The Bowler or Derby Hat

[PanosChris]

All my favorite things rolled up into one: a new bowler hat, fun for St. Patricks Day, a nod to my ancestry, and cheers to a good friend.

In honor of my ancestor, Robert Makemie (1620-1701, Ramelton, County Donegal, Ireland), I post this most excellent pre-war stiff felt Ascott bowler from G.B. Borsalino Fu Lazzaaro. No dents, no scuffs, and, dare I say, buttery smooth felt. This bowler has a couple of unique features. First, as a play on St. Pattys Day, the sweatband is a textured Green leather (as opposed to the typical brown or black). Very interesting. Second, this hat has a wide brim binding. Bowlers in my small collection have bindings that are stitched just under the lip of the top curl and then wrapped around the curl to the bottom. This bowler has the same construction, but as you can see, the binding shows about 3/8 inch on both the top and bottom of the brim. One picture has the Borso against the brim of my 1930 Knox bowler for comparison. All in all, a superb hat.

Last but not least, cheers to a good friend to us all, Daniele @Daniele Tanto for allowing me to be the next caretaker of this bowler. Daniele keeps us abreast of life in Italy with wonderful hats and pictures of the country and I, for one, very much appreciate his contributions to the Lounge and for finding and saving so many vintage hats. Thank you, Daniele.




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Most excellent Randy! Great bombetta, congrats! Daniele is a great enabler as such

 

[PanosChris]

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve, FL'ers. In these corona times, we have to find our own fun View attachment 318608

Counting down to Saint Patrick's Day.

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Still playing with Sepia tone filters.

3 days to go. Shame the bars and Irish pubs are still Corona closed here. View attachment 318001

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve, FL'ers. In these corona times, we have to find our own fun View attachment 318608

Adam bowler and some green for a trip to the market to grab some corned beef, cabbage and potatoes.... NA (German) beer for the win... LOL.

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A Victorian Time Traveler in a 2020 Ford out for a Flash Sale.
Here's to all my Scots-Irish ancestors who came before me & lit the way.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

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Let the virtual party begin!

Grisman's the best but maybe Randy can play along on his mandolin.

Inspired by Jack's picture: Not as cool, but as old....

Fantastic parade of stiff felts gentlemen! You'll turn me into a bowler-guy in the end

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Matt that melone is fantastic! Also, wonderful outfit. Love those large lapels!

Thank you Chris, I really appreciate it.
Even though a friend always thinks you look like the ringmaster,
I really like those wide lapels too!

 

[Steve1857]

Come on Panos, you know you want to join the party

Fantastic parade of stiff felts gentlemen! You'll turn me into a bowler-guy in the end

 

[Hurricane Jack]

That pic's so cool!

Thanks you! Having fun with this. The other day I was wishing I knew someone with a Model T Ford I could use as a prop or pose with.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Inspired by Jack's picture: Not as cool, but as old....

Looks like a tin type.

 

[Tukwila]

So you took the German beer, I took the Irish for today!
Cheers to you and to everybody in the FL!

It's the only non-alcoholic (NA) bier that's worth buying, Clausthaler from Germany.... a distant 2nd (and not available in my smallish town) is the very light Bitburger Drive. I tried the Clausthaler at the Mt. Angel, Oregon, Oktoberfest last year and was blown away with the quality. Maybe because it's dry-hopped.

I used to like a Guinness Stout, or a pub poured black and tan, but no more alcohol for me. Pilsner Urquell used to be my favorite bier.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Ok, I see. I apologize for bringing this up. But the Clausthaler is actually good!

 

[Rmccamey]

Thanks all. This is really a sweet bowler and I will be enjoying it for years.

Now, @Mean Eyed Matt you need to help me find a German Mayser bowler!!! That is the one I'm really missing in my collection.

So you got that one, Randy. Congrats! I missed out on it but finally picked up the other fu Lazzaro after it's short stop at Matt's
I wholeheartedly concur with your sentiment: a big thank you to Daniele @Daniele Tanto

A Victorian Time Traveler in a 2020 Ford out for a Flash Sale.
Here's to all my Scots-Irish ancestors who came before me & lit the way.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

View attachment 318845

Let the virtual party begin!

Grisman's the best but maybe Randy can play along on his mandolin.

Ah, so you got that one with the stunning sweat, Randy: Congrats!
Possibly we should introduce our two bowlers to each other: They would surely like it!

Most excellent Randy! Great bombetta, congrats! Daniele is a great enabler as such

 

[Steve1857]

Get in line Randy

Now, @Mean Eyed Matt you need to help me find a German Mayser bowler!!! That is the one I'm really missing in my collection.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Now, @Mean Eyed Matt you need to help me find a German Mayser bowler!!! That is the one I'm really missing in my collection.

