The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[TheDane]

Alan, you're blessed to live in a country with a substantial hat-culture! Over here it's hard to find a flea market, featuring a single hat - and then it's most likely just a swim-cap [huh]

What a beauty!

 

[mayserwegener]

Alan, Great Borsalino! Also super background information and photos!

 

[Ordinary Guy]

Always nice to get a wonderful hat at those prices and then icing on the cake to get the other info as to the previous owner and then to wonder about the upgrades......

That hat is the pinnacle of hat collecting IMHO......

 

[randooch]

Alan, Great Borsalino! Also super background information and photos!

That sums it up! :eusa_clap

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks for the thumbs up on the hat and provenance. The address of the former owner is intriguing to me. When I first moved to Buffalo I met friends who were involved in the defense of five fellows who were arrested and prosecuted for an anti-war action. The house they lived in was on the same one block east side street as this fellow. Have to do a little more research.

 

[Chepstow]

Alan, that is a jackpot for every hat wearer, spectacular! The good one, looks as fresh as from the shop!
A great find and bargain!!

 

[Purplesage]

Nice hat. Guess I need to start going to more flea markets!

 

[Chepstow]

A long story short! A last minute auction, a Borsalino, looked on the seller photo
like a Homburg. In 2 minutes end the auction, size 50, he, that could not be!
1 EUR pang it's my.
Arrived today, what is that, that is a rarely Borsalino Melone, in that small package.
I was very happy and suprised about a Melone but what was that, the seller stuffed it in the to small package and the front brim was broken.
I could repair it, glue and hair for first aid, the next step is to work with more hair!
Here are the pics!

 

[ManofKent]

That break is a real shame. Good luck with the repair.

 

[alanfgag]

+1... such a sweet and rare hat, in beautiful shape otherwise.

 

[Chepstow]

Richard and Alan, thanks guys for your kind words! The next black hat I see on a flea market is a hair donor!

 

[alanfgag]

Manfred, I have an unfinished black felt body that I've used pieces of for repairs. If you don't come across what you are looking for let me know and I'll snip a piece off for you.

 

[Chepstow]

Thanks Alan, that sounds great! If I find nothing on a fleamarket, I will come gladly back to your offer!
Thousand thanks my friend for your help!

 

[mayserwegener]

Manfred, Sorry to see this damage! Rare to come across a Borsalino stiff felt. Super!

 

[Chepstow]

Thanks Steve, do you have a guess how old it is!

 

[Ghost Rider]

OK, so where shall I start. After much pressure from members of this fine lounge, and being made to feel inferior for only owning wool fedoras (OK, OK, I'm only joking ), I decided to buy my first felt fur fedora. I couldn't decide whether to post this in the the "Post New Hats Here", "What hat are you wearing today", Fedoras Afield" threads, but since I'm so proud of my latest (although since yesterday, actually no longer my latest - see "Post New Hats Here" thread) hat, I thought it just had to be this one.

So, I'm now the very proud owner of a Borsalino "Marrone" (Chestnut) fedora. It was the smallest size available from Borsalino (55), although I was told that for the German market, Borsalino actually make their hats one size larger than on the tag. Despite this being the smallest available, it was still a little on the large size for me, so Hut Neubarth in Augsburg (hatmakers in their own right, although today they only manufacture ladies hats) carefully removed the sweat band, cut a good centimetre out and then stitched it back together so well, on first look at my modified hat, I didn't think they had even started work on it! Some pictures, although these don't really show the true colour very well:









So, I'm a very happy bunny (unlike the one that donated its fur) at the moment

 

[Ghost Rider]

Oh, and since my post count has elevated me to "Familiar Face", I'll make an exception and give you a noggin shot:



Actually, this self portait with my iPhone shows the colour better than the photos above.

 

[hatsRme]

Perfect! Great start, sir. Enjoy the ride!

 

[Ghost Rider]

Many thanks, but I (or more specifically my wife) can see that this is going to get real expensive real soon

 

[mayserwegener]

Ghost Rider, Looks great! My friend Herbert Jennissen owns Hut Neubarth. He is a trained (in Austria) hat maker but no longer makes men's hats. By the way with your small hat size you will be able to find great vintage deals. Here is an example of custom bow work done by Hut Neubarth.