The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[bbshriver]

Hi esteemed fellow-loungers. Been a while since I've checked into FL, but wanted to show off my "new" Borsalino..
This is my first and only Borsalino, and I admit not knowing much about them, but it was the color and style I was looking for at a good price (~$100)

I have been unsuccessful finding much about Borsalino's lines, quality levels etc. This one is a Alessandria "Qualita' Superiore" which I gather just means it's their basic, traditional fedora.
It's stamped with Syd Jerome inside, which appears to be a menswear store in Chicago that at least at one time sold Borsalino (though they are absent from today's website).

This joins a ~1950 "Royal Stetson" and a few western style hats in my quality hat wardrobe

It came to me "new with tags", including $295 price sticker.
It does not have the "Borsalino" text on the ribbon that I've seen on some, not sure if that means anything.

What else can yall tell me about it?

Thanks for hearing me out!

 

[steur]

Speaking of objects that are part of the history of Borsalino here is a matrix to print the linings or perhaps the sweatbands.
Purchased in Italy last year, it is made and used before the WWII
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That's not just any item, Daniele! That can pass as a relic! Beyond awesome.

 

[steur]

View attachment 204546 View attachment 204547 View attachment 204548 View attachment 204550 I just found this thread today. I bought my first hat 2 years ago on Ebay for $30.00 or $40.00 with shipping. I knew nothing about fur felt or Borsalino. I liked the way it looked and the price seemed low. I now own 8 hats including a Knox fur/ felt I got yesterday. One thing I learned is don't believe the number on the hat. I have a 7 that fits great and a 7 1/8 that fits great. I'd like another Borsalino with a wider rim so this thread gives me a chance to see how they look. Glad I found it. I'm guessing my hat is 1979 because of the tag. Not sure if its fur or felt but it feels different than my Barbisio which I really like also.

Cool find, but first of all welcome to the lounge, Paul. Indeed 1979 as the year of manufacture. Benaco is quite a rare colour. It is a furfelt hat with a longhair finish (which does make it feel like a fur hat). As you may have guessed the sizing on Borsalinos can be a bit of a thing. They tend to run small, at least the European ones do. The American ones seem to be closer to size. Nice one.

 

[steur]

Hi esteemed fellow-loungers. Been a while since I've checked into FL, but wanted to show off my "new" Borsalino..
This is my first and only Borsalino, and I admit not knowing much about them, but it was the color and style I was looking for at a good price (~$100)

I have been unsuccessful finding much about Borsalino's lines, quality levels etc. This one is a Alessandria "Qualita' Superiore" which I gather just means it's their basic, traditional fedora.
It's stamped with Syd Jerome inside, which appears to be a menswear store in Chicago that at least at one time sold Borsalino (though they are absent from today's website).

This joins a ~1950 "Royal Stetson" and a few western style hats in my quality hat wardrobe

It came to me "new with tags", including $295 price sticker.
It does not have the "Borsalino" text on the ribbon that I've seen on some, not sure if that means anything.

What else can yall tell me about it?

Thanks for hearing me out!

It's a modern Borsalino, likely made for the American market. Alessandria was the place of the original Borsalino factory and indeed the qualitá superiore is their basic level. Nice enough hat and the model has been around for quite some time, probably since the mid-eighties. The model number is the one on the lower left of the label. In the Borsalino brotherhood we tend to focus on the vintage hats, but this is still an excellent hat, certainly if you can get it at a decent price.

 

[bbshriver]

It's a modern Borsalino, likely made for the American market. Alessandria was the place of the original Borsalino factory and indeed the qualitá superiore is their basic level. Nice enough hat and the model has been around for quite some time, probably since the mid-eighties. The model number is the one on the lower left of the label. In the Borsalino brotherhood we tend to focus on the vintage hats, but this is still an excellent hat, certainly if you can get it at a decent price.

Thanks,
Given the Syd Jerome lettering on the lining, I would certainly assume it's US market, but does indicate made in Italy (I gather some now are not?)

So if the model # is lower left (110504) is the upper right the serial #? I have read elsewhere the first two digits indicate year of manufacture (so 2006 in this case?)

I know vintage hats from the major manufacturers tend to be of higher quality, but at the price this certainly seemed fair for "new", though probably not the deal of the century or anything.

 

[Paul A Lesieur]

Cool find, but first of all welcome to the lounge, Paul. Indeed 1979 as the year of manufacture. Benaco is quite a rare colour. It is a furfelt hat with a longhair finish (which does make it feel like a fur hat). As you may have guessed the sizing on Borsalinos can be a bit of a thing. They tend to run small, at least the European ones do. The American ones seem to be closer to size. Nice one.

 

[Paul A Lesieur]

Thanks for the welcome. Being new at this I looked again and its a Serikon? So I looked on Ebay and found a Borsalino Serikon saying its camel fir. Maybe that's why I go for days without a drink? All very interesting and I appreciate the chance to learn more.

 

[steur]

Thanks,
Given the Syd Jerome lettering on the lining, I would certainly assume it's US market, but does indicate made in Italy (I gather some now are not?)

So if the model # is lower left (110504) is the upper right the serial #? I have read elsewhere the first two digits indicate year of manufacture (so 2006 in this case?)

I know vintage hats from the major manufacturers tend to be of higher quality, but at the price this certainly seemed fair for "new", though probably not the deal of the century or anything.

Except for a brief period when Bollman held a license, all Borsalinos are made in Italy. Some models however are exclusively for the American market. But an American dealer could also import models that were for the European market of course, so the liner is not evidence one way or the other. The upper right number is some sort of serial, but on this type of label the first two digits don't indicate the year of manufacture. Maybe not the deal of the century, but certainly a good price for a good hat. You did well there.

