Berets, Anyone?

[J.B.]

Pouces, centimeters, pulgadas, inches, millimeters... It all makes my brain hurt!
It also does not help the situation that -- according to Boinas Elosegui -- that the "United States, Panama, and other places" use a different length for their pulgadas?!

My little cheat sheet (with absolutely no guarantees of accuracy) follows. It gets me a quick estimate of a beret's diameter in a format that is easier for me to visualize...
("inch" refers to a U.S. inch)
(all numbers rounded up/down for my convenience)
_____________________________________________
***Una pulgada castellana equivalía a 23,22 milímetros. Actualmente en Estados Unidos, Panamá y otros países se usa una pulgada de 25,4 milímetros.***
_______________________________
***1 pulgada B.E. = aprox. 23,3 mm*** ^(23,22 mm)^
10 pulg = 233 mm* = 9.1 in
10,5 pulg = 244 mm* = 9.6 in
11 pulg = 256 mm* = 10.1 in
11,5 pulg = 268 mm* = 10.5 in
12 pulg = 279 mm = 11.0 in
12,5 pulg = 291 mm = 11.4 in
13 pulg = 302 mm = 11.9 in
13,5 pulg = 314 mm = 12.3 in
14 pulg = 326 mm* = 12.8 in
15 pulg* = 349 mm* = 13.7 in
16 pulg* = 372 mm* = 14.6 in
_______________________________
9 pouce = 9.6 in
9.5 pouce = 10.1 in
10 pouce = 10.7 in
10.5 pouce = 11.2 in
11 pouce = 11.7 in
11.5 pouce = 12.3 in
12 pouce = 12.8 in
_______________________________
9 inch = 228.6 mm
9.5 inch = 241.3 mm
10 inch = 254 mm
10.5 inch = 266.7 mm
11 inch = 279.4 mm
11.5 inch = 292.1 mm
12 inch = 304.8 mm
12.5 inch = 317.5 mm
13 inch = 330.2 mm
13.5 inch = 342.9 mm
14 inch = 355.6 mm
14.5 inch = 368.3 mm
15 inch = 381 mm
______________________________

 

[Daan]

Pouces, centimeters, pulgadas, inches, millimeters... It all makes my brain hurt!
It also does not help the situation that -- according to Boinas Elosegui -- that the "United States, Panama, and other places" use a different length for their pulgadas?!

My little cheat sheet (with absolutely no guarantees of accuracy) follows. It gets me a quick estimate of a beret's diameter in a format that is easier for me to visualize...
("inch" refers to a U.S. inch)
(all numbers rounded up/down for my convenience)
_____________________________________________

Excellent! I can tell you that I still need to use my various cheat sheets to get things right. A publication here was long overdue. Well done!

 

[Daan]

Not a fan of direct mail advertising, but still wanting to inform regular customers of South Pacific Berets and visitors of The Beret Project of what’s new, what is coming up, novelties from manufacturers and stock levels, I thought a newsletter would be the way to go.
And today, I sent out SPB Newsletter N° 1. If you are interested in receiving your own copy, please drop me a line at BeretAndBoina@gmail.com and write "New subscriber" in the subject field.
The aim is to send out a newsletter once a month, followed up with short updates when new stock comes in.

This first newsletter informs you about the new Italian Grande Piatto's, large diameter berets by Boinas Elosegui in maroon, new lines from French manufacturer Laulhere and upcoming new stock from DEER, among a variety of facts having to do with berets.

 

[1280almas]

where did you get yours? To the best of my knowledge, there are no other retailers outside Japan...

Hello Daan, I get a small stock from KS japan. I use to sell wineskins, argentinian leather goods, pocket knives from Spain and Portugal and other stuff in village fairs and livestock markets across the Cantabrian coast. Most of my clients are older people who do not have internet access. Berets have very good acceptance if they are not very expensive. People struggle to pay 45 euros for Deer berets but instead are willing to pay 20 euros for a Tonak beret. We are experiencing a dreadful economic situation in Spain, our politicians lead us to ruin.
Berets were very popular in my region, Asturias

I think there was a factory of boinas Elosegui in my town, I am trying to recover the use of the beret here.

