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German & Austrian Hutmachers

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,816
Location
Denmark
I promised Steve @mayserwegener that I would post this C.W. Borchert hat box in this thread, so here it is.

It has the company's original address at Friedrich Strasse pre WWII. After WWII, Borchert moved to Kurfüstendamm. That is to to say from east to west Berlin after the city's partition.

The G.m.b.H initials (the German equivalent of a limited liability company) are also missing on this hat box, which lead me to believe this is very early 1900s.

IMG_20210410_214743.jpg IMG_20210410_224603.jpg
 

Koechinggendoet

Familiar Face
Messages
97
Hello to all of my fellow loungers
This is my first austrian hat,an huckel one
Sorry for the inside picture to be from the seller,the hat sweatband is now in turmoil at my hand
 

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Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
Hello to all of my fellow loungers
This is my first austrian hat,an huckel one
Sorry for the inside picture to be from the seller,the hat sweatband is now in turmoil at my hand
Nice find! It's actually a German made hat. This hat was made by Hückel Weilheim and probably later 1960s early 1970s. Ex employees from JHS Ratibor Factory started Hückel Weilheim post WWII. More about Hückel here.

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/
 

Koechinggendoet

Familiar Face
Messages
97
Nice find! It's actually a German made hat. This hat was made by Hückel Weilheim and probably later 1960s early 1970s. Ex employees from JHS Ratibor Factory started Hückel Weilheim post WWII. More about Hückel here.

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/
Thank you for the info steve,i read some blog that say hückel was an austrian company changed name to tonak,of course you know more than i ever to be
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
I promised Steve @mayserwegener that I would post this C.W. Borchert hat box in this thread, so here it is.

It has the company's original address at Friedrich Strasse pre WWII. After WWII, Borchert moved to Kurfüstendamm. That is to to say from east to west Berlin after the city's partition.

The G.m.b.H initials (the German equivalent of a limited liability company) are also missing on this hat box, which lead me to believe this is very early 1900s.

View attachment 327079 View attachment 327080
Steve, Thanks for posting! Also please post the Franz Gulder Silk Top Hat if you have time. Thanks.
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
Thank you for the info steve,i read some blog that say hückel was an austrian company changed name to tonak,of course you know more than i ever to be
Tonak today is the original JHS main factory in Nový Jičín, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic today) up to WWI Neutitschein, Austria. All Czech Hat factories were nationalzed as Tonak post WWII. Here you can read about the beginnings (post WWII) of Hückel Weilheim (Bavaria) started by expelled workers from JHS Ratibor Factory.

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/?do=findComment&comment=952
 

Koechinggendoet

Familiar Face
Messages
97
Tonak today is the original JHS main factory in Nový Jičín, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic today) up to WWI Neutitschein, Austria. All hat Czech factories were nationalzed as Tonak post WWII. Here you can read about the beginnings (post WWII) of Hückel Weilheim (Bavaria) started by expelled workers from JHS Ratibor Factory.

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/?do=findComment&comment=952
Thankyou again for the info steve,its my daily hats when its cold outside,and its fairly cheap,i buy it for 48 dollars
 

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,816
Location
Denmark
Here it is, Steve.

A Franz Gulder of Vienna top hat. A fairly unknown maker, but seems to have been popular among Danish hatters.

It's quite light in weight compared to my Lincoln & Bennet for example, but out of the 10 top hats I own, this one comes second after my L&B with regard to the quality of the finish of the silk.

Sadly, at a size 59, it's two sizes too large for me. IMG_20210408_165023.jpg
IMG_20210408_164838.jpg IMG_20210408_162302.jpg IMG_20210408_162353.jpg
Steve, Thanks for posting! Also please post the Franz Gulder Silk Top Hat if you have time. Thanks.
 

Koechinggendoet

Familiar Face
Messages
97
Here it is, Steve.

A Franz Gulder of Vienna top hat. A fairly unknown maker, but seems to have been popular among Danish hatters.

Steve,we must have been the same size! 57 cm if i may presume,and its a wonder hats,is the silk plush very soft?



It's quite light in weight compared to my Lincoln & Bennet for example, but out of the 10 top hats I own, this one comes second after my L&B with regard to the quality of the finish of the silk.

Sadly, at a size 59, it's two sizes too large for me. View attachment 327326
View attachment 327327 View attachment 327328 View attachment 327329
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
Here it is, Steve.

A Franz Gulder of Vienna top hat. A fairly unknown maker, but seems to have been popular among Danish hatters.

It's quite light in weight compared to my Lincoln & Bennet for example, but out of the 10 top hats I own, this one comes second after my L&B with regard to the quality of the finish of the silk.

Sadly, at a size 59, it's two sizes too large for me. View attachment 327326
View attachment 327327 View attachment 327328 View attachment 327329
Steve, Thanks! It's the first Franz Gulder Wien.
 

Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
Messages
1,142
Location
Germany
Unfortunaltely no label inside the hat, so no telling who the manufacturer was. The liner logo is not one I recognize.

trescher_04-jpg.320453
trescher_08-jpg.320457

I thought again about the logo in Stefans Woolie, because it is great
and I think it is the head of a griffin in the middle.
I remember darkly that I heard/read sometime/somewhere
the name " Greif-Hüte". The griffin is the heraldic animal of Pomerania,
which is why I thought of a ( North ) East German company.
But the griffin is also the heraldic animal of Baden -
where also Freiburg im Breisgau (Trescher) is located.

