German & Austrian Hutmachers

[Chepstow]

Steve, thank you! I guess It's a galleon.

 

[mikespens]

I finally get to post a hat here! Thanks to my friend Manfred I own my first but hopefully not last German hat and it's a Hückel. Manfred added the spiffy feather to this classy stingy. He says it's from the 60's and that's what it looks like to me too. Thank you Manfred!

Just a little moth nibble on the top dent crease, nobody will notice when it's on.

 

[Chepstow]

Mike, I am glad that you enjoy the Hückel. I remind me, under the sweatband was a stamp. The hat must be from 1968.
Have you shaped him new? Looks sharp, Mike! Where is the noggin shot?

 

[mikespens]

Manfred, your right! I didn't see the subtle print on the inside of the sweatband, it's stamped 18 7 1968. Can't beat that for dating info!

I left it bashed how it was, just had to flatten the back brim a bit, it had too much of a duck-tail for me. Holds it shape very nicely, real nice light felt. A noggin shot will have to wait a bit, need a shave and to catch my wife at the right moment to take a pix Since the pixs I also took a black Sharpie to the moth nibble and now you can't even see it.

Thank you Manfred!

 

[Chepstow]

Looks really good with flatten brim on backside.
Mike, nothing to thank, I am gladly I could help!

 

[mayserwegener]

Mike, Great to see your Hückel arrived via Manfred! It looks fantastic!

 

[mayserwegener]

Manfred, Thanks for the taking the close up photos!

 

[seabass]

MIKE
cool lid for sure
I have a few Huckel hats & the felt is so soft .Good stuff for sure
the kids always want to touch em feels like the Chiuahuahas they say
they stay clean too & soft .....Noggin Shot
they do have the swoopy back flange (duck tail) i havent tried to flatten mine yet.
let me know how you deal with that.

 

[mikespens]

Thanks Steve and Che, Hückel are special like old borsy's are.

Che, I sprayed the duck tail with distilled water and then flattened it the way I wanted and let it dry. Had to do it a couple of times. Steam would probably work too but the water spray is less risky to me, I've over steamed a brim before and that ain't good. Still takes a lot of training but it's starting to obey me now, hard to teach an old dog new tricks

 

[mayserwegener]

FYI! The Hückel situation was complicated by WWII and some what by WWI. Mike's hat was produced at Hückel Weilheim Hutfabrik, West Germany. This factory was started by expelled J. Hückel´s Söhne (JHS) employees in the early 1950s. The JHS main factory was in Novy Jicin, Czechoslovakia (was Neutitschein, Austria before WWI) was nationalized as TONAK after WWII. Prior to WWII JHS was the largest hat factory in Europe (3 locations) and made the finest Velour hats in the World. Hückel Weilheim Hutfabrik had trademark rights in Germany but outside of Germany TONAK had the rights. Hückel Weilheim Hutfabrik closed operations in the early 1970s. Hückel hats bought today are produced by TONAK (Novy Jicin, Czech Republic) which is the oldest hat factory in the world (originally JHS est 1799). If you want more detailed information you can check out the ever expanding Hückel thread on my website.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-hueckel%c2%b4s-soehne-hueckel-hutfabrik-weilheim/

 

[mayserwegener]

German Velour, probably from around WWI, could be a Bradenburg maker. The sweat and liner have some damage but everything else is fine. A very nice old Velour!

 

[Chepstow]

Steve, wonderful, that is a fantastic find, he looks marvelous! My congrats to this beauty!

 

[davidraphael]

Superb hat, as ever. I can hardly look at your hats without fainting from jealously!

 

[Rabbit]

Looks very tasty, Steve.

 

[mikespens]

Superb hat, as ever. I can hardly look at your hats without fainting from jealously!

+1! Thanks for the Hückel Weilheim Hutfabrik info Steve. Still hope to own a JHS someday.

 

[mayserwegener]

David-Raphael & Nik, Thanks! The only problem is it measures around 55cm.

Mike, The JHS are rare but you will find one if you keep looking!

 

[mikespens]

Steve, so I've found out! I will keep looking though.

Noggin shot of my new Hückel for my brothers Manfred and Che

 

[mayserwegener]

Mike, Looks great!

 

[Chepstow]

Mike, cool, that looks very sharp, suits you great. Now, you are a Hückel man!

 

[mikespens]

Thanks Steve and Manfred, I am really glad to be a Hückel man!