Bringing a 1990s Borsalino Back to Life!

[TheSocialHat]

Hello, fellow hat friends!

Another wonderful day at the hatmaker’s bench, preserving a little piece of hatmaking history! Today’s project was resizing a beautiful 1990s Borsalino from the historic Batsakes Hat Shop in Cincinnati, Ohio, established in 1907, for one of Gus’s longtime customers. The hat was originally a size 56 cm (US 7), and I carefully reblocked and resized it to approximately 59 cm (US 7⅜), taking into consideration that vintage Borsalinos often run a little small.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about giving a fine vintage hat a new lease on life, especially one with such a wonderful history. And here’s where things get exciting!
Thanks to the generosity of Gus and Mr. Miller at Batsakes Hat Shop, I now have over 100 vintage Borsalino hats from the 1980s and 1990s, primarily in small and medium sizes.
Rather than allowing these beautiful Italian made hats to sit forgotten, I plan to bring them back into circulation, one hat at a time! For anyone interested, I’ll be offering these vintage Borsalinos locally here in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, resizing and fitting them individually whenever possible.
For me, hatmaking isn’t simply about creating something new. It’s also about preserving craftsmanship, honoring the past, and ensuring these wonderful hats continue to be worn and appreciated for generations to come.
A little history, a little craftsmanship, and a whole lot of passion for hats!
After all, Hat People Always Shine!

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Hello there,
having a significant number of Borsalino hats and being well-acquainted with their characteristics, I have two key questions regarding your restoration process. First, where did you source the felt used to enlarge the hat by three sizes? Second, Borsalino hats have a distinct "imprint" [crease/shape memory] that is very difficult to remove—how did you manage that? I would love to see both the original hat and the restored version. Thank you.

 

[TheSocialHat]

Hello there,
having a significant number of Borsalino hats and being well-acquainted with their characteristics, I have two key questions regarding your restoration process. First, where did you source the felt used to enlarge the hat by three sizes? Second, Borsalino hats have a distinct "imprint" [crease/shape memory] that is very difficult to remove—how did you manage that? I would love to see both the original hat and the restored version. Thank you.

Hi Daniele,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and questions! I truly appreciate your interest.
This is actually the third Borsalino I’ve restored and resized in this manner.
Interestingly, this particular hat had a sizing discrepancy from the factory. The internal factory codes indicated a size 55 cm, while the leather sweatband was marked 56 cm.
Naturally, when increasing a hat by three sizes, certain aspects of the original shape have to be modified. The finished hat isn’t an identical reproduction of its original form, but it’s close enough to preserve much of its original character, and most importantly, the customer is very happy with the result!
As you can see in the before-and-after photos I’ve uploaded, the transformation is quite remarkable.
I’m always grateful for the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with fellow hat enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate vintage Borsalinos as much as I do.
Out of curiosity, how many Borsalino hats do you own? I’d love to hear more about your collection!
Thank you again for your wonderful questions!

Best regards,

Pablo

 

[belfastboy]

Hi Daniele,

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments and questions! I truly appreciate your interest.
This is actually the third Borsalino I’ve restored and resized in this manner.
Interestingly, this particular hat had a sizing discrepancy from the factory. The internal factory codes indicated a size 55 cm, while the leather sweatband was marked 56 cm.
Naturally, when increasing a hat by three sizes, certain aspects of the original shape have to be modified. The finished hat isn’t an identical reproduction of its original form, but it’s close enough to preserve much of its original character, and most importantly, the customer is very happy with the result!
As you can see in the before-and-after photos I’ve uploaded, the transformation is quite remarkable.
I’m always grateful for the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with fellow hat enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate vintage Borsalinos as much as I do.
Out of curiosity, how many Borsalino hats do you own? I’d love to hear more about your collection!
Thank you again for your wonderful questions!

Best regards,

Pablo

Which block profile do you tend to use when restoring a Borsa?

 

[TheSocialHat]

Depends on the height crown requirements of customers request. However, the best is to keep it as close as the original.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

I’m always grateful for the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with fellow hat enthusiasts, especially those who appreciate vintage Borsalinos as much as I do.
Out of curiosity, how many Borsalino hats do you own? I’d love to hear more about your collection!

