Homburg Nation

[randooch]

Jeff, you may have to change your nom de guerre to "homburgman." Have they replaced bowlers as your signature hat?

 

[bowlerman]

Ha! They're a nice compromise when the kevlar stiffness of the bowlers gets to you!
Just for you, Randall:

Homburger Nacht

 

[Chepstow]

Only a Lee Blue Label, but this black Kingway homburg is completing a trio of homburgs with nearly identical dimensions. I think I'm good on homburgs now, until I see one in the colors Al posted recently!
A little rippling of the sweatband, but other than that, it is in really impeccable condish.

A really beauty Jeff, your trio let me dreaming.

 

[mayserwegener]

Jeff, Very nice Lee Blue Label Homburg! Homburgs are fun to wear and versatile.

Side Note:

When you wear a Homburg (Anglo-American term) you are wearing what early Fedoras (Anglo-American term) looked like. The Fedora was a soft felt hat with similar brim curl and center crease as a Homburg. They were very similar hat styles.

 

[randooch]

Cool noire photo, Jeff! It qualifies for the Show Us Your Dark Side thread, I think.

 

[delectans]

Fine looking Homburgs you have been sporting, Jeff, and thanks for the nod. :yo:

 

[Joshbru3]

Great looking Homburg, Jeff!! I love how LEE used to put the model names right in front of the sweatband. It always made identifying their hats so much easier. :eusa_clap:eusa_clap

 

[bowlerman]

Fine looking Homburgs you have been sporting, Jeff, and thanks for the nod. :yo:

I aspire to have such a fine collection as yours, Al!
Thanks for the comments, gentlemen.

Steve-- I'm not sure I totally understand your post. Do you mean all or most fedoras in early days once had curled brims? What are/were the Germanic terms? Was that early type of fedora essentially the first kind of soft dress hat, making a distinction from top hats and bowlers?

 

[mayserwegener]

The early Fedora was a soft felt hat with curled German style (also the Homburg) brim and center crease (called Fedora or Alpine crease in America). I don't believe the term Fedora or Homburg were used in the first part of the 20th century in Germany and other parts of continental Europe.

 

[Chepstow]

The Prince of Wales, later Edward II, who the homburg hat invented.
The Homburg famous by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), who in 1900 as a spa guest in an elegant gray gave the Hatters Möckel in order. The company still exists today in the Old City under the name Bad Homburger Homburger millinery Rosemann.

 

[mayserwegener]

Yes the term Homburg came from Edward VII via Möckel /Bad Homburg / Wilhelm II but was the term used in Germany or anywhere else on the Continent (same with Fedora) at that time? I don't believe either was used until much later. Based on American newspapers ads / vendor catalogs from the late 1800s and the first quarter of the 20th century soft felt hats described as Fedoras / Alpine (not Trachten) hats looked similar (soft felt hat, German brim curl, center crease) to Homburgs of the same time period. The Homburg changed slightly over the years but still resembles the early Fedora / Alpine hat. Today most would considered a early Fedora / Alpine a Homburg. I have feeling this also happened back in the day because they were so similar if not the same.

 

[mercuryfelt76]

Here's one of my most prized hats, a genuine Herbert Johnson but made for Brooks:










I had to rescue this hat, it was on ebay being advertised as a perfect candidate for a Raiders Of The Lost Arc transformation. So I paid top dollar for "buy it now" quickly before somebody ruins a beautiful antique. The felt is gorgeous and the brim curl is a work of art that I had to defend against some of the less nostalgic Club Obi Wan members.

 

[herohat]

Gorgeous!:eusa_clap

 

[mayserwegener]

Super! I really like the felt color too! Also great to hear some Indy ***** didn't get to hack it up.

 

[Chepstow]

Superb Herbert Johnson, mercuryfelt

 

[bowlerman]

yes-- gorgeous. thank goodness you rescued it!

 

[mercuryfelt76]

Thank you Herohat, Chepstow, Bowlerman and Mayserwegener.

I also love this Knox light grey, the felt is absolutely stunning and pounced so smoothly that by comparison, my Lock & Co light grey homburg looks shameful beside it.

 

[randooch]

I had to rescue this hat, it was on ebay being advertised as a perfect candidate for a Raiders Of The Lost Arc transformation. So I paid top dollar for "buy it now" quickly before somebody ruins a beautiful antique.

You've given me a good sales strategy!

Seriously, that's one fine Homburg.

 

[alanfgag]

...also great to hear some Indy ***** didn't get to hack it up.

Steve, I am shocked!

 

[mercuryfelt76]

Here's another recently purchase, a vintage Lock & Co