Berets, Anyone?

[Chinaski]

Another possible source for berets, depending on your needs. I didn't read the whole post from beginning, so maybe this was already mentioned.

http://www.shushans.com/anglobasque.html

I have had the Bakarra, which I purchased from them, for many years. Leather sweat (it's that patent leather AlterEgo mentioned), rainproof, and fits like it was made for me.

 

[AlterEgo]

Another possible source for berets, depending on your needs. I didn't read the whole post from beginning, so maybe this was already mentioned.

http://www.shushans.com/anglobasque.html

I have had the Bakarra, which I purchased from them, for many years. Leather sweat (it's that patent leather AlterEgo mentioned), rainproof, and fits like it was made for me.

Your beret with the patent leather sweat is a Spanish one made at the Boinas Elosegui factory in Tolosa. Though you got it from Shushans some time back, it is not the same as the ones they now sell. The five models at the top of the page for which you provide the link are all French berets made by BEATEX' Pierre Laul factory in Oloron St. Marie.

As I mentioned previoiusly, your beret is grade A compared to the best BEATEX beret's grade B.

Meanwhile...

Every time I call Mens Hats to find out what the exact metric size of its self-proclaimed small is, the customer service person says she does not have access to the beret but will check it out in person later and call me back. After over a week and several calls and E-mails, I've yet to get a response.

They are the only retail source for a high quality 10 1/2-inch diameter red beret, and I'm tired of dealing with a company providing poor customer service. I'm not thrilled with the quality of this, the best French beret currently available, so I'm going to try to get a red fully-lined Super Lujo--the best of the best--directly from the Boinas Elosegui factory in Spain that I mentioned is possible in my 01-06-2010 post, that is, if I can get past the language barrier, the wait, the unfavorable U.S. dollar-to-Euro exchange rate, the money transfer method of payment, and what is sure to be astronomical shipping.

I'll keep you posted as I learn details.

 

[filfoster]

European connection

Your beret with the patent leather sweat is a Spanish one made at the Boinas Elosegui factory in Tolosa. Though you got it from Shushans some time back, it is not the same as the ones they now sell. The five models at the top of the page for which you provide the link are all French berets made by BEATEX' Pierre Laul factory in Oloron St. Marie.

As I mentioned previoiusly, your beret is grade A compared to the best BEATEX beret's grade B.

Meanwhile...

Every time I call Mens Hats to find out what the exact metric size of its self-proclaimed small is, the customer service person says she does not have access to the beret but will check it out in person later and call me back. After over a week and several calls and E-mails, I've yet to get a response.

They are the only retail source for a high quality 10 1/2-inch diameter red beret, and I'm tired of dealing with a company providing poor customer service. I'm not thrilled with the quality of this, the best French beret currently available, so I'm going to try to get a red fully-lined Super Lujo--the best of the best--directly from the Boinas Elosegui factory in Spain that I mentioned is possible in my 01-06-2010 post, that is, if I can get past the language barrier, the wait, the unfavorable U.S. dollar-to-Euro exchange rate, the money transfer method of payment, and what is sure to be astronomical shipping.

I'll keep you posted as I learn details.

Is there no UK source for these? That would solve the language problem.

 

[AlterEgo]

I E-mailed the Boinas Elosegui factory in Tolosa, Spain about getting THE beret directly from them, and received a prompt reply from the very pleasant Covadonga--don't you dig that name?--who answered all my questions. Though her English is imperfect, it's WAY better than my Spanish!

First off, she said they had never filled an order for a beret from anyone in my Southern city, though she was quite familiar with its blues tradition. That wasn't suprising, given than I've seen only one other non-military person wear one here, and he was, appropriately, a blues musician.

Anyway, I can get the EXACT Super Lujo I want, including the beautiful "Euskal Herria" label one must request if so desired, in the precise red I seek (Pantone 193) from its extensive color chart.

The price? A mere 24 Euros--cheap, especially considering mine is a special order. It takes less than a week to make it, and a week to ten days to ship across the pond, so from the time I order it to the day it arrives at my front door will be only about two weeks.

So, what's the catch? Shipping via the least expensive "post" method is 18 Euros--that's 3/4 the cost of the beret!!!

Since you have to pay in advance--completely understandable--I can either do a bank transfer, with which I'm a novice but she said was very expensive, or go Western Union, which I know ain't cheap.

So the whole deal will probably cost me about $100 U.S., of which less than half will be the actual beret. In the grand scheme of things, that still's not a lot of dough.

So why have I not yet pulled the trigger? Well, recall that the blue Super Lujo I got from Berkely Hat Co. was my usual size 57, but it was HUGE, so I sent it back. Thus, based on that one, I can only ESTIMATE my size, which I figure would be a 55. What if I order that size, and then it doesn't fit? Live with it. So, I'm mulling it over.

