Vintage Borsalino.........Bogey

[Fedora]

Here is a vintage Borsalino that the customer wanted turned into a Bogeyesque fedora. This hat was in fairly bad shape, well worn, and stained. After two baths of cleaning solvent, a reblock using the Bogey fedora block, and some pouncing, the hat looked good enough to finish out. Still not pristine, but you should have seen this hat before. I have been wanting to use some wide, dark blue/green vintage ribbon that I bought last year, and this bone color looked like the canidate. So, here is what she looks like after the work.

I wish I had of got a before picture, so you could see what I started with. Regards, Fedora

 

[Mr_Misanthropy]

Looks great!! The ribbon really compliments that color hat well. Good job. You get a gold star.

 

[fedoralover]

It really does look great Steve, us loungers are very fortunate to have you and Art offering your services and custom fedora's at such reasonable rates.

fedoralover

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Didn't you mean to say "we Loungers"? Or have the Bowery Boys arrived?

 

[Snrbfshn]

Fedora, just curious...

Was the hat raw brimmed when you got it?

 

[fedoralover]

Steve, the crown bash is a great Bogey imitation. When you look at the way he wore his hats, you can tell they were definitely hat creased. Your skills continue to progress and with the escalating prices for vintage hats on ebay, I'm sure your business will grow.

regards fedoralover

 

[jake_fink]

Marc Chevalier said:
Didn't you mean to say "we Loungers"? Or have the Bowery Boys arrived?

I admire a man with a mission. And with a sense of humour riding shotgun.

:cheers1:

 

[maintcoder]

Very nice!

I agree and I especially like the blue ribbon on that color of hat. The owner is going to be styling nicely in that lid!

 

[Fedora]

Was the hat raw brimmed when you got it?

No, it came with binding. It was so old that it was dry rotting, and came apart while soaking in the solvent. I originally was gonna leave it on as it dressed the hat up, but was unable to do so. Easy to get off though, as it literally fell off as I was brushing. This hat, while a Borsie, was made originally in the open road style, with narrow ribbon and trolley. Fedora

 

[Craig Robertson]

Fedora: This is a great looking hat...I'm curious, do you call that block a "teardrop" or a "diamond"?

 

[John in Covina]

Bogart would be proud!

Another astonishing restorative conversion! Well done Steve!

 

[Brad Bowers]

Beautiful job on the Borsalino! I love the ribbon color you chose. Better than basic black.

Brad

 

[RedPop4]

That is a most excellent hat and a beatiful restoration.

 

[Fedora]

Beautiful job on the Borsalino! I love the ribbon color you chose. Better than basic black

Thanks,and I agree. I have been wanting to put that ribbon on a hat, and this one looked like a good one to use it on. Vintage ribbons just offered more colors than you see today, or perhaps I just have not seen the right color charts. I have certainly never seen this shade in the modern ribbon. Thanks! Fedora

 

[Fedora]

I'm curious, do you call that block a "teardrop" or a "diamond"?

Gosh, I think it is a c-dent. But, a diamond would describe it too. I was just basically copying an old picture when I did the top crease. I did put the three points in the top crease, if that qualifies it for a c-dent. Here is what I would call a teardrop.

It does not have the 3 indentations on the top crease, but looks very similiar to me. I do mostly Indy fedoras, with that homburg type top crease and I love doing something different. I just usually copy, using a picture. I really like the look of the Bogey styled top crease, but you have to have a really soft felt to pull off the look. Here are a couple more of teardrop creases.

 

[G MAN]

Fedora, It must feel good to take an old worn hat and bring it back to life looking as good as this one. Too bad you didn't get a picture of the hat when you got it. I enjoy seeing the before and after shot's.

 

[Craig Robertson]

Gosh, I think it is a c-dent. But, a diamond would describe it too. I was just basically copying an old picture when I did the top crease. I did put the three points in the top crease, if that qualifies it for a c-dent.

Ah...so a "c-dent" has a crease in the back and a teardrop doesn't...? I like that block...but I call it a "diamond" And it does take a very soft felt with a high crown.

 

[Chad Sanborn]

Very Nice! Would look good on top of my head!

Chad

 

[Fedora]

Ah...so a "c-dent" has a crease in the back and a teardrop doesn't...? I like that block...but I call it a "diamond" And it does take a very soft felt with a high crown.

Yeah, I think the c-dent has the 3 little dimples in the top crease, from what I can tell.

I used a 6 inch tall block to reblock this hat with. I always wondered what sort of hat a tall tapered domed block was used for, like a number 51 block. I found out recently it was used for many teardrops and c-dents and well as telescope crown crease. I was using a number 52 for the Bogey looking fedoras, which does not lend as good of a look. The reason for the tall tapered dome is that most of it creases down inside the crown, hence the 6 inch height which is not normal for most dress hats. So, that 6 inch tall hat creases down to under 5 inches at the tallest point. Anything shorter, and you would not be able to get the nice, deep top crease. Fedora

 

[John in Covina]

I used a 6 inch tall block to reblock this hat with. I always wondered what sort of hat a tall tapered domed block was used for, like a number 51 block. I found out recently it was used for many teardrops and c-dents and well as telescope crown crease. So, that 6 inch tall hat creases down to under 5 inches at the tallest point. Anything shorter, and you would not be able to get the nice, deep top crease. Fedora

*****
If you get a chance could you please take a picture or two of the block? It would help me understand the shaping to arrive at an eventual end result.

Thanks!