Any hatshops in Vienna I should not pass up?

[Lando]

I'm heading to Vienna, Austria soon and wanted to know if there were any hat shops in Vienna that I should not pass up. I tried searching but nothing popped up so I figured I would ask. I don't know the different brands they have over there and what to avoid.

 

[mayserwegener]

I know of and have purchased from Nagy which is a very old shop. They might have some NOS so might be worth asking.

http://www.nagy-hut.at/

You may want to check out antique / vintage shops for P. & C. Habig, Hückel, Peschel, Doebesch, Fraenkel, ect. Vienna is $$$!

There is this custom hutmacher that is also big $$$ but never seen his work

http://www.szaszi.com/de/meister.htm

History wise you might want to check out P. & C. Habig's old showroom, ect.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/5-p-c-habig-hutfabrik/page__view__findpost__p__86

I have my best luck regarding NOS, vintage finds in smaller cities / towns. Just hunt around for the hat shops / antique places.

 

[Chasseur]

Great thread, very helpful. I'm going to be in Slovenia for several weeks this fall and I plan a weekend trip to Vienna. This gives me some ideas.

Any vintage shops you might recommend?

 

[mayserwegener]

I can't help you with vintage stores but I am sure there are a good number in Vienna but probably very expensive. Almost every good size town in Austria will have a hat shop(s). You never know what these places have in old stock so sometimes you can make a nice find. For present day trachten huts I would recommend Zapf.

While in Slovinia you may want to see what is happening at this place.

http://textil.stfi.de/partex/detail.asp?ID=60114&bi_lang=6

Slovinia has a hat making tradition so you might run into some nice finds there.

 

[tonyb]

Should you get to Szaszi, please file a report.

His website (among he best hatter's sites I've ever seen, by the way) makes his shop look waaaay cool. But, you know, the camera shows only what the camera shows.

Mayserwegener's characterization of his prices ("big $$$") is almost too polite. When I first saw those prices, I muttered something like, "man, you can't be serious."

 

[daizawaguy]

http://www.szaszi.com/en/

English link

 

[daizawaguy]

http://www.szaszi.com/en/preise.htm

Mink E3920 and up!

 

[Lando]

Okay. I need to check out this Szaszi place. My wife keeps saying I have to buy a Homburg in Vienna because it just seems right, but that classic fedora on the Szasi site has a nice look to it. I will of course bring back photos of the shop and possibly a hat if things go well.

You ever not wear a hat on a trip because you hope you will get a nice one there and then wear it through the trip? Its a gamble of of course but sometimes, especially when you find you may be heading to a very hat heavy location, it might be worth it. I'm generally an ultralite packer so I tend to travel with one hat. Lately it's been a Christys' Bowler. My wife calls its my Pith Helmet because the damn thing is so hard, but it takes a beating and stays smooth the way through.

Okay. Thanks guys. I will have to check out Szaszi and I'll keep an eye out for those antique shops with possible vintage.

 

[HatFan]

There is a hat shop on the main pedestrian mall (Kartner Strausse) not far from St. Stevens..I forget what it is called, but it is on a corner on the east side of the street. They have a display of hats in the window and a basement with all kinds of hats. I bought a Stetson Vita-flt there