The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[custamontira]

Hello everyone, I found this forum while searching for information about a second hand hat I'm considering buying. The seller lists it as original and unused, the latter of which I'm not sure about, not that it matters. But that's all the item description says. Presumably it isn't very old, but even having browsed around this thread, my knowledge is very limited. Can anyone give any information on this hat?

 

[Steve1857]

Hello everyone, I found this forum while searching for information about a second hand hat I'm considering buying. The seller lists it as original and unused, the latter of which I'm not sure about, not that it matters. But that's all the item description says. Presumably it isn't very old, but even having browsed around this thread, my knowledge is very limited. Can anyone give any information on this hat? View attachment 577242

That is a very nice find.

Original, definitely. Unused, probably not, but looks in very good condition.

It's about 50 years old, I'd say. Be more helpful if we could see the tag under the sweatband.

A. Breiter was one of the Top German hat sellers. Any hat sold there was of the highest quality.

If the price and size is right, buy it!

 

[custamontira]

That is a very nice find.

Original, definitely. Unused, probably not, but looks in very good condition.

It's about 50 years old, I'd say. Be more helpful if we could see the tag under the sweatband.

A. Breiter was one of the Top German hat sellers. Any hat sold there was of the highest quality.

If the price and size is right, buy it!

Thank you for replying, I have decided to make the purchase. I will upload a picture of the label when it arrives. One thing that confused me was that the size label is in metric when most older hats seem to have different sizing methods, so I thought it might be made in or after the late 1980s. Thanks again for the info!

 

[gilligan]

Very nice, the felt looks very typically lightweight and easy to shape.

I doubt it's unworn, those sweatbands are very hard wearing and it takes a lot of use before they end up looking like that, worn but with plenty of life left.

Thanks so much. Just wish I knew what it said as I don't know Italian.

 

[steur]

Picked this Borsalino up on Ebay the other week. To my surprise, no one else was bidding on it so I got it for a song. I don't know much about Borsalino's and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on this model. Is it a non export to the US, and what year would this be. I was told 1960's. It appears to have never been worn. View attachment 577165 View attachment 577165 View attachment 577166 View attachment 577167 View attachment 577168 View attachment 577169 View attachment 577163 View attachment 577164

It's a cool find and a nice looking hat. It dates from the early seventies: the labels with the rounded corners and colour name on them were used for only a few years: 1972-1975 as far as we know. Bronzo of course means "bronze". It was specially made (or so the liner claims) for Radiconcini, a prolific retailer in Rome. Piuma means "feather", so it's meant to be lightweight.

 

[gilligan]

It's a cool find and a nice looking hat. It dates from the early seventies: the labels with the rounded corners and colour name on them were used for only a few years: 1972-1975 as far as we know. Bronzo of course means "bronze". It was specially made (or so the liner claims) for Radiconcini, a prolific retailer in Rome. Piuma means "feather", so it's meant to be lightweight.

Wow! Great info and thank you so much for the translation. I know the seller did have it posted as being 1970's but I wasn't sure. I love wearing it and it's definitely one of my favorites.

 

[custamontira]

The hat arrived today, here's the label. The lining however seems to be weakly attached, the sewing thread is falling off. Would it be hard to repair that by oneself?

 

[Steve1857]

The hat arrived today, here's the label. The lining however seems to be weakly attached, the sewing thread is falling off. Would it be hard to repair that by oneself?

I believe the digits at the top right with the hyphen after the 76 suggests your hat is from 1976.

Stefan @steur will know better.

Again, nice find.

 

[steur]

The hat arrived today, here's the label. The lining however seems to be weakly attached, the sewing thread is falling off. Would it be hard to repair that by oneself?

I believe the digits at the top right with the hyphen after the 76 suggests your hat is from 1976.

Stefan @steur will know better.

Again, nice find.

Steve is spot on, othing to add there. Sewing in a liner is doable, but if you're not very skilled with sewing it is a bit of a hassle. The liner usually stays well enough in place under the sweatband.

 

[custamontira]

Steve is spot on, othing to add there. Sewing in a liner is doable, but if you're not very skilled with sewing it is a bit of a hassle. The liner usually stays well enough in place under the sweatband.

@Steve1857 Thanks a lot to both of you!

 

[steur]

Decided to go for this one but misread the size label a bit, so it's not my size.

Borsalino Galmoela bowler. Size 58 with the brim at 5,2cm and the crown at 13cm. This one has some age to it and is not in pristine condition. It may have had a liner, but it's no longer there and it has received some bumps in its past it seems. Very thin felt with a nice hand to it as one would expect from Borsalino. It is a model we have not seen before and it does feature a very nice decorative sweatband (can't quite make out the words though). With the separate size label it's late thirties for this one.

 

[riddlers]

I am looking at a "vintage" Borsalino hat and wonder if any of you may be able to tell an approximate date from the photo the seller sent. He has it dated back to the 1940's but that doesn't seem accurate based upon what information members in here have provided; but there is an outside chance he may be correct.

Thank you.

