The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[mayserwegener]

Gray, 7 1/2 Borsalino Zenit Homburg. Time? There was some folded newspaper under the sweatband from 1972. The hat could be 60ies, though. Maybe earlier.

Does anyone have a clue about the "Zenit" destination?

For 5 EURO, it is my cheapest hat, so far

Super Homburg plus amazing deal!

Doesn't have the Qualität you see with German market Borsalinos. Hard to say on the dating especially with it being a Homburg. I think your 60s guess might be right.

From what I found regarding Borsalino use of Zenit = Zenith. So this would be the best quality -> top of the line.

 

[rlk]

Used by G.B.Borsalino back to early in the century and still used:
http://www.rmr-hats.com/Borsalino-Zenit-Hat-143-1-0.html

 

[Dreispitz]

Thank you MW and RLK!

Here, I found some information in the "Informatore Alessandrino On Line" of 2008.

A film of 1926 on the making of the Borsalino Zenith has appeared and was donated to the Borsalino museum. The Zenith line was a very top class line of hats with a recognisable lable (Infine viene ribadito che lo Zenith è un cappello di gran lusso e la chiusura è affidata ai primi piani del cappello e del suo interno, ben visibile l'etichetta). Alongside the Paris Exhibition of 1910 there was a marketing competition, in which Borsalino praticipated with the Zenith campaign with graphics by Lazzaro.

__________________

2008, L´Informatore Alessandrino On Line.

"giovedì 8 maggio 2008
Presentazione della pellicola restaurata "Borsalino, fabbricazione cappello Zenith"

Il Museo del Cappello Borsalino aggiungerà ai suoi preziosi reperti anche il documentario "Borsalino, fabbricazione cappello Zenith" realizzato nel 1926 e ritrovato di recente nel fondo del Cinestabilimento Donato. La pellicola originale è stata restaurata dalla Fondazione Luigi Micheletti di Brescia grazie al contributo del Club di Alessandria del Soroptimist International d'Italia. Domenica 11 maggio, alle ore 9,30 il vicesindaco e assessore alla cultura e turismo Paolo Bonadeo riceverà copia in DVD di questa rarità dalla presidente Adele Villosio del Club Soroptimist di Alessandria, che ha inteso farne dono al Museo del Cappello Borsalino. Si tratta di un documentario inedito che in circa venti minuti racconta le fasi di ideazione e fabbricazione di un cappello. Venne commissionato dalla G. B. Borsalino fu Lazzaro per illustrare il cappello modello Zenith. La pellicola faceva parte della collezione privata dei fratelli Donato, attivi col loro cinestabilimento tra gli anni Trenta e gli anni Settanta soprattutto nella post-produzione di film a soggetto e documentari. La proiezione organizzata nella sala lauree di palazzo Borsalino sarà la prima aperta al pubblico di questo prezioso documento cinematografico muto, con didascalie ad inserto in lingua inglese e spagnola. L'evento di presentazione è inserito nel programma delle celebrazioni del 40° anniversario della fondazione del club Soroptimist in Alessandria, organizzate nelle giornate di sabato 10 e domenica 11 maggio. Dopo la presentazione il documentario sarà a disposizione dei visitatori del Museo del Cappello Borsalino, in una postazione multimediale dedicata. SCHEDA TECNICA Il documentario ha una breve introduzione di finzione: una nave fa naufragio e si salva soltanto un giovane inglese che guadagna la riva di un isolotto deserto. Fra i pochi oggetti che il naufrago recupera c'è un fucile, con cui uccide un coniglio, quindi lo scuoia e si rende conto che la pelle dell'animale possiede particolari ed interessanti caratteristiche fra cui quella di essere impermeabile. Il naufrago subito immagina di poter sfruttare in modo industriale la scoperta, realizzando un panno di nuova concezione. L'ellissi temporale fa ritrovare il naufrago in abito da cerimonia in una scena che ricrea l'immagine "del cappello abbandonato sopra una poltrona in anticamera, con un bastone ed un paio di guanti" resa celebre dal manifesto creato da Marcello Dudovich nel 1911. La seconda parte del documentario è un susseguirsi di immagini realizzate con una sola macchina da presa fissa e luce naturale. C'è un un campo lungo dello stabilimento che in quel tempo produceva 3.500 cappelli al giorno e poi si alternano immagini e didascalie che mostrano la centrale termoelettrica, le sette caldaie, la turbina da 500hp. Quindi vi sono le fasi di lavorazione del cappello: le pelli di coniglio passano nei ventilatori, seguono le due fasi di infeltrimento e quella di compressione meccanica, la conciatura, la tintura meccanica e quella a mano, quindi viene data forma al cappello e viene raffinato con la pietra pomice. Le inquadrature sono centrate su macchinari e azioni degli operai: ecco la sala delle guarnizioni, le sarte che cuciono i bordi e la striscia di cuoio all'interno, la fase finale di pulizia. Vengono mostrate la sala campioni e quella per il confezionamento ingombra di cappelliere e poi la litografia, l'officina meccanica, la carpenteria (dove si intravedono i carrelli per il trasporto dei cappelli). Una curiosa immagine di un carro trainato con cavallo che trascina un carico di cappelliere introduce l'ultima parte della pellicola, dove viene mostrata la squadra di pompieri che era di stanza all'interno dello stabilimento (un autocarro, un'autoscala trainata da cavalli ed un carretto spinto a mano). La conclusione è preannunciata da un'inquadratura resa classica dai fratelli Lumiere e da Giovanni Pastrone ovvero l'uscita degli operai dalla fabbrica, che in questo caso consente di ammirare la facciata della "G.B. Borsalino fu Lazzaro" che dava sull'odierno Corso Felice Cavallotti. Alcune didascalie informano dell'esistenza di un gruppo sportivo aziendale, che la domenica si ritrova a fare attività in un campo allestito proprio dal capellificio, e che nel 1910 è stato indetto un concorso all'Esposizione Internazionale di Parigi per un "manifesto reclame" con giuria giudicatrice formata da Leonardo Bistolfi, Giovanni Beltrame, Arnaldo Ferraguti e Renato Simoni, vinto da Dudovich agli inizi della sua brillante carriera di cartellonista. Infine viene ribadito che lo Zenith è un cappello di gran lusso e la chiusura è affidata ai primi piani del cappello e del suo interno, ben visibile l'etichetta."