 

[Daan]

People struggle to pay 45 euros for Deer berets but instead are willing to pay 20 euros for a Tonak beret. We are experiencing a dreadful economic situation in Spain, our politicians lead us to ruin.
Berets were very popular in my region, Asturias

Yes, a sad reality. Easy to say for me not to compromise on the quality of a beret, but if you simply can't afford it - better to wear a cheap TONAK than no beret...
Yes, Asturias has a long history were berets are concerned. I am not aware of there never having been a Boinas Elosegui factory in Asturias (to the best of my knowledge, it is and has always been in Tolosa only), but I hope to find out much more on former beret manufacturers in Spain over the next few weeks, during my escape from the southern hemisphere winter. Shall keep you (all) updated.

Great pictures attached to your post - thanks for sharing. Below some more pictures from the Asturias:

Ever heard of Pepe el Ferreiro? A locally famous compatriot of yours - I'll dig up some pictures and info soon.

 

[Daan]

José María Naveiras Escanlar, commonly known as Pepe el Ferreiro was born on March 31, 1942 in Grandas de Salime, Asturias. He worked as blacksmith in the forge of his father and in other activities related to metallurgy.
Together with two friends he discovered the first dwelling of the Castro (village), called Chao Samartín, in 1977.

Because of the friendship he had with the owner of the estate, Don Manuel Barcia Monteserín, he was allowed to excavate this buried building, a work he accomplished together with José Manuel Villamea, and together they managed to bring to light an important collection of ceramic fragments. He took the archaeologist D. Miguel Ángel de Blas Cortina of the University of Oviedo to see the Castro, who subsequently studied the excavation site.

In the year 1983, José Naveiras Escanlar founded the Ethnographic Museum of Grandas de Salime. He investigated into anthropological subjects to develop the museum project in the best possible way.
In October 1984, at the antique ruins of Melgar de Tera that were turned into an improvised mausoleum, he excavated a glass made of fine materials, dated to the first half of the first Century, 10–20 B.C.

In April 1986, on his own initiative he presented some samples coming from Chao Samartín to Mr. Fernán Alonso, Q.E.D. of the Carbon-14 Department of the Institute for Physics and Chemistry of Rocasolano (The High Council for Scientific Investigations) in Madrid. They did an analysis and dated the castro at the second half of the first century A.D.

Personally, I think Pepe makes great advertising for beret-wearing.

 

[Moca]

so what beret is this pepe fellow wearing you reckon?

 

[Daan]

so what beret is this pepe fellow wearing you reckon?

Hard to say with absolute certainty, but let me put it this way: I'd be very surprised if it isn't a Boinas Elosegui Super Lujo (290mm diameter).

 

[Daan]

Returned from my 'beret research expedition' 2 weeks ago and it's about time to post something on The Fedora Lounge (has been rather quiet here, really...).
Two weeks away only, but returned with some 18kg's in overweight luggage: books, copies of old (French) documents from the library in Oloron Sainte Marie, old brochures, catalogues and flyers, beret samples from Laulhere, postcards and vintage pictures picked up here and there, some vintage berets from what I believe to be the oldest beret shop in the world... Good stuff altogether and now busy trying to make some sense of it all.

One observation that is no surprise, really, is how few berets I saw "in the wild". Spanish Navarra and Aragon were especially disappointing (although I give them that 30oC doesn't make good beret weather for every one). I spied a few, over a period of 3 days. The very best in the Aragonese Pyrenean town of Jaca. This fellow was caught alseep at midday, still wearing his good sized boina.

Better spy results in Pau, the capital of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département in France. Thanks to my brother with his ever present Iphone, I collected some good "material" here:

Interesting, and disappointing, was that most berets I saw for sale in Pau were made in China, even at the prestigious Galeries Lafayette and the shops at the airport (while France's own Laulhere factory is only some 25km's away).
Altogether though, pleased to see how many (younger) French people I did see with a beret (despite the heat)!

Meanwhile, the 2nd South Pacific Berets Newsletter came out (drop me a line if you would like your own copy and I'll add you to the list).

