German & Austrian Hutmachers

[besdor]

Polkap today is a major supplier of hat bodies . The quality is somewhat better than Huckel. I wasnt aware that they were part of the same company at one time. The sort of compaete in the market in the selling of hat bodies.
Mayserwegner, I like those Huckel signs!



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[mayserwegener]

The Hückel locations are printed on receipt I posted before the placard post. At that time they were one of the largest (if not the largest) hat companies in Europe. The quality was also super.

Neutitschein (today Nový Jičín) - headquarters (became TONAK)

Skoczów(in Czech Skočov)- today a part of Poland (became PolkaP)

Racibórz (in Czech Ratiboř, in German Ratibor)- today a part of Poland

Wien - Austria

Everything gets very complicated after WWII. I am trying to piece it all together.

 

[besdor]

I have to admit that you realy know a lot of information about European hat factories. If Brad ever does a book about hats you should contact him !




Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[mayserwegener]

Mayser Hutfabrik Production Pictures

Here are some recent (2008) pictures from the Mayser factory in Lindenberg.

http://archiv.ammannundsiebrecht.com/collection/1634

http://archiv.ammannundsiebrecht.com/search.aspx?cid=1634&sm=collection&sv=&loc=&pgs=&cp=2&inr=&dtf=&dtt=&

There are also a series of pictures regarding Panama hat production in Cuenca, Ecquador.

http://archiv.ammannundsiebrecht.com/search.aspx?cid=1634&sm=collection&cp=3&sv=&loc=&pgs=&inr=&dtf=&dtt=&

 

[Dreispitz]

Great finds! Any further news of the Hückel Museum?

 

[mayserwegener]

Hückel

I still am working on figuring out what happened. I haven't received any feedback from TONAK yet via the Museum in Nový Jičín and might never due to sensitive nature of the situation. This is what I think happened. Fritz Hückel was expelled from Czechoslovakia after WWII and his factories in Nový Jičín and Skoczów were nationalized as TONAK and PolkaP. Fritz Hückel started a hat factory (Hückel Hutfabrik Weilheim) in Weilheim, Germay in the early 1950s using the Hückel brand name for Germany and Fritz Hückel Hutmacher for export. Supposedly TONAK bought the Hückel name rights in the mid 1950s but this must have excluded Germany. Fritz Hückel died in the early 1970s and the family closed production in Weilheim in 1975. The Hückel family sold the Hückel name rights for Germany to Friedrich W. Schneider (FWS) also the owner of the Stetson brand name for Europe about ten years ago. FWS put out a collection with the Hückel name but it did not sell well in Germany. Also TONAK started using the Hückel name again post 1990. Also appears TONAK used the Hückel name shortly after WWII but the question is did they continue to do so up to 1975? Also I am not really clear about the name rights. I am also waiting on futher information from FWS via a contact I have in Augsburg. I also have a group from Austria that deals with the Sudetenland situation looking into what happened but haven't heard anything. I contacted the hat museum in Lindenberg but they didn't have any information. A person at the Lindenberg tourist office made contact with some associates in Weilheim but they were not able to supply any new information. I also contacted the Weilheim city archives but they didn't have any information. If you get a chance maybe you can ask the people at HutKoenig Regensburg. I believe they have some of these Hückels that were made between 1945 - 1975 so they might have some information.

 

[mayserwegener]

REHFUS - Federleicht

I sent a JohnnyPhi Adam Pacesetter to a friend in Augsburg. He said he had a very similar style / vintage hat from a German company named REHFUS - Federleicht (went out of business many years ago) so I asked for some pictures.

 

[mayserwegener]

Austrian Hat Companies 19th Century Trademarks

 

[le.gentleman]

Hi, where did you find that? At google books?

 

[mayserwegener]

Hi, where did you find that? At google books?

Yes!

 

[Dreispitz]

Yes!

Incredible! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[mayserwegener]

Incredible! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

I have something I want to send you but your PM inbox is full.

 

[Dreispitz]

I have something I want to send you but your PM inbox is full.

Inbox clerared! Roger, roger!

 

[mayserwegener]

J. Hückel´s Söhne 200 Year Anniversary Exhibition

Received these pics from the Nový Jičín city museum.

Johann Hückel´s Söhne 200 Year Anniversary Exhibition at Nový Jičín (Czech Republic) city museum.

Also some further background information on the Hutfabrik Johann Hückel´s Söhne factory locations.

For your question. We don´t have any further informations about Ratibor or Skoczow branches, but I know that only factory in Nový Jičín made a complete hats. This factory was independent on all providers.

 

[mayserwegener]

Fritz Hückel Huchmacher Weilheim

This hat isn't my size but I was determined to get because of historical reasons. This hat was made for the US market (Neiman Marcus) and actually has the Weilheim and Western Germany markings. It also uses the Fritz Hückel Hutmacher name instead of just Hückel. From what I kind find Fritz Hückel only owned the Hückel brand name for Germany. This hat looks mid to late 50s and is of SUPER quality and in near mint condition. I think this pretty much proves that the Hückel hats (the ones with no country of origin) made from this time period and onward are out of Weilheim (can't prove sourcing though).

Notice Weilheim and Western Germany marking!

Notice "Made in Western Germany" marking.

Notice the vent and the Seal velour marking. Seal velour is a carry over from
Hutfabrik Johann Hückel´s Söhne.

Notice the string cord for hanging. This is typical of Hückel hats going back to Hutfabrik Johann Hückel´s Söhne. This one is the same as my Hückel Exclusiv Homburg which is probably late 50s early sixties.

This is my Hückel Exclusiv Homburg (no markings of origin). This one still has the Hückel label on the string.

Some pics with the sweat up showing the string cord and vent.

 

[besdor]

I remember 30 years ago meeting the agent here in the USA for Huckel. They had a wharehouse in New Jersey with thousands of hats. They quality was amazing but they always took a back seat to the other companies because they didnt have a major brand name.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[mayserwegener]

I remember 30 years ago meeting the agent here in the USA for Huckel. They had a wharehouse in New Jersey with thousands of hats. They quality was amazing but they always took a back seat to the other companies because they didnt have a major brand name.
Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

From what I can find they stopped production around 1975 because Fritz Hückel died in 1973 and the family didn't want to continue the business. Fritz Hückel owned the Johann Hückel´s Söhne operations in Czechoslovakia, Silesia and Poland but they were nationalized after WWII and he ended up in Weilheim, Germany. From what I can tell the hats made in the 1950s early 60s are of super quality. Similar to what came out of Johann Hückel´s Söhne and from TONAK shortly after WWII. Also Hückel was a major hat brand in Europe prior to WWII. I believe they had the biggest operation in Europe.

 

[mayserwegener]

Aug. Edelwieth Niederlassung des kk Hoflieferanten Hutfabrik Habig Wien

I was sent this picture from my friend Herbert Jennissen of Hut Neubarth Augsburg.

This location was bombed out during WWII but was originally owned by Habig.

"The photo I attached shows the shop at 'gegenüber Rathaus' in ca.1905. The two men in front are Gotthold Neubarth and his father. The shop then was still named August Edelwirth. On the left window at the bottom is written Aug. Edelwieth Niederlassung des kk Hoflieferanten Hutfabrik Habig Wien."

 

[mayserwegener]

Habig (French Advert March 1931)

Habig (French Advert March 1931)

 

[besdor]

Habig is a factory that made better hats than /borsalino during the 1970's . We were sorry to see the factory sold.
I am very interested to see the various old Habig hats that Mayserwegner posts online. I dont have that many vintage ones in my collection.


Steven
www.bencrafthats.com