Club Obi Wan

I keep my eye on ebay, for certain vintage hats and this one with a starting bid of 199.99 is more than the economy vintage crowd at TFL would even bid on. Most of those guys buy vintage, not necessarily because of the quality, but the price. And nothing wrong with that. Some buy new hats, but not that many, when compared to the membership there. And it paid off for me in spades.

This is a vintage Borsalino, from the 40's or 50's. with a 2 7/8 brim!!!!! Of course, I had to have it in my vintage collection that only includes the very, very fine vintage hats, like Knox, and Cavanagh and the 10x Stetsons. I got rid of the run of the mill vintage hats a few years ago.

The world's finest hat, or one of the finests hats came out of Borsalino many years ago, when they took great pride in their hatmaking. They even aged the fur prior to using it to make hats. Enough of the praise and background.







It does have the bound brim, but I detest em'. So, it is coming off as soon as I get the hat. Other than that, it will remain stock. And yes, I will wear it, but only a few times a year. It will spend most of its life in a box full of moth balls.

I have a deep appreciation for the felt and the construction of these sort of hats, so I mostly just use them for admiration pieces. This one will replace my current Borsa, that came with a short crown and short brim, that I only kept because while not my style of hat, it did represent Borsalino in their hey days. I now have a proper Borsalino, to take its place. I am in great antiscipation of it arriving here this week, so I can sit and admire it. Oh, its my size as well! And the color is a lightish brown, although the pics don't show this well. Fedora

This looks exactly like the one bink found for me in an antique store a couple years ago, less the bound edge, and mine is the same vintage. The sweat band had disentigrated, so I had mine cleaned and rebuilt by Art Fawcett at the time.

I've always been impressed by the felt, and wear mine every now and again, but didn't realize it was held in such high regards by you, Steve!

I guess I'll treat it with a bit more respect now!

Regards! Michaelson

Ah yes my friend. The vintage Borsas are hats in which there is no whicher! And very sought after by hat collectors in the know. Sad to see this very old company no longer in existence. Yep, the name is, but you can put them in the same category as Stetson. IN actuality, the original company does not exist, except in name only. Gone are the master hatters of that time long gone by. Not to mention the very high quality that the Borsalino name represented many years ago.

This hat must have gotten by the Borsa collectors. I have seen them go for more than the 199.00 I paid for it. The last one I bid 300.00 on, and lost the bid. That was a couple years ago. This one with the wide brim I bid much more, because I just had to have it. So, I got lucky. I would have paid a grand for it, truthfully. This sort of felt is no longer made, and that is one reason it is so desirable to me, personally.

My fav American made hat is the Cavanagh. With the felted edge treatment. The felt and craftmanship is superb. Fedora

WOW! I guess one of my boxed hats just got bumped out in order to store MY Borsalino!!!

Thanks for the heads up, Steve!

Regards! Michaelson

Great find Steve and congrats.

Wow! Don't say I'm not good to you, Michaelson! Steve, as much as you hate bound brims, I urge you to please keep it on the hat, especially if you just plan on storing it for your collection, anyway. It keeps the true vintage feel and detail Borsalino put on it in the first place. It'd be like striping all the hardware and pickups of an original gold top Les Paul just because you didn't like it. (I know you're a guitar buff like me, so I figure I'll speak in words I'm sure you'll appreciate! )

Hats like this are almost impossible to find anymore, much less in original condition. You owe it to a hat that has survived thus far to keep it in original shape. Heck, if you just like the felt, you could always cut up the entire hat into squares. After all, it's just the felt you want, right? Maybe the CS movie hats would be better appreciated if the owners went ahead and removed those fancy white liners and swapped out the ribbon, changing the bash to a ToD in the process. After all, it's just the felt that matters, right? (See where I'm going with this? ) Steve, you and I are both connoisseurs of fine, vintage fedoras. We used to talk at length about such things when we had the time. As one friend to another, and for the sake of the integrity of the hat, please keep the bound brim intact. You speak passionately when you feel you must, now I do the same.

Wow! Don't say I'm not good to you, Michaelson!

Had you known, would you still have been so 'good' to me?

Regards! Michaelson

Um, sure... where do you keep that hat? In the Plymouth...?

Uh, yeah...sure...

Regards!Michaelson

I was thinking about bidding on that one myself! I'm glad I didn't now. I'd rather it be in your hads, Steve. As for the goldtop, my soon to be father in law has an original DeLuxe goldtop he has put in for me in his will. I can't say I want that day to come where I get the guitar, though. I love that guy. Yeah, I actaully like the in-laws.

