Homburgs?

[Colt]

Thinking of picking one up. Not sure if it will look right on my round face. Who has one and do you like the style? Or should I just stay with a good old snap brim!

Thanks in advance,
Colt

 

[Bogie1943]

Good Stuff...

Well, I am a Homberg fan myself, but only own a couple as of late. I really like the style, it really is a vintage style, that you know is a Golden Era style. Even though, the poor excuse for hat makers, that make hats for the rap stars, yuck, still make Hombergs. Then again, I would not be surprised some of them are high quality with the way they throw away their money. It's the poor taste some of them show, with tacky looking fedoras. Ok Ok, I am off track, but it came to mind. Hombergs are just one of those things, you can either pull it off or not.

 

[Matt Deckard]

My vintage Mercury finish brown Adam Homburg.

 

[jamespowers]

I suppose I am biased because I own five or six. That being said, I like homburgs but there are really two types that you have to contend with. There are homburgs with short crowns and narrow brims and then there are those with high crowns and wider brims. I prefer the later. The wider brim and higher crown are usually the older homburgs though and they are a bit harder to find.
Homburgs tend to be a more formal looking hat than the fedora. As with the fedora though, the higher crown looks good only on a heavier framed person but the round face would be fine with a homburg. It kind of completes the top half.
Go to a local hat shop, try one on and look in the mirror. If you like it then it is something that works for you. I doubt they will have one with a tall crown but you can visualize it being an inch or so taller. Or you can just look at Matt's picture there.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Bogie1943]

Homberg Fest...

Here's my brown...

 

[Michaelson]

I gave one to my son-in-law for Christmas. Now, bear in mind, this fellow is 6 feet 7+ inches tall, and a professional blacksmith/armorer by trade. He's also a 'Victorian' in dress when not working. He's been looking for a correctly proportioned bowler of the Victorian era for years. We discovered that by pushing out the top and front dents, and applying stiffiner to the inside of the hat...you immediately had what he's been looking for all these years! Needless to say, he was a happy camper. Just wanted to toss that piece of useless information out for you to consider, then forget.... Regards. Michaelson

 

[Colt]

Thanks for the picks Guys! I really like that one on your head Matt! I am going to try and get down to baron's in the next week or so and see what he has to offer.

 

[Matt Deckard]

 

[MKL]

thanks

That is a nice hat!

Like the green grass too. We have about 3 inches of ice on the ground right now.

 

[The Wingnut]

I have a '47 Stetson St. Regis homburg that was given to me. It's about the classiest hat that I own, the problem is, since it's black, it really only looks right with my black tuxedo. I've tried it with my blue suit and it doesn't work. The block doesn't have front pinches, just a center dent...I'm wondering what adding pinches would do for the look.

I'm more of a fedora or panel cap type, but I suppose the 'banker' look would be a fun one to try now and again. A grey homburg might do me some good.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I've had a couple St. Regis Stetsons and Currently wear a grey one once in a blue moon. If the crown is high enough (they varied depending on the year they were made) the pinch look might look good.

As for block. They were all blocked open crown and shaped after.

 

[jamespowers]

I suppose a few pictures are worth a thousand words so here are a few of my homburgs. The first two are of my Dobbs Jolly Rounder. Notice the high crown and wider brim.
The second two are comparisons a stetson made later 50s with a WWII era Stetson. Notice the difference in crown height and the ever so slight difference in brim width.

I hope that helps.

Regards to all,

J

P.S. I couldn't go outside and take a picture today--too much rain. :cry:

 

[Colt]

James, The Dobbs is the one I really like. The Crown and brim are perfect! :cool2: They are all great looking lids!

 

[jamespowers]

Yeah, the problem is finding one. That Dobbs is all original. I have done nothing to it (that includes the ribbon Matt ). I am sort of squimish about stretching bowlers and Homburgs so you have to get them to fit within one size. Finding a brown Homburg is not all that easy either. Black is the common color so you should be able to find a ton of those.
Iwear the black with a black double breasted suit. In fact, I wore the tall crown black New Year's Eve.

Regards to all,

J

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Not me

Not for me, but i like the hats! :cool2:

 

[Kilgour Trout]

How would you value one?

How would you value one? That's my question...I have a friend in Thunder Bay who definitely has a 40's era Homburg from a British Hatter called Scott's on Bond Street. Anyone know who they might be?
What is nice is that though the sweatband shows some wear, the felt seems very top drawer. She's interested in selling the hat but has no clue what to ask. Not knowing much about homburgs I'm wondering if they would value lower or higher than a Fedora?

I told her that I'd try my best to find a source of info on the subject.

Any help or advice would really be appreciated

Warm Regards
Kilgour Trout

 

[Marc]

Quoting from Berhard Roetzel's The Gentleman - Handbook of classic man's wear:

"When the yet to become King Edward VII. was the prince of Wales, he once discovered a very special hat in the German health resort Bad Homburg, the "Homburg", which was manufactured there traditionally. The prince, knowlegdable about style, who would later pass his love for clothes to his later even more famous and deserving grandchild Edward VIII., liked the local hat and made it popular all over Europe within short time. The Homburg is today - right after the top hat - the most formal hat, not counting the Bowler as a typicly English speciality."

Regards,

Marc

 

[jamespowers]

How would you value one? That's my question...I have a friend in Thunder Bay who definitely has a 40's era Homburg from a British Hatter called Scott's on Bond Street. Anyone know who they might be?
What is nice is that though the sweatband shows some wear, the felt seems very top drawer. She's interested in selling the hat but has no clue what to ask. Not knowing much about homburgs I'm wondering if they would value lower or higher than a Fedora?

I am not sure about Scott's Hats in England but the homburg has a wide range of prices today. I suppose it depends on quality and the name of the maker. I have paid from $8 for a Stetson from the 1950s to $90 for a Homburg from the 1930s. Your hat in question would probably fall somewher ein between if it were listed on eBay or some such site. It would bring more if it were a Lock and Sons brand, a Christy's or a Herbert Johnson. These were pretty good makers of the vintage era.
In the end, it depends on how much the buyer is willing to pay.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Zemke Fan]

Just bought a brown St. Regis on eBay...

Excited about this purchase, and will definitely share some photos when it arrives. Tough to find great old hats to fit my large (7-3/4) size noggin.

ZF (FH)

 

[jamespowers]

Excited about this purchase, and will definitely share some photos when it arrives. Tough to find great old hats to fit my large (7-3/4) size noggin.

Wow! That is a big size to find in vintage. They just aren't floating around out there like the 6 7/8 hats. We definitely need photos of that.

Regards to all,

J