What Hat Are You Wearing Today ?

[Hurricane Jack]

In tanning rattler or cotton mouth skins, an outer layer of each scale sluffs off causing a reduction of the Hide’s brilliance. It’s inevitable.
However, they still look great, just not as colorful. And yes, they continue to fade with time, but not too much.

That's exactly why any taxidermist mounting a skin (not fur) like a fish or snake has to be a good painter & get a good color match. A 10# Large Mouth Bass out of a lake & in a live well for a few hrs will start to stress & lose color. One that has been dead & frozen for a few months before the taxidermist gets to it will lose even more of its brilliant color. If the taxidermist doesn't get a good color match, does a poor job of painting, or goes old school with the urethane wet look, the skin will never look natural. And with exposure & without protection it will continue to lose color.

 

[Blare]

With some of you all breaking out your light weight felts I decided to do a side by side of my three Borsalino light weights.

More in the Side by Side comparison thread
Side By Side/ Hat Comparisons


And on to...
Dobbs Pale blue and white seersucker cap

 

[Randall Renshaw]

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With some of you all breaking out your light weight felts I decided to do a side by side of my three Borsalino light weights.

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More in the Side by Side comparison thread
Side By Side/ Hat Comparisons


And on to...
Dobbs Pale blue and white seersucker cap

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Stunning, all! No one should ever take those three fedoras...lightly.

 

[Blare]

Stunning, all! No one should ever take those three fedoras...lightly.

 

[the_imperialist]

Date stamped April 52, Italian brown homburg bought from Fastuni

 

[Rmccamey]

Very nice. It's always fun to see those nicely proportioned homburgs.

Date stamped April 52, Italian brown homburg bought from Fastuni

 

[fabiovenhorst]

The usual favourite cap... and playing a bit with patterns... a little too much, perhaps, I know, but I felt like experimenting today...

... and the Eska

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Date stamped April 52, Italian brown homburg bought from Fastuni

Wonderful and very rare
Here there is the document of the registration of house trademark and sign

Here a very short history of Italian hats producers in which Grosso Valtz are mentioned

Northern Italy seemed to naturally enjoy favourable conditions for the birth of the hat industry. The accessibility of water was the first fundamental factor for manufacturing, and the second was skilled labour. This was a decisive element for the productive cycle, which had been manual up to the end of the 1800’s.

Towards the end of the 1700’s Giovan Battista Gnecchi distinguished himself from all other hat makers. He established the first Italian “modern” plant in Milan. By following in the footsteps of his French colleague Leprevost, he introduced and improved the use of silk in the making of hats. Alessandria, Intra, Biella, Monza and Montevarchi are all historical sites of the hand crafted tradition. By the end of the 1800’s there were factories even in Voghera and Cremona. Meanwhile, numerous workshops continued to survive, stubbornly fond of hand crafting, and this certainly guaranteed (at least, in this phase of industrialization that was not yet perfect) a more valuable hat thanks to its softness, durability and fine details.

In 1857 Giuseppe Borsalino and Lazzaro‘s brother began to manufacture a fur hat in a hand crafted workshop in Alessandria consequently laying the foundations of an art that would render their creations synonymous to Italian elegance. The Borsalino became famous for its “feather” felt hats and its “Lobbia” style.

Many industries were documented in Intra in 1874. It was an area of ancient tradition since from the beginning of the 18th Century hats were made on the banks of Lake Maggiore. Count Borromeo financed the installation of a refined hat factory. The hatters that were committed to becoming entrepreneurs were: Frova, Nava, Petroli, and at the end of the 1800’s, Albertini. But above all of them we find Giovanni Panizza whose name would become one of the most famous trademarks in the world.

The Panizza hat factory opened in 1881 in Griffa and quickly reached unquestioned prestige. His name was linked to both sports hats and elegant ones. They were made with very light felt called Bon Voyage and felts of mixed colours thanks to the use of a dozen grams of raw material. In more recent years, the lake shores gave birth to the Verbano Cap Factory. Established by an ex- Panizza employee, this small craftsman firm distinguished itself for it’s high productive quality and its valuable material.

Another Piedmont area famous for its hat factories is Biellese. Workshops, often home based, existed from the beginning of the 1800’s, but the true conversion to industry occurred in 1862 with the creation of the Rolando Barbisio and Milanaccio company. The Barbisio hat owes its tremendous popularity to the quality of the workmanship entrusted to the expert hands of the “sons and grandsons of hatters”.

