The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[DRB]

Stefan, your command of the Borsalino history is admirable. It's a good thing you live so far away. I would probably be knocking on your door asking to see these hats up close.

 

[steur]

Stefan, your command of the Borsalino history is admirable. It's a good thing you live so far away. I would probably be knocking on your door asking to see these hats up close.

Thanks, Dennis. Very kind of you to say so, but almost everything I know I learned from the members here. Now and again I can add a little tidbit.

 

[Ivano]

Two things for the Forum. I will be in Florida (Orlando) from the 9 to the 16 of March. If there are any F.L's who may be interested in seeing some of the collection send me a note. I can likely bring 8 or 10 without too much difficulty. Check out my thread "Over 100 Vintage Fedoras" for more info of what I have.

In meantime here is a link for a 6 7/8 Borsalino.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/706-5...29529&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&toolid=11111

 

[DRB]

Two things for the Forum. I will be in Florida (Orlando) from the 9 to the 16 of March. If there are any F.L's who may be interested in seeing some of the collection send me a note. I can likely bring 8 or 10 without too much difficulty. Check out my thread "Over 100 Vintage Fedoras" for more info of what I have.

In meantime here is a link for a 6 7/8 Borsalino.

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/706-5...29529&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg&toolid=11111

Hello Ivano, can you tell me the link to "Over 100 Vintage Fedoras" please? I can't seem to find it. I live near Orlando. Thank you.

 

[ruvort]

Hello Ivano, can you tell me the link to "Over 100 Vintage Fedoras" please? I can't seem to find it. I live near Orlando. Thank you.

Here you are sir:

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/over-100-vintage-fedoras.95264/

Sent from my PH-1 using Tapatalk

 

[DRB]

Ruvort: Thank YOU Sir!

 

[steur]

Close to two weeks without any new Borsalinos? This is getting dangerous. Thankfully here's one.
A mixed blessing of sorts, because I was very happy finding it, but very sad that it's not my size. I actually found one of these before (also not my size), but this one is of a different quality designation.
Borsalino Export Qualität lobbia in the colour Morello (which is supposed to be a dark brown, but looks more like a warm grey to my eye). Size 58 (or 7 1/4 American), with the brim at 6cm and the crown at 11cm at the center dent. Qualitá Speciale on the liner, which is quite rare on Borsalino homburg hats. My guess would be mid to late sixties.
It'll find its way to the classifieds soon.

 

[mayserwegener]

Stefan, Super find! Hutkönig Regensburg is still going strong and very expensive.

 

[steur]

Stefan, Super find! Hutkönig Regensburg is still going strong and very expensive.

Thanks, Steve. Maybe that's why he's still around

 

[steur]

Another recent one I almost forgot about. Borsalino Ludoela in Ghiaccio colour. Size 57 with the bound brim at 7cm and the crown 11cm at the center dent. Made for the American market. Imported by Harry Holland (which appeals to me of course) of Amarillo, Texas. Has "original house" on the sweatband, in stead of "Antica Casa" and I forgot why that is of some importance. Judging by the liner and label this is an older hat, probably forties, but could even be late thirties. It has its scars and it maybe could do with a cleaning, but I'm not going to mess with it.

This felt is incredible: very soft and a lovely hand to it. It takes the term malleable to the next level. If you look at the pictures closely you can see some indentations just above the ribbon. I wondered what those were until I discovered that those are the places where the liner is stitched to the felt, pulling the felt inwards! Even the moths showed respect for it: they started off in a few places but apparently decided to leave it in peace.

Mike (@Redfokker) found this pic of the shop of Harry Holland for me. This would have been in the thirties.

 

[alanfgag]

Lovely thin ribbon, Stefan. I expect it is c.1950. I have a similar one with that liner imprint and it’s one of my favorites. I wish we had more information here to document the trade timeline for Borsalino during the era of Mussolini and WWII. Despite the short period of actual conflict 1941-1943, I expect the hostilities earlier and the wartime toll to Alessandria during the war made for a significant gap in importation of Borsalino hats to the U.S... perhaps lasting more than a decade in the 1930s and 1940s. Maybe Mike can help us with the research.

 

[mayserwegener]

Daniele posted export numbers a while back. I posted some information regarding increased tariffs on Men's Fur Felt Hats imports and Borsalino. In the 1920s Borsalino had the largest portion of Men's Fur Felt Hat imports but total Men's Fur Felt Hat imports were only about 1% of the total U.S. market. Regardless the U.S. Hat industry wanted higher tariffs and got them. You can read more here (Borsalino are mentioned also importers Bill & Caldwell)

Fur Felt Hats Tariff, Readjustment 1929 (U.S. Congress)

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionz...lt-hats-tariff-readjustment-1929-us-congress/

Fur Felt Hats, Tariff Readjustment 1929: Hearings before the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives Seventieth Congress, Second Session

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionz...entatives-seventieth-congress-second-session/

 

[alanfgag]

Steve, this is a remarkable resource and a fascinating read. Not sure how I missed it previously. How many U.S. market Borsalino hats from this period have been posted here over the years? Certainly a tiny number. The tariffs must have been an effective deterrent. Was there a more restrictive embargo enjoined during wartime? And were the embargoes/tariffs removed entirely after the end of the war to assist in rebuilding the European manufacturers?

