German & Austrian Hutmachers

[mayserwegener]

Alan, Thanks! Same back to you regarding your fantastic collection. BTW I was inspired by your "Comparison" thread.

Mike, Ole, Richard, Thanks!

 

[jsoffs]

The Dane- I think I'll try them out and report back once I receive my hat. Sorry about the language confusion.

 

[jsoffs]

I have / had a good number of Zapf hats. They are a low volume maker so not a large operation. They make Trachten style hats which many people on here have a problem with (not me). The Zapf hats I have are well made (not a match for the finest vintage but what is?) especially the Collection Habsburg models which are a bit City Dress meets Trachten (see below). I heard Zapf are moving away from leather sweatbands so make sure you ask about that if it's a concern.

This is from a few years ago. Zapf Hofmarschall from the Habsburg Collection. They are now listed as ZAPF EXQUISITE.

Thanks for the photo and info. For some reason I'm just drawn to their style hats. I think Ill be ordering one and post back one received

 

[Chepstow]

Fantastic to see so much beautys in one thread, Steve!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

 

[TheDane]

The Dane- I think I'll try them out and report back once I receive my hat. Sorry about the language confusion.

No problem ... and I for one actually am surprised. What didn't surprise me was, that Steve was the one to put me straight. He's an almost scary source of knowledge on European hats

I have no problem with trachtenhüte as such, but they are seen as quite silly in Denmark. We have an old pop-song in Southern German "Uhm-Pa-Pa" style, that ridicules that specific hat type ... "You ought to buy yourself a trachtenhut", goes the lyrics. I don't think the annual sales numbers get beyond "3" in DK. Anyway, when it comes to trachtenhut makers, I'm pretty blank.

I have even been in Werfen South of Salzburg a couple of times. Beautiful small town with some gorgeous caves with enormous natural ice-formations deep inside the mountain. Never spotted Zapf, though

 

[mayserwegener]

You could say the same about Western style hats which get a pass on here. Where I live (DC - Baltimore) you would draw more attention wearing a traditional Western style hat than a Trachten style hat. Also not all Trachten hats are the same style.

Goldsiegal

Also you had companies like P. & C. Habig Wien that were really great at mixing Trachten and City style elements.

P. & C. Habig Wien Special Zefir

By the way I am very open different hat styles. If you like it wear it is my stance!

 

[mayserwegener]

Manfred, Thanks! I got the idea after looking through all your photos.

 

[TheDane]

You could say the same about Western style hats which get a pass on here. Where I live (DC - Baltimore) you would draw more attention wearing a traditional Western style hat than a Trachten style hat. Also not all Trachten hats are the same style.

I absolutely agree, Steve. Most Danish boys have played cowboys and indians, so most Danes have some kind of a positive relation to a western hat. That said, most Danes would wonder, if they saw a grown man in a western hat in CPH. A campaign hat or a fez would be hilariously cartoonish.

30-40 years ago most Danes owned a pair of wooden clogs. I remember, that seemed quite exotic and a little silly with many tourists, visiting DK.

Those perceptions are closely related to history and culture. Sometimes things happen in individual lives, and a person will embrase some foreign culture or part of culture. An American inherits some European hats and becomes expert on the subject - or an adolescent Danish boy meets an American musician in CPH and initiates a lifelong love affair with rural American mountain-music. People like that will very often be considered exotic - if not silly - nerds by their surroundings. C'est la vie


PS: It's not, that I can't see the qualities or the craftsmanship in the hats. I just can't appreciate the style. I don't think I can argue factually ... it's something inside of me, that I can't explain in words.

 

[hatsRme]

Steve, thank you for ALL that you do here, and on your own site as a "keeper of the flame." Your effort and collection are more appreciated than you know!

And, as Mike said, I , too, would pay to see your collection!

 

[mayserwegener]

What is interesting is Alpine style soft felts were very popular in the US in the late 1950s. They were the go to sporting hat style of that time period. This is why you see them pop up on U.S. eBay. Austrian Velours were very popular in the first 1/4 of last century.