 

[Steve1857]

I am looking at a "vintage" Borsalino hat and wonder if any of you may be able to tell an approximate date from the photo the seller sent. He has it dated back to the 1940's but that doesn't seem accurate based upon what information members in here have provided; but there is an outside chance he may be correct. View attachment 578483 Thank you.

The liner doesn't look particularly 1940s. We'll need more photos, especially of the label under the sweatband. The labels sticking out of the sweat don't exactly scream 1940s either.

 

[carouselvic]

I am looking at a "vintage" Borsalino hat and wonder if any of you may be able to tell an approximate date from the photo the seller sent. He has it dated back to the 1940's but that doesn't seem accurate based upon what information members in here have provided; but there is an outside chance he may be correct. Thank you.

Not 40’s
not. 50’s
not 60’s

 

[riddlers]

Not 40’s
not. 50’s
not 60’s

Thank you for your clarification of age. Previous to posting the picture, I had read in the forum a post by Bedsor who stated he worked in a hat store for decades. He indicated the writing in Italian, Antica Casa, more or less meant a hat was made likely in the mid 1980's or later. He indicated prior to that, most hats had the writing inside the band in English if the Borsalino was made for the US market. His post is #44 on this page: Antica Casa

 

[Steve1857]

Thank you for your clarification of age. Previous to posting the picture, I had read in the forum a post by Bedsor who stated he worked in a hat store for decades. He indicated the writing in Italian, Antica Casa, more or less meant a hat was made likely in the mid 1980's or later. He indicated prior to that, most hats had the writing inside the band in English if the Borsalino was made for the US market. His post is #44 on this page: Antica Casa

That's an old thread and not of much use. Borsalino used Antica Casa many decades before the 1980s. It means "ancient house" btw.

The hat you posted could well be from the 1980s or later, but has nothing to do with the Antica Casa designation.

Ask the seller to show the label under the sweatband.

 

[DonR]

This is my first posting to this thread. I figured I'd start with my latest and thus far favorite. A Borsalino Grand Luxe 5X. The color is a light gray with a 1 3/4" dark blue grosgrain ribbon.
The brim is 2 1/2" raw edge. The felt is thick and very soft and velvety.
You can see that there used to be a oil skin protector, but it has been removed.
There is a protector behind the 1 7/8" sweatband.

This may very well become one of my favorite hats indeed.

 

[steur]

This is my first posting to this thread. I figured I'd start with my latest and thus far favorite. A Borsalino Grand Luxe 5X. The color is a light gray with a 1 3/4" dark blue grosgrain ribbon.
The brim is 2 1/2" raw edge. The felt is thick and very soft and velvety.
You can see that there used to be a oil skin protector, but it has been removed.
There is a protector behind the 1 7/8" sweatband.

This may very well become one of my favorite hats indeed.

View attachment 578849 View attachment 578850
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View attachment 578852 View attachment 578853 View attachment 578854 View attachment 578855

Thanks for posting this one. What a way to make an entrance into the brotherhood!

 

[DonR]

A sage colored Borsalino with matching grosgrain ribbon. The oil skin is still intact.
Not sure of the model, but maybe somebody here can tell me. The tag shows Olivo, but I think it is closer to sage.

The picture colors may seem a bit off, but I had to adjust the color to more accurately portray the color of the hat. My camera wanted to make it more blue which I wouldn't have minded, but the sage is pleasant.

The felt on this is about a little more than half as think as the last hat I posted and not quite as soft, but still very nice.

The crown is about 4 1/2" bashed.
The brim is 2 1/2" with a small 1/8" grosgrain binding matching ribbon
The ribbon is a matching 1 5/8" grosgrain
The sweatband is 2" without extra backing protection

A very nice hat.

It came with that small Borsalino box with a spare ribbon. Would the hat have been originally sent in that box? The ribbon is a much lighter brown than the picture depicts.

Can somebody here explain the difference between the red size tag versus the blue?

 

[Blare]

A sage colored Borsalino with matching grosgrain ribbon. The oil skin is still intact.
Not sure of the model, but maybe somebody here can tell me. The tag shows Olivo, but I think it is closer to sage.

The picture colors may seem a bit off, but I had to adjust the color to more accurately portray the color of the hat. My camera wanted to make it more blue which I wouldn't have minded, but the sage is pleasant.

The felt on this is about a little more than half as think as the last hat I posted and not quite as soft, but still very nice.

The crown is about 4 1/2" bashed.
The brim is 2 1/2" with a small 1/8" grosgrain binding matching ribbon
The ribbon is a matching 1 5/8" grosgrain
The sweatband is 2" without extra backing protection

A very nice hat.

It came with that small Borsalino box with a spare ribbon. Would the hat have been originally sent in that box? The ribbon is a much lighter brown than the picture depicts.

Can somebody here explain the difference between the red size tag versus the blue?

View attachment 579123
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My oh my! Knocking them out of the park, Don! The boxes we affectionately refer to as coffin boxes in reference to their shape. These were intended for tourists to roll up and stow their Borsalino hat purchase for their voyage home. The idea being they could take to their hatter upon return to have it shaped…. Or simply steam it themselves as an instruction pamphlet I found in one of mine indicated.