Toppers Unite

[steur]

Thanks, Stefan. Not new. It's the one I acquired last year with all the wonderful provenance of the Danish doctor who became an Oxford professor and helped develop breathing apparatus for WWI pilots.
I like to showboat it every so often

I'm sure the good doctor would approve!

 

[Steve1857]

I'm sure the good doctor would approve!

Thanks, Stefan. I would hope so, but not quite sure. Perhaps too modern for him.

However, if the BBC are looking for a new Dr. Who, who knows

 

[steur]

Thanks, Stefan. I would hope so, but not quite sure. Perhaps too modern for him.

However, if the BBC are looking for a new Dr. Who, who knows

You'll need a good fez for that!

 

[Steve1857]

You'll need a good fez for that!

I'm always in the market for a good fez.

 

[steur]

I'm always in the market for a good fez.

The pics are on. I'll try to improve on the stitching!

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks, Stefan. Not new. It's the one I acquired last year with all the wonderful provenance of the Danish doctor who became an Oxford professor and helped develop breathing apparatus for WWI pilots.
I like to showboat it every so often

A show to be sure... what is the height of that beauty?!

 

[Steve1857]

A show to be sure... what is the height of that beauty?!

Thank you, Alan. It's close to 6 inches.

 

[steur]

Almost forgot this one. Toppers in larger sizes are few and far between (in decent state and anywhere near reasonable price anyway). Here's an interesting one.
Ravenhorst top hat in a size 60. Brim at 5cm and crown 14cm. It came with its original box and with its original velvet cushion. It isn't perfect; there is some discolouring on top and there are some tiny holes in the fabric on the underside of the brim. Perfectly wearable topper though because the silk is in excellent shape.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I’m tempted to buy this hat and turn it into a display.

Unfortunately, it’s only 8 X 6 1/4 inches according to the seller.

 

[M Hatman]

Almost forgot this one. Toppers in larger sizes are few and far between (in decent state and anywhere near reasonable price anyway). Here's an interesting one.
Ravenhorst top hat in a size 60. Brim at 5cm and crown 14cm. It came with its original box and with its original velvet cushion. It isn't perfect; there is some discolouring on top and there are some tiny holes in the fabric on the underside of the brim. Perfectly wearable topper though because the silk is in excellent shape.
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Well it arrived yesterday direct from an undisclosed location deep in the hat vaults of Holland! And .....

YES.........

Thanks Stefan!!!

 

[M Hatman]

Not sure this has been posted here before......it is quite interesting.1951.

 

[M Hatman]

And in honor to my new Topper (which has the tightest brim curl I think I have ever seen ).....I found this! Topper making on the Continent !

 

[steur]

Well it arrived yesterday direct from an undisclosed location deep in the hat vaults of Holland! And .....
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YES.........
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Thanks Stefan!!!

Glad you like it and it fits, Mark!

As far as I've been able to recover Ravenhorst existed from 1925 until 1973. Here's an advert from 1930 in which it's mentioned that Ravenhorst has been able to make a success of his shop in the last five years.

And in honor to my new Topper (which has the tightest brim curl I think I have ever seen ).....I found this! Topper making on the Continent !

That's a great movie about one of the most prolific top hat makers of the Netherlands: Jan Spoorenberg. They produced hats under various brand names, but most commonly under the name Burton.
Here's the full story on their hats:
https://www.thefedoralounge.com/threads/toppers-unite.36577/page-38#post-2238487

 

[Dutch Men]

I was also sharing the hat in the new Hats topic.

It is a Heirloom, maybe I show later the worn hat box.
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[Dutch Men]

New images:
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[Retired EE]

My grandfather and his 1st cousin, circa 1905. I guess their parents thought this was cute.

 

[steur]

My grandfather and his 1st cousin, circa 1905. I guess their parents thought this was cute.

View attachment 262385

Well, they weren't wrong; great pic!

 

[Steve1857]

Picked this one up from Facebook Market Place. Pretty standard, no name, generic moleskin top hat in a somewhat primitive box. Turn of the last century I'd say.
It has the ubiquitous British royal coat of arms inside. The coat of arms were often used by Dutch top hat makers too, so this one might have a Dutch connection.
It was a waif and stray needing a good home

 

[steur]

View attachment 273527 View attachment 273528 View attachment 273527 View attachment 273528 Picked this one up from Facebook Market Place. Pretty standard, no name, generic moleskin top hat in a somewhat primitive box. Turn of the last century I'd say.
It has the ubiquitous British royal coat of arms inside. The coat of arms were often used by Dutch top hat makers too, so this one might have a Dutch connection.
It was a waif and stray needing a good home

Another one I seem to have missed. Must have been around the time I was abducted by aliens. Nice find, Steve. The boxes are usually made of carboard (and in abysmal shape), so a leather one is very cool on its own. I see a lot of these toppers around on local auction sites here. Undertakers have stopped using them en masse and these have come to the market. Almost all of them are (very) small sizes though and even size 57 seems to be more rare. For sizes 58 and up the number of hats offered strongly resembles zero.

 

[steur]

Superior silk top hat in a size 59 (7 3/8 American). Brim at 5cm and crown 14,5cm. Silk hats in larger size are extremely difficult to find. So if one comes along that is not the price of a second hand car I try to buy it. This one came with the box it was sold in as well.