A Google search did yield a hit for "Marke Greif",
but unfortunately the post of the "Greif" top hat
is missing the pictures in the meantime:
https://picclick.de/Echter-Zylinderhut-von-Orginal-Marke-Greif-202415654357.html

In the bay there is also a hat " Marke Greif " right now
- unfortunately also without pictures:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Raritaet-2-Haarhuete-/292421812203
I asked the seller for more pictures...

Maybe Steve knows more? Ever heard of this brand?
Maybe just a coincidence...
 
Last edited:
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
I thought again about the logo in Stefans Woolie, because it is great
and I think it is the head of a griffin in the middle.
I remember darkly that I heard/read sometime/somewhere
the name " Greif-Hüte". The griffin is the heraldic animal of Pomerania,
which is why I thought of a ( North ) East German company.
But the griffin is also the heraldic animal of Baden -
where also Freiburg im Breisgau (Trescher) is located.

A Google search did yield a hit for "Marke Greif",
but unfortunately the post of the "Greif" top hat
is missing the pictures in the meantime:
https://picclick.de/Echter-Zylinderhut-von-Orginal-Marke-Greif-202415654357.html

In the bay there is also a hat " Marke Greif " right now
- unfortunately also without pictures:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Raritaet-2-Haarhuete-/292421812203
I asked the seller for more pictures...

Maybe Steve knows more? Ever heard of this brand?
Maybe just a coincidence...
Matt, Here you go. I replied to a post back in 2019 but the poster never replied back

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/german-austrian-hutmachers.32103/page-360#post-2499865

The "Marke Greif" belonged to supplier Vatter & Kaltenbach & Co. Frankfurt am Main. The advertisement below is from 1950.

32554879948_0c67981f27.jpg


I don't believe they made hats so they sourced from hat companies. In this 1936 advertisement they were a supplier of Rockel (see below).

45704070934_35426e9e45_z.jpg
 
Messages
18,379
Location
Nederland
Anton Peschel Neutitschein, measures 57 cm possibly late 1930s early 1940s. There is no mention of APN but it's very similar in construction to the Anton Peschel Neutitschein, Peschel "Kristall" from the same find. The darker Brown Close Cropped Velour is really fantastic easily dry creases and is in very good condition.

51113754159_6c999ba48a_b.jpg


51114003236_992f6c90c9_b.jpg


51113924673_5dfa74de14_b.jpg


51113919973_b025a81834_b.jpg


Open Crown

51113928383_e1cbd482d6_b.jpg


51114813625_1d3c824fe8_b.jpg
Again: a marvelous find! Love the colour and the thickness of the velour is almost tangible from the pictures alone.
 
Messages
18,379
Location
Nederland
Here it is, Steve.

A Franz Gulder of Vienna top hat. A fairly unknown maker, but seems to have been popular among Danish hatters.

It's quite light in weight compared to my Lincoln & Bennet for example, but out of the 10 top hats I own, this one comes second after my L&B with regard to the quality of the finish of the silk.

Sadly, at a size 59, it's two sizes too large for me. View attachment 327326
View attachment 327327 View attachment 327328 View attachment 327329
Lovely topper, Steve. Too bad about the size. Larger sized toppers are rare though and don't come cheap.
 
Messages
18,379
Location
Nederland
I thought again about the logo in Stefans Woolie, because it is great
and I think it is the head of a griffin in the middle.
I remember darkly that I heard/read sometime/somewhere
the name " Greif-Hüte". The griffin is the heraldic animal of Pomerania,
which is why I thought of a ( North ) East German company.
But the griffin is also the heraldic animal of Baden -
where also Freiburg im Breisgau (Trescher) is located.

A Google search did yield a hit for "Marke Greif",
but unfortunately the post of the "Greif" top hat
is missing the pictures in the meantime:
https://picclick.de/Echter-Zylinderhut-von-Orginal-Marke-Greif-202415654357.html

In the bay there is also a hat " Marke Greif " right now
- unfortunately also without pictures:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Raritaet-2-Haarhuete-/292421812203
I asked the seller for more pictures...

Maybe Steve knows more? Ever heard of this brand?
Maybe just a coincidence...
Matt, Here you go. I replied to a post back in 2019 but the poster never replied back

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/german-austrian-hutmachers.32103/page-360#post-2499865

The "Marke Greif" belonged to supplier Vatter & Kaltenbach & Co. Frankfurt am Main. The advertisement below is from 1950.

32554879948_0c67981f27.jpg


I don't believe they made hats so they sourced from hat companies. In this 1936 advertisement they were a supplier of Rockel (see below).

45704070934_35426e9e45_z.jpg


Interesting thought, Matt. Did not make the connection myself. As luck would have it, I own a Marke Greif hat. Just to compare here are a few pics.

greif_02.jpg
greif_08.jpg
greif_10.jpg


Vauka is most likely an acronym of VAtter Und KAltenback.

Here's the Trescher again for comparison:
trescher_02.jpg
trescher_08.jpg


And one in the same colour scheme: Wotan Homburg. Very similar to the Greif in its styling. I just noticed the lower case o in the WoTAN name. So it could very well be an acronym, like Vauka is as well.

wotan_02.jpg
wotan11.jpg
 

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