The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[KarlCrow]

The second I found this week in the same bin filled with hats made me even happier than the first one (see above). Although it does have its problems (the brim binding is stained and damaged and the felt has the odd stain here and there as well) it is still a very rare and nice find. Borsalino homburg in grey, nutria felt. Size 7 tag (or 57) and "original house" on the sweatband say that this one was made for the American market. It probably never got there, maybe because of the war. My guess would be late thirties or early forties. Bound brim at 6cm and crown 10,5 cm at the pinch. Colour is Opale, which I have never seen before. It does come close to the Palladio colour of another hat I have. The felt is of very high quality. I cannot compare the nutria to other nutria qualities because I don't have any. There seems to be a certain flexible quality to the felt; it more or less springs back in shape. The liner is nice and clean and it is a superb hat. I think I will have the brim binding replaced to bring it back to glory.



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fantastic

 

[steur]

fantastic

Karl, thanks. Now, if only that brim binding would have been clean...

 

[steur]

Almost there. This one is one of two I got together at an online auction (I paid more for them than I usually do), but I think they're worth it. Borsalino fedora in brown (Averla), size 4 (55, so I need to stretch it a bit). Qualita extra extra superiore (and it shows). Raw edge brim at 6,5cm and crown 10 cm at the pinch. New old stock. This one dates between 1945 and 1955 I think. What more can I say?

 

[KarlCrow]

Almost there. This one is one of two I got together at an online auction (I paid more for them than I usually do), but I think they're worth it. Borsalino fedora in brown (Averla), size 4 (55, so I need to stretch it a bit). Qualita extra extra superiore (and it shows). Raw edge brim at 6,5cm and crown 10 cm at the pinch. New old stock. This one dates between 1945 and 1955 I think. What more can I say?

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no need for words.

 

[hatsRme]

Almost there. This one is one of two I got together at an online auction (I paid more for them than I usually do), but I think they're worth it. Borsalino fedora in brown (Averla), size 4 (55, so I need to stretch it a bit). Qualita extra extra superiore (and it shows). Raw edge brim at 6,5cm and crown 10 cm at the pinch. New old stock. This one dates between 1945 and 1955 I think. What more can I say?

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I have no words either... well, maybe a couple. Absolutely SPECTACULAR, steur!

 

[steur]

no need for words.

I have no words either... well, maybe a couple. Absolutely SPECTACULAR, steur!

Gentlemen, thanks. One more to go. It won't disappoint. Promise.

 

[steur]

So, last one for today. This is the second hat that was part of the two-hat auction. Sold to me as a Borsalino, which in a way it is. Cryptic? Just a little. GB Borsalino fu Lazzaro&C fedora in a warm grey (Ontano, which translates as Alder), size 57. Raw edge brim at 6cm and crown 10,5 cm at the pinch. Qualita superiore. New old stock, ordered but not picked up or bought and never worn? The hat does have the initials JK on the sweatband, but it looks like it has never been worn. Ribbon is a bit crumpled because of the way it was shipped to me. Sold by Camberini of Genova. First one I have ever seen. The seller did have the wonderful box to go with it (with the two dogs fighting for the hat) but did not want to sell that with it (pity). It probably is one of the GB Borsalino hats that was relaunched as a subbrand by Borsalino, in the fifties I believe. Very rare to say the least.
Wish I had more days like this.

 

[Bob Roberts]

So, last one for today. This is the second hat that was part of the two-hat auction. Sold to me as a Borsalino, which in a way it is. Cryptic? Just a little. GB Borsalino fu Lazzaro&C fedora in a warm grey (Ontano, which translates as Alder), size 57. Raw edge brim at 6cm and crown 10,5 cm at the pinch. Qualita superiore. New old stock, ordered but not picked up or bought and never worn? The hat does have the initials JK on the sweatband, but it looks like it has never been worn. Ribbon is a bit crumpled because of the way it was shipped to me. Sold by Camberini of Genova. First one I have ever seen. The seller did have the wonderful box to go with it (with the two dogs fighting for the hat) but did not want to sell that with it (pity). It probably is one of the GB Borsalino hats that was relaunched as a subbrand by Borsalino, in the fifties I believe. Very rare to say the least.
Wish I had more days like this.

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Sometimes it's pleasing to see a ribbon matching exactly the color of the hat.

 

[steur]

Sometimes it's pleasing to see a ribbon matching exactly the color of the hat.

Bob, thanks. Strangely enough they gave the ribbon colour a different name though: "Bacosan" (whatever that may mean).