 

[rlk]

Here's a very similar stamp from an Italian sold Borsalino of the late 1950's approximately.
Even though the numbering is a mystery, we may be able to use the style and details of these stamps as a general dating system as they seem to have changed more frequently than liner and sweatband designs which may pertain to an individual seller rather than the factory. The numbering groups-# of digits, borders Borsalino script,typeface etc. Can we collect them from hats that we have some clue of age?

 

[mayserwegener]

I am pretty sure (based on the hat style) this one also made for the Italian market is from the 1960s maybe early 1970s and it looks very similar. I have a couple of German market Borsalinos that I believe are from the 1960s or early 70s with similar labels.

 

[rlk]

I am pretty sure (based on the hat style) this one also made for the Italian market is from the 1960s maybe early 1970s and it looks very similar. I have a couple of German market Borsalinos that I believe are from the 1960s or early 70s with similar labels.

Hard to pin that one down by style (late 1950's to present) but they definitely changed stamps by the mid 70's, perhaps earlier.

 

[mayserwegener]

Hard to pin that one down by style (late 1950's to present) but they definitely changed stamps by the mid 70's, perhaps earlier.

The green velour German market Alpen I posted a while back has a similar label. I am pretty sure that one is the late 60s early 70s. The gray German market Alpen I posted recently has the label with the date stamp ('79).

 

[ScottF]

ECHTER BORSALINO

I've been dying for this auction to end so I could ask about it! Has anyone seen Borsalino sweatband stamping like this? It looks like Borsalino pre-stamped it especially for the German market.

German Borsalino on ebay

 

[mayserwegener]

I've been dying for this auction to end so I could ask about it! Has anyone seen Borsalino sweatband stamping like this? It looks like Borsalino pre-stamped it especially for the German market.

German Borsalino on ebay

Yes I posted a few on this thread. My hats are 1960s/70s. I am not sure if it goes back to the 1950s. Borsalino made hats for different markets.

For example here is a similar Homburg.

 

[ScottF]

Yes I posted a few on this thread. My hats are 1960s/70s. I am not sure if it goes back to the 1950s. Borsalino made hats for different markets.

For example here is a similar Homburg.
[/IMG]

Thanks! I have also seen 'export quality' or similar, but not the 'exported to' country's version of 'genuine' (Echter, in this case) stamped on the sweatband.

I love the look of that hat - reminds me of the one Liam Neeson wore in 'Michael Collins'.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Used by G.B.Borsalino back to early in the century and still used:http://www.rmr-hats.com/Borsalino-Zenit-Hat-143-1-0.html

Thanks RLK! I can't remember if I had posted this earlier. I found this hanging in a restaurant in Liverpool, England in May this year.

