Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

German & Austrian Hutmachers

Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
Rockel & Co. Haar- und Velourhutfabrik, Receipt 06/19/1944

16396943260_34ed084bfe_h.jpg


16557977926_df1d45855f_o.jpg


16582757721_efb9eb8d87_o.jpg
 

Fastuni

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,277
Location
Germany
Interesting ephemera! Do you know what a "Riviera" looked like?

I also wonder in what timeframe Rockel used this script?

It would help dating my Rockel Homburg a bit more precisely... it has the same style of writing.

Rockel6.jpg
 
Last edited:
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE JOURNAL (CANADA) 1935

This article discusses (plus other interesting information) the Seal Velour Hat market in Japan as of 1935 and specifically Hückel as the best known and highest priced brand.

15994899154_325ca426e6_b.jpg

16431282629_5b2a2ed7c1_b.jpg

15997323803_2ea1345915_b.jpg

16430114920_93b4eaa79f_b.jpg
 
Last edited:
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
Echter Borsalino, size Point 5, very good condition, probably 1930s. The felt is very soft and light with a unique box bow design for this style hat. It has an fantastic over welt curled brim. There is no tape at the sweatband seam and the non-reed sweatband is very finely stitched to the hat. There is a Point 5 size label at the sweatband seam which I don't believe I have seen before. What is great is it actually fits which is odd because Borsalino hats usually run small. I was afraid to pull back the sweatband but I did take a peak at the paper label and it has the Borsalino name finely printed on the left. The Berlin store / hat company (Max Eckard) that sold it did not survive WWII. The box is from a different Berlin hat store (Wilhelm Gaedke)that also didn't survive WWII. This isn't the hat I bid on but it so fantastic I can't complain. There were (are) a series of hats from an estate sale and the seller was very confusing to say the least.

16699802446_bdf1f64f16_b.jpg


16103457864_0056caae19_b.jpg


16518609487_89d0fec0b9_b.jpg


16538372638_65e0cedd1b_b.jpg


16518303927_3c10390e4b_b.jpg


16106049993_a8585b09e0_b.jpg


16724780821_6d1df3c6c9_b.jpg


16540047189_726cb15abd_b.jpg


16103841974_88c2b3dbc7_b.jpg


16103837254_c607603f0d_b.jpg


Here are some other Echter Borsalinos from about the same time period.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry677

This one is date stamped 1938 and belongs to Manfred.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry736

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry252

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry580

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry488
 
Last edited:

yttclothing

One of the Regulars
Messages
248
Location
United Kingdom
Stunning hat Steve, a find I can only dream!

I've not had any decent finds in a while, a lot of 60's Mayser and Wegener,

I picked these three out of a recent bunch the Lembert at first I though was old based on the script and the unreeded sweatband etc. but it looks to have glue marks so maybe Late 50's ? Wool is obviously blended into the felt but still is a fairly decent hat.

The next is Czech, I know not German or Austrian but there are strong links with Czechoslovakia through Huckel? anyway this brand is Janyska. 40's/50's at a guess, this one is pure fur felt I liked the shape of this, a fairly worn hat but neverless charming, can't see the full paper label without breaking the stitches for the liner.

The next is just a Mayser velour but the first Mayser I've seen as part of a Boutique range.

16546301979_18b12ba34a_c.jpg

16732414675_78b089b5bf_c.jpg

16731196401_4045588f17_c.jpg

16546293239_7f0363b56d_c.jpg


16544993340_75d4615115_c.jpg

16110092174_0a4061019f_c.jpg


16731319302_1eb305a6e9_c.jpg

16544823048_0e2ff6132f_c.jpg
 
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
Paddy, Thanks! Great finds! This is the first Janyška that I have seen! What size is it? My guess is early to mid 1950s. They were post WWI and the first Czech Velour hat company (located just south of Nový Jičín). Here is some information from the hat curator at Nový Jičín City museum.

"Janyška company was founded in 1921 in Krásno nad Bečvou – today it´s a part of Valašské Meziřičí (town, about 16 km from Nový Jičín). They produced many hats, for export especially. It was the real CZECH company. Janyška factory was united with TONAK in 1945. In 1961 was closed. Enclosed are pictures. Ludvík Janyška was a founder of hat company."

Here is the information I posted on Janyška.

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?32103-German-amp-Austrian-Hutmachers&p=1787978&viewfull=1#post1787978
 
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
J. Hückel´s Söhne, Seiden Zylinder, size 58cm, very good condition, probably 1930s. It came from a Czech Republic source. It was sold by K. Landa Brno, Czechoslovakia but the box it came with is from hat factory - warehouse Adolf Lochman Mnichovo Hradiště (Münchengrätz), Czechoslovakia. It's a really nice silk Top Hat with a ribbon / bow that you would see on a soft felt hat which makes sense since JHS was primarily known as a soft and stiff felt hat manufacturer.

16519719137_152fbcb520_b.jpg


16541050579_e677e3dc8a_b.jpg


16725955432_dded2df31c_b.jpg


16725969282_5082a663b5_b.jpg


16539637270_cb7d918d3b_b.jpg


16701046056_c41f727bc6_b.jpg


16701225106_0ec941057b_b.jpg


16701241386_b573ca8f3c_b.jpg


16104885094_78d0455428_b.jpg


16519650217_1f0673fffa_b.jpg
 

yttclothing

One of the Regulars
Messages
248
Location
United Kingdom
Fascinating as usual it's nice and small 56, always everything 56 ! I wear 59 I did get a Barbisio in the same lot which I kept for myself, my first of 2015, the paper label looked similar to a Tonak label, it quite a worn hat but it has a charming shape to it, interesting that you mentioned about the for export being a large part of what they did as I can make out on the liner fine fur felt - written in English I will have to see if there is a retailers mark on the sweatband, most of my stock was sold in Germany or Austria although I'm occasionally getting an American or Brit sneak through , I did find a black German made Stetson Stratoliner, I think you said Mayser were licensed to make Stetson or was it Wegener ? Also recently I have been comparing glues on the liners of the hats Rockel used the worst almost always are the liners unstuck, then Wegener are in 2nd place 50/50 with the hats I get and Mayser had the best glue. Sad I know but whenever I get a hat without a liner it is almost always branded Rockel or has a very similar paper label!
 
Messages
17,477
Location
Maryland
Again sorry about the size. Also the liner is similar to JHS. All hat companies were nationalized so it just became another brand name. I have read where TONAK / Czechs were a real thorn in the side of the post WWII Western Euro hat companies because they could offer lower prices.

That is funny about the glues. Of the German hat companies that survived WWII I would put Rockel a step below Hückel Weilheim, A. Peschel Dinkelsbühl, Rehfus Cie, Mayser and Wegener. My guess is that they were a lower price point brand name hat compared to those companies.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,096
Messages
3,074,048
Members
54,091
Latest member
toptvsspala
Top