Recent content by lecky

I'm in central London at least once a week and often walk through Piccardilly Arcade and along Bond Street, and I almost never go without seeing someone else in a good hat, usually several people. Not rarely they are hats of great style and apparent quality, usually on older men of affluent...

The full dress version is even more outlandish.

That's gorgeous! Apparently these Bersaglieri plumes are Western Capercaille / Wood Grouse feathers, which makes sense with that spread slightly imitating the way grouse spread their tail feathers.. Although another source says they're Javanese Bantam Fowl. I wonder if it's the sort of project...

Thanks Manfred.

Steve, my father has already gone to his home to Somerset with his Peschel unfortunately, but I'll see if he'll photograph it, or I'll be there in January and can photograph it then. It's quite soft, takes whatever bash you put in it directly, has a high straight crown and a fairly wide flat...

Here's an early Christmas present from my father (I took him to my favourite hat supplier, he got a great probably early 50s Peschel Homburg and got me this): It's a 57 or could be a 58 with a little shrinkage in the leather, just about fine for me, I love it. And here's a...

Thanks Rabbit, I'll probably get an offcut of silk velvet to make my own pad - looks very worthwhile (such a beautiful hat too).

I just tried an old velvet record cleaning pad, I assume it's a synthetic fibre. It certainly aligns my hat's hair better than a hat brush. I imagine a silk velvet pad, such as are used on toppers could be better still.

Thanks for your thoughts Manfred.

Chepstow, the brim is much less stiff than a usual Homburg, it could be tampered with, but it feels right.

Stitched.

The curl is a bit more on the sides than back and front, and not as tightly curled as is usual, let alone the tight curl of some of the older ones, there are no other labels at all. It's really quite unconventional for a Homburg. The felt is lovely, feeling just a little bit velvety.

Here are a couple of hats, an Erko Velour, no other markings, and a midnight blue Homburg with a fairly wide brim and a crown that's a bit shorter than usual, Marke Spezial, and from the shop Hettlage & Lampe, the felt is softer than a typical Humburg, and it's more easily wearable.

It's a 58. I did come across a similar velour Hückel of similar quality, and also well worn, in a vintage clothes boutique in Munich last week in about a size 60. Since I only really buy to wear I left it without asking the price (there were some other lovely old hats in Munich too...) I'll...

I'm glad you like it Mayserwegener. The sweat is as it came to me, the stitching is hand done and not the finest, as is obvious in the photo, so I suppose it to have been fixed at some point, the sweat is old though. The ribbon is the one with which the hat came, which I took off for cleaning...