One final thing, and this is important: The website shows that the Super Lujo is available in diameters starting at 10,5 inches on up through 14 inches (they use a comma instead of a decimal point). However Covadonga said that 10.5 American inches equals its 11,5 inches. There's an inch that's a different length from the only inch I know and love? News to me!

At any rate, I can get the beret in 26,7 cm, which is 10 1/2 inches in my world, so if you get one directly from the factory, be sure to specify everything in metric measurements. This would explain a previous poster's observation that inches did not compute to the proper centimeters on some conversion chart he saw somewhere.

 

[Big_e]

I've already ordered a 12 inch beret from Ron Greer and he should have it out soon. I'm gonna get the larger 13.5 or the 14 inch also. I was a little self-conscious about wearing one at first but I noticed that just about everyone in Dallas wears something to make them stand out in the crowd. Nowadays I can't seem to stop wearing my beret. It's the perfect head cover.
Ernest

 

[mayserwegener]

So, what's the catch? Shipping via the least expensive "post" method is 18 Euros--that's 3/4 the cost of the beret!!!

You may want to check and see if they can send it as a letter. I have had less expensive hats shipped from Germany this way for 6 EURO (they actually arrived quicker than a parcel although physically curled). They just need to make sure the box size is not over the dimension limit for this class. In my case the box was the size of a small shoe box.

 

[Daan]

From the 'Dude in New Zealand'

Summer holidays in the Southern hemisphere took me away from this forum. Too long, I see, reading AlterEgo's posts from December.

I guess I need to react to a few statements he made.
First of all, AlterEgo did get replies to his emails. It puzzles me why he refers to me as 'never-would-answer-my-messages Daan'.

Anyway, despite his little checking, AlterEgo did not get his facts right. South Pacific Berets carries only the berets made by 2 traditional Basque manufacturers: Boinas Elosegui from Spain and Bonigor SA from Argentina; NO Uruguayan or Bolivian berets - sorry.
The reason why I sell these berets, is that they are -in my opinion- the best quality made berets today. Good, best and poor are obviously the most subjective descriptions one can use, all dependent on personal preferences. In my blog, www.BeretAndBoina.blogspot.com, I explain in detail why I believe these are better than other brands.

I am a writer, presently working on a book about the beret and the only reason I turned into a retailer, is that so many people (visitors of the blog) asked me where to get a quality beret - hence the online store South Pacific Berets.
I can assure you that the money I make from this sideline is minimal; the cost of customs, postage, small orders while residing at the bottom of the world is far from ideal as a money making venture, really.

Further to AlterEgo's research:
- I offer a large variety of diameters, just check the web site. The smallest diameter offered is 26 cm - maybe not small enough to everyone's liking, but over the last year I had, I believe, only 2 requests for a smaller diameter (and happily forwarded their requests to other retailers).
- Headbands in berets are -again- a personal preference. Like Ron Greer, I am a great fan of berets without headbands (again, with well explained reasons on the blog and web site). Not everyone's preference and that's fine - what's the problem?
- The Tolosa Tupida and Espinosa models I sell are from Argentina - NOT Spain.
- You state I consider Argentinian, Uruguayan, and Bolivian berets' being just as good as the authentic Basque product. I think it's interesting to first ask yourself what a 'genuine Basque product' is. The Argeninean made Bonigor berets, like the Uruguyan Fabrica Nacional berets are made by traditional manufacturers, 5th generation Basques from Tolosa in Spain. As you undoubtedly know, there are no berets made in the French Basque country since the 1950's. Following your line of reasoning, French Basque berets don't exist (French berets being manufactured in the Bearn).

Hope this (really, too extensive) reply puts things right a bit. If any questions, please drop me an email - always happy to help!

 

[Daan]

US vs Continental inches

One final thing, and this is important: The website shows that the Super Lujo is available in diameters starting at 10,5 inches on up through 14 inches (they use a comma instead of a decimal point). However Covadonga said that 10.5 American inches equals its 11,5 inches. There's an inch that's a different length from the only inch I know and love? News to me!

Visit the factory's web site http://boinaselosegui.com/), click catalogue in the bottom menu and then How can we measure the head? in the left column. This shows a conversion table between metric and continental inches (there are more measurements than American inches...).
If you need to know the size in US", go to a web site like http://www.onlineconversion.com/ and you can't go wrong.

 

[donnc]

- Headbands in berets are -again- a personal preference.

Though it's apparently difficult to indulge that preference if you're reduced to mail-ordering one. The beret is perhaps more difficult than other hats to size, non? since the fit relies entirely on the sweatband, unlike a shaped hat.

I'm fortunate to live near enough to a retailer that carries fairly high quality berets, imported by Dorfman-Pacific, maker unknown, so I could go through a couple to find one that fit. But after all, it developed that my personal preference is for the beret without sweatband - the coarse polyester stitching in that patent leather sweatband was immediately and acutely uncomfortable.