Dave

As you probably know, it will bash like a dream, I got one recently and it is the easiest hat I've ever bashed, not that I've bashed that many. The felt is amazing. I nailed mine for $90 on eBay since it was labeled as wool felt. At first I was upset that I had the description mixed up with another fur felt hat and that I had just purchased a wool hat. However, upon inspecting it, I can't imagine that it is wool felt. I may be wrong, but it bashes just like an amazing variety of rabbit fur felt. ps, you seem to not be getting any of my emergency emails.

I keep my eye on ebay, for certain vintage hats and this one with a starting bid of 199.99 is more than the economy vintage crowd at TFL would even bid on. Most of those guys buy vintage, not necessarily because of the quality, but the price. And nothing wrong with that. Some buy new hats, but not that many, when compared to the membership there. And it paid off for me in spades

Harump!! Let me reword this as it comes across as mean spirited. Since after the advent of TFL(a really great site) me and some always felt they pushed up the price of ebay hats. Probably did too. But, at first, many folks there bought these vintage hats with one eye on the price. AND NOT A THING WRONG WITH THAT!!! So please don't take my statement as a bash against anyone. I just recall when some there were shocked at the price of custom hats, new ones that is. And it was hard for a hatter to even sell there, when you could get a superiour felt for pennys on the dollar. But times have changed and a couple hatters there do quite well to the folks there.

I am a member there, but don't post, and seldom have the time to enjoy that great site these days. So, not a bad word from me on these very astute vintage guys. I was just tying in the demand for vintage hats with sites that promote them. And also how when vintage hats were cheap on ebay, many opted out for them, with some buying because of the once cheap prices of these hats. But the prices have soared from the time that I first shopped ebay. If not for that, I would probably own a storage building full of them!!! My own hat museum. Many of these hats actually do belong in a museum, and I think Fedoralover actually has enough of them to make a very nice one. But Fedoralover loves vintage hats and hats in general. Yep, he wears them, but I don't think anyone could take better care of those hats than this man. I would imagine all look as good as the day that he bought them. He is in Michaelson's category. Both of these guys take great care of their hats. I just get the heebie jeebies when I see a museum quality hat that is not taken care of. But this is a personal thing, a quirk peculiar to me. And just another opinon, to which I think I am entitled.

I was thinking about bidding on that one myself! I'm glad I didn't now. I'd rather it be in your hads, Steve.

Thanks for not bidding my friend. I was quite surprised no one did bid, quite shocked actually as I can recall some Borsa collectors a few years ago that would have out bid me!! I guess these guys have all they need currently.

I am a sucker for Borsalinos, with the high crowns and wide brims, as well as Cavanaghs, 10x Stetsons, and Knox hats. These were the creme ala creme in so far as factory hats go. Dobbs were great too, but hard to find the ones with enough brim and crown, but every now and then you do see one. Also, the vintage Resistols were really great hats, when you can find them. Today that brand is associated with western hats, but it was not always that way. I own only one vintage Resistol, and it would have to be pried from my cold dead hands. This company took extreme pride in producing very high quality dress hats once upon a time. So, if you ever get a chance to get a real vintage one, buy it!!!

I used to own a stable of the Stetson Royal line, and Royal Deluxe line, but once I learned about felt, these hats were only of mid quality and I got rid of them. Along with alot of Lees, and other lessor brands. I am a hat snob I guess. And would have no qualms about taking a Royal Stetson and turning it into an Indy fedora. These days I only want the best of the best. Heck, you can buy better hats today than the Royal line was anyways. But the thing about even the Royal line, is you can get em wet, and they don't taper. But would feel better using a homburg since I basically detest that style of hat. Turning one of these into an Indy fedora actually makes the hat look better!! My opinon again. I never have had a lack of opinions. I know they are just opinions, by the way, and not necessarily the truth. And diverse opinions make for interesting debates.

So what happened to me not posting.........much?? Well, it seems I am addicted to COW. Where else are there so many folks that share my interests? But, I plan to start the 12 step program, but so far they don't want to talk about Indy and hats, so what is a guy to do? And where else can I go for info? And entertainment. And be around folks I consider to be friends. And, what if I miss something, real important?

