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Help me date this Borsalino fedora please?

kiakayak

New in Town
Messages
12
Location
Washington, DC
I hope I'm in the right place, and I hope I got the photos in here! Anyway, I'm pretty excited. I think this is the oldest fedora I've come across, and a Borsalino at that! There no lining, I don't know that there ever was one....the label reads: Borsalino Giuseppe & Fratello. The bottom of the label says Alessandria. The band reads Borsalino Grand Prix Paris 1900, and the other side reads A Klassens, then a street address in German, and then Leiden.

IMG_4829_zps2a42318c.jpg



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Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
I'd say '60s on it. A shot of the outside would help.
Can't say I can recall seeing a Borsalino with that sweatband, though. The logo stamp is different than I'm used to seeing, too. Made under license by a different hat factory? The way that liner tip looks makes me think maybe German. MayserWegener, any thoughts?
 

Dinerman

Super Moderator
Bartender
Messages
10,562
Location
Bozeman, MT
When did Borso move to reeded sweats? That will give you a starting point.

That seems to have depended more on the model and the export market than the time period. The unreeded ones with the corrugation at the front seem to have been more common, though.

A sampling of reeded Borso sweats from various periods:
IMG_7383.jpg

IMG_4386.jpg


IMG_1914.jpg

IMG_2103.jpg
 

kiakayak

New in Town
Messages
12
Location
Washington, DC
I'd say '60s on it. A shot of the outside would help.
Can't say I can recall seeing a Borsalino with that sweatband, though. The logo stamp is different than I'm used to seeing, too. Made under license by a different hat factory? The way that liner tip looks makes me think maybe German. MayserWegener, any thoughts?

Thanks! I'm attaching another pic- it's the outside but not color accurate. The actual color I would describe as green olive. I was thinking way older though. I read that Giuseppe (one of the original brothers) actually died, and then the company morphed in to solely Borsalino. The label is what has got me thinking that it's very old. Here's an outside pic:
IMG_4834_zps08c6c3e3.jpg
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mikespens

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,913
Location
Tacoma, Wa
I hope I'm in the right place, and I hope I got the photos in here! Anyway, I'm pretty excited. I think this is the oldest fedora I've come across, and a Borsalino at that! There no lining, I don't know that there ever was one....the label reads: Borsalino Giuseppe & Fratello. The bottom of the label says Alessandria. The band reads Borsalino Grand Prix Paris 1900, and the other side reads A Klassens, then a street address in German, and then Leiden.

Try looking for tips here:

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?13133-The-BORSALINO-BROTHERHOOD

You'll find it's not that easy to accurately date vintage borsys.
 
Messages
17,489
Location
Maryland
It's not a German market Echter Borsalino. Leiden is in Holland. You see all kinds of different tip patch and liner logos (also sweatbands) with Euro market Borsalinos. I still think the paper label is the best way to some what (pre or post early 1950s) date Borsalinos. We had a discussion about a week ago where a contradiction was presented but my feeling was the hat in question was later than believed.
 
Last edited:

rlk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,100
Location
Evanston, IL
If I had to give an answer I would agree with Besdor based on sweat and tip label, in the '53-'63 range for a likely 10 year choice.
 

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