 

[steur]

Thanks for the welcome. Being new at this I looked again and its a Serikon? So I looked on Ebay and found a Borsalino Serikon saying its camel fir. Maybe that's why I go for days without a drink? All very interesting and I appreciate the chance to learn more.

You should get a drink anyway, but it's unlikely the hat is made with camel fur. That can be felted but we haven't seen any clear evidence on a hat yet (that I'm aware of anyway). It may refer to the colour of the hat in that particular auction. Your hat is most likely a mix of rabbit (as the base) and hare (for the finish and shine).

 

[steur]

Borsalino misto Nebbia. Size 56 with the raw edge brim at 6cm and the crown at 11cm at the center dent. Cell type label, so before 1936. I actually have it's twin (in homburg shape). The felt is absolutely incredible; hard to explain if you've never handled one. Most likely this was supposed to be worn brim up. I mixed to brim up and brim down shots a bit to give you an idea.
This was part of the Italian-Dutch hat exchange and came thanks to @Daniele Tanto. Grazie mille!

 

[Steve1857]

Borsalino misto Nebbia. Size 56 with the raw edge brim at 6cm and the crown at 11cm at the center dent. Cell type label, so before 1936. I actually have it's twin (in homburg shape). The felt is absolutely incredible; hard to explain if you've never handled one. Most likely this was supposed to be worn brim up. I mixed to brim up and brim down shots a bit to give you an idea.
This was part of the Italian-Dutch hat exchange and came thanks to @Daniele Tanto. Grazie mille!

Absolutely fantastic, Stefan. That wide ribbon is the icing on the cake. I just want to touch that heather felt.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Thanks for the welcome. Being new at this I looked again and its a Serikon? So I looked on Ebay and found a Borsalino Serikon saying its camel fir. Maybe that's why I go for days without a drink? All very interesting and I appreciate the chance to learn more.

“So I looked on Ebay and found a Borsalino Serikon saying its camel fir. Maybe that's why I go for days without a drink?”


Ha. I like that. Next time i wear my Disney Camel Hair i will have to compare if American camels have the same effect as Italian camels?
Good hat and welcome to the lounge.
I believe you live in the land of @Short Balding Guy, Eric. I suspect we will see you helping him do morning yard work and grilling...just so you can see his magnificent collection of work hats!
Be well. Bowen

 

[mayserwegener]

Borsalino misto Nebbia. Size 56 with the raw edge brim at 6cm and the crown at 11cm at the center dent. Cell type label, so before 1936. I actually have it's twin (in homburg shape). The felt is absolutely incredible; hard to explain if you've never handled one. Most likely this was supposed to be worn brim up. I mixed to brim up and brim down shots a bit to give you an idea.
This was part of the Italian-Dutch hat exchange and came thanks to @Daniele Tanto. Grazie mille!

Stefan, Another real beauty. Congrats * 2!

 

[steur]

Stefan, Another real beauty. Congrats * 2!

Steve, thank you!

 

[Hagwood]

I posted this on the New Hat thread, but thought I would post it over here too since it seems fairly interesting:

Got this Borsalino for only $20. It was mangled and dirty and one size too small, but thought it looked interesting and a good project hat for the price. Stefan said he hadn’t seen the model Arpasti before. Looks to be early to mid 50’s. It stretched out nicely after going slowly for a week on the stretcher. Not sure about the band, I may change it out. Also need to re attach the sweat in a few places. Very nice felt though, easily molds to any shape I want with no steam.

 

[Blare]

I posted this on the New Hat thread, but thought I would post it over here too since it seems fairly interesting:

Got this Borsalino for only $20. It was mangled and dirty and one size too small, but thought it looked interesting and a good project hat for the price. Stefan said he hadn’t seen the model Arpasti before. Looks to be early to mid 50’s. It stretched out nicely after going slowly for a week on the stretcher. Not sure about the band, I may change it out. Also need to re attach the sweat in a few places. Very nice felt though, easily molds to any shape I want with no steam.

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Just right for the brotherhood. Nice catch Tim


Best,
Joe

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Arrowit]

I just picked up my first Borso and am looking for acceptance into the Brotherhood. I've spent a couple days pouring through these pages and would like some information on this hat. It says it is a Marque Grand Luxe and it has 6 x's. Its buttery smooth and super soft. It came smashed up in a shipping box and I believe it is an open crown? I can crease it anyway I want and it the crease stays that way. If so this would also be my first open crown hat. After sitting on its crown for a half hour the proper shape came back without steaming. I have a couple dozen hats and about 75% of them are vintage. Could this hat be from 1940? Does the 6 x's mean that it could be an all beaver hat?

 

[carouselvic]

1970's likely.....not beaver but a nice hat

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Together with the Barbisio family, this Borsalino arrived from another seller.
Sold in Venezia, one hundred kilometers from Verona, it had ended up in France.

I bought it based on experience because the photos were not very significant. It was a perfect gamble, but it was a winner

Borsalino Antica Casa size 5 or 57 cm.

I had sensed the felt was finished antelope and so it is. One of the best felts I have seen and touched of this type

Its construction typology is the same as that of "coffin" Borsalino as it has a fabric sweatband and has no lining

The color of the felt is "Cola" and as you can see from the label it is not old, probably from the 70s.

The measures are as follows. raw brim at 8 centimeters, the open crown is 14 cm. and the ribbon that matches the felt color is 4 cm.

If you like it, it can be yours. Write me

 

[Arrowit]

I just snagged my second Borsolino off of Ebay. This one is a Torino and I have no information on it. Rolling the dice again... Images are from seller.