-dixon cannon

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks! I have also seen 'export quality' or similar, but not the 'exported to' country's version of 'genuine' (Echter, in this case) stamped on the sweatband.

I love the look of that hat - reminds me of the one Liam Neeson wore in 'Michael Collins'.

I don't have one with the additional German wordage just "Qualität". The use of "Echter" is common with German hats. These German market Borsalinos are pretty consistent regarding liner and string bow at rear of sweat. This is another example.

 

[Aureliano]

Silver Belly...

From Jay Kos Park Avenue, NYC.
My new beaver friend. Silver belly. Crown is tall, 5 inches and 2 1/4 brim. Gorgeous ribbon. The way the sweat band is stitched is different from all my other Borsalinos, vintage and not. Very pleased with the purchase!

 

[billysmom]

It's wonderful, Aureliano! Very elegant. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Aureliano]

Thanks billysmom!

 

[billysmom]

New open crown

I bought this on eBay and it landed on the front porch today. It's obviously for the US market (no reeding, Original House, size 7). The sweatband and lining are pristine. The topside has accumulated some dust and shows evidence of prior creasing, but very faintly. The puzzling thing to me is the label inside the sweatband. It does not look like any on either this thread or the dating-by-label thread. Just the size and a pencil-written number.

It's super lightweight. Not quite as soft as my older Borsolino with the yellow liner shield, but it still feels like smooth suede. Plenty of body. I'm really going to enjoy playing with this one - and then WEARING it. It's the only felt hat I own (and I'm accumulating plenty!) that feels like a warm weather topper.

I've printed out jtl's creasing tutorial and intend to study it tomorrow. (Off to choir practice tonight.)
Sue

 

[Garrett]

I bought this on eBay and it landed on the front porch today. It's obviously for the US market (no reeding, Original House, size 7). The sweatband and lining are pristine. The topside has accumulated some dust and shows evidence of prior creasing, but very faintly. The puzzling thing to me is the label inside the sweatband. It does not look like any on either this thread or the dating-by-label thread. Just the size and a pencil-written number.

It's super lightweight. Not quite as soft as my older Borsolino with the yellow liner shield, but it still feels like smooth suede. Plenty of body. I'm really going to enjoy playing with this one - and then WEARING it. It's the only felt hat I own (and I'm accumulating plenty!) that feels like a warm weather topper.

I've printed out jtl's creasing tutorial and intend to study it tomorrow. (Off to choir practice tonight.)
Sue

Nice catch, Sue. I was the first bidder on that one and I'm glad it went to you. Could you do me a favor and photograph it in natural light? Never could figure out the true color of that one.

 

[billysmom]

In natural light:

Sure thing, Garrett! Anything for my chief enabler

BTW- It would be a very snug 7. A tissue folded in two between the sweat and the body made it a perfect fit for my 6 7/8 l.o. noggin.

Sue

 

[Borsalino Fan]

Borsalino cord ..and another question

I have several Borsalino's ..some were my Dad's, practically new in the box and never worn. I need to have one of the "cords" .(with the button)..replaced as it has become slack. Does anyone know where there is store who will do this? Also..does anyone have a really nice used Borsalino straw for sale? Last question..once when one would buy a hat, the store would stamp the buyer's initials in the leather band, in gold. Does anybody know whi still does this? I'm planning to move from the USA to Italy so perhaps these services are more readily found there. There doesn't seem to be much of anything of quality left in the U.S.A. Thanks for any help!!

 

[Aureliano]

I've had that problem with some of the wind cords/trolleys of my hats. Playing with them I "discovered" that sometimes the little piece at the end of the button (a small metallic thing) can be moved either close to the button or far from it. That tightens the cord. You may want to try that. As for replacing it, Optimo hats in Chicago www.optimohats.com
Art Fawcett in Oregon www.vintagesilhouettes.com or Orlando Palacios www.hatshop.com in New York will replace the thing for you. I know Orlando does the gold lettering too, he's done that for me. I bet the other two haberdashers do it as well. As for quality service there are still a few in the USA, the three I just mentioned are some of the best. There is also Gary White in Buffalo, come to think of it and I'm sure somebody else will post the ones I'm missing right now. Oh, Mike Moore at Buckaroo hatters as well!...
I suggest you should put an add in the classifieds section "Old Borsalino straw wanted" Once I wanted a Stetson Whippet and posted an add, it too a little while but it was worth it. A fellow lounger sold me a gorgeous one.
be well,