Italian brands hats

[Chepstow]

I look forward to seeing it. I've been very tempted to give one a try.

I too!




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[MrCairo]

I look forward to seeing it. I've been very tempted to give one a try.

Me too!

Soon!

 

[Daniele Tanto]

A today glimpse on Italian hats makers.
Everyone knows Borsalino and the productions of the eponymous Italian brand. It is no my aim to discuss about the quality, but what is interesting is that in the last 20 years Borsalino obscured all the others Italians hats makers. There are many different reasons for this, above all the internal request of hats that my generation (baby boomers) refused as symbol of the old way of life. This was a breakdown for all the Italians hatters.
Now these remains:
North Italy
Cappellificio Melegari http://www.cappelleriamelegari.com/ It is mainly a shop with the important world brands. They have a workshop for handmade hats that are interesting and very well made. Melegari has picked the heritage of the Monza (town near Milan, one of the capitals of hats ) hatters, Carlo Sala (of tools are used in the workshop) and others. They wash and blocked old hats.
Cappellificio Cervo http://www.ccervo.it/it/index.php They produced mainly for italian fashion makers and a small production (high quality) is on the market as Cervo. They have merged in the first 80 with Barbisio http://www.barbisio.it/ and now they are the same source for these two brands. The Cervo/Barbiso outlet in Sagliano Micca will worth a visit to see the old factories and with patience to choose the hats, mainly Barbisio, that you can find starting from 70 euros and more. Some are really outstanding.
Cappellificio Guerra http://www.guerra1855.com/home.htm It is in a eastern valley from Sagliano Micca - Biella. They works mainly for European and USA market. It is rare to find Guerra hats in Italy. They are of good to excellent quality
Verbano Cappelli another hatters in the "wool area" between Lombardia e Piemonte. They made special editions for Roberto Manzoni - Ravenna http://www.robertomanzoni.it/ a shop specialized in vintage hats and current productions.
Centre Italy
Cappellificio Falcus http://www.cappellificiofalcus.it/ they are now the owner of the brand Panizza http://www.panizza1879.com/ no longer in the historical factory of Ghiffa - Piemonte, now the museum of hats http://www.comune.ghiffa.vb.it/museo.asp?a=9&b=39
Tesi http://www.tesihats.com/ They started as straw hatters and they are now another of the makers for European market near Firenze as Falcus. Florence was one the heart of Straw hats called "paglietta" as the more ancient Montappone - Fermo where you find Cappellificio Sorbatti http://www.sorbatti.it/cappelli-berretti/index.cfm. They produced woll and fur felt hats of good quality for the prices you pay and the traditional straw hat.
There are more to say about the Italian way to make hats..........hope this helps

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks for the list and current background information. Here are lists from 1915 and 1925 for comparison.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/162-kellys-directory-of-merchants-manufacturers-and-shippers-1925-italian-hat-manufacturers/

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/161-kellys-directory-of-merchants-manufacturers-and-shippers-1915-italian-hat-manufacturers/

 

[ManofKent]

Thanks for that Daniele

 

[Rick Blaine]

Cappellificio Guerra 1855



Can't find it in new catalogs, maybe it's a few years old? Wretched photos from the auction, the seller said it is "blue". We'll see I guess.

 

[besdor]

Daniele, you left out Tacino Hats located near Alessandria. They make mostly western styles , but I've seen some dress hats as well.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

You are right besdor I forget Tacchino http://www.tacchino.it/prodotti_page.php , westerns hats specialized following the wave of the western/horses mania in Italy during the 80. They sell also dress hats and they seems not bad at all, westerns are really good, but they are not my bread. About the hats mania in Italy after the Golden Age (ended during the 70) first invasion was the "westerns" and then the "australians", until these days, there was no room for the Italian hats shapes in Italy! So try to see the Stetson production (made in EU, Germany I suppose) sell in Italy to see what I mean. So this discussion could be longer and needs a very long writing with patience. Mayserwagener I have a small surprise for you.....in the next days. About Guerra the catalogue you see on the web is, in the last two years unchanged. I think this is the basic production, not for quality but for models. The last entry in Italian hats makers is http://www.superduperhats.com/it/. I left outside this searching the Italian hatmakers for women. They are more numerous than that for male and really superb. May I say the "real heritage" of the Italian hatmakers

 

[Chepstow]

Daniele and Steve, great informations about the hat manufacturer in Italy!

