Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

German & Austrian Hutmachers

PanosChris

Practically Family
Messages
977
Time to say hi! Some great finds in these parts.

JHS Jota Velour in Brown. Sold by a very famous store back in the day. Style says '30s but label might suggest earlier. Mint condition
20220113_151435.jpg
20220113_151413.jpg
20220113_151356.jpg
20220113_151332.jpg
20220113_151533.jpg
20220113_151605.jpg
20220113_151551.jpg
20220113_151732.jpg
 

PanosChris

Practically Family
Messages
977
Today I have a black wool (?) fedora in size 56 from Apia. There definitely was a clip on the inside of the crown, and I just left the shape as it is from this tool. There was a brand label at the top inside of the crown, but only some glue remains are left. The felt is not as rough as with a cheap wool hat and considerably thinner. So I guess a rather fine wool or a rough fur felt.

It has a very wide brim of 6,8 cm and a crown height of 10,5 cm at the back (which would be the same with a regular shape I guess) and 9,5 cm at the front, because of the deep crease in the crown. The hat band is 5 cm.

It's not only my first hat with a back ribbon, but also the only fedora with a lace around the crown - to tie it down when windy? I only have a boater with this feature.

I don't know what the trademark Apia is, but to me it seems this makes it a mid-prize mall hat: not a real hatmaker, but some kind of brand name put on a Guben hat maybe, but expensive enough, to have something embossed into the sweat band.

I'm not sure about the decade. I always had the feeling, that these back ribbons were not very fashionable in the 30s anymore - is that right? Also the deep crease with the clip says 20s to me.

View attachment 551273
View attachment 551274 View attachment 551275 View attachment 551276 View attachment 551277 View attachment 551278

View attachment 551280 View attachment 551281

Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden,"Küssnacht" "Tell", 57cm, Wool possibly 1930s. I very much like finding old German Wool Soft Felt Hats this one. This Soft Felt could have been made by one of the German Hat Factories (located in what became East Germany post WWII) that produced Wool Soft and Stiff Felt hats up to WWII. It could have also been made by FRS from sourced Wool stumps from the same sources. The wide 7 cm Curled Brim is mildly flanged. The Liner is extremally light weight so very delicate. This is possibly the reason the two other FRS Soft Felts are missing their Liners. Matt also has FRS "Küssnacht" "Tell" so here is his explanation of "Küssnacht" "Tell".

"The overprint on the sweatband shows a top hat and says: "Küßnacht" and under it probably "Tell", so that I assume from a Swiss salesman. In Küssnacht, the legend of William Tell, the Swiss national hero, has its localization..."

52740203232_eb4630c601_h.jpg


52740198232_8088c66add_h.jpg


52741137270_dca3f4a5b6_h.jpg


52741167965_0d24d07242_h.jpg


52742833591_3ccfa51ea5_h.jpg


52740988319_56db209fde_h.jpg


52741220453_21cc178c30_h.jpg


Open Crown

52740750796_9e9a19a42d_h.jpg


52740231492_39a83dd92e_h.jpg


Back in 2019 I found the Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden "Tell" mark.

31932309537_3848349048_o.jpg


Deutsche Hutmacher-Zeitung (German Hat Maker News), December 15, 1936

Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden

Steve, fantastic!
Just got a new German pre-war Fedora. It's a black felt hat with an overwelt brim edge. The brim is 6.2 cm. The hat band 5 cm and the crown hight at the front 11 cm. The bow has an interesting center design.

It's unligned and has a 4.5 cm sweatband with a non functional strap. It's directly sewed to the felt (with no damage). The Name of the first and only owner is punched in: K[arl] Maegerlein. I asked the seller about the man (which I will always do from now on). He was born 1904 in middle Frankonia and died early in 1946. He was a Farmer and a Shoemaker. Behind the sweatband a label says: "Form 3469, Qual. [n/a], Farbe schwarz". There's also a label with a "42" on it right at the back behind the swaetband and a hand written price tag of "4,-" Mark obvioulsy with what appears to be the letters "Npr", maybe "Neupreis"?

Although I never liked the overwelt brims, I love the stance of the hat very much: brim not too wide, not too small, very high crown and enough felt to have a really classic curvature. All this considered (sweatband, height, price, birthdate of the owner) I guess this is a (late) 20's hat. What do you think?

Has anybody an idea, which maker the label could be? Because there are no logos etc. I guess it's a middle-priced mall-hat. Still the felt is fine and it fits perfectly.

View attachment 525545
View attachment 525544
View attachment 525546 View attachment 525547 View attachment 525548 View attachment 525549 View attachment 525559 View attachment 525560
Great finds. Perfect fit for the wool thread
 

Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
Messages
1,142
Location
Germany
Time to say hi! Some great finds in these parts.

JHS Jota Velour in Brown. Sold by a very famous store back in the day. Style says '30s but label might suggest earlier. Mint condition
View attachment 559316 View attachment 559317 View attachment 559318 View attachment 559319 View attachment 559320 View attachment 559321 View attachment 559322 View attachment 559323
Nice to see you posting here again! What a comeback: the Hückel looks so wonderful that I want to stroke it right away! Simply great!
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
Time to say hi! Some great finds in these parts.

