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The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,246
Location
Verona - Italia
Though not vintage this Borsalino Bogart is a joy to wear, soft and comfortable (on a walk around Oglebay Park, Wheeling West Virginia)

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Not vintage at all, but It was last Borsalino to have a real appeal. I was tempted in Venezia some year ago...It has a perfect combination of colours, very classic in Borsalino range, with a retrò shape and a good felt. Maybe one day
 
Messages
17,514
Location
Maryland
Marcel,

Super find and in fantastic condition! This is a Type 2 celled label. They are earlier paper labels. You can see more here (see link below). I need to update the thread although your hat is probably the only one. Can you please post your hat here.

 
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Pellie

One Too Many
Messages
1,658
Location
Enschede, Netherlands
Marcel,

Super find and in fantastic condition! This is a Type 2 celled label. They are earlier paper labels. You can see more here (see link below). I need to update the thread although your hat is probably the only one. Can you please post your hat here.

Thanks Steve. I just posted it in this thread ;-)
 
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M.M.

New in Town
Messages
4
I have been looking into F.C. de Hosson of Leiden. It stands for Frederic Carolus de Hosson, born in Dordrecht on the 13th of march 1908 and died 29th of december 1991 in Sassenheim. He was on the city council of Leiden from 1948 until 1958 for the KVP (Catholic People's Party) and had a shop in menswear in Leiden (hence the name on the hat of course). The shop was located on Gangetje 6 in Leiden. Could not find any visual reference of either the man or the shop.
Thanks Steur! I initially did a quick search for FC de Hosson, but didn't find anything. Inspired by your finds I did some searching through the archives of Leiden newspapers and found some more information.

The menswear store was called 'Windsor' and run by F.C. de Hosson between 1943 and 1968, which gives us an indication that the hat is (probably not much) older than 1943. The shop changes to a ladieswear shop in 1977 ('Lady Windsor').

I found the following ad from July'44, when Leiden was still occupied. (It says: 'A Borsalino was always synonymous to something good. The same can be said when Windsor has treated your old hat. Because Windsor does it so correctly.' and 'Windsor for repairs of shawls, hats and underwear.' )

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I found one picture of the shop. The archive tells us 1972, but I'm not sure that's the date of the picture or when it was added to the archive. It's the one behind the tree, without the sunscreen.
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In 1957, FC de Hosson received some Catholic decoration, pictured with the bishop of Rotterdam and with his wife.

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(The sources, for completeness: shop start date, ad, decoration picture, about the shop, shop picture)
 
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M.M.

New in Town
Messages
4
I got myself a new one! (It's addictive, isn't it?)

It feels really light (85g on my kitchen scales), it's quite hairy, is very shapeable and has a thin supply leather sweat band. There's no liner, and the logo in the crown I haven't seen before, browsing through the lounge. The paper label is missing (was it ever there?), but there is a size label under the sweat band. Looking at the date-you-Borsalino-posts, the serrated size label looks like the one from '36 to 53. Any thoughs?

And it fits perfectly!

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Pellie

One Too Many
Messages
1,658
Location
Enschede, Netherlands
I got myself a new one! (It's addictive, isn't it?)

It feels really light, it's quite hairy, is very shapeable and has a thin supply leather sweat band. There's no liner, and the logo in the crown I haven't seen before, browsing through the lounge. The paper label is missing (was it ever there?), but there is a size label under the sweat band. Looking at the date-you-Borsalino-posts, the serrated size label looks like the one from '36 to 53. Any thoughs?

And it fits perfectly!

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Nice, i saw this one on Vinted recently right? I was wondering if it ever was a showmodel or something (propaganda).
 

Mean Eyed Matt

One Too Many
Messages
1,142
Location
Germany
I got myself a new one! (It's addictive, isn't it?)

It feels really light (85g on my kitchen scales), it's quite hairy, is very shapeable and has a thin supply leather sweat band. There's no liner, and the logo in the crown I haven't seen before, browsing through the lounge. The paper label is missing (was it ever there?), but there is a size label under the sweat band. Looking at the date-you-Borsalino-posts, the serrated size label looks like the one from '36 to 53. Any thoughs?

And it fits perfectly!

View attachment 648395

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Fantastic find: This felt ist wonderful! This one definitely belongs here too:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/the-satin-finish-long-hair-club.32369/
 

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,246
Location
Verona - Italia
It feels really light (85g on my kitchen scales), it's quite hairy, is very shapeable and has a thin supply leather sweat band. There's no liner, and the logo in the crown I haven't seen before, browsing through the lounge. The paper label is missing (was it ever there?), but there is a size label under the sweat band. Looking at the date-you-Borsalino-posts, the serrated size label looks like the one from '36 to 53. Any thoughs?

And it fits perfectly!

