The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

[Baron Kurtz]

I'm not sure. I'm only interested in ones unequivocally dated.

bk

 

[zetwal]

Yes I understand. If I ever come across something certain I'll let you know. E

 

[carter]

3 size 7's

I was in Antiqueland in Plano, TX this morning as a result of a tip from another member. There are three Borsalinos in size 7 for sale by a vendor there. They are $98.00 each but there is a 25% discount so they are actually $73.50 each plus .0825 tax. I do not remember the styles but none is an Allessandria. All are in very good condition.

If you're in the area, it might be worth a trip.

I also found a pristine brown Whippet, a 1940's Lady Borsalino, a good Dobbs hatbox, and a good Stetson hatbox. I bought those.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

That's an awful lot ($70 and more) for a size 7 Borsalino.

bk

 

[carter]

Agreed

That's exactly why I didn't buy them. Someone who wears a size 7 and lives locally may be interested. [huh]

 

[jonbuilder]

Three Brosalino Hats

Fellow Borsalinish:
I submit membership to the Brotherhood with the following credentials

 

[Garrett]

You're in! Welcome :eusa_clap

Fellow Borsalinish:
I submit membership to the Brotherhood with the following credentials

 

[jimmy the lid]

Nice lids, Jon! :eusa_clap

Cheers,
JtL

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

With this hat I would like to apply to the fraternity.
This hat was purchased at the shop of Attilio Cambini in Firenze, in 1982. I believe it is a woman's hat, but I'm not entirely sure. The knot has been replaced and was relocated to the "male" side of the crown (port side = left, seen from behind).
I don't have the slightest idea what kind of felt this is. Wool? Maybe... It is very very soft, velvety, pliable and not in the least stiff. Whilst it keeps its shape well, it loses it well, too... The sweatband is "gros grain" cloth.
The color, moderately well reproduced on screen, is named "vinato" (seems to refer to wine...the french call this color "Bordeaux").
The beautiful "wine color" liner is sewn in. The hat is in such nearly new shape that the gold logo is impeccable. In the middle of the "pillar" it says, horizontally "Ardilla". Would this be a model name?
I would be very interested if any one knew more about this type of hat. I have three of them, the others chocolate brown and one is dark gray.

Paolo Il Fiammingo

 

[carter]

Is that raspberry?

Paul, Not another word until you post a picture of that Borso on your noggin!

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

You said "noggin"?
Well, here you are; this pic has great "post-groggin" content (is there a morning after pill for men?)

 

[RBH]

You said "noggin"?
Well, here you are; this pic has great "post-groggin" content (is there a morning after pill for men?)

Looks good!

 

[carter]

Can you say TILT!

Post-groggin that looks swell on your noggin!
That's a nice ascot too. Looking very dapper today.

 

[PabloElFlamenco]

Messrs. RBH and Carter; might the twain of you accept my sincere appreciation of the fact that, there can be no doubt, objective comment is worth invaluably more than the recipient's intimate knowledge of what must, by definition, pass for the painful truth.
In other words, thank you. Very much.
Pablo.

 

[seed]

Sorry to interrupt, but I could find no better place to ask than this thread of Borsalino fans. I have read countless threads and posts on this board which completely bags on modern Borsalinos...hard-core. I currently own three Borsos, which I bought a while back and almost never wore (for reasons you may or may not want to read here on this thread). I was and am impressed with their softness and appearance. But I am unsure about their durability as they have yet to be tested. However I have to ask: why do you, members of the 'Brotherhood' feel differently about this near-hatred of modern Borsalinos? What are your experiences with their ability to withstand the elements and time?

 

[Matt Deckard]

I'll start a thread soon called Borsalino in the modern day.

If you notice this thread, the hats being shown are all vintage models. Vintage Borsalino was superior to many felts on the market. My favorite vintage hats have been Borsalinos. My favorite hat that was stolen was a Borsalino.

Unfortunately The company doesn't make them like they used to and if you have read the past reviews you know what the issues are with their current felts... they just don't take the elements, well you sometimes don't need to expose them to the elements to see how badly the felt performs. They introduced their new all beaver a couple years ago and it could be pretty good since the felt is denser, though their standard models tend to... well you can read it in other threads. Stetson, Bailey, Tonak, Biltmore, Christy's, Dorfman Pacific and Akubra make better felt hands down. I owned 3 modern ones and they are all the same. I just went to a shop and took another look and saw the felt hasn't changed. Lots of dags in it as well (chunks of **** in the felt, pieces of 'whatever' that get mixed in during their felting process), and if you go to a local Brooks Brothers (they carry them) you can rub the felt with your thumb and see the color come off on you.

 

[Richard Warren]

Disdain for modern Borsalino's is hard to understand, unless you assume that some people just think they are too expensive. I have a couple that have held up well to rain and snow. I cannot say that they are better or worse than vintage. Much better than anything Stetson has made for many years.

 

[John in Covina]

Disdain for modern Borsalino's is hard to understand, unless you assume that some people just think they are too expensive. I have a couple that have held up well to rain and snow. I cannot say that they are better or worse than vintage. Much better than anything Stetson has made for many years.

*********
When did you buy them, where and what models?
We are wondering if there is a period of manufacture that quality slipped, or if there is a quality for certain areas and a sub quality for others.

(Like Heinecken beer, the Pilsner in Europe, espescially on tap, soundly trounces the Lager brought to the US.)

 

[jamespowers]

*********
When did you buy them, where and what models?
We are wondering if there is a period of manufacture that quality slipped, or if there is a quality for certain areas and a sub quality for others.

(Like Heinecken beer, the Pilsner in Europe, espescially on tap, soundly trounces the Lager brought to the US.)

My cut off date for modern Borsalinos is their acquisition date by a big corporate entity that did nothing to enhance their flet quality but was more interested in selling the Borsalino name to umbrella makers, glove makers and a host of other goods. After the family sold Borsalino and they moved the factory operations to a business park in 1986, the quality of their hats slipped enormously. Bofore, the Borsalino family oversaw operations. Now a big corporate entity oversees their productions. They even farm out production of hats to an overseas factory to make hats for the asian market. I think Toyo is their franchisee there. Toyo is not exactly the best hat factory in the world. They make paper straw hats for goodness sake. :eusa_doh:
I hope that kind of narrows it down.

 

[cookie]

Borsalino Shop in Rome - some great pix

http://www.tbs.co.jp/hikodo/gallery/rome.html