Italian brands hats

[steur]

Picked this one up recently for 15 euro and it's quickly turning into a favourite hat. It's a Cervo, size 56, brim 6,5cm and crown 10,5 cm high at the pinch. made for Lammens de Bruyn in Gent (Gand in French) Belgium. The felt is a bit more stiff than a Borsalino, but not overly so. Other than that it's a great hat; nice feel and finish. Lighter coloured hats a way more rare than darker ones. I'll put another hat I have next to it, just for comparison. My guess is this one is from the fifties (based on the liner more than anything).

 

[steur]

Here's the other one I promised. It's branded Garibaldi, but I believe this one to have been made by Cervo too. Reason I'm posting this one is because it's the same felt (only thicker) as the Cervo and even more stiff. The finishing is not as good as the Cervo. Still a nice hat though, even if it does have a bit of mothing. Size 57, brim 6 cm and 11 cm high at the pinch. My guess is it's seventies.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Picked this one up recently for 15 euro and it's quickly turning into a favourite hat. It's a Cervo, size 56, brim 6,5cm and crown 10,5 cm high at the pinch. made for Lammens de Bruyn in Gent (Gand in French) Belgium. The felt is a bit more stiff than a Borsalino, but not overly so. Other than that it's a great hat; nice feel and finish. Lighter coloured hats a way more rare than darker ones. I'll put another hat I have next to it, just for comparison. My guess is this one is from the fifties (based on the liner more than anything).

Cappellificio Cervo made very interesting and well made hats.
This one is an example and it came directly from the latefifties or early sixties
In my opinion Cervo made hats that deserve much more attention than it has reserved for them by collectors.
Very often the Cervo products are of the highest quality "Unsung heroes"

Here's the other one I promised. It's branded Garibaldi, but I believe this one to have been made by Cervo too. Reason I'm posting this one is because it's the same felt (only thicker) as the Cervo and even more stiff. The finishing is not as good as the Cervo. Still a nice hat though, even if it does have a bit of mothing. Size 57, brim 6 cm and 11 cm high at the pinch. My guess is it's seventies.

It could be also Barbisio or a product made in Italy from a major factory that use a "fictional brand" to enter in a market often out of the Italian borders. See the "made in Italy" stand out.
In my opinion it is a little bit younger then the Cervo, but not so much
This kind of bow is used by many Italians hats producers, so it is difficult to say who used "Garibaldi" as key for a new market

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Many lovers hats Italian pay great attention to the complicated events of Borsalino.
Few have realized that the "Cappellificio Cervo" copyrigh holder of the Barbisio brand has closed, hopefully temporarily, the doors. So a piece of the historic Italian excellence in hats production seems to retire.
I hope for a better future

The last workers and emplyes are gone this week. The hundreds of wooden forms for now remain aligned on the shelves, the sewing machines and puffs of steam that gave form to the felts are at a standstill. The Cappellificio Cervo, went into liquidation late last year due to a debt situation became untenable, left at home 22 employees between workers and employees of the administration but Maurizio Romiti, who in 2009 became the majority shareholder through financial "Bigli 1" ensures that the project remains a point of honor for him and that the brand will not disappear. He had said in January, and even reconfirmed today, and turns off the last switch.

A FEW STEPS
Meanwhile, the three children of his former partner Giorgio Borrione, steps have opened since 2015, "Artigiana cappellai". Veronica, Attilio and Benedetta realize panama, headphones and craft caps with innovative machinery and processes, selling online bespoke and luxury labels, while the lab windows cast his eyes on the factory stops. And always in the valley, even Alberto Benigni, advisor at the time of the historic brand, it stood for some time on their own (but do not compete) with its Cappellificio Biella. He creates hats in fabric and wool and mesh with headphones strictly produced fabrics and yarns "zero kilometers". But the "war" of hats in Valle del Cervo, which is inevitably intertwined with the mesh of the crisis, in the meantime has made victims by deleting posts, professionalism and, above all, a history spanning 150 years exactly. If eight years ago, with the arrival of the Roman financier, the country had hoped for a solid recovery (thanks to the Barbisio brand partnerships with other important companies in the fashion and the presence in the windows of Rome, Milan, Beijing and New York) now He fears the coup de grace. "We have not heard - says Gloria Missaggia CGIL -. Of course the hope is that someone will come forward to buy the company. There have been contacts in effect this month. But we know that it must be concluded before the liquidation and then the plant as it can not compete. It should be restored. "

 

[steur]

Daniele, thanks for the comments. What made me think they were by the same maker was the similarity of the felt. The Garibaldi is indeed later because the liner is not stitched. As to your other post: I am very sorry to hear about the problems with Cervo (and Barbisio). It's a sad thing to see the great Italian hatting tradition in so much trouble. Problem is that if it takes too long to restart the traditional knowledge may be gone forever.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Problem is that if it takes too long to restart the traditional knowledge may be gone forever.

It is just as you say
We risk losing an art that has been handed down for generations and was an emblem of Italian quality in the world.
We have lost most of the tradition of the straw hat and now we are on the way of forgetting the processing of felt hats.

