German & Austrian Hutmachers

[steur]

Berlin, Friedrichstraße bei Nacht, Habig Hüte, unsed Post Card, Publisher's Brüder Wolter, Berlin-Charlottenburg possibly 1920-1930s.

(Click on Photo to Expand!)

P. & C. Habig Wien Berlin Kreissäge / Boater made for the P & C. Habig Wien Friedrichstraße, Berlin store. I found this one a while ago and I have to say it's fantastic. It's in NOS condition and is from the 1920s early 1930s.

Austrian Coat of Arms, Eagle with Hammer and Sickle, Austrian First Republic, 1919–1934

Splendid finds Steve, really nice the Velour also the Hückel stands. Really great my friend.
I also found a Windsor and a Hückel last week!

Some pics to the Windsor!

And the Hückel

Both in good condition.


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk Pro

Gorgeous finds, gentlemen. Keep them coming!

 

[mayserwegener]

Stefan, Thanks!

 

[Chepstow]

Thank you Stefan!


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk Pro

 

[mayserwegener]

VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik "Wildlederhut", measures 58cm, possibly mid 1960s. This is the first "Wildlederhut" I have encountered. I like finding these GDR/DDR hats. All Luckenwalden hat companies were nationalized under VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik post WWII. Luckenwalden was a major German hat making center prior to WWII.

 

[Trenchfriend]

@mayserwegener
Great find!

 

[mayserwegener]

@mayserwegener
Great find!

Thanks! As I posted in the PNH thread I have a bit older "Velour" model with the same form. I will post an open crown photo to show how they saved on felt.

 

[steur]

VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik "Wildlederhut", measures 58cm, possibly mid 1960s. This is the first "Wildlederhut" I have encountered. I like finding these GDR/DDR hats. All Luckenwalden hat companies were nationalized under VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik post WWII. Luckenwalden was a major German hat making center prior to WWII.

Very nice looking hat, Steve. Any idea about the age?

 

[Redfokker]

VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik "Wildlederhut", measures 58cm, possibly mid 1960s. This is the first "Wildlederhut" I have encountered. I like finding these GDR/DDR hats. All Luckenwalden hat companies were nationalized under VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik post WWII. Luckenwalden was a major German hat making center prior to WWII.

Quite a rare and interesting hat. I wonder how the hat industry was affected by being behind the Iron Curtain. Did they stay there or were they exported to the rest of Europe?

 

[mayserwegener]

Quite a rare and interesting hat. I wonder how the hat industry was affected by being behind the Iron Curtain. Did they stay there or were they exported to the rest of Europe?

Mike, Thank you. They exported to the West but probably sourced and not branded. In Germany prior to WWII the major hat making centers were located around Berlin specifically Guben and Luckewalden. They mostly made Wool hats in large numbers. After the WWII the numerous hat companies in each city were combined and nationalized (VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik and VEB Vereinigte Hutwerke Guben). Their production was mostly domestic and East Block but as I mentioned they also sourced hats and bodies. Similar to Tonak in Czechoslovakia. I think they had fairly big production into the 1960s but like everywhere the numbers slowed. Both companies survived unification for a short while but eventually went out of business. I heard from Bahner Hat Machines that the Guben machinery ended up in China and is still in service but barely operational (not be maintained).

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/42-veb-luckenwalder-hutfabrik-ddr/

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/55-veb-vereinigte-hutwerke-guben/

 

[Redfokker]

Mike, Thank you. They exported to the West but probably sourced and not branded. In Germany prior to WWII the major hat making centers were located around Berlin specifically Guben and Luckewalden. They mostly made Wool hats in large numbers. After the WWII the numerous hat companies in each city were combined and nationalized (VEB Luckenwalder Hutfabrik and VEB Vereinigte Hutwerke Guben). Their production was mostly domestic and East Block but as I mentioned they also sourced hats and bodies. Similar to Tonak in Czechoslovakia. I think they had fairly big production into the 1960s but like everywhere the numbers slowed. Both companies survived unification for a short while but eventually went out of business. I heard from Bahner Hat Machines that the Guben machinery ended up in China and is still in service but barely operational (not be maintained).

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/42-veb-luckenwalder-hutfabrik-ddr/

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/55-veb-vereinigte-hutwerke-guben/

Thanks Steve, very interesting.

 

[mayserwegener]

Very nice looking hat, Steve. Any idea about the age?

Stefan, Thank you. I am thinking mid 1960s but could be later. I have this "Velour" model which I think is a slightly older (based on components). It's actually one of my favorite hats to wear. The Velour is really high quality for being from a later time period.

 

[mayserwegener]

I contacted Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern about the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holders I recently found.

This is the translated reply I received from Mr. Herber of Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern (still in business today) regarding the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder. I would like thank Mr. Herber for supplying this historical information.

https://www.zeitler-karton.de/feinkartonagen-zeitler.html#

"
Unfortunately we have no more samples of the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder.

These should be made of solid cardboard and then coated with coloured paper.

The plate with the logo on the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder was not manufactured in our company, as we assume that these were made of plastic/metal. (They are made of tin or tin like metal/alloy, S. Heck)

But I can imagine that this plate was hand painted.

