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Worth & Worth

Andykev

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
Messages
4,118
Location
The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Do a search

You can find LOTS of prior posts on many hat vendors by using the search function!

I have been surprised that some of my posts from 2004 have resurfaced recently by SOME members using the search function on the LOUNGE. I just searched "Worth & Worth" and got over 500 replies.

Good Luck.
 

Carlisle Blues

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,154
Location
Beautiful Horse Country
I was at a place today called Keezer in Boston. I was looking for a hat to start practicing on.

I picked up their "Milan" model, the felt seemed as if it had no body it was quite squishy.

Just wondering if all their felts are built that way.[huh]
 

Bob Smalser

One of the Regulars
Messages
139
Location
Hood Canal, Washington
Carlisle Blues said:
Anybody have any experience with this outfit[huh]

351547963.jpg


My main bad-weather work hat is a lightweight Worth & Worth felt. It was a hundred-dollar hat 20 years ago when I bought it in NYC. An excellent quality felt more comparable to my 1930's Cavanagh fedora than my 4-7X Open Roads.

It's a rich, warm felt and very soft and comfy. It compresses nicely under a stiff, tin cloth hood and returns to shape. This one was designed to be a soft, informal hat that can be rolled up for storage, and it does the job very well.

The only things I'd change are adding a grosgrain ribbon to the brim edge, adding a liner and changing out the grosgrain sweatband to leather. Those defeat its purpose as a roll-up but would add to its comfort, and I never roll it up anyway.
 
D

demian

Guest
Well, although you may perform a search there is no actual *experience* with Worth and Worth given...simply some background info.

Although I haven't any direct experience either, I did research them when searching for the *holy grail* myself..

To be a bit more helpful, they are an historic hat shop. One of the oldest still around in the States...if not the most historic (which is why I was lead to them).

their stock of course consists of hats made by others.

Bowlers and such by Christies, as example.

Their felt hats were once made by Borsalino (in fact I purchased a NOS Borsalino from their shop from the 50's for my father!), but as Borsalino quality has declined in recent years the fellow did his homework in search of another manufacturer in Italy to replace ailing Borsalino.


Their felt hats were made by Cappellificio Cervo....now Guerra.

Cervo did/does subcontracting work for Borsalino even today. Their straws in fact are made by Tesi in Florence, the last actual straw mfr. left in Italy.

So if you want a good Italian straw/montecristi, go to the source (at least that is what I am about.).

Barbisio no longer exists, but their is apparently a shop using their name (I believe owned by Cervo now as they bought most of their equipment).

Anyway, to the question. They are a good hat shop and if searching for a quality mass produced fedora I would definitely feel comfortable going that route.

Guerra has a very good reputation and is hailed by old-timers as the new Borsalino. I ma very curious.

Mellegari is one of the last milliners around in all of Italy..and I was told Guerra is the new Borsalino.

Note to those searching in the future, the best italian hats are Panizza, Cervo, Guerra, but from all I have found (and I have called all of them), they do not sell to the public, they do subcontracting work for large or historically famous hat sellers/shops.

For example, if you want a Panizza, goto Cappelleria Troncarelli in Roma. Also I believe Bencraft carries them also, and a Tesi felt fedora line.

I can't recall exactly at the moment, another well known shop in the States carries Panizza. Need to search online, this is how I found this info.

Anyway, for those interested in these marques, this is how it goes...otherwsie, Mellegari in Milano is a good source and they, as well as Troncarelli, have experience shipping and dealing with foreigners.


Here is a link that may help further. although 10yrs old at least it aids with the background you need.

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Archives/CA_Show_Article_Print/0,2812,556,00.html

Hope this was somewhat helpful.
Excuse the off topic info....Many seem interested in these Italian hats, perhaps it will be of interest to those searching in the future.
Regards.
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
Messages
13,719
Location
USA
Carlisle Blues said:
Anybody have any experience with this outfit[huh]
W&W was a legendary New York hat store. Top tier. I've worn their hats for as long as I can remember (caps as a youth and fedoras as an adult) as my father and grandfather were loyal customers. I really can't speak to the present day incarnation of W&W as I lost track of them when they closed their Madison Ave. store in 2000 but I've heard good things. Had they not closed and forced me to look elsewhere I'm sure that I would still be a customer.



Here's an article which may be of interest.
 

