The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[alanfgag]

Very nice. Many feather weight Borsalinos seem to have been sold from Salvatore Balbi's shop in Naples. Nutria is uncommon and I don't remember seeing a feather weight with a felted edge. I look forward to more photos when the hat arrives.

 

[bobkeenan]

I have noticed that Hats in the Belfry and Sid's Hats and Clothing in Chicago sell Borsalinos, but they are styles that only they seem to carry. In other words they are Borsalino hats made just for that store. I accept that vintage Borsalinos are better than new ones but my question is are these made-for-one-store Borsalinos just as good, quality wise, as ones I would buy directly from Borsalino?

 

[Steve1857]

My newly acquired Borsalino Fedora. I think it's from the 80's as the Copenhagen store on the sweat band closed around about then.

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! Can you supply photos of the sweatband and paper label behind the sweatband?

 

[Steve1857]

Super! Can you supply photos of the sweatband and paper label behind the sweatband?

Sure, Steve. Here they are. Thanks for your interest.

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks! My guess would be later 1960s to mid 1970s. What kind of sweatband ornament does it have? Interesting that the size was changed. Did it have some padding?

 

[Steve1857]

Thanks! My guess would be later 1960s to mid 1970s. What kind of sweatband ornament does it have? Interesting that the size was changed. Did it have some padding?

No, no padding, but it is a tad too big for my head, which is 58cm, so I've put some extra layers of filt under the sweatband to make it fit better. It would be interesting to know who crossed out the fraction after the 6, but we'll never know.

The sweatband ornament is the "usual" bow.



Once again, thanks for your interest and comments, Steve. I truly appreciate it.

 

[mayserwegener]

Yes it's the standard bow. The black sweats are less common.

Thank you finding and posting vintage hats from the Danish market.

 

[Steve1857]

Yes it's the standard bow. The black sweats are less common.

Thank you finding and posting vintage hats from the Danish market.

You're welcome, Steve. It's a pleasure and an honor to post my finds and learn from your knowledge.

Why are the black sweatbands less common and what does that say about them?

Does it, generally, put them in the vintage bracket of the late 60's to mid 70's as my grey fedora and green avatar hat, which also has a black sweatband?

 

[mayserwegener]

Nothing other than being less common. You will occasionally see sweat colors that attempt to match the felt color. Borsalino used different color sweats over the years. The various shades of brown being the most common. It might be better to look at the German Market Borsalinos on my site to see a wide time period.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry250

 

[Steve1857]

Nothing other than being less common. You will occasionally see sweat colors that attempt to match the felt color. Borsalino used different color sweats over the years. The various shades of brown being the most common. It might be better to look at the German Market Borsalinos on my site to see a wide time range.

index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/

Thanks, Steve. I'm sure your site will be of great help. Denmark borders Germany, so I'm sure many of the Borsalinos I find here have come via Germany as have the Maysers I've found.

 

[Sweatbandjo]

Dearly beloved Bretherin,

If one was to ask nicely, put one's hand up and await higher consideration, prostrate one's self and say 50 heil Marys, would it be possible to enter the inner sanctum of the Blessed Borsalino Brotherhood?

My apprenticeship and calling consists of an ex-magnificent Borsalino fedora that was originally purchased in Venice during the 1930s I think, it was silver grey long fur felt with a sharks gill silver grey hat band and the most wonderfully stamped sweatband ... until that finally crumbled. Sadly it became my ex-hat two years ago when it was, I think, stolen here in Paris.... I was inconsolable.
Very recently I trapped my silver grey, black banded unworn, forgotten stock 7 5/8 Borsalino homburg. It was found in a München hatter's shop and date stamped "11 Juni 1956" on the inside of its pristine sweatband. My brand new 60 year old arrived this week, and to my delight I was able to steam, bash and snap it into the fedora shown below and on my nut.

Before:

After:

I await your kind consideration

Novice Stuart - alias "SweatbandJo"

 

[mayserwegener]

Great looking Homburg but don't like the brim snap (I am a purist ). It's a German market Borsalino and from the latter 1950s. The "Export Qualität " was added in that time period along with the "Echter Borsalino". A short while later "Echter Borsalino" was dropped and only "Export Qualität" was used until the early 1980s when the old factory closed. You can see more German market Borsalinos on my site.

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

This "Echter Borsalino" + "Export Qualität" of mine is from the same time period and is date stamped.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry385

 

[Sweatbandjo]

Thank you mayserwegener, yes I was looking at your excellent site and drooling! I agree about being a purist and fully intended to use this Homburg as a Homburg, but it didn't feel right really and you know what that means... I wouldn't have worn it. I did so want to replace my stolen Fedora and so took the plunge and snapped and bashed in the certain knowledge that it can become a beautiful Homburg whenever I'm ready for that. In fact the conversion is in keeping with its 11 June 1956 birth and is very convincing - it does look very like my missing Fedora.

Maybe the important thing is that I feel comfortable in it and will use it with a great deal of pleasure. It seems to me that we have a lot to thank the earlier German Borsolino market for as Germany was so keen on them and so many have survived.

Greetings from Paris

SweatbandJo

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks! Yes the brim will pop back and with a little bit of steam will be as good as new. I think you should give it a try. I wear mine with casual attire. Today most people have no idea that they were considered a more formal style. Yes some of the better Borsalinos found here are from the German market. These 3 late 1920s Echter Borsalinos are some of the finest.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/50-borsalino-german-market/#entry1118

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionz...c/50-borsalino-german-market/page-2#entry1153

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionz...c/50-borsalino-german-market/page-2#entry1198

 

[NewJack]

Gents, my offering once again to one the distinguished hat threads in the Lounge! 50s Borsalino 'Thirty' in the color of 'Cola'. Am I stoked? Ya betta believe it! A sweet addiction indeed!













Inside...

 

[Bob Roberts]

Gents, my offering once again to one the distinguished hat threads in the Lounge! 50s Borsalino 'Thirty' in the color of 'Cola'. Am I stoked? Ya betta believe it! A sweet addiction indeed!













Inside...

That lovely hat is haunting me.

 

[Steve1857]

Gents, my offering once again to one the distinguished hat threads in the Lounge! 50s Borsalino 'Thirty' in the color of 'Cola'. Am I stoked? Ya betta believe it! A sweet addiction indeed!













Inside...

So nice! What's the story? Where did you pick it up? Do tell.

 

[Frunobulax]

Nice lid, NewJack.

And good to see you posting. It's been awhile.


Sent directly from my mind to yours

 

[moontheloon]

Gents, my offering once again to one the distinguished hat threads in the Lounge! 50s Borsalino 'Thirty' in the color of 'Cola'. Am I stoked? Ya betta believe it! A sweet addiction indeed!













Inside...

just as sweet here as when I first saw it Doc ... love to see it on now