The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[St. Valentine]

The store is located in Mainz and is called "Der Hutladen". I bought the Borsa off Ebay and the seller is named "hutundmuetze" there. Great service and fast shipping too!

Frank

 

[Chepstow]

Thanks. Yes I know the shop, Frank! Another good shop is hutshopping.de.
The cheaper alternative is a used vintage hat

 

[furfeltfettish]

Here is my humble application the the brotherhood. Its a 60s Alessandria that I got on the bay last summer. Unfortunately when I examined it after the purchase I saw that the unreeded sweat had dry rot on the stitching in many places. My hat refurb guy said that he didn't know of anyone in the country who had the machinery to repair an unreeded sweat. I let him put in a new sweat, which is thin and high quality, as well as a perfectly matched vintage ribbon. Wish the pics could do it justice but it turned out great. I have been using Johnnys custom hatters, in Longview texas. Its an old family operation with 70s prices, and he uses vintage grosgrain. The sweat replacement and new ribbon, as well as shipping back to me was around 25 bucks. I was well pleased I can tell ya, and have sent many hats to him for custom ribbons.

I find that with the light weight and versatility in how i can so easily shape it, this is the one I grab when I'm heading out the door! I would really love one of the roll ups though!

 

[zetwal]

Here is my humble application the the brotherhood. Its a 60s Alessandria that I got on the bay last summer. Unfortunately when I examined it after the purchase I saw that the unreeded sweat hat dry rot on the stitching in many places. My hat refurb guy said that he didn't know of anyone in the country who had the machinery to repair an unreeded sweat. I let him put in a new sweat, which is thin and high quality, as well as a perfectly matched vintage ribbon. Wish the pics could do it justice but it turned out great. I have been using Johnnys custom hatters, in Longview texas. Its an old family operation with 70s prices, and he uses vintage grosgrain. The sweat replacement and new ribbon, as well as shipping back to me was around 25 bucks. I was well pleased I can tell ya, and have sent many hats to him for custom ribbons.

So Johnny's has thin sweatbands. That's good to know. Is the new sweatband as thin as the original?

Welcome to the Brotherhood ... :yo:

 

[furfeltfettish]

I would say the sweat is as thin or thinner than the original. And the guy that does the work, as well as owns it is Ronnie Bardwell. Last time he sent me a stretch of 1" vintage grosgrain in navy blue, no charge, with another hat he'd worked on for me, and I installed that on a silverbelly fedora to great affect. And thanks for the welcome

 

[gtdean48]

I would say the sweat is as thin or thinner than the original. And the guy that does the work, as well as owns it is Ronnie Bardwell. Last time he sent me a stretch of 1" vintage grosgrain in navy blue, no charge, with another hat he'd worked on for me, and I installed that on a silverbelly fedora to great affect. And thanks for the welcome

Does he have a website or just a storefront in Longview? That is a deal for sweatband replacement. I possibly have some work to send his way at those rates....

 

[furfeltfettish]

Ronnie doesn't have a website and I get the feeling he's the kind of guy who never will. Really old school in a charming way. I send my treasures to
Johnnys custom hatters
317 Longview, Tx 75601
(903) 753-4600

you can tell him that you were referred by Steve in Austin.

 

[Old Buzzard]

Ronnie doesn't have a website and I get the feeling he's the kind of guy who never will. Really old school in a charming way. I send my treasures to
Johnnys custom hatters
317 Longview, Tx 75601
(903) 753-4600



you can tell him that you were referred by Steve in Austin.

Part of address left out, should read 317 E. Cotton St. Longview, Texas 75601

OB

 

[zetwal]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?35517

 

[Terry "The Hat"]

I'm still looking for my first Borsalino. I wear a 7 5/8 Long Oval (The LO part is not that important. I can take care of that). A larger 7 1/2 would do also. I've been keeping my eye out on here and on Ebay. I'd like an old Borso Homburg if I could find one. If anyone sees anything nice in that neighborhood shoot me a pm.

