The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[alanfgag]

Here you go. This is what the data shows us (this far):

borsalino cell type symmetrical 1900 - 1910
borsalino cell type long 1910 - 1920
borsalino cell type long 1920 - 1936
borsalino sideways 1936 - 1953
borsalino cerrated sheet (one or no straight sides) 1954 - 1960
borsalino cerrated roll (straight sides) 1961 - 1965
borsalino rounded with colour name 1966 - 1975
dated labels (recognizable by the use of the hyphen between the first two and the rest of the digits. 1976 -1982
borsalino elongated no colour name 1983 - 2019

The older the hats, the less sure we are.

Regardless of whether the dates are definitive on the older styles, this is a wonderful summary and one that I will copy and share in other places. I have no dates to insert in the sideways section, but suspect the separate size label and colored ink might serve to help to break down that period a little further. Thank you Stefan and Steve for these resources!

 

[carouselvic]

I have seen exceptions to two of these.

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

this 7 1/2 is incoming and this is all I've seen of hat ..
is it possible to ballpark model and vintage?
thanks friends, hope everyone's well out there ..

 

[mayserwegener]

Regarding paper labels: Markets are being mixed. My focus is the German market and I have fairly good idea of type of paper labels (also other characteristics) from the late 1920s to the early 1980s. They cover wide time ranges. I can make a post but it would only apply to the German market.

Side Note: The old Cell labels appear consistent throughout markets.

 

[Blare]

this 7 1/2 is incoming and this is all I've seen of hat ..
is it possible to ballpark model and vintage?
thanks friends, hope everyone's well out there ..
View attachment 242086
View attachment 242087

Wow. Great find!

 

[TheGuitarFairy]

Finally a Borsa that fits! This lovely arrived today.
Above 7 1/2 should arrive in a few weeks. That one took epic facilitation .. had to dig deep into the rolodex ; )

edit: just received this from previous owner ..
"his name was herbert altschul. he was briefly in a concentration camp before a rabbi in gary indiana sponsored him and he made it to the U.S. some of his family, his sister didnt make it. My mother did. he did well as a busness man in America, had his own store, belonged to a Jewish country club, smoked cigars, drove a leased Cadillac and bought a Borsalino hat. I still have the brown worn one, you have the unworn grey -- guessing it was bought at marshall fields in Chicago"

 

[steur]

Regardless of whether the dates are definitive on the older styles, this is a wonderful summary and one that I will copy and share in other places. I have no dates to insert in the sideways section, but suspect the separate size label and colored ink might serve to help to break down that period a little further. Thank you Stefan and Steve for these resources!

I have seen exceptions to two of these.

Regarding paper labels: Markets are being mixed. My focus is the German market and I have fairly good idea of type of paper labels (also other characteristics) from the late 1920s to the early 1980s. They cover wide time ranges. I can make a post but it would only apply to the German market.

Side Note: The old Cell labels appear consistent throughout markets.

The list has been collected largely using the data we have from the pictures of the labels that were still available in combination with date stamps or other indicators of dates (like OPS labels) and in part conjecture. There is still a good amount of uncertainty about these dates, but it's as close as we're likely to get for now. Unless I find a warehouse containing a century and a half worth of Borsalinos along with the ledger stating the dates, progress on narrowing it down and making it more exact will be very slow. It is what it is.
And if you're selling one, just do what everybody else does: add a few decades to its age and call it a Whippet!

 

[steur]

this 7 1/2 is incoming and this is all I've seen of hat ..
is it possible to ballpark model and vintage?
thanks friends, hope everyone's well out there ..
View attachment 242086
View attachment 242087

Finally a Borsa that fits! This lovely arrived today.
Above 7 1/2 should arrive in a few weeks. That one took epic facilitation .. had to dig deep into the rolodex ; )

edit: just received this from previous owner ..
"his name was herbert altschul. he was briefly in a concentration camp before a rabbi in gary indiana sponsored him and he made it to the U.S. some of his family, his sister didnt make it. My mother did. he did well as a busness man in America, had his own store, belonged to a Jewish country club, smoked cigars, drove a leased Cadillac and bought a Borsalino hat. I still have the brown worn one, you have the unworn grey -- guessing it was bought at marshall fields in Chicago"
View attachment 242435
View attachment 242436
View attachment 242437
View attachment 242438

Two lovely hats. The Gorsagu is a very desirable model. Mid fifties to early sixties on that one. Likely the other one is from the same era, maybe a few years later. Congrats.

