Toppers Unite

[mayserwegener]

I will check about Carl Sick of Bremen Hatters. Do you have photos of the Silk Top Hat? I would like to see the Carl Sick Logo / Crest.

Those are the photos,my package was stil delivered by my nation postal courier[/QUOTE]
I have this on my website for Carl Sick Bremen, Vienna Exhibition 1873, Collective Exhibition of German Hat Manufacturers, Berlin listed but no details.

https://germanaustrianhats.invision...anufacturers-berlin/?tab=comments#comment-921

I found this other Carl Silk Top Hat. There is another name listed (Johann Wilhelm Groos) so probably this person took over the company post Carl Silk.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Carl-Sick-Bremen-Zylinder-Hut-Kopfumfang-ca-53cm-/193106967433

Your Silk Top Hat also has Johann Wilhelm Groos listed on the sweatband. I think both hats are from about the same time period (probably 1930s) but I couldn't find any production information. It's likely the Silk Top Hats were sourced by J.W. Groos which might have been retailer or wholesaler. The number of companies that made Silk Top Hats became very limited (lack of demand, lack of Silk Plush, lack skilled workers).

I did find Carl Sick in this 1904 Bremen address book but the company is located a Obrenstras. 72 and not the later J.W. Groos address Obrenstras. 68 - 70. It's more likely the company was making Silk Top Hats at this time.

http://adressbuecher.net/addressboo...3?max=25&sort=address&offset=20275&order=desc

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Thank You mayserwegener for the info!
And finally my hat arrive

 

[Koechinggendoet]

I do some polishing with a water method and a velvet fabrics from my dressing gown sahs
Also could you translate this note here?

 

[Koechinggendoet]

The hat box seem quite beat up
And thank gods it fits me well except sometimes its sliding to my ears

 

[Steve1857]

I couldn't agree more, Steve.

Steve, Personally I would just keep it as is. Most are not going to fit perfectly and are seldom if ever worn. Stiff Felts are different because I wear them and they often need a small amount of adjustment.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

I couldn't agree more, Steve.

Yep,better crying now than crying later,and if you could idahosanta,you could send us a photo of you wearing the hat!

 

[mayserwegener]

The hat box seem quite beat up
And thank gods it fits me well except sometimes its sliding to my ears

Congrats! It looks great! For a better fit you can place felt spacers behind the sweatband. Just be careful because some of the thread securing the sweatband is missing.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Congrats! It looks great! For a better fit you can place felt spacers behind the sweatband.

Thankyou!but what is a felt spacer?i sometimes only slip a piece of tissue so it can be taken out again after use and soaked in sweats

 

[Steve1857]

Use cork or felt instead of tissue.

Thankyou!but what is a felt spacer?i sometimes only slip a piece of tissue so it can be taken out again after use and soaked in sweats

 

[Steve1857]

The note tells the owner to store the hat in the box as in your photo. Brim down. I have a similar box: see attached photo.

I do some polishing with a water method and a velvet fabrics from my dressing gown sahs
Also could you translate this note here?

 

[Steve1857]

Btw @Koechinggendoet, you've found yourself a very nice top hat. Congrats.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

I found this other Carl Silk Top Hat. There is another name listed (Johann Wilhelm Groos) so probably this person took over the company post Carl Silk.

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Carl-Sick-Bremen-Zylinder-Hut-Kopfumfang-ca-53cm-/193106967433

Your Silk Top Hat also has Johann Wilhelm Groos listed on the sweatband. I think both hats are from about the same time period (probably 1930s) but I couldn't find any production information. It's likely the Silk Top Hats were sourced by J.W. Groos which might have been retailer or wholesaler. The number of companies that made Silk Top Hats became very limited (lack of demand, lack of Silk Plush, lack skilled workers).

Just as a small addition:
The "Jnh." on the sweat and the box is an "Inh." which stands for "Inhaber" = owner.
So the company "Carl Sick" was actually - as Steve said - later taken over by a Wilhelm Groos.

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Just as a small addition:
The "Jnh." on the sweat and the box is an "Inh." which stands for "Inhaber" = owner.
So the company "Carl Sick" was actually - as Steve said - later taken over by a Wilhelm Groos.

Ah thanks for the info,many of other carl sick hat were have the addition of johann

 

[Koechinggendoet]

Use cork or felt instead of tissue.

Note taken,i think my forehead becomed so pushed and a little bit stuffed using an tissue inside,must really get an cork or felt then

 

[mayserwegener]

Just as a small addition:
The "Jnh." on the sweat and the box is an "Inh." which stands for "Inhaber" = owner.
So the company "Carl Sick" was actually - as Steve said - later taken over by a Wilhelm Groos.

Matt, Thanks! Tricked by the J / I.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

You're welcome, Steve!
This ruse worked for me first too...

 

[Steve1857]

I was much more interested in the hat box than the hat, however, the hat turned out to be interesting, too.

It's a very small size. Moleskin. I so wish I could find out who was behind the Hat Manufactory in London company.

It has a leather sweat, which is not uncommon, but unusual for a top hat. The logo imprinted in the sweat says Jockey Club. The rest I cannot desipher, but looks like a horse's head.

I like its battered look. It's small size suggests to me, it could have been a jockey's topper, worn at official events.

 

[Steve1857]

The reason I pulled the trigger on this one was due to the hat box.

C.W. Borchert was a well known hat seller before and after WWII. Before WWI, too. The address on the box is pre WWII. After the end of the war, they moved to Kurfürstendamm 45. That is to say, from East Germany to West Germany.

The address also lacks the German limited liability company letters G. m. b. H., which can be seen in other boxes with this address on them.

My surmise is, the box is pre WWI.

 

[Idaho Santa]

I'm sad that it can't be sized. I wish you the best on getting everything worked out with your topper. I can only imagine the frustration in dealing with that.

So here are some photos of me in my topper. Please let me know if the fit looks okay. Thank you for your reviews.

 

[mayserwegener]

The reason I pulled the trigger on this one was due to the hat box.

C.W. Borchert was a well known hat seller before and after WWII. Before WWI, too. The address on the box is pre WWII. After the end of the war, they moved to Kurfürstendamm 45. That is to say, from East Germany to West Germany.

The address also lacks the German limited liability company letters G. m. b. H., which can be seen in other boxes with this address on them.

My surmise is, the box is pre WWI. View attachment 325860 View attachment 325861

Steve, Great find! Is the Silk Top Hat from C. W. Borchert? If possible please post in the German - Austrian thread. Thanks!