Vintage Borsalino offer

[Zane]

Before starting the auction on ebay .........I own an antique Borsalino hat complete with
original box with many advertising posters,expressly produced for Giuseppe
Marino- Napoli (size 5)
The hat, as the box, is in excellent condition.both have been checked and
appreciated by the "museum for Borsalino hats" in Alessandria (north of
Italy) by Mrs. Giovanna Usueli Borsalino.
I want to emphasize the fact that the same museum (which counts over 4000
hats) does not have the above mentioned box.
if you were interested in the hat, i could send you several pictures and
tell you the quotation.

Kind Regards
Lorenzo Gargiulo
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Hi Lorenzo, I thank you for your kind offer. .............I am not a Borsalino fan. I will pass this information to a friend and ask him to post it on a forum devoted to vintage hat collectors. Please find below links to this fine forum and also to a couple others that I often send to my customers.
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http://fedoralounge.skyblueproductions.net/forumdisplay.php?forumid=3

Fedora lounge

http://www.indygear.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=ba02e21389f4484c2d560d44395e6b1f

Club Obi Wan

http://www.thelostpages.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=9&sid=611e17af3b9c1c7455e2b88a4e48b041

Lost pages

I think you will enjoy all of the forums and especially the Fedora lounge if you are an avid fedora fan.
I am sorry I seem to have lost my canned reply to the forum links but am told these links will get you to them if not please let me know.

Thank you for your inquiry
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I do hope this pleases some one and if any one has a reason to contact this gentleman I will find his credentials for you.

 

[havershaw]

Zane, I've sent you a pm about this - let me know if you have trouble getting it (I'm aware that you have troubles with your computer from time to time).

 

[Zane]

Hi Havershall, I did get your message and have replied. If you do not get it, Please let me know. I recently learned that Borsalino makes several 100 hats that tey do not typically list in their yearly catalogue but instead only show them via a yearly show. I am now lead to wonder if they make some quality hats not shown in their main line.

Art or any one have any of you guys seen an original Borsalino that has a readed/welted sweat or do all of them have the over welt stitch ?

 

[Art Fawcett]

Art or any one have any of you guys seen an original Borsalino that has a readed/welted sweat or do all of them have the over welt stitch ?

Hi Zane, yes, I have seen a reeded welted leather in Borsalino. Most are overwelted but there are exceptions. These tend to be later 50s hats and sixties.

 

[Zane]

Art, i am sorry to bother but are you referring to the sweat band being readed? I know so many colliquail terms are applicable to hats and often many call the same things by different names.

I have restored over a hundred Borsalinos over time maybe 300 and I never seen them have a reeded sweat. they always just had that specail hook stitch like the least expensive wool felt hats have. I am now curious to see a picture of one with an original sweat that is reeded. Can you ,Art, or any one help my curiosity here. I may have to retract my bitterness toward this hat brand in its fulness and only dislike all I have seen of them. Does any one have a picture of the custom Borsalino from Peter Bros. or any where that shows a reeded sweat?

 

[thefish]

I recently learned that Borsalino makes several 100 hats that tey do not typically list in their yearly catalogue but instead only show them via a yearly show. I am now lead to wonder if they make some quality hats not shown in their main line.

Hmm...

Does this mean that I still might be able to find a Borsalino McAlpine?

I've done some online searches, and can find nothing.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

I'm not sure about Borsalino but i'm sure know it all will answer here.I know of this hat Herbert Johnson Poet/McAlpine thats the only McAlpine i have heard of but i'm still learning

 

[Zane]

I am not sure if the Borsalino McAlpine is a current hat they offer or an older one or a special private label they produced.

I met with my old employer today and while I did not get a job back as such I was offered a job of sorts as an out side contractor that works along with Gladhatter. I will be in more frequent contact as a result. I will inquire further about this. I do know you can have any hat reproduced By Gladhatter. They are reproducing the Very special Homburg from the movie "The age of innocence" now for a gentleman in Austria that seems to frequent this forum as a reader but not as a participant. I have in past seen Him reproduce more complicated hats. I know he is currently working on a like of hats that have the same styling as the Borsalino Rodolfo but in a much higher quality and same price range and in various colors. You may do well to contact him direct.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Zane,
I could be mistaken but I recently renovated a Borsalino from the mid 50s that I believe had a reeded sweatband/leather. I'll go you one better. If I didn't throw it away I'll send it to you. What is your mailing address?

