Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,847
Location
Northern California
One of two hats found Friday at a vintage store recently opened a few blocks from my house. The woman who owns it told me she had a couple of old hats laying around somewhere at home, and hopefully her kids hadn't ruined them. She found them, and brought them in for me to check out. A little wrinkled, but not ruined. They are both size 7, two sizes too small for me but nice enough (and cheap enough) that I bought them. She offered them to me for ten dollars each. I almost took the deal, but felt bad about taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about fine hats (she thought they were low quality because they are so soft and floppy) so I let her know she was undercutting herself. I offered her thirty dollars each, she agreed and thanked me for my honesty as she bagged them. Also let me know she's keep an eye out at estate sales for more and hold them for me. Honesty IS it's own reward, but I'll never turn down a picker with good taste offering to hat shop for me...:)

Here's pics. Took quite a bit of steam and work to get the wrinkles out if the crown. Brim us still a bit wonky.

f2fc7b50f4e9992b60d476640f5be433.jpg
5cb2a6534708875206236c7057b97b6b.jpg
c4db865edec1deae996d3d711507a46c.jpg
5704814774a0da017ced8b6c273d3a97.jpg


Sweat stamps:

1d1c0d7839ee7e201a54402c9c776b5c.jpg
9ca88246e5323f20815c2f03962e5bd4.jpg


Liner crest:

0c0ef5eb12441f059964fdd4f0882267.jpg
b8687218c7f8c0c056c69dbe564b7bff.jpg


Haven't seen this tag on a Borsalino before. No other taggage except the white size tag.

c6709c80b34ba4008e2cd4f078e119be.jpg


Only bummer other than the size...about one inch of the unreeded sweat is seperated.

69d2b4e094537ca91e51c23a90f0e741.jpg


I turned the sweat out anyway, just daring more threads to give way just so I'd have a reason to block the amazingly soft felt up to my size and put in a new sweatband so I could wear it. No such luck. The buttery soft leather turned out without a creak, crack ir any more popped stitches.
Crown is just a tad over 5", brim at 2 3/8". 1/2" ribbon with a simple bow, 3/8" binding. 81 tiny little grams.
No idea of the age, so any input always appreciated.




Powered by happy thoughts
 
Messages
18,593
Location
Nederland
One of two hats found Friday at a vintage store recently opened a few blocks from my house. The woman who owns it told me she had a couple of old hats laying around somewhere at home, and hopefully her kids hadn't ruined them. She found them, and brought them in for me to check out. A little wrinkled, but not ruined. They are both size 7, two sizes too small for me but nice enough (and cheap enough) that I bought them. She offered them to me for ten dollars each. I almost took the deal, but felt bad about taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about fine hats (she thought they were low quality because they are so soft and floppy) so I let her know she was undercutting herself. I offered her thirty dollars each, she agreed and thanked me for my honesty as she bagged them. Also let me know she's keep an eye out at estate sales for more and hold them for me. Honesty IS it's own reward, but I'll never turn down a picker with good taste offering to hat shop for me...:)

Here's pics. Took quite a bit of steam and work to get the wrinkles out if the crown. Brim us still a bit wonky.

f2fc7b50f4e9992b60d476640f5be433.jpg
5cb2a6534708875206236c7057b97b6b.jpg
c4db865edec1deae996d3d711507a46c.jpg
5704814774a0da017ced8b6c273d3a97.jpg


Sweat stamps:

1d1c0d7839ee7e201a54402c9c776b5c.jpg
9ca88246e5323f20815c2f03962e5bd4.jpg


Liner crest:

0c0ef5eb12441f059964fdd4f0882267.jpg
b8687218c7f8c0c056c69dbe564b7bff.jpg


Haven't seen this tag on a Borsalino before. No other taggage except the white size tag.

c6709c80b34ba4008e2cd4f078e119be.jpg


Only bummer other than the size...about one inch of the unreeded sweat is seperated.

69d2b4e094537ca91e51c23a90f0e741.jpg


I turned the sweat out anyway, just daring more threads to give way just so I'd have a reason to block the amazingly soft felt up to my size and put in a new sweatband so I could wear it. No such luck. The buttery soft leather turned out without a creak, crack ir any more popped stitches.
Crown is just a tad over 5", brim at 2 3/8". 1/2" ribbon with a simple bow, 3/8" binding. 81 tiny little grams.
No idea of the age, so any input always appreciated.




Powered by happy thoughts
Lovely hats, Moe. The ribbon, brim, weight and form suggests they are Borsalino "suprema" quality hats (European Borsalino's don't have names). Judging by the liner early to mid sixties. I have two of these myself. Size 7 you say, well what a coincidence...
 

moehawk

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,847
Location
Northern California
Lovely hats, Moe. The ribbon, brim, weight and form suggests they are Borsalino "suprema" quality hats (European Borsalino's don't have names). Judging by the liner early to mid sixties. I have two of these myself. Size 7 you say, well what a coincidence...
Thanks steur!
Have you seen that factory tag before? I thought it nay have been added by the retailer. I looked for any others that were more traditional for Borsalino but saw none, unless it's too far up under the liner to see. I didn't want to remove the stitching.