From my experience with bank transfers to Europe, the cost of the transfer might exceed the cost of beret and postage together.

 

[Harp]

Green Benie

... Like I said I always thought the special forces guys look alright in them

 

[PADDY]

The BASQUE'ing SHARK...

I BELIEVE this is a Basque Beret. Fits a treat and it's often on my head these days as it's so comfy, fits well, rolls up for the pocket and looks mighty damn fine. Made by a company called, PABEO. Know very little about the company or the beret as I bought it for a song in a vintage store way last year. But it's been getting plenty of use, especially recently with the snowfall.

I suppose now Paddy can confess to wearing a Basque when it takes my fancy!!

 

[Harp]

Sharp leather jacket too.

 

[Geesie]

I think a beret can look especially stylish when paired with a leather jacket and proper accessories.

 

[Edw8ri]

In the 1970's, the Boy Scouts adopted a red beret. I was a Scout then and dutifully went to the Scout store and got my beret. But no one in my troop knew how to wear one. So the result is that we looked like a bunch of red mushrooms. I have never gotten beyond that experience. A beret is not in my future.

 

[AlterEgo]

I BELIEVE this is a Basque Beret. Fits a treat and it's often on my head these days as it's so comfy, fits well, rolls up for the pocket and looks mighty damn fine. Made by a company called, PABEO. Know very little about the company or the beret as I bought it for a song in a vintage store way last year. But it's been getting plenty of use, especially recently with the snowfall.

I suppose now Paddy can confess to wearing a Basque when it takes my fancy!!

I am not familiar with the PABEO name, but since your beret is vintage, that might be a company no longer in business which very well could have been in Basque country. Every 25+-year-old beret I've ever seen was very good, and like yours, when you find such an oldie, it's usually dirt cheap.

The only way you can determine for sure whether or not your beret is a true Basque one is by searching inside for a label that would, if still there, indicate where the beret was made. Such a label in yours might be long gone. If you would like to post a few close-up photos of yours, especially of the inside, I or some others here may be able to make an educated guess as to its origin.

As I said in a previous post, the only berets that have been manufactured in recent history in the greater Basque region--which includes an area that spans Spain and France--are are those made by Boinas Elosegui in Tolosa, Spain and BEATEX in Oloron St. Marie, France. And berets made by Elosegui are clearly the better.

Basque-style berets can be made anywhere. To be really accurate about that term, they are wide-diameter affairs, and today's Basque people wear such biggies, generally pulling the fabric forward over the eyebrows to make a "brim." Judging from your photos, yours appears to be a relatively small diameter beret, but that in itself does not mean it was not made in the general Basque area, as the manufactures there currently and for decades have made a wide range of widths.

Whoever made yours, to my eye, it looks extra sharp.

 

[Daan]

PEBEO

I am not familiar with the PABEO name, but since your beret is vintage, that might be a company no longer in business which very well could have been in Basque country.

The Pabeo was a well known and quality made beret. It was made for decades by the Blancq-Olibet factory in Oloron, in the French district of Bearn (not in the Basque Country - I don't know what the "Greater Basque Country" would mean...). This was one of the last two French beret factories (and was the oldest and largest beret manufacturer altogether!). The same factory that produces the Bakarra - another famous French beret.
All these labels are a confusing thing; you might think that there were dozens (or hundreds) of different manufacturers, but what happened is that many hatters ("chapelleries") had their own label sewn in to a standard beret. E.g. there will be many different labeled berets that are identical to a Bakarra or Pebeo.
The word 'Pebeo" is an abbreviation and stands for P. Blancq, Olibet & Cie. - the "mother companie" of Pebeo and Bakarra.

 

[Daan]

More on PEBEO

Some more information on PEBEO Berets; this is a page from a late 1930's catalogue of the Blancq-Olibet factory, showing a number of labels (and qualities) of PEBEO berets:

http://picasaweb.google.com/BeretAn...id=ITfoD94cAQ3WGYiHzPWMBQ#5432409497585883714

 

[Big_e]

I'm wearing my Derby today but when I got home from work there was a package on my front porch. My new basque beret! I ordered it from Ron Greer . I was gonna get a larger one but glad I didn't, this one is large enough. A good 12 inches.
The felted wool has a solid feel. It's lined but not banded. That way it shapes itself better to any size of head and can fold up easier if you need to put it in a pocket. I'm gathering a small collection of great hats and it's getting harder to decide what to wear each day.
Ernest

 

[Burton]

I used to have a green one but to wear it I had to always wear camouflage and jump out of aircraft that were not crashing.

 

[Harp]

I used to have a green one but to wear it I had to always wear camouflage and jump out of aircraft that were not crashing.

Welcome to the Lounge bro.