 

[zetwal]

I'm still looking for my first Borsalino. I wear a 7 5/8 Long Oval (The LO part is not that important. I can take care of that). A larger 7 1/2 would do also. I've been keeping my eye out on here and on Ebay. I'd like an old Borso Homburg if I could find one. If anyone sees anything nice in that neighborhood shoot me a pm.

Over the years, I have seen a Borsalino Homburg or two that big.

Yes they're scarce, but they are out there ...

 

[gtdean48]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?35517

Thought this sounded familiar....

 

[mikeh]

The store is located in Mainz and is called "Der Hutladen". I bought the Borsa off Ebay and the seller is named "hutundmuetze" there. Great service and fast shipping too!

Frank

Frank, welcome to the Brotherhood from another recent brother. Ironically, my own Borsa came (originally at least) from a hat shop just across the river from yours - Hut Bender in Frankfurt am Main. I got it at a consignment shop here in Milwaukee and the staff said it was sold by a "cute little old German lady." I gave them my phone number and am supposedly the first call if she brings in any more of her German husbands hats! Anyway, enjoy your hat, very nice looking.

 

[St. Valentine]

Thank you Mikeh! Not only that your thrift stores are full of vintage american hats, but even the german bought ones seem to be washed up your coast! No wonder I can´t find any here and have to buy new ones. I keep thumbs pressed for you that the old lady shows up again.

Frank

 

[furfeltfettish]

thanks for the address correction--my bad

 

[Rabbit]

Borsalino Film, produced in 2011 - felt comparison: high quality modern production hat versus high-quality modern custom and vintage production hats

Not an entirely fair contest, obviously. This is merely intended to give an idea of the differences in felting and felt finish. In the hope of not oversimplifying things too much, I have chosen two Borsalini from the 1940/50s (Natalsca and Gorasgu models), one Resistol Kitten Finish Melorol from the mid-50s (none of them with raised-hair finishes), and a VS Blue Smoke Suede Finish, which comes closest to the high-quality vintage hat's smooth finish.

The modern Borsalino is made of rabbit/hare felt; the VS is beaver, which in itself makes it possible to create a smoother, denser finish. The modern Borsalino's felt as such handles very well.
Borsalino can still make very decent quality hats (which is nice to see) at prices below custom level, but the overall level of workmanship and the felt finish reflects that price difference.
The vintage hats have the advantage of felting techniques which are no longer in use, obviously.

The modern Borsalino Film:

A testimony to the decent felt quality - the felt is very soft and takes any crease easily.

...and immediately after that:

 

[Rabbit]

Continued

Modern production Borsalino versus vintage and modern custom hats:

Save the pics to view the full resolution. If you switch through the pics of the five separately photographed hats in a photo viewing programm, you should see the differences better than when viewing them online. Note that the Natalsca looks way more similar to the Film in the pics than it does in person.

Borso Natalsca (upper left corner), VS (lower left), Film (right):

...with Resistol in the lower right corner:

VS (0900h), Natalsca (1200h), Resistol (0300h), Film (0600h):

Resistol:

Film:

VS:

Natalsca:

Gorasgu:

Film (left) versus Gorasgu (right):

 

[job]

I'm no expert so let me see if I understand this a little better. Are you showing that the Film is more loosely felted or that it is not as well pounced or both.

This is my modern Alessandria. It is very soft but a little fuzzy. More so that any other hat I have even my Akubra country hats.

 

[Landman]

I've looked around the forum and this thread but couldn't find a definitive answer so I'll ask it here.

Where is the best place to buy a new Borsalino Alessandria if you live in the US?

Thanks for your help.

 

[VetPsychWars]

I've looked around the forum and this thread but couldn't find a definitive answer so I'll ask it here.

Where is the best place to buy a new Borsalino Alessandria if you live in the US?

Thanks for your help.

Probably no one "best". If they have a color you want, Bencraft Hats has the best price.