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[Daniele Tanto]

Every now and then I come across hats very rare on the Italian market

Guerra 1855 is an Italian brand that had its own space in the international market until a few years ago, producing hats of excellent workmanship, but very little present in Italy

I have seen many more on the French market than on the local one

This find happened one day at the end of December 2022 and I bought it immediately because I have other Guerra long hair hats and they are on average very beautiful. We say that felt is better than finishes

This is the best in quality also in the finishes and the felt is fantastic. Like the others, Guerra is very soft and the hair is very soft. What I appreciate in this brand are the very basic, but very beautiful colors

The hat has a reinforced satin sweatband and a good lining. No labels explaining color and model.

The measurements of Guerra 1855 size 58 are as follows: the raw brims are at 7cm and the ribbon is at 4, the open crown is 13cm.
Another strange find in the end of the year

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Another hat happened by chance on the trunk of the wisteria to be photographed

Kindly reported by Stefan, I thought I'd buy it even if it's yet another example of a black homburg of which I have a fairly large collection

I was attracted by the name of the Austrian manufacturer and its high quality reputation. So it is, despite the fact that the hat that arrived has been somewhat neglected over the years

Patience, brushes and steam have brought it back to excellent condition

Habig Special Qualitat size 59 centimeters or 7 3/8 in US.

The felt is very soft with a fluffy finish and the rest of it is classy

These are the measurements of the Austrian Homburg: the curled brims are at 5.5 cm., the ribbon is 5.5 cm. and the open crown is 14.5 centimeters.

The Habig is elegant and classic with a hint of old Vienna even though it was sold in Linz

 

[mayserwegener]

Another hat happened by chance on the trunk of the wisteria to be photographed
View attachment 478851
Kindly reported by Stefan, I thought I'd buy it even if it's yet another example of a black homburg of which I have a fairly large collection
View attachment 478852
I was attracted by the name of the Austrian manufacturer and its high quality reputation. So it is, despite the fact that the hat that arrived has been somewhat neglected over the years
View attachment 478853
Patience, brushes and steam have brought it back to excellent condition
View attachment 478854
Habig Special Qualitat size 59 centimeters or 7 3/8 in US.
View attachment 478855
The felt is very soft with a fluffy finish and the rest of it is classy
View attachment 478856
These are the measurements of the Austrian Homburg: the curled brims are at 5.5 cm., the ribbon is 5.5 cm. and the open crown is 14.5 centimeters.
View attachment 478857
The Habig is elegant and classic with a hint of old Vienna even though it was sold in Linz

Daniele, Great to see this classic. Habig made fantastic Homburgs.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I had high hopes for this top hat, but I’m often more comfortable in a 7 ¾ (62cm), and the stiffness of the hat doesn’t conform at all to my long oval head. It is in fantastic condition without and of the normal wear or bald areas of the plush at the 90 degree bend at the top of the crown. The crown is 5 ¼” tall and the brim is 2 ¼” at the front and about 1 ⅞” on the sides with a nice D’Orsay curl. No tags that I could find behind the cream colored leather sweatband.

This hat will need a new home so send me a PM if you’re interested.

I’m hoping @steur and @mayserwegener can tell me more about this hat

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This box took so long to arrive I forgot about it.

I’ve got some work to do.

 

[B.J. Hedberg]

My new custom Tumwater fedora arrived this afternoon from Tony. Now comes the difficult part of bashing it just the right way. Crudely started.

Specs: 6" open crown, 2 3/8" raw edge brim with a row of decorative stitching. 22 linge navy ribbon with a triple bow.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My new custom Tumwater fedora arrived this afternoon from Tony. Now comes the difficult part of bashing it just the right way. Crudely started.

Specs: 6" open crown, 2 3/8" raw edge brim with a row of decorative stitching. 22 linge navy ribbon with a triple bow.

View attachment 478954
View attachment 478955

Nice! Tony has always offered interesting bow options. It’s been too long since we’ve seen his work.

 

[mayserwegener]

Berlin - Gubener Hutfabrik, BGH, "Aquila", Wool, 57 cm possibly WWI era. There is only one other BGH on the FL and it's also an "Aquila" Stiff Felt although I believe it's later. Luckily some of the paper label is still present. It's my feeling that BGH was the source of much of the early 1940s and earlier no company mark Wool Stiff and Soft Felt Hats.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Daniele, Great to see this classic. Habig made fantastic Homburgs.

Thanks Steve and complients for the Gubener - Aquila wool bowler. Another example for the "Wool Consortium"

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks Steve and complients for the ***eber - Aquila wool bowler. Another example for the "Wool Consortium"

Daniele, Thank you!

 

[Blare]

This box took so long to arrive I forgot about it.

View attachment 478939

I’ve got some work to do.

Fun when that happens

 

[Bushman]

Not exactly a new hat, but I couldn't find one for showing off hat bands. I cannibalized this new band off a cheap $20 western hat for my Willis & Geiger hat. For all the trouble finding a band like this has been, $20 was worth every penny.

