A Trio of Brand New Thirties Borsalinos!!!

[Visigoth]

Well, I somehow managed to win THREE Borsalinos, from 1930: new old stock; never been worn. They need bashing (and perhaps full blocking); but they're lovely. These two are unlined, and should make great travel hats:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8373714002
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8373707352

And this one is, well, nicely excessive:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8402021611

If it's really that color, I think it goes to my girlfriend. It is in fact too small for me (21 1/2"). The others are also small (22"), but only have to be stretched from a 7 to a 7 1/4, which should be doable.

(By the way, for those with small heads, there are two others available; do a search on the seller, "1001pc". They are quite tiny, but really really nice: one is chocolate brown; the other a medium gray.)

Quite excited about this!

 

[besdor]

Your Borsalino hats are all coming from Bulgaria . About one year ago someone started to post on Ebay a few at a time . It is old stock from a store there . I won a few before the prices realy jumped up to todays levels . The quality is fantastic ,just the packaging could be a little better .
You never know where hats will come from next!



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Good find.

Makes me wonder what other fabulous NOS is waiting in some forgotten Soviet era warehouse. The possibilities are endless.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Congratulations, Visigoth! Those hats are FANTASTIC. The Italian size 5 1/2 hats should be about a U.S. size 7 1/4. Perhaps the size 5 is a U.S. size 7 1/8? If I were you, I'd definitely try stretching it. How often do you find a blue Borsalino?

Again, congratulations. You really did well.

 

[Visigoth]

Italian Sizes

Wow, I hope you're right about sizes! They gave different information on the ad, if you look: they said that the 5 1/2 was 22", which is an American 7. But I just looked at a table of French sizes, and you're right. Might Bulgarian sizing be different again, or did they just make an error (in my favor)?

(Italian sizes seem to be double digits.)

 

[Pilgrim]

With that cobalt blue one you bought, I'd say you don't need to worry about mine anymore - that one is pretty!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Wow, I hope you're right about sizes!

I based my comment on the Italian-sized vintage Borsalinos that I've owned or seen. (Older Borsalinos were not sized in double digits.) Unless your hats have shrunk a bit -- and I doubt this, since they have never been used -- it seems that they'll fit you just fine. I trust size tags more than I do the expertise of sellers at measuring circumferences. (It's tricky to do!)

Again, well done!

.

 

[Visigoth]

Thanks all. Yes, Pilgrim, I think I'm all Borsalinoed out.

Now, will these likely require professional blocking, or can I steam and hand block them?

And does anyone know anything about the level of quality they represent? The Trionfo model, for instance. The seller had lined Trionfos, as well as the unlined ones that I bought. Would these have the same felt? Beaver? Is the unlined a travel hat?

I also bid on a Columbo model; we'll see if I get it.

So many questions....

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I've found that these types of Borsalinos are extremely easy to steam and block by hand. You will almost certainly be able to do it yourself.

The news just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?