These plates were probably delivered to us and we then installed them on the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder.

These Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder should have been manufactured in the 1950s.

You will find attached three pictures of Huckel hat boxes, which were produced in our company in the 1950s."

(Photos courtesy of Mr. Herber of Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern)

Mr. Herber also sent me this photo of some of the Hat Holders and Boxes they made for other Hat Factories (Mayser, Rockel, Ottmar Reich, A. Peschel Dinkelsbühl) and Hat Stores (Breiter Hüte).

(Photos courtesy of Mr. Herber of Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern)

 

[steur]

Stefan, Thank you. I am thinking mid 1960s but could be later. I have this "Velour" model which I think is a slightly older (based on components). It's actually one of my favorite hats to wear. The Velour is really high quality for being from a later time period.

Steve, thanks. That velour looks great. I do encounter the DDR hats now and again. The felt is usually very good, but the sweatbands and liners are often a bit more 'pedestrian'.

 

[steur]

I contacted Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern about the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holders I recently found.

This is the translated reply I received from Mr. Herber of Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern (still in business today) regarding the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder. I would like thank Mr. Herber for supplying this historical information.

https://www.zeitler-karton.de/feinkartonagen-zeitler.html#

"
Unfortunately we have no more samples of the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder.

These should be made of solid cardboard and then coated with coloured paper.

The plate with the logo on the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder was not manufactured in our company, as we assume that these were made of plastic/metal. (They are made of tin or tin like metal/alloy, S. Heck)

But I can imagine that this plate was hand painted.

These plates were probably delivered to us and we then installed them on the Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder.

These Hückel Weilheim Hat Holder should have been manufactured in the 1950s.

You will find attached three pictures of Huckel hat boxes, which were produced in our company in the 1950s."

(Photos courtesy of Mr. Herber of Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern)

Mr. Herber also sent me this photo of some of the Hat Holders and Boxes they made for other Hat Factories (Mayser, Rockel, Ottmar Reich, A. Peschel Dinkelsbühl) and Hat Stores (Breiter Hüte).

(Photos courtesy of Mr. Herber of Zeitler - Karton, Murnau / Oberbayern)

Cool and very interesting, Steve. Nice of mr. Herber to provide those pictures.

 

[mayserwegener]

Cool and very interesting, Steve. Nice of mr. Herber to provide those pictures.

Stefan, Thanks! I believe the Mayser Hat Box that is shown in the photo is the current one which is much harder than a typical Hat Box. Mr. Herber said they made this style (my guess is the earlier ones were less rigid) Mayser Hat Box since the 1950s. They are really well made.

 

[mayserwegener]

Steve, thanks. That velour looks great. I do encounter the DDR hats now and again. The felt is usually very good, but the sweatbands and liners are often a bit more 'pedestrian'.

Stefan, The V.L.H. "Velour" has a similar liner but the sweatband is much better than the "Wildlederhut". They are of the time and place so I find them interesting. As I mentioned V.L.H. "Velour" is a favorite of mine.

 

[steur]

I actually ran into several of these east-German hats this friday. I'm seeing more and more of these lately. Did not bring any, but took a few snaps to give an idea.

antilope:

antilope II:

Juwel:

 

[steur]

Did not bring any of the VEB/Luckenwalde/Gubener hats, but did not leave empty handed. First off:
Lodenfrey, black, size 58. Bound brim at 6cm, crown 10,5cm at the pinch. Lodenfrey is a well-known menswear business in Munich and are still in business today. This was made for them and I think it's certain it was done by P&C Habig of Vienna.
First the pictures.

And here's a picture of a hat-label by P&C Habig. Looks like they just cut off the Habig name on the left.
This would make this hat date back from 1959. The shape it took of its own accord using steam.

 

[steur]

I did promise more German hats, so here goes. This one had been around the block (and probably was run over and stabbed on the way), but it had to come. Why? Well, because it's a nutria you see. Very rare to see nutria hats, so no matter what, this one was going to be in the collection. The stabbing is quite literal by the way, because there's a small cut in the brim, but I will not point out where. It took some doing, but I got it where I wanted it to be (the sweatband bow is back in order too).
Chisnall (sounds English doesn't it?) nutria fedora in grey (zomo on the label). Made in Germany, so in the right thread. Don't know who the maker might be. Maybe Steve will recognize the mark on the label. Chamois finish, underwelt edge with the brim at a breath short of 6cm and crown 10cm at the pinch. It used to have some kind of pork pie crease in it but I quickly talked it out of that. Liner still stitched in, so I'm guessing late fifties.

 

[steur]

Well, let's post another one.
P&C Habig homburg in brown. This one was part of a set of three with another Habig homburg in black (didn't buy that one) and the GB Borsalino fu Lazzaro homburg (posted earlier). According to the vendor part of the same auction. Makes sense. The black one was from 1952 and the GB Borsalino is from 1935. My guess is that this one is in between (it's lost its label); forties to early fifties.
Size 56, brim at 6cm and crown 10cm at the pinch. Unlined with a cloth crown patch. This is the "before" shoot. Most of the stains on the ribbon came out. Made expressly for Eduard Pelger, The Hague, which is still in business today. Fits me like a custom.