The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[Mario]

carouselvic, thank you for the info. I thought I remembered a thread about Borso liners and the years they were used, but couldn't find it.

 

[carouselvic]

Liners, the medallion type were used for decades. The ops (office of price stability) tag dates this hat to the Korean War. If it's the liner quiz that you are thinking about, a lot of those answers are terribly flawed. IMHO

 

[mayserwegener]

Vintage Borsalino, light grey. Crown is 5 1/2", brim 2 7/8"(!) with Cav edge. Size is indicated as 6 3/4. The measurements the seller gave me shifted the size more toward the 6 7/8 range, but it is really more of a 6 3/4, so it's a bit of a high rider.

Any guess about the age of the hat? The original price tag of $20 is still attached.

Great hat!

 

[zetwal]

The ops (office of price stability) tag dates this hat to the Korean War.

I don't have any reason to doubt the 1950-53 dating. But I do have a question about how you arrived at your conclusion.

Why does the tag put it during the Korean War? I don't know when the OPS stopped functioning, but it seems that it was still going strong into the Ford administration (early 70s).

Is there something specific about this particular tag that allows you to be so precise (1950-53) in your dating? Are you saying that's the only period when OPS tags of this sort were in use?

 

[Mario]

Great hat!

Thanks. Yes. Quite literally so!

 

[carouselvic]

I don't have any reason to doubt the 1950-53 dating. But I do have a question about how you arrived at your conclusion.

Why does the tag put it during the Korean War? I don't know when the OPS stopped functioning, but it seems that it was still going strong into the Ford administration (early 70s).

Is there something specific about this particular tag that allows you to be so precise (1950-53) in your dating? Are you saying that's the only period when OPS tags of this sort were in use?

Administrative History


Established: In the Economic Stabilization Agency, by General Order No. 2, Economic Stabilization Administrator, January 24, 1951. Director of Price Stabilization appointed November 30, 1950, under provisions of EO 10161, September 9, 1950, pursuant to the Defense Production Act of 1950 (64 Stat. 798), September 8, 1950.

Functions: Obtained voluntary compliance with measures to stabilize prices. Established and administered price regulations. Operated through 14 regional and about 90 district offices in principal cities of the United States and its territories and possessions, assisted by industry advisory committees.

Abolished: April 30, 1953, pursuant to EO 10434, February 6, 1953, following the decontrol of all prices and the expiration of price control provisions of the Defense Production Act. Liquidation activities terminated, June 30, 1953, and residual functions reverted to the Economic Stabilization Agency.[/QUOTE]

 

[Mario]

Now that's what I call precise information!

I've updated the image of the Borso to include the tag behind the sweat, just in case someone can tell me something about the numbers.

 

[zetwal]

Abolished: April 30, 1953, pursuant to EO 10434, February 6, 1953, following the decontrol of all prices and the expiration of price control provisions of the Defense Production Act. Liquidation activities terminated, June 30, 1953, and residual functions reverted to the Economic Stabilization Agency.

Yes thanks! You are entirely correct. I see now that I misread the article I was perusing on this topic. It turns out that certain named administrators in the Ford administration had PREVIOUSLY worked in the OPS. They did not work for OPS DURING the Ford years.

 

[ScottF]

Vintage Borsalino, light grey. Crown is 5 1/2", brim 2 7/8"(!) with Cav edge. Size is indicated as 6 3/4. The measurements the seller gave me shifted the size more toward the 6 7/8 range, but it is really more of a 6 3/4, so it's a bit of a high rider.

Any guess about the age of the hat? The original price tag of $20 is still attached.

Mario - that's a beauty - I had a really floppy one almost exactly like it. Also, all of my Borsalinos but one have fit about one size smaller than tagged, exception being a newer one.

I have another one similar to yours that I sent to Optimo - being a 'high rider' as you say, it ended up looking just fine with Optimo's 'gangster' crease, and I have been wearing it as-is. You might try that. Also, a little steam helped it lose some of the floppiness and retain shape.

 

[Mario]

Thanks, ScottF. For now, I'll just wear it as it is, just to to get the feel for it. I put a rather deep variation of the diamond crease in it, and it still retains some of that beautiful reverse taper. It's soft, but not so floppy that it looses it's shape. The only thing I'll do is to give it a Naptha bath. There are some stains in the hat that I'd love to get rid of. Still, I'm pretty happy with it.

