is the case that these old ribbons we love the look of... as in this case where originally a dark pewter bronze a bit over the years... giving this a look that was never originally intended... but still so cool. I imagine most times.

My original intent was to just reattach the ribbon. But the original pewter color looks so good on the hat....

 

[BobHufford]

My original intent was to just reattach the ribbon. But the original pewter color looks so good on the hat....

Sounds like a good excuse for a new custom!

 

[Zombie_61]

My original intent was to just reattach the ribbon. But the original pewter color looks so good on the hat....

I can understand why you would take the time to consider this. I would re-attach the original ribbon as long as it is still in reasonably good physical condition (I.e., not falling apart), and it doesn't drastically affect the hat's appearance, in order to preserve the hat's history. Then I'd follow Mr. Hufford's suggestion to have a similar hat made with the colors you want. I readily admit this is largely due to my own particular fascination with hats and the way they age, and it's certainly the more expensive option, but it does maintain the original hat while allowing you the opportunity to gain another wonderful hat for your wardrobe.

 

[Bill Hughes]

I can understand why you would take the time to consider this. I would re-attach the original ribbon as long as it is still in reasonably good physical condition (I.e., not falling apart), and it doesn't drastically affect the hat's appearance, in order to preserve the hat's history. Then I'd follow Mr. Hufford's suggestion to have a similar hat made with the colors you want. I readily admit this is largely due to my own particular fascination with hats and the way they age, and it's certainly the more expensive option, but it does maintain the original hat while allowing you the opportunity to gain another wonderful hat for your wardrobe.

The felt did not stain in the slightest. So I really have no reason to send it off to be cleaned/refurbished. I will just reattach the bow. But there is some question as to if indeed it is the original. Since the bow was stitched through the liner it makes me wonder if it is not a replacement. The liner was still sewn in place. Now I need to figure out how to iron the liner to get rid of all the wrinkles I induced by hand rinsing.

 

[belfastboy]

The felt did not stain in the slightest. So I really have no reason to send it off to be cleaned/refurbished. I will just reattach the bow. But there is some question as to if indeed it is the original. Since the bow was stitched through the liner it makes me wonder if it is not a replacement. The liner was still sewn in place. Now I need to figure out how to iron the liner to get rid of all the wrinkles I induced by hand rinsing.

I may have missed this but make sure you rinse the felt to rid it of the sugar in the cola. The sugar would make an attractive dessert choice for moth larvae.

 

[Bill Hughes]

I may have missed this but make sure you rinse the felt to rid it of the sugar in the cola. The sugar would make an attractive dessert choice for moth larvae.

All I did was use warm water on a sponge then Scout Felt Hat Cleaner with a stiff brush. Do I need to soak the hat in a bath or is what I've done enough?

 

[belfastboy]

All I did was use warm water on a sponge then Scout Felt Hat Cleaner with a stiff brush. Do I need to soak the hat in a bath or is what I've done enough?

I would say if there is no staining then it doesn't need a bath. But a goodly amount of water to flush the sugars out of the felt would be prudent.

 

[DVNO]

Hi,

I bought this hat for 120€. It’s not new, but has never been worn. I got a receipt that says it was 650€ new. I couldn’t find any infos regarding the felt or anything else. Does anybody know something about this Borsalino?

 

[belfastboy]

Hi,

I bought this hat for 120€. It’s not new, but has never been worn. I got a receipt that says it was 650€ new. I couldn’t find any infos regarding the felt or anything else. Does anybody know something about this Borsalino?

The Borsalino pin dates it as contemporary. I think made in the era when they were bought out and the new owners worked to maximize the brand of Borsalino. It is a good hat and in my opinion you got a decent deal for your 120. In the era of this hat quality was uneven so no way would I ever paid the full price. Having the Borso pin does not warrant that amount of up sell. My bias would be to get rid of the Borsa pin, wear the hat and enjoy the purchase.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Hi,

I bought this hat for 120€. It’s not new, but has never been worn. I got a receipt that says it was 650€ new. I couldn’t find any infos regarding the felt or anything else. Does anybody know something about this Borsalino?

I’ve had a few of those modern Borsalinos with the gold “Borsalino” printed on the bow keeper. You can remove the printing with some alcohol and gentle rubbing. The Borsalinos of the era of your hat don’t do anything for me. They aren’t bad hats, but they don’t have what I’m looking for. The price you paid for yours sounds about what they typically sell for on the vintage market, but there is a lot of fluctuation.

Photos of the interior, including the leather sweatband and the liner, are needed if you want more specific information. Photos of the factory label behind the sweatband could be helpful too. I’m certainly not a Borsalino expert, but hopefully some of our members who are will chime in.

 

[DVNO]

Thanks for the helpful replies! I really like the color of the hat. It‘s a very nice light blue - the pictures don‘t cover that exactly as it seems to be more grey as it is in reality. I‘ll add two more pictures from tue inside of the hat.

 

[Steve1857]

Congrats on the Borsalino. The very attractive light-blue colour did indeed come out in your first photos.
You got a bargain compared to the original price. Though I'd just point out that for a €120, you can get a great quality vintage Borsalino; at least in Europe.
As has been mentioned, yours is a contemporary Borsalino. Sometime after 2010 I'd say.
The photos attached show one I bought new from a very good hat shop in Copenhagen about 5 years ago. The price was the the equivalent of €440. It has many features in common with yours, though mine has a cloth sweatband. Yours appears to be leather.
As far as the name pin is concerned, I wouldn't remove it just yet, if I were you. I know some folks like them, and some don't. Wear it first, then see how you feel about it.

[ QUOTE="DVNO, post: 2790568, member: 39429"]Thanks for the helpful replies! I really like the color of the hat. It‘s a very nice light blue - the pictures don‘t cover that exactly as it seems to be more grey as it is in reality. I‘ll add two more pictures from tue inside of the hat.[/QUOTE]

 

[DVNO]

Thank you! Do you have any idea what material the felt might be? Is it rabbit hair? Hard to tell through the photos I guess...