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The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

Chepstow

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,406
Location
Germany/ Remscheid
My new ebay catch! Fresh from Italy, a Borsalino Qualita Suprema. The color, between green and olive!
Very low crown, stiff and thick felt! My guess, the late 60s early 70s.

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Messages
17,524
Location
Maryland
Manfred, I like the color and finish. The sweatband and liner are unique. I think this style is Italian market specific. I also see a tinge of Alpine in the mix.
 

Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
Borsalino "Angora" Idorsca 5.5" x 2 3/4" pre-1950s

I finally found a long hair finish in a light color. Quite surprisingly, there is not a single moth track anywhere, not even along the ribbon or behind the (now removed and stored) feather set. This hat was definitely worn, but it's still in perfect shape.
The felt itself is fantastic, as expected. The finish is very even - just beautiful. The felt color is similar to the Winchester Sahara but slightly cooler, almost with a silver hue to it.
A finish like this needs to be paired with the rougher textures of winter cloths. I'll be wearing it with a Harris Tweed DB Overcoat and high polished shoes.

So far, I brushed the hat as usual, using a large horsehair shoebrush. I wonder whether it makes sense to use a still finer brush (like the ones for cashmere) afterwards, or a Velvet Polishing Pad (usually intended for polishing top hats) to align the long hair even more, thus enhancing the sheen? Any experiences?


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Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
Borsalino "Angora" Idorsca Part II

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Excuse me Sir, do you speak Borsalino?

Felt color - looks like Ruitor to me, which would be a non-word of course:

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Ribbon color - the sticker is crumpled, so probably more than four letters:

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Model - it's the only part of the sticker that I can read: Idorsca. Rhymes with Natalsca... I wonder if Borsalino ever used real words for their model names...

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Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
Okay... what did you do with the feather. :)

Looks much nicer in your photos. Great snare!

The feather set is quite nice, actually. I'll probably wear the hat with the feather sometime or other.

This auction was a bit of a gamble; the hat looked like it might have moth divots in a couple of places. Turned out it was just bad lighting. Plus the yellow chips scattered on the brim were actually that cracked and dried glue stuff so often found in old hat boxes.
Best case scenario. :)
 

Chepstow

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,406
Location
Germany/ Remscheid
Mike, Steve, Randall and Nik, thanks very much for the kind words, from so knowledgeable Gentlemen's, it means a lot!

Nik, darned sharp Borso! You have a good hand for those great looking Hats.
My congrats to this beauty!
and Nik, the brim edge on the Suprema is sewn!
 

Rabbit

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,561
Location
Germany
Thank you all for the kind words. The hat highly appreciates it after its long dormant period in a hatbox. :)

Mayserwegener, since you have handled amounts of velours and other raised hair finishes like no one else around here probably, do you have any advice for me regarding how to brush the long hair to an even silkier surface? Is a regular brush all that can and should be done with a long hair, or would it make sense to use a velvet polishing pad like on a top hat? If the latter, I might order one from Lock & Co just for the long hair. I know there's a difference like day and night between a topper and a long hair; the idea would be just to align the felt hair more evenly still.
 

mikespens

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,913
Location
Tacoma, Wa
Nik, I'm glad you ended up with that one, I was watching it even though it's too small for me. You got a bargain besides it being in such great condition. I think you've done a great job brushing it for what my opinion is worth. Congrats. I'm still looking for my own borsy with a corrugated sweatband.
 

bond

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,535
Location
Third coast
Nice borso Nikolai. Great color and vintage .
Not everyone likes those long hair borsos but they certainly have their place in my opinion .
Love to find one in my size and vintage similar to yours.
 

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