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Borsalino Marque Grand Luxe Beaver Fedora

Chief000731

Practically Family
Messages
502
Location
Oklahoma
No I seen the hat and was aking about it. He was talking about Borsalinos on eBay "Borsalino must have made a bunch of these, they are always popping up on eBay. There's one there now, same size as yours with a $222 BIN price" So I was asking about the hat for 149.00 to see if it was a good hat and deal.
Carl
 

Chief000731

Practically Family
Messages
502
Location
Oklahoma
Up to this point I thought Borsalino did not reveal the beaver content of its hats during vintage times, and I am not sure this is a clear change. I see the Marque Grand Luxe, but I do not see where this is clearly claimed as 100% beaver. I have seen very few (if any!) of these, so I will allow that it might be 100% beaver and a superior felt, just not seeing the clear claim to that effect (a Stetson claiming '7X Clear Beaver Quality' is a rather clear claim). Maybe there are some advertisements that explain 'Marque Grand Luxe' is 100% beaver?
I have this hat at Optimo Hats and they say the hat is from the late 1930s or early 1940s. and 100% Beaver, Like Bob said. I don't really care I got it for a good price (my opinion) and love the hat... I should get it back sometime next week, I'll post pictures when it comes in before and after...
Carl
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
Probably just an educated guess regarding fur content. As I noted back in the thread the Velour & Antelope finishes* were more expensive than the marked Beaver (Castoro) hats (see below). Personally it is all about finish and feel and vintage Borsalinos rate A+++.

* There is no mention of fur content but Velour and Antelope were considered the finest / most complex finishes. This is the reason American hat companies sought out Euro Velour / Antelope finishing machines / techniques.

Credit to RLK.

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Chief000731

Practically Family
Messages
502
Location
Oklahoma
How, exactly, are they (people/experts/Optimo) determining the origin of the fur?

bk
I couldn't tell you guys that. Like I said I don't care I just liked the hat and bought it, I told somebody I would post what Graham at Optimo said about it. It doesn't matter to me if it were made of burlap sacks I just liked the hat. hahaha Thanks guys.
Carl
 

barrowjh

One Too Many
Messages
1,398
Location
Maryville Tennessee
MGL Rescue

I should post a picture or two about this recent rescue. I purchased this MGL about 2 years ago; at a minimum it needed a new leather sweatband as the original was falling out of it. As you can see from the picture, the hat had been so beloved by the prior owner(s) that the leather had 'bled' through the felt creating a dark ring around the hat. The ribbon is relatively narrow, very similar to the ribbon on the MGL in the advertisement for 12 L. :


I thought the felt had a slight reddish tinge, a mauve shaded taupe, so in addition to a new sweatband the hat needed (in my opinion) a wider ribbon than the original, and hopefully a reddish brown that might pull out the mauve. I visited Buckaroo Hatters in Covington last Saturday hoping that the ribbon procured from the Beaver Brand liquidation auction would provide something that might work.

New sweatband -


And the ribbon -



Am I happy?


Oh yeah, I'm liking this hat, some fine work by Mike Moore to help rescue this MGL. The felt is precious soft, this MGL lives anew.
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
I just picked one up online with xxxxxx it's like a black emerald looking color it's immaculate it came with the Box triangle box don't know the year but it's definitely beaver


I have had a couple of the MGLs XXXXXX hats. That are incredibly soft and moldable, but mine have not been beaver.

Photos of your hat would greatly help us provide more information on your hat.
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
If not Beaver then what do you think is it it looks like a velvet it as the 6 xxxxxx
Wild Hare is best for Velour and high gloss. See my above post. Also read this article.

 

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