Reading the testimony on the production numbers and dollars is good evidence against the meme that the decline in the hat industry should be blamed on President Kennedy. Surely the blame lies with Calvin Coolidge. ;^)

 

[steur]

Lovely thin ribbon, Stefan. I expect it is c.1950. I have a similar one with that liner imprint and it’s one of my favorites. I wish we had more information here to document the trade timeline for Borsalino during the era of Mussolini and WWII. Despite the short period of actual conflict 1941-1943, I expect the hostilities earlier and the wartime toll to Alessandria during the war made for a significant gap in importation of Borsalino hats to the U.S... perhaps lasting more than a decade in the 1930s and 1940s. Maybe Mike can help us with the research.

Alan, thanks. You're probably right with the dating of this one. The liner kind of threw me off, since I associate that type with older hats. The hat looks like the spitting image of the Faunosca model in the same colour I have, which was dated by the seller as 1950. Must put these two together for a comparison. I think most of Borsalinos' efforts in the pre-war and war period were directed towards making hats for uniforms. I believe I've read they were up and running very soon after the hostilities ended, even though they did get hit by bombs.

 

[mayserwegener]

Steve, this is a remarkable resource and a fascinating read. Not sure how I missed it previously. How many U.S. market Borsalino hats from this period have been posted here over the years? Certainly a tiny number. The tariffs must have been an effective deterrent. Was there a more restrictive embargo enjoined during wartime? And were the embargoes/tariffs removed entirely after the end of the war to assist in rebuilding the European manufacturers?

Reading the testimony on the production numbers and dollars is good evidence against the meme that the decline in the hat industry should be blamed on President Kennedy. Surely the blame lies with Calvin Coolidge. ;^)

Alan, Thank you! It's interesting reading for sure.

I checked the "Borsalinos with Celled Paper Labels" thread and I found 5 American Market Borsalinos out of 21 total. Borsalino sold well for imports (in the 1920s) but the overall numbers were very small compared to domestic manufactured Men's Fur Felt Hats.** Borsalinos exports to America pretty much stopped in the 1930s. The tarriffs, the Depression and eventually WWII were major factors. I will have to see if I can find the posts or Daniele might chime in. It's was definitely a struggle to import Men's Fur Felt Hats! Bill & Caldwell (and others) were busy with Congress.

**
1927 Imported Men's Fur Felt Hats were ~ 28,500 Dozen
1927 American Manufactured Men's Fur Felt Hats were 1,961,410 Dozen

 

[alanfgag]

Alan, thanks. You're probably right with the dating of this one. The liner kind of threw me off, since I associate that type with older hats. The hat looks like the spitting image of the Faunosca model in the same colour I have, which was dated by the seller as 1950. Must put these two together for a comparison. I think most of Borsalinos' efforts in the pre-war and war period were directed towards making hats for uniforms. I believe I've read they were up and running very soon after the hostilities ended, even though they did get hit by bombs.

Here is the hat I own that is similar to yours... I know I've posted it previously to this thread, but there are quite a few pages. They should sleep close to each other. 8^)

 

[alanfgag]

Alan, Thank you! It's interesting reading for sure.

I checked the "Borsalinos with Celled Paper Labels" thread and I found 5 American Market Borsalinos out of 21 total. Borsalino sold well for imports (in the 1920s) but the overall numbers were very small compared to domestic manufactured Men's Fur Felt Hats.** Borsalinos exports to America pretty much stopped in the 1930s. The tarriffs, the Depression and eventually WWII were major factors. I will have to see if I can find the posts or Daniele might chime in. It's was definitely a struggle to import Men's Fur Felt Hats! Bill & Caldwell (and others) were busy with Congress.

**
1927 Imported Men's Fur Felt Hats were ~ 28,500 Dozen
1927 American Manufactured Men's Fur Felt Hats were 1,961,410 Dozen

I was hoping for that tally - 5 of 21 is more than I would have guessed.

 

[mayserwegener]

I was hoping for that tally - 5 of 21 is more than I would have guessed.

Alan, Yes there were more than expected. I am waiting for number 6!

 

[carouselvic]

 

[Just Daniel]

Nice little OPA tag there.