Are you size 7? Tomorrow I'll be posting the size 4 1/2 punti grey Barbisio..maybe we could do a trade if you have anything in a 58/7 1/4/6 punti.:)
 
Messages
18,593
Location
Nederland
Thanks steur!
Have you seen that factory tag before? I thought it nay have been added by the retailer. I looked for any others that were more traditional for Borsalino but saw none, unless it's too far up under the liner to see. I didn't want to remove the stitching.

Are you size 7? Tomorrow I'll be posting the size 4 1/2 punti grey Barbisio..maybe we could do a trade if you have anything in a 58/7 1/4/6 punti.:)
I haven't seen a tag like that one before, but as you say: it could very well be added by (or for) the retailer. I do have some hats in 58 size that are candidates for a trade it so happens
 

Bob Roberts

I'll Lock Up
Messages
11,201
Location
milford ct
One of two hats found Friday at a vintage store recently opened a few blocks from my house. The woman who owns it told me she had a couple of old hats laying around somewhere at home, and hopefully her kids hadn't ruined them. She found them, and brought them in for me to check out. A little wrinkled, but not ruined. They are both size 7, two sizes too small for me but nice enough (and cheap enough) that I bought them. She offered them to me for ten dollars each. I almost took the deal, but felt bad about taking advantage of her lack of knowledge about fine hats (she thought they were low quality because they are so soft and floppy) so I let her know she was undercutting herself. I offered her thirty dollars each, she agreed and thanked me for my honesty as she bagged them. Also let me know she's keep an eye out at estate sales for more and hold them for me. Honesty IS it's own reward, but I'll never turn down a picker with good taste offering to hat shop for me...:)

Here's pics. Took quite a bit of steam and work to get the wrinkles out if the crown. Brim us still a bit wonky.

f2fc7b50f4e9992b60d476640f5be433.jpg
5cb2a6534708875206236c7057b97b6b.jpg
c4db865edec1deae996d3d711507a46c.jpg
5704814774a0da017ced8b6c273d3a97.jpg


Sweat stamps:

1d1c0d7839ee7e201a54402c9c776b5c.jpg
9ca88246e5323f20815c2f03962e5bd4.jpg


Liner crest:

0c0ef5eb12441f059964fdd4f0882267.jpg
b8687218c7f8c0c056c69dbe564b7bff.jpg


Haven't seen this tag on a Borsalino before. No other taggage except the white size tag.

c6709c80b34ba4008e2cd4f078e119be.jpg


Only bummer other than the size...about one inch of the unreeded sweat is seperated.

69d2b4e094537ca91e51c23a90f0e741.jpg


I turned the sweat out anyway, just daring more threads to give way just so I'd have a reason to block the amazingly soft felt up to my size and put in a new sweatband so I could wear it. No such luck. The buttery soft leather turned out without a creak, crack ir any more popped stitches.
Crown is just a tad over 5", brim at 2 3/8". 1/2" ribbon with a simple bow, 3/8" binding. 81 tiny little grams.
No idea of the age, so any input always appreciated.




Powered by happy thoughts
Very nice generous thing to do. You'll find a good head for them.
 
Messages
17,549
Location
Maryland
Thanks steur!
Have you seen that factory tag before? I thought it nay have been added by the retailer. I looked for any others that were more traditional for Borsalino but saw none, unless it's too far up under the liner to see. I didn't want to remove the stitching.

Are you size 7? Tomorrow I'll be posting the size 4 1/2 punti grey Barbisio..maybe we could do a trade if you have anything in a 58/7 1/4/6 punti.:)
Great looking hat! I am fairly certain the label is from Borsalino. The liner was stitched in after the label was applied (also in Italian).
 
Messages
17,549
Location
Maryland
The stitch for the liner goes through the paper label so the liner was installed after the paper label or the liner was reinstalled at a later time (refurbished?). Now that I look at it again it does look like "To Duplicate" but not clear.
 
Last edited:

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,294
Location
Verona - Italia
There is something in this hat that leaves me deeply perplexed.
The paper label is far from being printed by Borsalino because it does not have any of the peculiar characteristics of the printed labels in Alessandria.
No color name or even hat type, as well as the size indication is in the wrong place, the lettering is far from the one used in Borsalino
The gold logo inside the crown is typical of the hats produced for the American market, as well as sweatband.
It may be an assembly or a renewal of a hat born in other places then in Italy, or a product licensed by Bolmann, of which I have no knowledge.
The age of the hat? To you the answer
 
Messages
17,549
Location
Maryland
yes that what it says.....even Stetson used this label
Thanks!

There is something in this hat that leaves me deeply perplexed.
The paper label is far from being printed by Borsalino because it does not have any of the peculiar characteristics of the printed labels in Alessandria.
No color name or even hat type, as well as the size indication is in the wrong place, the lettering is far from the one used in Borsalino
The gold logo inside the crown is typical of the hats produced for the American market, as well as sweatband.
It may be an assembly or a renewal of a hat born in other places then in Italy, or a product licensed by Bolmann, of which I have no knowledge.
The age of the hat? To you the answer
The stitch from the liner goes through the paper label so the paper label was applied prior to the liner. This hat has the "Made in Italy by Orginal House ..." American market logo. The Bollman hats didn't have this designation (Made in Italy) and were later so not sure what is going on (refurbished?).

Here is an old post from Besdor/Steven that mentions Bollman.

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-borsalino-brotherhood.13133/page-22#post-809251
 
Last edited:

Forum statistics

Threads
109,710
Messages
3,086,863
Members
54,525
Latest member
Ath3NA-NyX
Top