Also America is different because everyone except the American Indians came from somewhere else. For example what are considered American food standards like the hot dog and hamburger have German roots.

 

[TheDane]

- not to mention the Christmas tree! Many Danes feel that our culture is under pressure these years, which have resulted in a lot of debates on the issue, "Danishness". Concensus is that if you cut all German and French influence on Danish culture away, not much would be left. The last 50 years most influence has come from the U.S.

We all share a lot of culture, and it's not always obvious, where things originated. Still there are things, that we consider pretty exotic across cultures. I really adore all your fantastic European hats, but the trachtenhüte I simply don't understand - the same with "rope" ribbon, feathers and gamsbart. It seems natural to me to see them in the Alps, but in the streets of Copenhagen they seem so out of context. Bear with me, please

 

[John Galt]

Olė, maybe more of your countrymen need to harken back to the glory days when all of Europe paid the Danegeld tribute to avoid invasion, and/or paid the Danes to protect them from others. That culture owes nothing to France or Germany.


"Faint hat never won fair lady."

 

[ManofKent]

Ole, I was going to suggest Danish Pastries, but just read that they are an import from Vienna... I have read one of Jussi Adler-Olsen's books (in translation) if that cheers you up
---
A new arrival from Paddy with a most un-germanic name 'Delmonte', but the Fein Haar on the liner suggests a German origin. A true stingy brim:

 

[1mach1]

That thing looks nice, Richard. Love the color combo on that one!

 

[mikespens]

Really like the ribbon treatment as well as the thin brim binding Richard. Compatible looking color too.

 

[mayserwegener]

- not to mention the Christmas tree! Many Danes feel that our culture is under pressure these years, which have resulted in a lot of debates on the issue, "Danishness". Concensus is that if you cut all German and French influence on Danish culture away, not much would be left. The last 50 years most influence has come from the U.S.

We all share a lot of culture, and it's not always obvious, where things originated. Still there are things, that we consider pretty exotic across cultures. I really adore all your fantastic European hats, but the trachtenhüte I simply don't understand - the same with "rope" ribbon, feathers and gamsbart. It seems natural to me to see them in the Alps, but in the streets of Copenhagen they seem so out of context. Bear with me, please

America isn't Denmark. Trachten / Alpine style hats were popular in America as late as the early 1960s (even the American hat companies made them). This is an historical fact and has nothing to do with group think on the FL regarding the style. I have come across the same thinking here regarding city dress Velour hats especially of Austrian origin (fact -> they were popular / prized in America).

The German immigration was the largest or close to the largest. For example there is a southern German biergarten (goes back to the early 20th century) a couple miles from my house. Many people still wear Trachten / Alpine style hats when they go there. If I wear an Trachten / Alpine style hat (of reasonable proportions) in Baltimore it isn't going to draw much attention (less than an American Western style hat).

 

[mayserwegener]

Ole, I was going to suggest Danish Pastries, but just read that they are an import from Vienna... I have read one of Jussi Adler-Olsen's books (in translation) if that cheers you up
---
A new arrival from Paddy with a most un-germanic name 'Delmonte', but the Fein Haar on the liner suggests a German origin. A true stingy brim:

Richard, Very nice!

 

[mayserwegener]

Steve, thank you for ALL that you do here, and on your own site as a "keeper of the flame." Your effort and collection are more appreciated than you know!

And, as Mike said, I , too, would pay to see your collection!

Thanks!

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks folks. Any ideas who made Delmonte, or whether they were a stand alone brand? I'm guessing it's late 60's.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

I admit that I find Trachten/Alpine hats very hit-and-miss. In many cases they seem to me essentially unwearable without the wee leather short dungarees and all the rest of the regalia.

I do, however, love a good Trachten in forest green with "rope" ribbon with "normal" fedora proportions. The one I own is certainly one of my favourite hats and gets a lot of wear.