 

[besdor]

Here in the USA, there has been a total stop of hats from Borsalino and Cervo . We are watching very carefuly what is happening with both companies. In the case of Borsalino , it was the mismanagement of the former owners that caused the company into the situation that it is in now.

 

[mayserwegener]

Many lovers hats Italian pay great attention to the complicated events of Borsalino.
Few have realized that the "Cappellificio Cervo" copyrigh holder of the Barbisio brand has closed, hopefully temporarily, the doors. So a piece of the historic Italian excellence in hats production seems to retire.
I hope for a better future

The last workers and emplyes are gone this week. The hundreds of wooden forms for now remain aligned on the shelves, the sewing machines and puffs of steam that gave form to the felts are at a standstill. The Cappellificio Cervo, went into liquidation late last year due to a debt situation became untenable, left at home 22 employees between workers and employees of the administration but Maurizio Romiti, who in 2009 became the majority shareholder through financial "Bigli 1" ensures that the project remains a point of honor for him and that the brand will not disappear. He had said in January, and even reconfirmed today, and turns off the last switch.

A FEW STEPS
Meanwhile, the three children of his former partner Giorgio Borrione, steps have opened since 2015, "Artigiana cappellai". Veronica, Attilio and Benedetta realize panama, headphones and craft caps with innovative machinery and processes, selling online bespoke and luxury labels, while the lab windows cast his eyes on the factory stops. And always in the valley, even Alberto Benigni, advisor at the time of the historic brand, it stood for some time on their own (but do not compete) with its Cappellificio Biella. He creates hats in fabric and wool and mesh with headphones strictly produced fabrics and yarns "zero kilometers". But the "war" of hats in Valle del Cervo, which is inevitably intertwined with the mesh of the crisis, in the meantime has made victims by deleting posts, professionalism and, above all, a history spanning 150 years exactly. If eight years ago, with the arrival of the Roman financier, the country had hoped for a solid recovery (thanks to the Barbisio brand partnerships with other important companies in the fashion and the presence in the windows of Rome, Milan, Beijing and New York) now He fears the coup de grace. "We have not heard - says Gloria Missaggia CGIL -. Of course the hope is that someone will come forward to buy the company. There have been contacts in effect this month. But we know that it must be concluded before the liquidation and then the plant as it can not compete. It should be restored. "

Thank you for the update. Doesn't sound good. I wonder how much they money they need to keep going?

Here in the USA, there has been a total stop of hats from Borsalino and Cervo . We are watching very carefuly what is happening with both companies. In the case of Borsalino , it was the mismanagement of the former owners that caused the company into the situation that it is in now.

Very sorry to hear that. As you say Borsalino is just total mismanagement.

 

[steur]

While the Italian hat industry is in dire straits at the moment (see Daniele Tanto's earlier post), I'll try to keep the Italian Brands hats thread in the picture every now and then, just to remind us what they were capable of. And they were capable of a lot.
Here is another Barbisio I own. Not even in my size, but such a wonderful hat I couldn't resist. Barbisio Classic, colour nero, size 58, 6cm brim and 10,5 cm crown at the pinch, raw edge, shark gill bow (that's what sold it to me). Beautiful and pliable thin felt. A thing of beauty I think. Mid fifties to early sixties is my estimate.

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! Good to see a Barbisio!

 

[alanfgag]

Super! Good to see a Barbisio!

always.

 

[steur]

Alan, Steve, thank you.

 

[steur]

While I was on the hunt for hats yesterday I picked up another Barbisio. Not in my size, but near enough to just about fit me. Barbisio in dark brown, size 58, 5,5 cm brim, 10,5 cm crown at the pinch. Very nice thin felt. Not the best looking liner I have ever seen but clean. Speaking of clean: a bit of a factory workers joke on the label maybe, because it reads "Urbino ben rasato", which as far as internet translators are to be trusted means as much as "Urbino clean shaven". My guess is seventies.

 

[mayserwegener]

G. Panizza & C. Hutfabrik Ghiffa (Italien), Visit Announcement, Representative: dr. Antonio Gamba

Printed Matter, Adler Hat Shop, Schaffhausen (Switzerland, German - Swiss Border), November 27, 1933

Dr. Antonio Gamba (Museo dell’Arte del Cappello di Ghiffa)

 

[steur]

Great items, Steve. I do wonder though why the doctor would need to wear a lab coat handling hats.

 

[mayserwegener]

I believe Antonio was an engineer so very involved in production. Antonio was fresh out of college when this post card was sent. His father Natale was one of the early owners and Antonio also became an owner / president / director.

 

[gary m]

many of the hatters you talk about are gone, good place where i go is melegari in monza

 

[hatsRme]

Great items, Steve. I do wonder though why the doctor would need to wear a lab coat handling hats.

For the picture, most likely.

 

[besdor]

Dr Gamba is the family owner of Falcus. They are the only ones producing felt hats at the moment in Italy. Sad what has happened to the two biggest companies in italy for felt hats.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

One of the recent flea market finds:
grey Homburg - Borsalino - unusually stiff felt - dated 1956