Anello by Borsalino?

[boushi_mania]

Well, I bought my Caribou Ashland from them first, received a poor quality hat, and had some trouble about the return. In the end, they did refund my money and shipping; I had to pay shipping for the return. There was no chance for an exchange (which we both would have preferred) because it was the last one in my size, and I wound up buying the same hat from Bencraft in person in Brooklyn.

Anyway, maybe if you ask them, they will physically inspect the hat before shipping it to Japan, as a return would be so expensive - it's worth a try. Here is the thread I posted about the situation, with some photos of the hat. I'm not nearly as angry about it now as I was when it happened, and would probably order from Hats Plus again if they had a deal on lid I wanted and would look it over before shipping:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=37275

I see. An anecdote does not a statistic make, but on the other hand, I'd hate to be the repeat occurrence that starts to show a pattern. The cost to
return a defective hat would completely eliminate the advantage in price from this particular shop. So, I suppose the question is this: if I want to go with this model, should I go with the lower price at Hats Plus and take a risk, or go with Bencraft and its better reputation (and personal representation) on this forum?

Perhaps an email to both parties is in order...

 

[Aureliano]

Aureliano, it is an easy job to restiffen a Borsalino hat. Just bring it by and we can press it out. There is no charge for this service when the hat is bought from us. It is true that the Borsalino hats do soffen up more than other hats but they last much longer than the average felt hat.


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

Thanks for the offer Besdor! I bought my Anello through Roberto Manzoni way before I knew about Bencraft. With the money I made from selling it, Stanley (Is he your Dad? send him my best please I'm due to pay him a visit) sold me your Bellagio and I love it. I've never had the problems I had with the Anello. My taupe Bellagio is now old and has taken a lot of abuse and it looks and feels as firm as when I purchased.

 

[Aureliano]

Perhaps an email to both parties is in order...

You can send Besdor a PM. He's very good at writing back.

 

[kowalskt63]

Don't dig it..

I got the Annelo on ebay, and it's my least favorite hat of my collection. It doesn't hold a shape at all, and even when I steam it, it just looks ugly on me.The felt is thin, and just doesn't stack up to my vintage or new hats. By comparison, for a lesser price, I'm extremely satisfied with my Akubra Fed IV or my Stetson Temple. You should look into them. Just my 2 cents..

 

[boushi_mania]

I got the Annelo on ebay, and it's my least favorite hat of my collection. It doesn't hold a shape at all, and even when I steam it, it just looks ugly on me.The felt is thin, and just doesn't stack up to my vintage or new hats. By comparison, for a lesser price, I'm extremely satisfied with my Akubra Fed IV or my Stetson Temple. You should look into them. Just my 2 cents..

I'd already been moving away from the Anello in my consideration since a number of other members voiced their support for different models. If I do end up getting a Borsalino, I'd say that the San Remo is likely to be it.

At the same time, I'm leaning towards the Stetson Ashland; the Temple looks quite nice (and also quite similar to the Ashland), but I just think that a 2 5/8" brim is too big for my face.

 

[boushi_mania]

You can send Besdor a PM. He's very good at writing back.

All right, then; I think I'll do that.

...Or not. I guess 15 posts is not the threshold for sending PM's, after all.

 

[daizawaguy]

...but I just think that a 2 5/8" brim is too big for my face.

Careful here...if you think a 2" is ideal, a 2 5/8" is a hell of a brim...better go down to your department store tomorrow and try something with that wide a brim and see if it suits you...

Edit> Ah you are referring to the differnce to the Ashland at 2 3/8"?...But my comments still stand ... 2" and 2 3/8" is still a fairly large differnce on your head...

 

[carldelo]

Careful here...if you think a 2" is ideal, a 2 5/8" is a hell of a brim...better go down to your department store tomorrow and try something with that wide a brim and see if it suits you...

Edit> Ah you are referring to the differnce to the Ashland at 2 3/8"?...But my comments still stand ... 2" and 2 3/8" is still a fairly large differnce on your head...

I just measured my Ashland, it's brim is 2-3/16".
And I agree, 2-5/8" is a very big jump.

 

[boushi_mania]

Careful here...if you think a 2" is ideal, a 2 5/8" is a hell of a brim...better go down to your department store tomorrow and try something with that wide a brim and see if it suits you...

That's exactly the point I was making.

