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Czech Republicans: Tonak, Huckel, no name

Giftmacher

One Too Many
Messages
1,405
Location
Hohenmauth CZ
Great! Did you win this hat? If possible can you post more details (sweatband logos and paper label if possible). on the German - Austrian thread. Thanks!
Actually only first one was regular auction which I won today and immediately paid. This one had fixed price. I will post the photos in the evening.

Odesláno z mého SM-J510FN pomocí Tapatalk
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,837
Location
Northern California
Found this Tonak thrifting yesterday. Dusty, with the sweatband stiff as cardboard. Cheap enough to pick up as a curiosity. After several slatherings of Lexol, the sweat limbered up a little, enough to turn it out to find the tag.
Here's some pics.

ec15de5fd93df56f1dd5277c010be5d9.jpg
a46e93664e6ba6088dde89fcf28e2315.jpg


Tag, sweat and liner

802baaa203fbb4cec7f89a3da3c21458.jpg
249c81b93e0ac6d7022713118bc6d529.jpg
20a26e471680f5220de4650162873912.jpg
ca703a98b1f3a8c4e38b32c24a024e94.jpg


Could the dating be that easy? 13 2 70...I'm confident Steve will know.

Creased

f6a55cb43d0774b2af19bd61c46458e9.jpg
1a8b1513d0e982bef2d52e2adae101d5.jpg


Crown 5 1/4" open, brim 2 1/4". 130g, possibly 5 of those being Lexol. The sweat is still quite stiff, but not crumbly or cracking. The felt itself is rather nice, there must still have been a little of that Hückel magic lurking in the factory. This is the only non-velour Tonak I have experienced, and must admit it's nicer than I expected. Might keep an eye out for vintage Tonaks in the future.

Powered by happy thoughts
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland
John, The early ones (late 1940s to mid 1950s) are great if you can find them. Some are marked TONAK Formerly Hückel / Plant Hückel. The later ones are not bad either. TONAK still makes some good felts today especially their Velour and Chamois finishes.
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
Found this Tonak thrifting yesterday. Dusty, with the sweatband stiff as cardboard. Cheap enough to pick up as a curiosity. After several slatherings of Lexol, the sweat limbered up a little, enough to turn it out to find the tag.
Here's some pics.

ec15de5fd93df56f1dd5277c010be5d9.jpg
a46e93664e6ba6088dde89fcf28e2315.jpg


Tag, sweat and liner

802baaa203fbb4cec7f89a3da3c21458.jpg
249c81b93e0ac6d7022713118bc6d529.jpg
20a26e471680f5220de4650162873912.jpg
ca703a98b1f3a8c4e38b32c24a024e94.jpg


Could the dating be that easy? 13 2 70...I'm confident Steve will know.

Creased

f6a55cb43d0774b2af19bd61c46458e9.jpg
1a8b1513d0e982bef2d52e2adae101d5.jpg


Crown 5 1/4" open, brim 2 1/4". 130g, possibly 5 of those being Lexol. The sweat is still quite stiff, but not crumbly or cracking. The felt itself is rather nice, there must still have been a little of that Hückel magic lurking in the factory. This is the only non-velour Tonak I have experienced, and must admit it's nicer than I expected. Might keep an eye out for vintage Tonaks in the future.

Powered by happy thoughts
Nice find, I wouldn't have passed it up either. Interesting history I'm sure.
 

Giftmacher

One Too Many
Messages
1,405
Location
Hohenmauth CZ
John, The early ones (late 1940s to mid 1950s) are great if you can find them. Some are marked TONAK Formerly Hückel / Plant Hückel. The later ones are not bad either. TONAK still makes some good felts today especially their Velour and Chamois finishes.
Unfortunately good Tonak hats are only those for export. For the Czech market there are only several identical fedoras differing in color.
 
Messages
18,410
Location
Nederland
Found this Tonak thrifting yesterday. Dusty, with the sweatband stiff as cardboard. Cheap enough to pick up as a curiosity. After several slatherings of Lexol, the sweat limbered up a little, enough to turn it out to find the tag.
Here's some pics.

ec15de5fd93df56f1dd5277c010be5d9.jpg
a46e93664e6ba6088dde89fcf28e2315.jpg


Tag, sweat and liner

802baaa203fbb4cec7f89a3da3c21458.jpg
249c81b93e0ac6d7022713118bc6d529.jpg
20a26e471680f5220de4650162873912.jpg
ca703a98b1f3a8c4e38b32c24a024e94.jpg


Could the dating be that easy? 13 2 70...I'm confident Steve will know.

Creased

f6a55cb43d0774b2af19bd61c46458e9.jpg
1a8b1513d0e982bef2d52e2adae101d5.jpg


Crown 5 1/4" open, brim 2 1/4". 130g, possibly 5 of those being Lexol. The sweat is still quite stiff, but not crumbly or cracking. The felt itself is rather nice, there must still have been a little of that Hückel magic lurking in the factory. This is the only non-velour Tonak I have experienced, and must admit it's nicer than I expected. Might keep an eye out for vintage Tonaks in the future.

Powered by happy thoughts
Nice find, John. They make decent hats but for me it's not my favourite brand though.
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,837
Location
Northern California
Nice find, John. They make decent hats but for me it's not my favourite brand though.
Nor mine, but I was curious about it and whether the sweatband was able to be saved. Six dollars was worth the brief distraction and the knowledge gained.
Now, if a nice old one found itself in my path I might feel differently...especially another one of those velours!
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland
Unfortunately good Tonak hats are only those for export. For the Czech market there are only several identical fedoras differing in color.
Yes I am sure they have a limited catalog. Unfortunately this is an overall trend (see Mayser and even Borsalino). TONAK has Velour felt qualities that require special order but minimum is 60 hats. They actually made some samples for me back and 2011 but I didn't follow through (see photo below).

18758296689_4d5a0a6445_o.jpg
 
Messages
18,410
Location
Nederland
Yes I am sure they have a limited catalog. Unfortunately this is an overall trend (see Mayser and even Borsalino). TONAK has Velour felt qualities that require special order but minimum is 60 hats. They actually made some samples for me back and 2011 but I didn't follow through (see photo below).

18758296689_4d5a0a6445_o.jpg
One or two of those would be very nice, but 60 is another matter....
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,837
Location
Northern California
Messages
18,410
Location
Nederland

Tukwila

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,382
Location
SW of Antifa Central (PDX)
I have heard how nice the European velour can be, but still was not quite prepared to experience this Tonak that just came in. I expected velvety, but this is beyond that and it's crazy soft. Softer than the antique velvet couch my neighbor's mom had when I was a kid growing up in the 60s and 70s. Just luxurious.

It's coal black, so I don't know how well pics will turn out but I'll post some of the seller's pics here. Anything that looks scuffed or dusty is just glare. This thing is clean and velvety soft.

i-4Jt6q36-L.jpg


i-4Jxqnfq-L.jpg


i-pgw95fH-L.jpg


i-2xfrBbB-L.jpg


i-f5S9Wq2-L.jpg


i-jV6txxZ-L.jpg


i-mjXpn77-L.jpg
 

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