JHS Jota Velour in Brown. Sold by a very famous store back in the day. Style says '30s but label might suggest earlier. Mint condition
View attachment 559316 View attachment 559317 View attachment 559318 View attachment 559319 View attachment 559320 View attachment 559321 View attachment 559322 View attachment 559323
Panos, Super find! Thank you posting it! This paper label is a combination of older and later. The Liner Logo is later same with "Jota" and "Seal Velour". The sweatband is very similar to this Jota which might have had a liner and was restored later.

https://germanaustrianhats.invision...tfabrik-weilheim/?do=findComment&comment=2798

This is a WWI era or older paper label. They all have just handwritten French Point sizing and JHS is not the same script and a different format.

Old Paper Label Example:

51142486356_26f744c2af_b.jpg


Vs. (this is similar to later paper labels)


20220113_151732-jpg.559323


Old Soft Felts (Paper Labels which are all similar to above Old Paper Label example.)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVqCQST

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVr9Nca

Old Stiff Felts (Paper Labels which are all similar to above Old Paper Label example.)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVvPX38

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVs59iT
 

Steve1857

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,813
Location
Denmark
Messages
18,377
Location
Nederland
Time to say hi! Some great finds in these parts.

JHS Jota Velour in Brown. Sold by a very famous store back in the day. Style says '30s but label might suggest earlier. Mint condition
View attachment 559316 View attachment 559317 View attachment 559318 View attachment 559319 View attachment 559320 View attachment 559321 View attachment 559322 View attachment 559323
O my! That's a find and a half, Panos. Wonderful hat in a great colour. Good to see you posting again.
 

PanosChris

Practically Family
Messages
977
Steve, thank you
Panos, Super find! Thank you posting it! This paper label is a combination of older and later. The Liner Logo is later same with "Jota" and "Seal Velour". The sweatband is very similar to this Jota which might have had a liner and was restored later.

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/6-johann-hückel´s-söhne-hückel-hutfabrik-weilheim/?do=findComment&comment=2798

This is a WWI era or older paper label. They all have just handwritten French Point sizing and JHS is not the same script and a different format.

Old Paper Label Example:

51142486356_26f744c2af_b.jpg


Vs. (this is similar to later paper labels)


20220113_151732-jpg.559323


Old Soft Felts (Paper Labels which are all similar to above Old Paper Label example.)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVqCQST

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVr9Nca

Old Stiff Felts (Paper Labels which are all similar to above Old Paper Label example.)

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVvPX38

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVs59iT
Steve, thank you for the info! I figured something was off but couldn't put my finger on. I noticed there was a cell less than the type 1a and 1b labels, but didn't really pay attention to the script and handwriting (lack of). It all makes sense
 
Messages
17,466
Location
Maryland
Steve, thank you

Steve, thank you for the info! I figured something was off but couldn't put my finger on. I noticed there was a cell less than the type 1a and 1b labels, but didn't really pay attention to the script and handwriting (lack of). It all makes sense
Panos, Just another interwar mystery. :) Thank you again for posting it!
 
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
@Trenchfriend

Why? I’ve never had anyone ask for this before or mention it in any way. I also have no idea how to do it or why someone might want it done. I’m not a big social media user, but I post A LOT here and it’s never been an issue….and to be honest I don’t understand really what you’re asking. Is it lower resolution? Is it a speed to download photos thing?
 
Messages
12,927
Location
Germany
@Trenchfriend

Why? I’ve never had anyone ask for this before or mention it in any way. I also have no idea how to do it or why someone might want it done. I’m not a big social media user, but I post A LOT here and it’s never been an issue….and to be honest I don’t understand really what you’re asking. Is it lower resolution? Is it a speed to download photos thing?

Yeah, I meaned just smallering ("scaling down") your pics with a simple software like GIMP or anything other. You know, it would be much more enjoyable, if your numerous pics could "load" here much faster/"efficient" and could be watched much more overseeable. Otherwise, I don't like to follow such "photo-series" from my notebook here.
Imagine, someone comes in your room and just pours out a box of photos and says: "Here you got.".
 
Last edited:
Messages
19,001
Location
Central California
Yeah, I meaned just smallering ("scaling down") your pics with a simple software like GIMP or anything other. You know, it would be much more enjoyable, if your numerous pics could "load" here much faster/"efficient" and could be watched much more overseeable. Otherwise, I don't like to follow such "photo-series" from my notebook here.
Imagine, someone comes in your room and just pours out a box of photos and says: "Here you got.".


I mean no offense, but I’m probably not going to be able to help you. I do all my posting from my phone and I’m not going to get an app or otherwise edit my photos for you. I don’t mean to cause you problems, and I know this site can be slow without this issue, and I don’t want to make it worse. I can’t help but to think that the problem is more on your side with slow download speeds? I don’t want to be rude and I might try to see how to scale my photos down, but technology and I aren’t always on speaking terms.
 
Messages
18,377
Location
Nederland
That's a great find, Brent (I'll skip over the part that it's green;)). Looks like a nice early example of the Austrian skills in velour hatmaking. Timeless in its shape and proportions.
 

Wangenheim

Familiar Face
Messages
95
Richard Schwarz Wien mystery hat. It feels wonderful and it shapes very easily. It’s also much greener than the evening light shows it.
Very nice hat! It looks like the brim was wider originally? But it's still enough. It would really be nice, if you could make another photo where you would judge the color more accurate. Anyway: The color seen here is great!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
108,990
Messages
3,072,212
Members
54,039
Latest member
GloriaJama
Top