So forget about it. I reckon I am entrenched in the Fedora section of COW. I have been here for so long, and it is actually a part of my life. And a part that I enjoy immensely. Fedora

Steve, as much as you hate bound brims, I urge you to please keep it on the hat, especially if you just plan on storing it for your collection, anyway. It keeps the true vintage feel and detail Borsalino put on it in the first place. It'd be like striping all the hardware and pickups of an original gold top Les Paul just because you didn't like it. (I know you're a guitar buff like me, so I figure I'll speak in words I'm sure you'll appreciate! )

You talked me into it Bink!! Ok, the binding stays on. Those bound brims just remind me of my first cowboy hat at age of 6 or 7. The bound brim just ruined that hat for me. (I wasn't smart enough to take it off) Somehow I still relate bound brims to that first cowboy hat of mine. They just look like they should not be on a hat! But, to keep it original, the Borsa, I will leave it on, and just ignore it when I pull it out to appreciate the quality. Course this forbids me from ever wearing it for a special occassion as I could not wear it with the binding, but its a museum piece for me, so no big deal.

I do wear a couple vintage hats on special occassions, but treat them with the respect they deserve. No fullers earth on these hats!! All of my Indy hats are well treated with the earth. I can't stand wearing a clean Indy fedora. It is just part of the look that I am fond of. Fedora

I'm glad your gonna hang around, Steve. This place wouldn't be the same without you. And please post pics of the hat once you have it.

Dave

Fedora wrote: You talked me into it Bink!! Ok, the binding stays on.

Thanks, Steve. Now I can sleep at night. Besides, I have no doubt you'll eventually come across a vintage Bors without a bound brim, in which case you can then send this one to me.

Regards!

binkmeisterRick wrote:It'd be like striping all the hardware and pickups of an original gold top Les Paul just because you didn't like it. (I know you're a guitar buff like me, so I figure I'll speak in words I'm sure you'll appreciate!

My grandfather had owned one of those.

I agree though, I wouldn't touch it if the hat's that valuable to you.. It would take something away from the authenticity.

Randy

Wow, I think I have a Borsalino I picked up out of a bin at a thrift store around Halloween time a while back for .50. I wear it just to wear it. I'll have to look closer at it to see what it is I've got now. Let me see if I have a pic.

Okay, I guess I don't. Is there anything I should look for that will give me an indication of what I have?

i wish i'd been older during ebay's heyday; there used to be so many good deals there. Nowadays you're more likely to find a bargain browsing actual shops.
i got an old knox for $15 at an antique shop(the real kind, not one of those fleamarket types that put a price tag on anything with rust on it.).

Well it arrived yesterday and I was so disapointed. Not the same Borsa felt that I had become accustomed to, and looks more like it was made in the 80's instead of the 40's or 50's as the ebay ad had alluded to. This felt looks like what came on the Royal Stetson line, and not impressive at all. So, I will wear it and treat it like my Indy hats. Nothing special at all about this hat.

I reckon I will be much more selective on Borsas from here on out. This felt is not even in the same ballpark as the others I have seen and owned. Feel kinda sick about it actually. Caveat Emptor. Fedora

Steve, I would contact the seller. He advertised it as a 40's Borsa knowing he would get more for it. You paid for a 40's Borsa and received a hat that is barely considered vintage. Talk to the seller. I'm sure if you relay how "disapointed" you are with the hat that he will be more than happy to work with you. If not, then resort to a negative feedback threat. That always works with bad sellers.

Dave

With the "new" eBay, "the law of the eBay land" is on your side.. as in eBay will fight for you if need be to get your money back. I'm with Dave, contact the seller, and if you don't get satisfaction, contact eBay. You'll get it one way or another.

Randy

Too bad for the disappointment Steve, it looked great from the first pictures you posted. If it's a 59-60 cm I can relieve you from the disappointment and take it off of your hands for ... say 20 bucks?

Fedora wrote:Well it arrived yesterday and I was so disapointed. Not the same Borsa felt that I had become accustomed to, and looks more like it was made in the 80's instead of the 40's or 50's as the ebay ad had alluded to. This felt looks like what came on the Royal Stetson line, and not impressive at all. So, I will wear it and treat it like my Indy hats. Nothing special at all about this hat.