Get in line Randy

When I read your comments, I had to laugh:
I haven't held one in my hands myself and
your head size is obviously a size smaller than mine,
but still not what you - I - find everyday.

But ok:
I go now on the search for 3 large Mayser bowlers!

 

[Rmccamey]

Ha ha. Perfect! An order for three Mayser bowlers coming up!

When I read your comments, I had to laugh:
I haven't held one in my hands myself and
your head size is obviously a size smaller than mine,
but still not what you - I - find everyday.

But ok:
I go now on the search for 3 large Mayser bowlers!

 

[BobHufford]

From an ad posted by @DaveProc over in the "Newspaper Ads" thread. The colors! Anyone know what color Napoleon was?

 

[Steve1857]

Bob, could it possibly be a mahogany kind of colour? The name might refer to the colour of a Napoleon brandy?

From an ad posted by @DaveProc over in the "Newspaper Ads" thread. The colors! Anyone know what color Napoleon was?

 

[Mark Brody]

I just joined the bowler club this week. I’ve been looking for a good cowboy hat (historic), and decided that the bowler best suited my style. In fact, I like it so much, I’m going to have to try an work up the courage to wear it as an everyday hat, not just a costume hat.

My only issue is the atrocious bow. I knew I was going to have to address this when I bought it, and I plan to use a contrasting 1 1/2 inch tan ribbon (instead on the matching brown 1 inch ribbon and crocodile leather knot *shudder*). As I’m looking at your bowlers, I see a lot of unfinished ribbons on the back half of the bow. Is this common on bowlers? I always thought ribbons/bows on bowlers were more or less the same as on fedoras. I’m trying for an 1870’s look with this hat.

 

[BobHufford]

As I’m looking at your bowlers, I see a lot of unfinished ribbons on the back half of the bow. Is this common on bowlers? I always thought ribbons/bows on bowlers were more or less the same as on fedoras. I’m trying for an 1870’s look with this hat.

You wear it well! No reason not to move it into your daily hat rotation.

I agree that the bow-keep needs to be removed to harken back to a vintage look. The frayed bow ends on many of the bowlers you see in the Lounge were common in the '20s-'30s (most likely the time frame most of the vintage bowlers around here come from), but not limited to that time frame. Not sure what would be appropriate for the 1870s, but @DaveProc has recently posted quite a few vintage ads that go back to the early 1880s. Perhaps you can rework the existing bow to emulate the look (although the "western" look might require a wider ribbon and a change of flange).

https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/vintage-hat-ads-from-newspapers.81234/page-12

 

[Tukwila]

My early Stetson is from the 1910s - 1920s and it has frayed ends on the crown ribbon.

 

[Steve1857]

Welcome to town and the Bowler/Derby, Mark.

The frayed treatment on the back end of the bow was very common, especially in the early part of the last century. How it looked in the 1870s onwards would be well worth looking in to. Ribbons on Bowlers tend not to be so wide as on Fedoras, the bow tends not to be so pronounced. That is to say, curved up back and front.

That said, it's your Bowler. Create it as you want and how you best believe it fits your style. Then, wear it with pride.

One last thing, can we see photos of the liner?

I just joined the bowler club this week. I’ve been looking for a good cowboy hat (historic), and decided that the bowler best suited my style. In fact, I like it so much, I’m going to have to try an work up the courage to wear it as an everyday hat, not just a costume hat.

My only issue is the atrocious bow. I knew I was going to have to address this when I bought it, and I plan to use a contrasting 1 1/2 inch tan ribbon (instead on the matching brown 1 inch ribbon and crocodile leather knot *shudder*). As I’m looking at your bowlers, I see a lot of unfinished ribbons on the back half of the bow. Is this common on bowlers? I always thought ribbons/bows on bowlers were more or less the same as on fedoras. I’m trying for an 1870’s look with this hat.

 

[Steve1857]

@Mark Brody, as @BobHufford said, check @DaveProc posts on the vintage hat ads thread. This Bowler, for example, seems to have a more pronounced bow curve at the back end. I'd also recommend curving the sides more if you want that more iconic late 1800s Western look.

From an ad posted by @DaveProc over in the "Newspaper Ads" thread. The colors! Anyone know what color Napoleon was?

 

[Mark Brody]

Ask, and you shall receive. I’m sure the quality is not at the same level as many of yours (again, that bow...), but as this was originally going to be just a costume hat, I was happy to find one at this price that wasn’t made of wool.

I know bowlers tend to have narrower ribbons than fedoras sometimes have - honestly, fedora’s are all over the place. At the same time, I’ve found a few historical photos that appear to have ribbon’s slightly wider than what came on mine. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s 1 1/4”. As far as the brim curl is concerned, my head is a long oval, and I reshaped the crown slightly over the tea kettle to make it fit better. This had the side effect of exaggerating the brim’s curl, so it’s a little more pronounced now than when I took that photo.