 

[Blare]

Finally a Borsa that fits! This lovely arrived today.
Above 7 1/2 should arrive in a few weeks. That one took epic facilitation .. had to dig deep into the rolodex ; )

edit: just received this from previous owner ..
"his name was herbert altschul. he was briefly in a concentration camp before a rabbi in gary indiana sponsored him and he made it to the U.S. some of his family, his sister didnt make it. My mother did. he did well as a busness man in America, had his own store, belonged to a Jewish country club, smoked cigars, drove a leased Cadillac and bought a Borsalino hat. I still have the brown worn one, you have the unworn grey -- guessing it was bought at marshall fields in Chicago"
View attachment 242435
View attachment 242436
View attachment 242437
View attachment 242438

Wow that is just wonderful! Love you were able to get the story behind it.

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Keeping the Gorasgu train going, pretty sure this is one in Folco:

Specs:

2-5/8" Brim (w/ 1/4" felted edge)
5-3/4" Crown (open)
2" Ribbon
123g Weight
​

The label is hard to read. The color Folco is clearly visible. The ribbon I can't tell if it's a dash or if there was text. To my eye the color contrast to the felt is enough that it seems it would be a different named color, though maybe it's just how the light is refracting. The model name I can make out "Gor" and when I add a filter can see "as" as well. I strongly suspect this is another Gorasgu given the sizing specs as it shares several similar characteristics to my other two Gorasgus.

 

[TheOldFashioned]

Gorasgu collage with Misto Gris Fer (—), Folco (?), and Averla (c. Aligi):


Trifecta on the brim finish with a bound edge, overwelt, and felted edge.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Gorasgu collage with Misto Gris Fer (—), Folco (?), and Averla (c. Aligi):
View attachment 243871 View attachment 243872 View attachment 243873

Trifecta on the brim finish with a bound edge, overwelt, and felted edge.

Yes Sir, yes Sir, three bags full.
Menage a trois Gorasgu!
Bellissimo
B

 

[Blare]

Keeping the Gorasgu train going, pretty sure this is one in Folco:
View attachment 243866 View attachment 243867 View attachment 243868 View attachment 243869
Specs:

2-5/8" Brim (w/ 1/4" felted edge)
5-3/4" Crown (open)
2" Ribbon
123g Weight
​

The label is hard to read. The color Folco is clearly visible. The ribbon I can't tell if it's a dash or if there was text. To my eye the color contrast to the felt is enough that it seems it would be a different named color, though maybe it's just how the light is refracting. The model name I can make out "Gor" and when I add a filter can see "as" as well. I strongly suspect this is another Gorasgu given the sizing specs as it shares several similar characteristics to my other two Gorasgus.

Absolutely beautiful Jonathan

 

[Blare]

Gorasgu collage with Misto Gris Fer (—), Folco (?), and Averla (c. Aligi):
View attachment 243871 View attachment 243872 View attachment 243873

Trifecta on the brim finish with a bound edge, overwelt, and felted edge.

Wow very cool

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Borsalino Tirreno:
5 3/4” open crown, 4” bound brim.

 

[Blare]

Borsalino Tirreno:
5 3/4” open crown, 4” bound brim.

View attachment 243896 View attachment 243897 View attachment 243898 View attachment 243899 View attachment 243900 View attachment 243901

Heck of a hat

 

[deadlyhandsome]

This little Borsalino is a recent arrival. It’s not my style or size, but it needed a home. The finish is exactly like my Peluche hats.

 

[carouselvic]

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Can anyone make sense of this crazy Borsalino sizing?

Size 63cm is size 7 3/4 UK or size 7 7/8 US, but I don’t know how it could be 7 3/8 anything. Size 8 UK should be 65cm and size 8 US is 64cm. I just can get these numbers to make sense, particularly the 7 3/8.

 

[mayserwegener]

Point 8 is 63 cm. Maybe it is a mistake on the UK or US size. Where did it come from?