 

[Debussychopin]

I'm not saying Im applying for borsalino brother but i bought a guancano borsalino hat from the recent borsalino sale on hats.com and it is truly exquisite! Wow what a felt on this hat. I don't know what construction qualities I'm missing for buying a modern borso rather than vintage but I love this hat and it looks killer on me.

Great price too. Made in Italy I checked. Not American.

 

[Bob Roberts]

I'm not saying Im applying for borsalino brother but i bought a guancano borsalino hat from the recent borsalino sale on hats.com and it is truly exquisite! Wow what a felt on this hat. I don't know what construction qualities I'm missing for buying a modern borso rather than vintage but I love this hat and it looks killer on me.

Great price too. Made in Italy I checked. Not American.

Hey yeh didn't we talk abt that one? How bout some pics?

 

[Debussychopin]

I'll try. I always post a reply or two while at work then when I get home I forget

I first got the Bellini then thought it was too similar to one of my black fur felt so I exchanged it for the gauanaco it is superb!!

 

[besdor]

Hats.com is selling off all of their stock . They were the distributor here in the USA until this whole mess with Borsalino started. There are some good deals there but not much left....

 

[moehawk]

So, last one for today. This is the second hat that was part of the two-hat auction. Sold to me as a Borsalino, which in a way it is. Cryptic? Just a little. GB Borsalino fu Lazzaro&C fedora in a warm grey (Ontano, which translates as Alder), size 57. Raw edge brim at 6cm and crown 10,5 cm at the pinch. Qualita superiore. New old stock, ordered but not picked up or bought and never worn? The hat does have the initials JK on the sweatband, but it looks like it has never been worn. Ribbon is a bit crumpled because of the way it was shipped to me. Sold by Camberini of Genova. First one I have ever seen. The seller did have the wonderful box to go with it (with the two dogs fighting for the hat) but did not want to sell that with it (pity). It probably is one of the GB Borsalino hats that was relaunched as a subbrand by Borsalino, in the fifties I believe. Very rare to say the least.
Wish I had more days like this.

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Nice bunch of hats! I especially like this one.
There's a thread dedicated to G.B. Borsalino fu Lazzaro & C. Great quality! I have two and love them.

 

[Debussychopin]

Btw, took me awhile to figure out how to get to the forums today after logging into here on my smartphone.
So difficult to find the forums, why don't just have it right on the home page??


Here is my straw borsalino I wore today. I'll try to get a pic of my guancano. This straw hat is killer as well I look wickedly handsome!!!


Can't get the pic to load. I don't know if it is this site or just the smartphone version of it, but I find it too frustrating to use

 

[Bob Roberts]

Btw, took me awhile to figure out how to get to the forums today after logging into here on my smartphone.
So difficult to find the forums, why don't just have it right on the home page??


Here is my straw borsalino I wore today. I'll try to get a pic of my guancano. This straw hat is killer as well I look wickedly handsome!!!


Can't get the pic to load. I don't know if it is this site or just the smartphone version of it, but I find it too frustrating to use

Awh... I wanted to see pics of those hats. Try Tapatalk as yer photo host.

 

[Redfokker]

I have no words either... well, maybe a couple. Absolutely SPECTACULAR, steur!

+1 wow!

 

[Revenger]

Almost there. This one is one of two I got together at an online auction (I paid more for them than I usually do), but I think they're worth it. Borsalino fedora in brown (Averla), size 4 (55, so I need to stretch it a bit). Qualita extra extra superiore (and it shows). Raw edge brim at 6,5cm and crown 10 cm at the pinch. New old stock. This one dates between 1945 and 1955 I think. What more can I say?

What size do you wear? Just curious how much you plan on stretching the hat and whether that is a common thing to do here.

 

[steur]

Nice bunch of hats! I especially like this one.
There's a thread dedicated to G.B. Borsalino fu Lazzaro & C. Great quality! I have two and love them.

+1 wow!

John, Mike, thanks. Months go by without anything interesting to find and then suddenly all hats seem to come out at once. I'll post it in the dedicated thread as well.

 

[steur]

What size do you wear? Just curious how much you plan on stretching the hat and whether that is a common thing to do here.

I wear a size 56 usually (Borsalinos in size 57 fit me as well). This one I had to stretch one size up (it being a 55 size hat). I only stretch hats that are very close to actually fitting me, so half a size or one size at the most. It doesn't improve the hat, there's a real risk of damaging the sweatband, the brim can go all wonky and the hat can lose shape. So I don't buy hats that are not my size with the thought of stretching them to fit me.