20241021_180423.jpg
It is a really nice hat. Felt is a "Misto" (fur+wool) to obtain this texture with nap
Propaganda means promote or advertise, so it could be a sample hat sent to a distributor or a shop to show the quality of the Borsalino hats. The trademark in the crown is what make me think of this "use" of this hat.
About date is very difficult to be precise because ita has two size tag, one old and the other more recent, nevertheless a very interesting historical Borsalino
 

neuron

New in Town
Messages
14
AT last! I found a gent in the Bay Area who was willing to clean and bock hats that were not his creations; particulars on request. He like the hats my friends and I brought in last month, that he actually fixed a couple "while-we-waited" in this very retro workshop, complete with antique steamers, blocks, stretchers, sewing machines.

I asked him to cleanup and reblock my "Rusco" colored Borsalino, (July 24, 2024:eek:st #9896) and gave it a new ribbon for good measure. And having a pretty model never hurt any hat.
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Rmccamey

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,860
Location
Central Texas
Very nice hat. There are still a few good hatters around, you just have to look. Bay area? You mean near San Francisco?

AT last! I found a gent in the Bay Area who was willing to clean and bock hats that were not his creations; particulars on request. He like the hats my friends and I brought in last month, that he actually fixed a couple "while-we-waited" in this very retro workshop, complete with antique steamers, blocks, stretchers, sewing machines.

I asked him to cleanup and reblock my "Rusco" colored Borsalino, (July 24, 2024:eek:st #9896) and gave it a new ribbon for good measure. And having a pretty model never hurt any hat. View attachment 649941
 

neuron

New in Town
Messages
14
Very nice hat. There are still a few good hatters around, you just have to look. Bay area? You mean near San Francisco?
Yes. I tried 5 or 6 other folks, who all pointed toward Berkeley. Luckily, he saw that we had brought some quality headware and he didn't say "No" before inspection.
 
Messages
18,443
Location
Nederland
Borsalino Erodisti homburg in a grey colour called pomice. Size 56 with the brim at a generous 6,5cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. I had to sew the damaged leather back to the reed, so those with a sensitive disposition in regards to poor needlework, please avert your eyes. Weighs 119 grams. Different in style than the other Borsalino homburg hats with its wider brim and thin brim binding. Very cool hat.

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TheDavel

New in Town
Messages
15
Got this one on ebay. I haven't seen the "Made in Italy" below the Borsalino stamp before in any pics (and I did look!). No idea what the age of it would be, but if I read the listing of the tag descriptions in "Dating a Borsalino", the serrated one on this would be late 50s-early 60? Anyone have an idea? Of course, my wanting to know is purely curiosity... I already like the hat plenty!

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Messages
18,443
Location
Nederland
Got this one on ebay. I haven't seen the "Made in Italy" below the Borsalino stamp before in any pics (and I did look!). No idea what the age of it would be, but if I read the listing of the tag descriptions in "Dating a Borsalino", the serrated one on this would be late 50s-early 60? Anyone have an idea? Of course, my wanting to know is purely curiosity... I already like the hat plenty!

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Nice find and indeed it is between 1954 and 1960 agewise. Extra cool is that the model name, which I read as ta-atote, is one we have not seen before.
 

itsallgood

One of the Regulars
Messages
179
AT last! I found a gent in the Bay Area who was willing to clean and bock hats that were not his creations; particulars on request.
Hi neuron, who did the work??? I have a couple that have become pretty grungy. I'd love to get my Akubra Banjo Paterson cleaned and blocked.
 

Martvjp

New in Town
Messages
37
Hello friends,

Need your help regarding this Borsalino I found. I don’t know much about Borsalino, and I never saw this “Junior” mention before. Do you know if it’s a rabbit felt ? Or something else ? And what Junior means ? The seller confirmed it was a 60cm but I don’t know what to think. Below the pictures.

Thanks a lot for your help!
 

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Pellie

One Too Many
Messages
1,658
Location
Enschede, Netherlands
Hello friends,

Need your help regarding this Borsalino I found. I don’t know much about Borsalino, and I never saw this “Junior” mention before. Do you know if it’s a rabbit felt ? Or something else ? And what Junior means ? The seller confirmed it was a 60cm but I don’t know what to think. Below the pictures.

Thanks a lot for your help!
I have a junior myself and that's a good hat. I think it's rabbit. It think "junior" is just a marketing thing, but not sure. The size is standing in the label on the picture, but i can't read it very well. Does it say 5 1/2?
5= 57, 5 1/2=58, 6=59. Hope this helps?
 

Martvjp

New in Town
Messages
37
I have a junior myself and that's a good hat. I think it's rabbit. It think "junior" is just a marketing thing, but not sure. The size is standing in the label on the picture, but i can't read it very well. Does it say 5 1/2?
5= 57, 5 1/2=58, 6=59. Hope this helps?
Hello Pellie,
Thanks a lot, it definitely help. It’s a 6 1/2 so probably 60cm as the seller told me. Need to determine if it’s rabbit or wool but I do believe I won’t be able to know until I get it in my hands. The seller thinks it’s rabbit as well… I will do an offer a bit cheaper to see what he says. Thanks again!
 

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