 

[steur]

I had high hopes for this top hat, but I’m often more comfortable in a 7 ¾ (62cm), and the stiffness of the hat doesn’t conform at all to my long oval head. It is in fantastic condition without and of the normal wear or bald areas of the plush at the 90 degree bend at the top of the crown. The crown is 5 ¼” tall and the brim is 2 ¼” at the front and about 1 ⅞” on the sides with a nice D’Orsay curl. No tags that I could find behind the cream colored leather sweatband.

View attachment 478927 View attachment 478928 View attachment 478929 View attachment 478930 View attachment 478931 View attachment 478932

This hat will need a new home so send me a PM if you’re interested.

I’m hoping @steur and @mayserwegener can tell me more about this hat

Steve @Steve1857 has had succes with baking his hats (no, really!) and then conforming them to his head shape. Never tried that myself, but it seems to work.
I did find some information about the retailer.

The location was built in 1910 as a location for roasting and mixing coffee varieties.

In 1926 it was one of the locations for the biggest hat retailer of the country J.S. Meuwsen.

In 1957 J.A.N. van Zanten celebrated his sixtieth year in the hatting business. The newsclip names the location Prinsestraat 47 as his own business. So the hat is likely made somewhere between 1926 and 1957. A probable candidate as a manufacturer would be Jan Spoorenberg of Eindhoven as they produced tophats under different brandnames, Burton and Ambassador among them. They did use the white sweatbands and size labels that can be seen on this hat.

These days the location has come full circle, because it is currently a coffeeshop again (no, not one of those).

 

[steur]

This box took so long to arrive I forgot about it.

View attachment 478939

I’ve got some work to do.

I'm hoping for a box like that to arrive! Would even be nice if a box I almost forgot about with only one hat would arrive (after almost two years).

 

[steur]

Berlin - Gubener Hutfabrik, BGH, "Aquila", Wool, 57 cm possibly WWI era. There is only one other BGH on the FL and it's also an "Aquila" Stiff Felt although I believe it's later. Luckily some of the paper label is still present. It's my feeling that BGH was the source of much of the early 1940s and earlier no company mark Wool Stiff and Soft Felt Hats.

Cool find, Steve. Nice crisp work on the sweatband and other finishings.

 

[Steve1857]

Steve @Steve1857 has had succes with baking his hats (no, really!) and then conforming them to his head shape. Never tried that myself, but it seems to work.
I did find some information about the retailer.

The location was built in 1910 as a location for roasting and mixing coffee varieties.
View attachment 479335

In 1926 it was one of the locations for the biggest hat retailer of the country J.S. Meuwsen.
View attachment 479336

In 1957 J.A.N. van Zanten celebrated his sixtieth year in the hatting business. The newsclip names the location Prinsestraat 47 as his own business. So the hat is likely made somewhere between 1926 and 1957. A probable candidate as a manufacturer would be Jan Spoorenberg of Eindhoven as they produced tophats under different brandnames, Burton and Ambassador among them. They did use the white sweatbands and size labels that can be seen on this hat.
View attachment 479337

These days the location has come full circle, because it is currently a coffeeshop again (no, not one of those).
View attachment 479338

Some great sleuthing there, Stefan. What a history that shop location has had.

With regard to "baking" hats, I've had some success with Toppers and Bowlers, but I'm not a long oval myself, so don't know how Brent @deadlyhandsome would get on with the process if his Top Hat is more round than long.

It might be worth a try though if he's willing to give it a go.

Let me know Brent. I can give some advice if you want it

 

[steur]

Some great sleuthing there, Stefan. What a history that shop location has had.

With regard to "baking" hats, I've had some success with Toppers and Bowlers, but I'm not a long oval myself, so don't know how Brent @deadlyhandsome would get on with the process if his Top Hat is more round than long.

It might be worth a try though if he's willing to give it a go.

Let me know Brent. I can give some advice if you want it

I imagine that slipping in a bandblock or a hatjack could work after the hat has softened enough. But you have more experience than I with that kind of thing (still need to try one).

 

[Steve1857]

I imagine that slipping in a bandblock or a hatjack could work after the hat has softened enough. But you have more experience than I with that kind of thing (still need to try one).

Ja, I use a hatjack then my own head as the block to further stretch and shape. Might work for Brent, too.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Some great sleuthing there, Stefan. What a history that shop location has had.

With regard to "baking" hats, I've had some success with Toppers and Bowlers, but I'm not a long oval myself, so don't know how Brent @deadlyhandsome would get on with the process if his Top Hat is more round than long.

It might be worth a try though if he's willing to give it a go.

Let me know Brent. I can give some advice if you want it

If I thought it was solely a matter of shape I’d probably give it a try. However, I also suspect that its inside circumference is a bit too small for me.

 

[steur]

Failsworth once held the Stetson license for the UK. Occasionally I find one of their own brand hats. These days they still produce felt hats, but these are nowhere near the quality they once produced.
This one I picked up recently and it sits somewhere in the middle. The felt quality is fantastic, but it is pre-formed and its proportions are more modern. It's more what I think of as a trilby instead of a fedora.

Failsworth trilby (or a stingy brimmed fedora) in black longhair finish with some heathering going on. Raw edge brim at 4,5cm and the crown at 10cm at the center dent. This felt deserved a better proportioned and shaped hat. Pity.