Daniele Tanto
I'll Lock Up
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- 4,220
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- Verona - Italia
Yes, this Borsalino is beautiful and probably comes direct from after the First World War, but it is also a real enigma.Hello everyone! Hope you all are good.
Today I am posting here one of the latest finds which I consider one of the most valuable finds of this last period.
I want to show one of two Borsalino Antica Casa that came together in my hands: the one I am going to show is the black one, the other (the brown one) will come as a gift for next Christmas (photos will come after Christmas).
Both hats are in almost PERFECT condition, having been preserved very well for decades. They are both size 6 French punti (59cm, so very "wearable" for my size 59 also) and have also a very interesting story to tell.
They have been bought from a man from Genova, the grandfather of the old lady that sold them, that was born in 1880 and of which I have the luck to have a photo sent by the owner (I will ask the lady if she gives me permission to show it). He was a wood artist and very talented and capable furniture craftsman; towards his 20 years of age he got married with a beautiful lady that gave him 3 or 4 children; because of that and also because of all the customers that did not pay his work in time, he had to change his job and become a Public Railways employee, assuring him to have the possibility to economically maintain his family.
Lining from a shop in Treviso and sweatband from a shop in Hamburg, both with the Borsalino brand crossed out with an X as if to remove the brand and the paternity of the product. This makes me think of a hat that for some reason Borsalino not only did not want to sign, they could not have put it on the market, but it highlighted its disavowal.
The paper label written entirely by hand may be an indication because stamps with the name of the hat were already used on the production labels and this one does not have it, but on other occasions we have already seen handwriting in older years close to us to speed up the introduction of hats onto the market.
X crossed out by the brands remains an element of curiosity and rarity, but it certainly does not make us participants in the history of this hat which is troubled, so much so as to be an unknown child.