 

[billysmom]

1st Borsalino

I bought this on impulse on eBay because I'm so new to this game that I've never had an unbashed fedora and besides, the price was very right. It was described as brown/taupe and the image in the listing showed a sort of caramel-colored hat. Not my favorite, but I figured for so little money I could fill that color gap in my small-but-growing collection. It came today and it's ------- gray/taupe! MUCH better color for what I have in mind for it!

Here are the obligatory shots to show its heritage

:

I dry-bashed it where faint lines in the felt indicated it had been before:

 

[billysmom]

1st Borsalino (cont'd.)

I'm thrilled with the light weight, the wonderful soft-but-substantial felt and it's all 'round agreeableness. The yellow oilskin in the liner is somewhat tattered:

Should I leave it the way it is? Remove it? I'm afraid if I try to repair it I'll make it worse than it is now.

Sue

 

[Garrett]

I'm thrilled with the light weight, the wonderful soft-but-substantial felt and it's all 'round agreeableness. The yellow oilskin in the liner is somewhat tattered:

Should I leave it the way it is? Remove it? I'm afraid if I try to repair it I'll make it worse than it is now.

Sue

Hi Sue!

Go ahead and cut the rest of it out, should be fine.

 

[kaosharper1]

I'm thrilled with the light weight, the wonderful soft-but-substantial felt and it's all 'round agreeableness.
Sue

You ladies have some wonderful choices available to you at great prices. Enjoy the Borso. It looks great. I bought one for my daughter, who also likes fedoras.

 

[cookie]

Am I the only one concerned about Loungerettes buying Fedoras and disporting them where blokes only go?

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

Am I the only one concerned about Loungerettes buying Fedoras and disporting them where blokes only go?

I imagine that you are.


---------------------------

Well done, billysmom! You scored a beautiful, vintage hat and I can pick up on your enthusiasm about that.

 

[Mario]

I bought this on impulse on eBay because I'm so new to this game that I've never had an unbashed fedora and besides, the price was very right. It was described as brown/taupe and the image in the listing showed a sort of caramel-colored hat. Not my favorite, but I figured for so little money I could fill that color gap in my small-but-growing collection. It came today and it's ------- gray/taupe! MUCH better color for what I have in mind for it!
I dry-bashed it where faint lines in the felt indicated it had been before:

:arated: Very nice hat, billysmom - congrats on you first open crown! :eusa_clap

 

[High Pockets]

I'm thrilled with the light weight, the wonderful soft-but-substantial felt and it's all 'round agreeableness. The yellow oilskin in the liner is somewhat tattered:

Should I leave it the way it is? Remove it? I'm afraid if I try to repair it I'll make it worse than it is now.

Sue

Great hat! I think women look great in fedora's! Isn't that where the hat got it's start?

I had a similar Borsalino "liner-problem". My solution was to remove the liner from the hat,...and very gently tear the oilskin out in small pieces, pinching the seam from the reverse side between my thumb and forefinger as to not break any of the stiches at the seam.
Inverting the liner, and with tweezers, I removed all the remaining pieces of oilskin from the reversed side of that seam, sliding the tiny pieces out from between the top and side satin.
Although a bit risky, it was pretty easy, and I didn't bust a stitch.
I'm not recommending it, but I'm a gambler at heart.

 

[billysmom]

Great hat! I think women look great in fedora's! Isn't that where the hat got it's start?

I had a similar Borsalino "liner-problem". My solution was to remove the liner from the hat,...and very gently tear the oilskin out in small pieces, pinching the seam from the reverse side between my thumb and forefinger as to not break any of the stiches at the seam.
Inverting the liner, and with tweezers, I removed all the remaining pieces of oilskin from the reversed side of that seam, sliding the tiny pieces out from between the top and side satin.
Although a bit risky, it was pretty easy, and I didn't bust a stitch.
I'm not recommending it, but I'm a gambler at heart.

Thank you for this. I'll use your technique. The liner's brittle enough so it shouldn't strain the stitches.

Sue

 

[Dreispitz]

Borsalino Zenit Homburg

Gray, 7 1/2 Borsalino Zenit Homburg. Time? There was some folded newspaper under the sweatband from 1972. The hat could be 60ies, though. Maybe earlier.

Does anyone have a clue about the "Zenit" destination?

For 5 EURO, it is my cheapest hat, so far