Specialized in the production of exotic hats, its style was appreciated and exported to South American markets. In 1897, the Cervo a Sagliano Micca hat factory was founded and its name was tied to the renowned “Princeps“, synonymous for elegance and quality.

In 1885, fifteen hatters formed a partnership and establish the Grosso Valtz and Co. Hat Company in Adorno. Tuscany, undisputed queen of straw hat production, gave its contribution to felt hats. At the beginning of the 1800’s, the Giuseppe Rossi hat company was set up in Montevarchi, and later in 1918 Nino Donati began to produce hats for men and women after having traded braids to make straw hats.

The Tesi Company was born in 1850 as manufacturer of products for the production of straw hats. At the end of the 1800’s the company became producer of finished hats. It became famous for its “Leghorn”, “Magline” and “Canotti” that the world recognizes as “Chevalier”, “Boater” and “Sailor”.

The Tesi Hats Company reached its fifth generation and today has a primary role in the trimming of Panama hats in Ecuador. This was an important step due to the decline in grain production used to make Florence’s straw hats.

The art of leather tanning is another art that belongs to Tuscany and that is at the basis of leather hat production. In first position: the shearling hat. In this sector, the Anne Mary Hat Company of Empoli is not to be forgotten. The picture is completed with the Lucchese area that is a great producer of caps.

 

[BobHufford]

Thoroughbred 20X

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Good morning. Dog soirée and yard chores found me in two different fedoras.
A long hair Disney seemed like an appropriate choice for a 40’f (4’c) morning dog walk.

Home I changed into a Champ Featherweight.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[hatophile]

Thoroughbred 20X

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Sweet chocolate color there, Bob!

Good morning. Dog soirée and yard chores found me in two different fedoras.
A long hair Disney seemed like an appropriate choice for a 40’f (4’c) morning dog walk.

Home I changed into a Champ Featherweight.

Cheers, Eric -

Gorgeous Disney, Eric.

 

[Rumad]

Thoroughbred 20X

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Wow! That’s a great looking fedora Bob, and looks great on you. Love that color.

 

[hatophile]

Thanks, Perry!
Nice Stetson today. Thang looks brand new!

Ha, thanks Randall, it's older than me, I think.

 

[hatophile]

VS

 

[TooManyHatsOnlyOneHead]

beautiful hats, everyone.

Got my Akubra fix yesterday in the mail. One of the Fed 4s. Just love the dimensions on this thing. Think I finally figured out the shape, size, etc. that I like the most. Any other recommendations for Fed 4 style hats? Still playing with some dry creasing. And so happy slight chill in the air this morning. Will get to 95 shortly, but was glad to get some dust off my leather jackets and get a couple hours in one of them.

 

[Blare]

Thoroughbred 20X

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That’s beautiful Bob

 

[Blare]

Good morning. Dog soirée and yard chores found me in two different fedoras.
A long hair Disney seemed like an appropriate choice for a 40’f (4’c) morning dog walk.

Home I changed into a Champ Featherweight.

Cheers, Eric -

That red Disney sure is unique. Love the ribbon On the Champ

 

[Blare]

beautiful hats, everyone.

Got my Akubra fix yesterday in the mail. One of the Fed 4s. Just love the dimensions on this thing. Think I finally figured out the shape, size, etc. that I like the most. Any other recommendations for Fed 4 style hats? Still playing with some dry creasing. And so happy slight chill in the air this morning. Will get to 95 shortly, but was glad to get some dust off my leather jackets and get a couple hours in one of them.

Looks great

 

[Blare]

VS View attachment 262208

Wow that is one cool looking VS Perry.

 

[Randall Renshaw]

Good morning. Dog soirée and yard chores found me in two different fedoras.
A long hair Disney seemed like an appropriate choice for a 40’f (4’c) morning dog walk.

Home I changed into a Champ Featherweight.

Cheers, Eric -

That Featherweight. Gosh darn it!

Rhetorical question, since you’ve answered this before, but how has one man found so many wonderful fedoras in perfect condition?!

Dad-gum-it!!!

Now see, you’ve made me swear vociferously and vulgarly again.
Shameful!