I don't believe I have come across a Riviera model. Based on the construction I would say early 1950s but I can't say for sure. They used that type of script into the 1950s and later. Does it have a paper label? The paper size label is the same as this one.
This article discusses (plus other interesting information) the Seal Velour Hat market in Japan as of 1935 and specifically Hückel as the best known and highest priced brand.
Echter Borsalino, size Point 5, very good condition, probably 1930s. The felt is very soft and light with a unique box bow design for this style hat. It has an fantastic over welt curled brim. There is no tape at the sweatband seam and the non-reed sweatband is very finely stitched to the hat. There is a Point 5 size label at the sweatband seam which I don't believe I have seen before. What is great is it actually fits which is odd because Borsalino hats usually run small. I was afraid to pull back the sweatband but I did take a peak at the paper label and it has the Borsalino name finely printed on the left. The Berlin store / hat company (Max Eckard) that sold it did not survive WWII. The box is from a different Berlin hat store (Wilhelm Gaedke)that also didn't survive WWII. This isn't the hat I bid on but it so fantastic I can't complain. There were (are) a series of hats from an estate sale and the seller was very confusing to say the least.
Here are some other Echter Borsalinos from about the same time period.
I've not had any decent finds in a while, a lot of 60's Mayser and Wegener,
I picked these three out of a recent bunch the Lembert at first I though was old based on the script and the unreeded sweatband etc. but it looks to have glue marks so maybe Late 50's ? Wool is obviously blended into the felt but still is a fairly decent hat.
The next is Czech, I know not German or Austrian but there are strong links with Czechoslovakia through Huckel? anyway this brand is Janyska. 40's/50's at a guess, this one is pure fur felt I liked the shape of this, a fairly worn hat but neverless charming, can't see the full paper label without breaking the stitches for the liner.
The next is just a Mayser velour but the first Mayser I've seen as part of a Boutique range.
Paddy, Thanks! Great finds! This is the first Janyška that I have seen! What size is it? My guess is early to mid 1950s. They were post WWI and the first Czech Velour hat company (located just south of Nový Jičín). Here is some information from the hat curator at Nový Jičín City museum.
"Janyška company was founded in 1921 in Krásno nad Bečvou – today it´s a part of Valašské Meziřičí (town, about 16 km from Nový Jičín). They produced many hats, for export especially. It was the real CZECH company. Janyška factory was united with TONAK in 1945. In 1961 was closed. Enclosed are pictures. Ludvík Janyška was a founder of hat company."
J. Hückel´s Söhne, Seiden Zylinder, size 58cm, very good condition, probably 1930s. It came from a Czech Republic source. It was sold by K. Landa Brno, Czechoslovakia but the box it came with is from hat factory - warehouse Adolf Lochman Mnichovo Hradiště (Münchengrätz), Czechoslovakia. It's a really nice silk Top Hat with a ribbon / bow that you would see on a soft felt hat which makes sense since JHS was primarily known as a soft and stiff felt hat manufacturer.
Fascinating as usual it's nice and small 56, always everything 56 ! I wear 59 I did get a Barbisio in the same lot which I kept for myself, my first of 2015, the paper label looked similar to a Tonak label, it quite a worn hat but it has a charming shape to it, interesting that you mentioned about the for export being a large part of what they did as I can make out on the liner fine fur felt - written in English I will have to see if there is a retailers mark on the sweatband, most of my stock was sold in Germany or Austria although I'm occasionally getting an American or Brit sneak through , I did find a black German made Stetson Stratoliner, I think you said Mayser were licensed to make Stetson or was it Wegener ? Also recently I have been comparing glues on the liners of the hats Rockel used the worst almost always are the liners unstuck, then Wegener are in 2nd place 50/50 with the hats I get and Mayser had the best glue. Sad I know but whenever I get a hat without a liner it is almost always branded Rockel or has a very similar paper label!
Again sorry about the size. Also the liner is similar to JHS. All hat companies were nationalized so it just became another brand name. I have read where TONAK / Czechs were a real thorn in the side of the post WWII Western Euro hat companies because they could offer lower prices.
That is funny about the glues. Of the German hat companies that survived WWII I would put Rockel a step below Hückel Weilheim, A. Peschel Dinkelsbühl, Rehfus Cie, Mayser and Wegener. My guess is that they were a lower price point brand name hat compared to those companies.
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