Ciao Pablo,
looking at the photographs you’ve provided of the hat—both before and after the size adjustment—it doesn’t seem like there are any glaring differences. Perhaps the height of the crown has decreased, or the width of the brim has changed, but it’s always difficult to judge from photographs alone.
I would really need to hold the hat in my hands and try it on; my head size is 59–60, though that can vary depending on the manufacturer and the specific shape of the hat.
I’m very familiar with this type of hat and the felt used—it’s usually quite soft.
Personally, I would have removed the felt hatband; I’m not a huge fan of them, though I do own a few hats that have one.
I have quite a few Borsalino hats—likely similar to the ones you acquired when you took over the shop. Mine span a much wider timeframe, ranging from the 1920s up to a few decades ago.
Being Italian, I have much greater access to the vintage market and to unsold stock from Borsalino. I even acquired a batch of pre-formed hats—some were experimental pieces, while others were manufactured by Borsalino but sold under different brand names, such as Charles Hatter, Vanzina, or a line called "Tanaro" (named after the river in Alessandria).
That said, I have a particular fondness for Italian hattery in general, and I’ve built up an extensive collection part of which will gradually be put up for sale.
I have a question regarding some Borsalino hats you have "inherited"; could you please show me a few examples so I can get a better understanding of the different models? Thanks

 

[TheSocialHat]

Ciao Pablo,
looking at the photographs you’ve provided of the hat—both before and after the size adjustment—it doesn’t seem like there are any glaring differences. Perhaps the height of the crown has decreased, or the width of the brim has changed, but it’s always difficult to judge from photographs alone.
I would really need to hold the hat in my hands and try it on; my head size is 59–60, though that can vary depending on the manufacturer and the specific shape of the hat.
I’m very familiar with this type of hat and the felt used—it’s usually quite soft.
Personally, I would have removed the felt hatband; I’m not a huge fan of them, though I do own a few hats that have one.
I have quite a few Borsalino hats—likely similar to the ones you acquired when you took over the shop. Mine span a much wider timeframe, ranging from the 1920s up to a few decades ago.
Being Italian, I have much greater access to the vintage market and to unsold stock from Borsalino. I even acquired a batch of pre-formed hats—some were experimental pieces, while others were manufactured by Borsalino but sold under different brand names, such as Charles Hatter, Vanzina, or a line called "Tanaro" (named after the river in Alessandria).
That said, I have a particular fondness for Italian hattery in general, and I’ve built up an extensive collection part of which will gradually be put up for sale.
I have a question regarding some Borsalino hats you have "inherited"; could you please show me a few examples so I can get a better understanding of the different models? Thanks

Ciao Daniele!
I completely agree! Photographs alone make it difficult to appreciate all the subtle changes in a hat, especially when resizing it. For this particular restoration, I used a 5-inch open-crown block to maintain the crown height as closely as possible.
I must admit, I tend to take more selfies than actual photographs of my custom hatmaking and restoration work! I really need to do a better job of documenting the hats themselves, especially the before-and-after transformations. I’ll make a greater effort to catalog everything properly going forward.
Regarding the felt hatband, the customer specifically wanted to keep it. Personally, I agree with you that a beautiful grosgrain ribbon would have been a better choice, but ultimately, I wanted to respect his wishes.
What an incredible collection you must have! Borsalinos dating back to the 1920s, including experimental pieces and private-label productions, are truly fascinating. I would love to see some of those treasures!
One of the most impressive collections I’ve personally encountered belonged to Mr. Roberto Manzoni at his former shop, Cappelleria Inglese, in Ravenna. I had the pleasure of visiting him in 2019, and it was an unforgettable experience.
As for the Borsalinos I acquired from Batsakes, they’re currently in storage along with an enormous amount of other hats and equipment. Once I have an opportunity to dig through everything, I’ll gladly photograph several examples and share them with you.
Interestingly, I also acquired approximately 200 Gruppo Borsalino caps manufactured by Doria, primarily in sizes 55 through 58 cm, plus some posters and a Borsalino sign.
It’s always a pleasure exchanging thoughts and experiences with someone who shares such a deep appreciation for Italian hatmaking and its history.
Grazie mille, Daniele! I truly appreciate your knowledge, observations, and enthusiasm!

Un caro saluto,

Pablo

 

[belfastboy]

Depends on the height crown requirements of customers request. However, the best is to keep it as close as the original.

With the Borsa fedoras, is there a 'usual' profile that you use? What are your top 2 profiles? Which do you use when you want to keep it close as possible to original?

 

[TheSocialHat]

With the Borsa fedoras, is there a 'usual' profile that you use? What are your top 2 profiles? Which do you use when you want to keep it close as possible to original?

I always follow the original block. Unless customer wants a total new profile. The quality of older Borsalinos along with any other factory is I love to work on as it’s perfect to re shape. I don’t really have a preference my top profiles one is on the other side of dress 1. Tom Mix & 2. A beautiful Óptimo hat!