Super nice, Red!
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Homburg Nation
- Thread starter Garrett
- Start date
Mean Eyed Matt
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,104
- Location
- Germany
Another great Borsalino Homburg in a fantastic brown color!
This thread doesn't belong on page three, so something must be done. Luckily another homburg was added to the collection. This one was provided by Karl (Crow) who couldn't make it work for him and generously sent it over to me. Many thanks to Karl, because it really is a fine homburg (if it fits you). It does fit me almost perfectly. The brim sits at 5,5cm and the crown is 10,5 cm at the pinch. I did reshape the hat a bit, but the pronounced upward curve of the brim on the sides was there already. I lowered the front and back a bit to give it more flair. The felt is wonderful and the finishing is well done, though not of the very high standards of earlier hats. The date on the box that came with it is 1973 and I think that date is the date of the hat too. The maker is probably Associated British hat manufacturers, which was formed after 1966.
KarlCrow
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,718
If I hadn't stretched it, it would fit better, it'll shrink a bit maybe, nice job on the brim, and suits you better than I. Yeh, the finishing always looked just a tad off but the felt is fine, and it's looking better now than its 45 years in a box.
Karl, thanks. It will settle itself soon enough and you're right of course: this is a hat to be worn (and I certainly will). I may have to think about three or four hat days though, to give them all sufficient head-time
Chepstow
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 5,406
- Location
- Germany/ Remscheid
Nice Stefan, like the low crown on it!
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Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk Pro
Manfred, thanks. When measured it isn't all that low, but it certainly appears that way because of the form.
- Messages
- 17,233
- Location
- Maryland
Echter Mayser "Spezial", 59cm, Crown 5 1/2 inches, Brim 2 1/2 inches probably later 1950s. This is a really great looking later Homburg. Also in near mint condition.
Spezial indeed, Steve. Wonderful.Echter Mayser "Spezial", 59cm, Crown 5 1/2 inches, Brim 2 1/2 inches probably later 1950s. This is a really great looking later Homburg. Also in near mint condition.
- Messages
- 17,233
- Location
- Maryland
Stefan, Thanks again!
- Messages
- 18,930
- Location
- Central California
I'm looking at this hat online. I like larger brimmed Homburgs (love my Stetson St. Regis) but the proportions of this hat have me wondering if this is too much of a good thing.
Is this brim on this Biltmore Imperial wider than the St. Regis?
The proportions just look off to me, but then I keep going back to it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Is this brim on this Biltmore Imperial wider than the St. Regis?
The proportions just look off to me, but then I keep going back to it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Bob Roberts
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 11,201
- Location
- milford ct
I have a Canadian Biltmore Imperial homburg. Terribly stiff like cardboard. Couldn't give it a good pinch even with steam. A too deep cuppy flange. Short crown with too much taper and shorter brim then the St. Regis. Those pictures look decieving.
- Messages
- 18,930
- Location
- Central California
Before this thread sinks too low, here's something new. Browsing through a big crate of hats last friday I found this: a Lee homburg in navy blue. Apparently they are not that common and on this side of the pond they are virtually non-existant. More luck: it is in like new condition and it is in my size. Brim at 6,5 cm and crown 11,5 cm at the pinch (I pinched it). Without further ado: Lee blue label (no model name on the sweatband and there never was one). There is a difference between this one and other homburg hats: the brim binding runs parallel with the brim all the way around, whereas most brim bindings on homburgs run wider on the sides and narrower in the front and back.
- Messages
- 12,384
- Location
- Albany Oregon
Absolutely beautiful Stefan! I agree that a Lee Homburg is an odd bird. This one is stellar. I know the Blue Label is in the hierarchy of their quality labels. There is an accounting of this on the Lee thread I think. I would imagine that "Blue" is high quality though, this being a Homburg and all.
M Hatman
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,364
It depends.....Biltmore did make a Homburg with the proportions of the early Stetson...and good quality felt....I have one...in fact my brim was so big and flat I actually steamed it up a bit and put a nice upward curve in it...made it look like one of those Homburgs from the turn of the century to the twenties.......actually have had several positive comments about it.....should get a photo posted......they also make one with a tapered crown and much less brim.....and stiff felt! They can each be identified by the inside tag and the listed proportions. I would have to look again to see what mine says.....they have different felts too....mine was new old stock so had all the tags......I'm looking at this hat online. I like larger brimmed Homburgs (love my Stetson St. Regis) but the proportions of this hat have me wondering if this is too much of a good thing.
Is this brim on this Biltmore Imperial wider than the St. Regis?
The proportions just look off to me, but then I keep going back to it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
M
Mike, thanks again. I did browse through the Lee Lounge thread (not that hard to do). The blue label is somewhere in the middle in fact. It is a very well made hat though. Nice felt with a soft hand and great finishing.
Posted a teaser of this one earlier in another thread. Staalmeester lords' hat in black. Size 56 (no labels or stickers in the hat though). Unbound brim at 6 cm and crown 11 cm in front. Unlined and no crown patch either (no traces of there having been one). Very sparse hat, but a beautiful soft hand to the felt. I do haven another one of these hats, which does have a crown patch. I may have posted the story of Staalmeester before, but just in case. The Dutch brand Staalmeester started in 1937 as Nederlandse Hoeden Fabriek (Nehoefa in short). It was started by JS Meuwsen, a well known hat merchant based in Amsterdam. The factory was located in Bussum. For the duration of the war the factory was not operational and it only started up again in 1947. The factory closed down in the mid-seventies after a fire. It's unclear if they started up elsewhere or just kept the brand going with outsourced hats. The later hats branded Staalmeester are far lesser quality.
- Messages
- 12,384
- Location
- Albany Oregon
I have had this Homburg in my mitts for a week or so, sorry for the delay. Listed on Ebay with photos that looked like a blue/navy toned felt, this little homburg is definitely black. Sold by R. W. Forsythe ltd. with stores in Edinburgh and Glasgow from the late 19th Century. The liner tip seems to be added by some type of heat transfer on a standard white satin liner. There are no marks at all on the sweat, with only a generic mfg. tag and a union label. The felt is nice and smooth, with great hand. Not very supple for a high end hat. Pinches will need some steam. The dimensions are smaller, with a nicely swooping curl. All in all, not a bad everyday wearing Homburg. The "Haggis-Berg"!
Nice find there, Mike. Without a label there's not much to go on really. The union stamp has been around for quite a while in the British hatting industry. The hat was most likely made in Denton or Stockport for the retailer. Some of those homburgs are softer and some of them are closer to the stiffness of a bowler and some just don't want side pinches.