 

[DanO]

Rick,
I am looking at one of these Guerra 1855 also. I would assume you have not received yours yet, I was also curious about the "blue".
As a newbie in the hat world I also looked at the ribbon on the hat is it incorrect towards the rear of the hat?
Dan O

 

[besdor]

There are others....
Vimercarti is a small hat maker in Monza . I believe there are three people left in the factory making hats for other manufacturers such as Guerra.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

You're right. Vimercati is one of the many workshops (others in the Fermo - Marche district or isolated as Pedersini - Brescia) that not having a recognized brand work little and almost always for other manufacturers , this is the problem of Italian hatters who have failed in the past 30 years to impose their name in the international arena in the presence of an internal market languishing . You sell a variety of Borsalino that is hard to find in stores ( now very few ) of hats in Italy . Think of this in order to understand the status of the hat in Italy . Borsalino is an international brand and recognized as such , but all the excellent school of the Italian tradition in the art of hat has suffered from the lack of a real internal market and the inability from the years 80 to create an international space . So much knowledge is irretrievably lost . Let us remember that Borsalino is a part of the Italian school , is the home of the wide brims, now is certainly the best of Italian hatters , but not the total representation of the Italian models of the hats that are many but now little used . Sadly it is a tradition and a knowledge that is almost disappearing.

 

[besdor]

The biggest problem with these smaller manufacturers is that they are difficult to find. None of them have any websites so you need to contact the Italian trade commission and this takes a lot of work. If you know of any other smaller factories, I'd love to know about them .

 

[mayserwegener]

You're right. Vimercati is one of the many workshops (others in the Fermo - Marche district or isolated as Pedersini - Brescia) that not having a recognized brand work little and almost always for other manufacturers , this is the problem of Italian hatters who have failed in the past 30 years to impose their name in the international arena in the presence of an internal market languishing . You sell a variety of Borsalino that is hard to find in stores ( now very few ) of hats in Italy . Think of this in order to understand the status of the hat in Italy . Borsalino is an international brand and recognized as such , but all the excellent school of the Italian tradition in the art of hat has suffered from the lack of a real internal market and the inability from the years 80 to create an international space . So much knowledge is irretrievably lost . Let us remember that Borsalino is a part of the Italian school , is the home of the wide brims, now is certainly the best of Italian hatters , but not the total representation of the Italian models of the hats that are many but now little used . Sadly it is a tradition and a knowledge that is almost disappearing.

A friend of mine from Germany visits hat companies in that area a few times a year. I could probably get detailed information if needed.

"And the real reason for my trip was the hat manufacturing there. The two villages, Montapppone and Massa Fermana
have about 20 hat companies! " "In Italy where I was, they mainly produce women hats made of all materials,
such as cloth, felt, straw... But there are also some men hat producers. I visited only two companies - I started
working together with them ... (women hats)"

 

[mayserwegener]

Kelly's Directory Of Merchants, Manufacturers And Shippers, 1963, Volume 2, Europe

Kelly's Directory Of Merchants, Manufacturers And Shippers, 1964, Volume 2, Europe

 

[besdor]

There isn't one original factory left from those lists. Borsalino , Panizza, and Baribisio have all moved and been bought out a few times over. All the others are long gone.

 

[mayserwegener]

Some are actually still in business although not all making hats or caps.

CAPPELLIFICIO G.S. DI GALLIANO SORBATTI

http://www.sorbatti.it/

MANIFATTURE GIOVANNI SERIO S.P.A.

http://www.informazione-aziende.it/Azienda_MANIFATTURE-GIOVANNI-SERIO-S-P-A

Fu.La - Cappellificio e Berrettificio - Lucca (LU)

http://www.cappellificiofula.com/

Enrico Taccetti e Figli

http://www.china2000.it/eng/ChiSiamo.php

 

[Daniele Tanto]

The district of Fermo, Montappone - Marche http://www.ilcappellodipaglia.it/pagine/cappellai.cfm
Tuscan hatters: http://toscana.1254.it/list/cappelli-uomo-e-bambino-produttori-e-grossisti/cappellificio
These are rough lists in which you have to search....hoping your italian language is enough good to surfin in the "Italian" web
Local newspaper article on Vimercati (July 2010) http://www.brianzanews.it/2010/07/vimercati-l-ultimo-cappellificio-di-monza/
Besdor after fifty years in each nation capable of building quality hats have changed the ownership of the companies. Why Italy, market desperately no receptive to the type fedoras hats should have kept intact their companies? No work has led to this radical change. Believe me that what remains of the Italian hatters blocked good hats. The craftsmanship is always at high level, here until it will last. This is the real problem. If you need others indications, here I'm with time......

 

[besdor]

Those lists are very interesting. I see that there may be a few more sources out there but they are probably very small workshops that have one or two people working. I do know that Vimercarti makes for other factories such as Guerra. I know that Borsalino does outsource as well on their lower quality lines. There really are only four or five factories that do mens fur felt hats.. There are plenty of cap makers though. That seams to be a bigger business in Italy.

 

[mayserwegener]

Daniele, Thanks for the additional lists! The old lists (1915, 1925) I posted a few posts back don't list any felt hat suppliers from the Marche. I guess the Marche area was mostly known for straw hats.