Matt Deckard

Man of Action
Messages
10,045
Location
A devout capitalist in Los Angeles CA.
I've had one Worth & worth fedora, the treviso, and wore it daily. That was about 10 years ago.

The negatives were that the felt broke down pretty quickly with how I wear hats. Wore a hole in the crown and the brim drooped heavily soon after a few bouts with rain.

The positives were that I loved that hat even though it started looking like it caught mange in less than a year. Keep in mind I abuse my hats.
 

Splitcoil

One of the Regulars
Messages
130
Location
San Diego
I do, with the current incarnation

On recommendation from someone whose family is acquainted with the owner/designer Orlando (I forget his last name for the moment), I stopped into the shop last year. The hats are very much in the contemporary Borsalino vein. Very comfortable, a little floppy and soft. They have some very beautiful hats that are also very comfortable. I suspect long-term wear and tearability will be below average because as mentioned by others they are very soft felt.

After a long talk with Orlando and a tour round the store, I bought an Aria (gray suede-finish rabbit felt fedora, wide-ish brim with gray binding). Free of charge, he changed out the ribbon for something a bit wider and added a wind trolley that's a perfect color match. The Aria is probably my most comfortable hat. Very soft felt, very supple sweatband add up to very comfortable wear.

Their Sardena and their wide-ribbon trilby have been beckoning to me of late. I think a good W&W would make a nice addition to any collection, as long as you are willing to sacrifice some durability for comfort and looks. They're well made and the designer is a very bright fellow who is still working on new designs trying to blend vintage sensibilities with contemporary. I think it's worth supporting. The Aria is pictured below.
PICT0024ww.jpg
 

Matt Deckard

Man of Action
Messages
10,045
Location
A devout capitalist in Los Angeles CA.
Splitcoil said:
I suspect long-term wear and tearability will be below average because as mentioned by others they are very soft felt.

I do have to say here that soft hats can be extremely durable. It depends on the materials used. My best soft hats can take torture and still pop back time after time needing a reblock and deep cleaning now and again.

Worth 7 Worth has some great looking soft felts, yet as said, their felt durability is on the lower end of the scale when compared to the competition.
 

Splitcoil

One of the Regulars
Messages
130
Location
San Diego
By the way

I'll be in NYC again this week and plan on stopping into the shop to check out their new hats. Last time I saw him, Orlando was quite worked up about the chestnut felt he had coming (which is out now), as well as the hat which I think became the Wolfy, which started out as a custom job for a celebrity customer. I'm also curious about his new Stingy. If it's as comfortable as the Aria, it could become my favorite uber-casual hat.

If anyone has any questions for him, I'd be glad to convey them.
 

D00R

One of the Regulars
Messages
271
Location
NY
i think that was the hat store i visited while i was in Nyc during the holidays...
they had bowlers and fedoras of course...i think it was Worth & Worth, it was up stairs.
 

cookie

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,927
Location
Sydney Australia
demian said:
Their felt hats were made by Cappellificio Cervo....now Guerra.


Cappellificio Cervo is actually Barbisio now since Cappellificio Cervo bought that illustrious name...I know because I have one coming next week from the factory shop of Cappellificio Cervo.
 

Feraud

Bartender
Messages
17,190
Location
Hardlucksville, NY
So I finally brought my navy blue Stetson to Worth & Worth for a new sweatband. The original sweat was coming off in dried jerky-like looking slices. lol The salesman said the fedora could be ready by next Wednesday. I am looking forward to getting this hat fixed. It is one of my favorites, which is what my wife said I say about all of 'em.
Here is the hat, no pics available of the rotted sweatband..

DSC03311.jpg

DSC03310.jpg
 

Lando

Practically Family
Messages
588
Location
VT, USA
Bought a silverbelly Aria from them and like it quite a bit. Very soft hat. The people there were nice and helpful. I picked my hat up in person and they made sure it was just right before I left.

4708327444_0c0baa2f31_z.jpg
 

fluteplayer07

One Too Many
Messages
1,844
Location
Michigan
I had an excellent experience at W&W during my recent trip to the Big Apple. One of the highlights of my trip, in fact (and the excuse to buy myself a new hat was pretty nice, too). Brandon gave me a tour of the back where all the magic happens, along with a couple of the store's not-for-sale vintage treasures. Great hats, and top notch service, to boot.
 

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