New at SPB in short: the completely new range of top quality berets for women by Laulhere: the béret Mademoiselle, double lined, available in a variety of colours in a special giftbox;

Laulhère's bérets Gascon,

an homage to the beret. It was about time too, having a beret from the very heartlands of the beret! A one-size, headband-less beret in traditional black merino wool, 10 pouces diameter, carrying the embroidered label of Gascony - the birthplace of the beret and very much the beret worn by the archetypical Pyrenean shepherds and farmers. A must-have for every beret aficionado!
What else? There are (very few) special order Txapelduns left in Bordeaux, a beautiful deep red that I fear won't become available again;

the range of Limited Edition berets has been expanded with the 28cm headband-less beret (and re-stocked in 30cm);

many more berets in the DEER range; large diameter Italian Bascos Grande Piatto....

That should do for a bit of news. One thing I learned at the factory of Laulhere (and I'm very pleased about learning this!), is the reason for the colourful ribbon sewn onto headbands in berets. It's called the 'brake' and prevents the beret from flying off in the wind.

Not 100% wind proof, I dare say, living in Windy Wellington, but it does work!

 

[Moca]

good seeing you here again mate. has been awfully quiet indeed. those bordeox berets look very appetizing but my spouse may think differently

 

[Daan]

good seeing you here again mate. has been awfully quiet indeed. those bordeox berets look very appetizing but my spouse may think differently

My advice: get one for yourself only - not for your spouse!

 

[hatflick1]

Gaucho berets

I don't know if these pics have made the rounds
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...2&tbm=isch&um=1&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CDAQrQMwAjg8

 

[hatflick1]

More Gaucho Berets...For Sale

In case this website has not been circulated around the
Lounge.
http://www.gauchoclothes.com/boinas.html

 

[Daan]

I have stocked the Béret Casquette for some 6 months now, but it's only after seeing the manufacturing process myself (while visiting the Laulhère factory in Oloron Sainte Marie), that I developed a real liking for this very special béret.

As I posted previously, the manufacturing process is identical to the manufacturing of a Béret Basque, but what I didn't realize is that the Béret Casquette is actually made of a Béret Basque!

The process starts with an un-hemmed beret in 10 pouces. This "rough beret" is stretched over a steel oval shaped mould. The head-opening is stretched a long way, till the circumference of the actual Béret Casquette with the peak included. Then, under steam, a thick metal flexible rod is creating a fold, slowly pulling itself to the center of the beret, that way shaping the peak. A sized headband is then inserted to form the proper head-opening. On the 4th picture, you can see the "rough berets" in the bottom left corner, before stretched over the mould.

A simple, and at the same time, very sophisticated technique. And for a beret-purist like myself, the realization that yes, the Béret Casquette is abolutely a true beret!

Presently available in Black, Navy and Sable (Sand) with bayadère lining or in un-lined version in Black and Navy at a reduced price (click here).

Also, more colours will come available later this month!

 

[Daan]

Some beautiful old photographs from Asturias, Spain. Taken at a time when berets, or boinas, were ever present in daily life.

Mowing the grass by scythe

Carrying the scythe home. Typical outfit of the time: beret, jacket, wooden shoes

The Board and members of the Agricultural Society

Miners, Santa Barbara

Railway employees posing at the steam locomotive 'Matilde'

Spinning the wool

Horsemen of the railway building crew

All these photographs are of the turn of the late 1800's and first quarter of the 1900's.

 

[Daan]

The new South Pacific Berets Newsletter is out; full of news on berets and interesting background information. If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive your own copy, please drop me a line here with "New Subscriber" in the subject field.

Open the Newsletter in your browser (by clicking the link on the top right) and you'll get access to all previous Newsletters too!

 

[1280almas]

Thank you Daan, well done!
Vaqueiros, the last nomads of southern europe



More berets pics here:
http://arruabarrenajm.com/category/retro/

 

[bloc]

Any advice on the best place to buy a beret for a chap in the UK? One of my customers has lost his and he's heart-broken..

 

[J.B.]

Well, if he can bear to wait for a package to arrive from New Zealand -- IMO the selection here is second to none globally.

Great vendor, but I have no idea on the transit time to GB?!
(NZ to California, USA was running 6 to 12 days fairly recently...)

 

[Daan]

Well, if he can bear to wait for a package to arrive from New Zealand -- IMO the selection here is second to none globally.

Great vendor, but I have no idea on the transit time to GB?!
(NZ to California, USA was running 6 to 12 days fairly recently...)

Thanks for answering that one, J.B.! Pretty accurate too; the official target delivery time for parcels from NZ to the UK is 10 working days, but often as short as 4 (the ties between the old colonizer and former Dominion are still strong!).