The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[mayserwegener]

Robert, Fantastic! I see it was sold out of Italy.

 

[alanfgag]

helluva hat. I once had a baby blue leather jacket that would have been the bomb with this.

 

[mikespens]

That'll get you noticed down at the Saloon!

 

[danofarlington]

Yeah, I was thinking what the reaction in the motorcycle bar would be.

 

[mayserwegener]

Would go over great at a UNC Tarheel (Carolina Blue) football or basketball game.

 

[Bird Lives]

Hey Guys....I got this Borso in July and don't have a photo server yet...So I submit this photo in my Avatar, of me wearing it...It's a Blue hat with a 2" brim and a 5 1/2" when open crown...There is no model name mentioned...I believe this hat to be from the 50's...It has the sewn in lining and yellowed oil cloth oval window protecting the inside of the crown, and the serial no. card has no Borsalino name or emblem...and the size is 60 cm...so it was destined for the Euro market...it has a 2"wide black sweat-band...and the only writting on the serial no. label is:Mirtello; the Italian word for Blueberry...

So if this hat was made around the sametime as I was...then it must have been better taken care of than I, as the hat looks new and I certainly don't...lol

This is such a great Sky-piece...I hate to leave home without it...It will hold a dry bash...I've had it in several Diamond creases...and a deep Tear-Drop...and here in my Avatar its back to the center-dent it had when I got it...I got caught in a down pour and it protected me and dried over night and looked great through the whole process...
what a great hat...

Anybody have an idea as to the model ?...I'm thinking maybe San Remo...

So how 'bout it ? Can the Avatar pic get me into the brotherhood ?... I promise to post more pics later...

Bump

 

[mikespens]

Hey Bird it's all brotherhood around here and don't think there's an official bearer of the title but welcome from me if that works for you. No Sheriffs just Bartenders around here so pretty sure that's square enough. Cheers brother!

 

[mikespens]

Gotta add I have a Powder blue VS that gets me more compliments from strangers than any other hat I own. It's a hat color seldom seen and a more comfortable match with clothes than you'd think.

 

[Bird Lives]

Hey Bird it's all brotherhood around here and don't think there's an official bearer of the title but welcome from me if that works for you. No Sheriffs just Bartenders around here so pretty sure that's square enough. Cheers brother!

Thanks Mike...I'm having comp problems, aswell as camera probs so I didn't want to wait til I get a new comp and get a photo server and download some photos...That might not happen till after New Years...Its much easier to put a photo from my desktop to Avatar, so when a friend sent a couple pics of me in the hat I jumped...

 

[tridentine]

Can anyone please comment on the quality of a Borsalino Grand Prix Paris Brown Felt Fedora Style Antica 1900 BAKER in excellent condition?

 

[mayserwegener]

Echter Borsalino, size 5 1/2 Point, probably 1930s. This Echter Borsalino was later (1980s?) setup in a military crease. It was sold by Carl Kellner Hamburg (I have a some other hats from this shop). The felt is very thick and stiff which is not usually associated with Borsalinos. I have no idea if this stiffness is a later result of trying to make into a military style hat. Unfortunately the sweatband (a real beauty) is damaged but over all the hat is in good shape. I think the bow is especially nice and also the tip patch.

 

[Chepstow]

Steve, very nice! That bow work looks fantastic! With this thicker felt it is good to shape!

 

[mayserwegener]

Manfred, Thanks again!

 

[tridentine]

I am a newcomer to Borsalino fedoras.
I bought this one on ebay.
Do the good people here think I got a good deal?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121018380188?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

[danofarlington]

If the hat is fur felt, then yes. If it is wool, then no. Whenever hats are listed as small-medium-large instead of with the numerical measurements like 7 1/4 (or Punti sizing, which has another numerical scale), I get suspicious that they are wool, because that is how wool hats are sold--small, medium, large.

 

[gtdean48]

...
Do the good people here think I got a good deal?
...

Without a liner & XLarge sizing, this is a low-end Borso. I doubt it is fur felt, likely wool. Not a good deal in my book...

 

[tridentine]

The seller assures me it is fur/felt.
We shall see when I get it.

I guess ebay is not a good place to get quality Borsalinos.

 

[danofarlington]

Actually, eBay is an excellent source of quality vintage Borsalinos. I've bought several there with good results. As to the hat you bought, even if it's wool (in which case you probably overpaid for a used hat), look at the bright side--it's a nice looking hat. Borsalinos are always sharp looking. They could probably make a good-looking hat out of wood. I have high regard for their sense of style across the generations.

 

[tridentine]

There has got to be somewhere where one can find a good reasonably priced vintage fur Borsalino?
You would think.

I will return that piece of garbage above as soon as I get it.

 

[danofarlington]

Hold on! Don't pre-judge the hat based on this Internet conversation. You may like the hat. If it's fur felt, it will be better. See how you like it on your head. If it's wool, well, maybe you paid a little too much. But it could still look good. It looked nice in the photo. eBay is the best site to get vintage Borsalinos, and there are 200 pictured at any one time. The vast majority will be fur felt, just look for a numerical size like 7 1/4; wool hats are not sold that way. Nearly everyone on this website is a customer of vintage hats on eBay, and I would say that 99% of the contributors to this thread buy their Borsalinos there.