For me, 2" – 2 1/4" is the "sweet spot" in terms of brim width. I have nothing against wider styles, but they just don't work on me. It's not my goal to look like some guy trying to pull off wearing a classic-look hat; I want the hat to work for me.

Anyhow, I'll make my next move once I figure out my best course of action. I don't think the ring analogy quite holds in this situation, since it's my own head and I can live with a lower-priced hat, while she would probably not be happy to find out her half-carat diamond is a fake. Maybe what's more apt is an omiai (arranged marriage) analogy: I am buying a hat I have not had a chance to try on, going only by pictures and others' assurances that it's a good choice. At least hats can usually be returned! In that respect, it comes down to whether I should go with Bencraft as a known variable, or if think I can trust Plus Hats enough to not end up being out $40+ for return shipping and without a hat to show for my trouble. We'll see what both parties offer as a guarantee in their response to my emails.

 

[besdor]

Boushi, there is a reason why the hat is only 85.00at Hats Plus. they are old stock. They are getting rid of the hats and probably dont have many left in stock. At 135.00 the Ashland is a great price. And with the coupon that Stetson is offering, its a better deal.

Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Colby Jack]

Steven...what do you think of the "Giorgio" model you carry...also what are it's dimensions?
CJ

 

[carldelo]

Boushi, there is a reason why the hat is only 85.00at Hats Plus. they are old stock. They are getting rid of the hats and probably dont have many left in stock. At 135.00 the Ashland is a great price. And with the coupon that Stetson is offering, its a better deal.

Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

I'll second that - the Ashland I got on sale did appear to be old stock. The felt was not as nice as the one I got from Bencraft to replace it.

That's good to hear about the coupon available at stetsonhat.com, I will post it in the coupons thread.

 

[boushi_mania]

Boushi, there is a reason why the hat is only 85.00at Hats Plus. they are old stock. They are getting rid of the hats and probably dont have many left in stock. At 135.00 the Ashland is a great price. And with the coupon that Stetson is offering, its a better deal.

Thanks a lot. That's good to know.

But, er... how exactly does one go about using said coupon in an online order?

 

[Aureliano]

I'm selling this:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=45229
I can ship it your way. We'd just have to figure out the postage.

 

[boushi_mania]

I'm selling this:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=45229
I can ship it your way. We'd just have to figure out the postage.

To be honest, I'm not really a huge fan of the "Indiana Jones" look, either. lol

 

[Aureliano]

I read you, man. We might be amongst the very few.[huh]

 

[daizawaguy]

Well, Boushi, what did you decide on, if I may ask?

 

[Lou]

Boushi, I'm glad to see you taking your time. I made a mistake with a hat that wasn't quite right for me, and it was disappointing.

How long have you been in Osaka? I lived in Tokyo from 1997-2004, and before that was stationed there 1991-1994. I'll be back eventually.

 

[boushi_mania]

Well, Boushi, what did you decide on, if I may ask?

I'm still leaning toward the Ashland in Caribou. I may also be getting a newsboy cap when I finally make the purchase. (My girlfriend decided that I should choose myself rather than leaving it to her, so she's basically given me a price range inside of which I can get anything I want. Takes the surprise out of it, but at least I only have myself to blame if I choose poorly.) I like the kind whose crown lies flat rather than poofing out, and it's hard to tell from the pictures.

I'll probably follow it up sometime later with a San Remo or a Saxon, and then a custom job once I get a feel for my exact preferences.

Boushi, I'm glad to see you taking your time. I made a mistake with a hat that wasn't quite right for me, and it was disappointing.

How long have you been in Osaka? I lived in Tokyo from 1997-2004, and before that was stationed there 1991-1994. I'll be back eventually.

I've been here for two years now, and will probably be here a few more before my girlfriend (wife?) and I head to the U.S. so I can attend graduate school.

Osaka's a great city: not as clean or as ultramodern as Tokyo, but you can get great food for relatively cheap, and people are much more friendly. The nightlife is hard to beat, too (not that I'll be thinking about that for much longer). Besides, the grit is all part of the charm... if it lasts. There's been significant redevelopment in recent years, which has changed the look of the city quite a bit. Modern is nice and all, but it's staring to feel less like Osaka and more like Tokyo. So it goes....

 

[boushi_mania]

All right... ordered an Ashland in Caribou, size 7 1/4. I'll be sure to take some pictures when it arrives...!