I reckon I will be much more selective on Borsas from here on out. This felt is not even in the same ballpark as the others I have seen and owned. Feel kinda sick about it actually. Caveat Emptor. Fedora

Hey Steve, sorry to read about the poor quality on your Borsalino. I'm curious about what the liner and sweatband look like. For the price you paid you should send it back if it's not a true vintage borsy.
I really love my vintage Borsalino's for all the reasons you already stated. I found this one at an antique show in Portland for $23.00. It was all smashed and dusty, but I cleaned it and reshaped it. It's one of my fav's to wear. The inside was like new.


Also, regarding the vintage Stetson line. I purchased this vintage Stetson Sovereign, last year. It is a very light blue color and came open crowned in unworn condition. It puts all other stetson's I've owned to shame, even my Stetson 100.



fedoralover

Fedora wrote:

Dobbs were great too, but hard to find the ones with enough brim and crown, but every now and then you do see one.

This Dobbs 15 has incredible felt. It's very fine thin and dense. The brim is 1.3mm, and the top of the crown folded is 1.4 mm. - That means the felt is only 0.7 mm thick! --This video is all about the sound this the crown makes when you poke bashes in and out- It sounds like popcorn So make sure the sound is on when you watch it. I've done this hundreds of times for entertainment, and as you can hear, it's still noisy. I can get pops from any hat, but this one's the loudest.

Yeah, I could probably get a refund, but it isn't worth the time and trouble to me. The thing is, the workmanship is top drawer on this hat. The felt is just lacking, or is not up to snuff compared to the real vintage Borsas. You can really tell alot of time was spent in the construction of this hat, so I can admire that aspect.

I pulled out a hat I thought I had sold, a vintage Stetson Royal Whippet. ( I was looking for my other real vintage Borsa) Anyhow, the Whippet had great felt, compared to this newer Borsa. In fact, with yours eyes shut and just your fingers touching the real Borsa and the Whippet, you can not tell which hat is which. So, I may have to retract my generalized statement regarding the Royal line from Stetson. I think I owned alot of later Royals which were not as good as the earlier ones. And formed a stupid opinon based upon that. It turns out the real old Royal line had great felt. My bad. Fedora

Don't feel bad Fedora, three weeks a go I got an ebay British slouch that looked 360 stovepipe in the pics, but had a lot of taper. It was also mildewed, and I had toss it in a dumpster the next day.

Rock on, 3K.

That's one of the troubles with eBay. It's always a bit of a risk, especially when you can't see or handle the hat beforehand. I've gotten hats labeled as one size only to find out they didn't actually fit. Fortunately, I was able to give them happy homes.

I once bought a vintage hat, well It was nearing its end, and the auction was pulled by ebay due to something about the seller in the past. after that I never tried it again !

Being in the middle of Colorado, it's kind of hard to come across vintage dress hat Hence, I've taken my chances with ebay, craigslist, etc. I've ready about too many disappointments, seen too many 1960's/1970's hats advertised as 30's/40's, to bid on much unless I feel at least half-way confident in it. I've had some disappoinments and some nice surprises. My most worn hat, a brown Borsalino with an open crown of 6 inches and a brim width of 3 inches, came off a craigslist ad in the LA area. It arrived rather crumpled up in the shipping box, but after spending some time shaping it with a little steam, it came out looking like NOS. Lots of old hats out there, but when you have to find one that is in a larger size, a higher crown, and a wider brim...and still in good shape...the numbers drop drastically and the prices jump! This particular Borsalino happened to be the first hat in my possession with a bound brim...but it is about the same shade as the felt, so that probably made it easier for me...I didn't particularly like the bound brim thing at that point.

Now, when my Adventurebilt arrives, we'll have to see if this Borsalino isn't bumped from its "most worn" spot

Figured this was a good thread to throw this in.

I acquired this the other day from my SCV camp commander. He was using it as a civil war slouch hat and passed it on to me. I took one look at the hat and was blown away, a vintage Borsalino!
It's much thinner felt than I've ever dealt with on a fedora. No idea if it's rabbit or beaver felt or how old it is. Aside from a very small blemish on the brim it seems to be in excellent condition for not being taken care of at all. I'm thinking on sending it in for a reblock and cleaning.
It's one size too big for me normally, but I'm guessing after so many years, it's shrunk to actually fit me. I can barely tell I'm wearing it when I to put it on.
Though I doubt it's that old, it has that 1930s/40s working man hat look that you see in the pics and movies. It literally had no shape to it when I acquired it, but with a little handywork it easily took a light bash and brim modification with no steam, etc.

Veeeery nice.


Regards,

Indiana Jeff