Czech Republicans: Tonak, Huckel, no name

[Giftmacher]

Didn't mean to disparage it. It looks like a very nice soft felt, possibly velour that has had some wear. I think with some TLC, it'm be a great hat.

Especially for that price.


Sent directly from my mind to yours.

The starting price was also winning price.

 

[mayserwegener]

I guess the brim is ok in the end. View attachment 104045 View attachment 104046

Great! Did you win this hat? If possible can you post more details (sweatband logos and paper label if possible). on the German - Austrian thread. Thanks!

 

[Giftmacher]

Great! Did you win this hat? If possible can you post more details (sweatband logos and paper label if possible). on the German - Austrian thread. Thanks!

Actually only first one was regular auction which I won today and immediately paid. This one had fixed price. I will post the photos in the evening.

Odesláno z mého SM-J510FN pomocí Tapatalk

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks!

 

[moehawk]

Found this Tonak thrifting yesterday. Dusty, with the sweatband stiff as cardboard. Cheap enough to pick up as a curiosity. After several slatherings of Lexol, the sweat limbered up a little, enough to turn it out to find the tag.
Here's some pics.

Tag, sweat and liner

Could the dating be that easy? 13 2 70...I'm confident Steve will know.

Creased

Crown 5 1/4" open, brim 2 1/4". 130g, possibly 5 of those being Lexol. The sweat is still quite stiff, but not crumbly or cracking. The felt itself is rather nice, there must still have been a little of that Hückel magic lurking in the factory. This is the only non-velour Tonak I have experienced, and must admit it's nicer than I expected. Might keep an eye out for vintage Tonaks in the future.

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[mayserwegener]

John, The early ones (late 1940s to mid 1950s) are great if you can find them. Some are marked TONAK Formerly Hückel / Plant Hückel. The later ones are not bad either. TONAK still makes some good felts today especially their Velour and Chamois finishes.

 

[moehawk]

John, The early ones (late 1940s to mid 1950s) are great if you can find them. Some are marked TONAK Formerly Hückel / Plant Hückel. The later ones are not bad either. TONAK still makes some good felts today especially their Velour and Chamois finishes.

I am very impressed with my Seal Velour.

 

[Redfokker]

Found this Tonak thrifting yesterday. Dusty, with the sweatband stiff as cardboard. Cheap enough to pick up as a curiosity. After several slatherings of Lexol, the sweat limbered up a little, enough to turn it out to find the tag.
Here's some pics.

Tag, sweat and liner

Could the dating be that easy? 13 2 70...I'm confident Steve will know.

Creased

Crown 5 1/4" open, brim 2 1/4". 130g, possibly 5 of those being Lexol. The sweat is still quite stiff, but not crumbly or cracking. The felt itself is rather nice, there must still have been a little of that Hückel magic lurking in the factory. This is the only non-velour Tonak I have experienced, and must admit it's nicer than I expected. Might keep an eye out for vintage Tonaks in the future.

Powered by happy thoughts

Nice find, I wouldn't have passed it up either. Interesting history I'm sure.

 

[Giftmacher]

John, The early ones (late 1940s to mid 1950s) are great if you can find them. Some are marked TONAK Formerly Hückel / Plant Hückel. The later ones are not bad either. TONAK still makes some good felts today especially their Velour and Chamois finishes.

Unfortunately good Tonak hats are only those for export. For the Czech market there are only several identical fedoras differing in color.

 

[steur]

Found this Tonak thrifting yesterday. Dusty, with the sweatband stiff as cardboard. Cheap enough to pick up as a curiosity. After several slatherings of Lexol, the sweat limbered up a little, enough to turn it out to find the tag.
Here's some pics.

Tag, sweat and liner

Could the dating be that easy? 13 2 70...I'm confident Steve will know.

Creased

Crown 5 1/4" open, brim 2 1/4". 130g, possibly 5 of those being Lexol. The sweat is still quite stiff, but not crumbly or cracking. The felt itself is rather nice, there must still have been a little of that Hückel magic lurking in the factory. This is the only non-velour Tonak I have experienced, and must admit it's nicer than I expected. Might keep an eye out for vintage Tonaks in the future.

Powered by happy thoughts

Nice find, John. They make decent hats but for me it's not my favourite brand though.

 

[moehawk]

Nice find, John. They make decent hats but for me it's not my favourite brand though.

Nor mine, but I was curious about it and whether the sweatband was able to be saved. Six dollars was worth the brief distraction and the knowledge gained.
Now, if a nice old one found itself in my path I might feel differently...especially another one of those velours!

 

[mayserwegener]

Unfortunately good Tonak hats are only those for export. For the Czech market there are only several identical fedoras differing in color.

Yes I am sure they have a limited catalog. Unfortunately this is an overall trend (see Mayser and even Borsalino). TONAK has Velour felt qualities that require special order but minimum is 60 hats. They actually made some samples for me back and 2011 but I didn't follow through (see photo below).

 

[steur]

Yes I am sure they have a limited catalog. Unfortunately this is an overall trend (see Mayser and even Borsalino). TONAK has Velour felt qualities that require special order but minimum is 60 hats. They actually made some samples for me back and 2011 but I didn't follow through (see photo below).

One or two of those would be very nice, but 60 is another matter....

 

[mayserwegener]

One or two of those would be very nice, but 60 is another matter....

From what I could remember the 60 had to be all the same except for size. I was going to have them use the same dimensions and similar form of a late 1930s J. Hückel´s Söhne Zephyr Seal Velour of mine (see link) but in gray.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page-5#entry648

 

[moehawk]

From what I could remember the 60 had to be all the same except for size. I was going to have them use the same dimensions and similar form of a late 1930s J. Hückel´s Söhne Zephyr Seal Velour of mine (see link) but in gray.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page-5#entry648

I'd wear one of those!

 

[steur]

From what I could remember the 60 had to be all the same except for size. I was going to have them use the same dimensions and similar form of a late 1930s J. Hückel´s Söhne Zephyr Seal Velour of mine (see link) but in gray.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/page-5#entry648

I'd wear one of those!

So would I!

 

[Giftmacher]

Nice contemporary advertising bust:
https://aukro.cz/bohmovy-klobouky-reklamni-busta-vyska-50-cm-6924358810

 

[mayserwegener]

That is really interesting. It's a Brüder Böhm.

 

[Giftmacher]

I'd take it, but I have dust problem at home.

 

[Tukwila]

I have heard how nice the European velour can be, but still was not quite prepared to experience this Tonak that just came in. I expected velvety, but this is beyond that and it's crazy soft. Softer than the antique velvet couch my neighbor's mom had when I was a kid growing up in the 60s and 70s. Just luxurious.

It's coal black, so I don't know how well pics will turn out but I'll post some of the seller's pics here. Anything that looks scuffed or dusty is just glare. This thing is clean and velvety soft.