Art

 

[Zane]

Art, I do thank you for your kind offer. You need not send out the sweat but iff you have a photo of it I would like to see it. If you prefer to send it a photo by mail it is: Please do not send the sweat its self.

Zane Foggs
General Delivery
Pikeville Ky 41501

 

[Art Fawcett]

General Delivery Zane??? no route # or Box #, just General Delivery?

 

[Michaelson]

Art, you've never been to Pikeville, have you? I have. General delivery still works there. There are some things that haven't changed in decades. Regards. Michaelson

 

[Zane]

Hi Art, In fact I do have both a street address and P.O. Box as well. I did not publish it here due to the hazards of the Internet. It is available if you choose to send me PM and assure me to not share it. I understand you a are a reputable and upstanding person of highest regard. I had just planned to collect it at the local post office when I was by there. I have not gotten general delivery in some time but I think it is still not uncommon here.

 

[Art Fawcett]

HI Zane,
No need for the mail now. I checked the shop garbage and unfortunately I did throw it out. However, without knowing it Havershaw just saved my bacon by sending me some pics of his hats. One of them is a Borsalino with a reeded leather/sweat that i iwll pass on to you or post it here for you to see.

 

[Zane]

Hi Art, have to say that is of the very finest of works I recall seeing . I guess I have worlds to learn about vintage stuff. Thanks to you and Havershall.

I need to close mouth and open ears. This is an eye opener. I guess I have seen none of the good Borsalino is all. What quality of felt does a bute like that really have?

 

[Art Fawcett]

What quality of felt does a bute like that really have?

Zane, I don't know the content of the older felts but I can tell you that there is no other feel like it. Normally these are ultra light ( not as light as a roll up) and ultra "buttery" in feel. VERY good felt and superb workmanship. Please know that i am speaking only of pre 1984 Borsalinos, when it was still a family run operation.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Art, you've never been to Pikeville, have you?

Oh my gosh, is it that obvious Michaelson??? Truth is, nope I haven't but would love to explore that area somtime. )

 

[Michaelson]

Understood. It's not exactly on the 'beaten path'. I've been there once myself, and it's a nice town, but man, does it have steep 'hills'. I was there in 1972, and while talking to the station master of the train station, asked him where the local community college was. He smiled, and pointed straight up. Literally. I looked where he was pointing, and there, on the top of a mountain across the tracks, sat the college! Nice town, but it takes some stamina to walk THOSE streets. Regards. Michaelson

p.s. Fedora just finished reblocking one of these Borsalino's that a friend picked up for me in an antique store in Ft.Wayne, IN. Got it for $35, and it has the same sweatband! Like Art says, it's probably the softest felt I've ever had in my hand, and a real satisfactory hat to wear while driving the old 50 Plymouth in this summer heat!

 

[Andykev]

Originally posted by Michaelson
Fedora just finished reblocking one of these Borsalino's that a friend picked up for me in an antique store in Ft.Wayne, IN. Got it for $35, and it has the same sweatband! Like Art says, it's probably the softest felt I've ever had in my hand, and a real satisfactory hat to wear while driving the old 50 Plymouth in this summer heat!

Nice, is it an unlined summer weight? Any pictures..say how bout one of you behind the wheel, hat on, and that big steering wheel in your hands!

 

[Michaelson]

No, it had a lining. Fedora replaced the lining (as well as had to remove the band to reblock. He put in a different band, as it's that darn band that requires the special sewing machine that Art has yet to figure out. ), and cleaned and reblocked for me. It's VERY comfortable in this summer heat, even with the lining. Yes, I'm going to have to get my daugther and me in the same place with the digital camera one of these days. Regards. Michaelson