Borsalino Question for the experts

[oldhat?]

Hi. Can anyone tell me how old my hat is? It is a Grey felt fur borsalino. It is in it's original hat box. the box is Black and white with colluseum like arches. It says borsalino around the rim. The hat has "antica casa Borsalino, a crest with AVGVSTA inside the crest, Alessandra italia" this is on the inside top of the hat. on the edge is Grand prix paris 1900... made in italy by original house founded in 1857. On the ridge on inside is "Diamante II" twenty-five. It has one of those strings attached w/ button. The hat looks never worn. No sweat the letters are in perfect gold on inside, the white silk interior is clean, it's a size 71/8 (eulan bayer is on tag for size w/ looks like a hand) Does anyone know? Thank you.

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hi Oldhat,
I know we spoke via email but if you post a picture we can all join the conversation with a little more accuracy.

 

[Dayonfire]

Grand Prix Paris 1900...

Speaking of hats of this name, I've seen ones that come in a little carrying case like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8319429239&category=74973&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

What's the deal with these hats? Are they unblocked bodies, or did people whip these out, unroll them and plop them on their heads?

 

[Damon Falzone]

This question of Borsalino hat dating came up not too long ago. There is a white tag affixed to the hat body under the liner. On it there should be a serial number. Someone at Borsalino, NYC told me that the first 2 numbers of that serial number correspond to the year of production. Take a look!

Lidprop

 

[Art Fawcett]

Hi Dayonfire...welcome to the Lounge
these hat were normally "travel" hats that could be shaped when you get to your destination. This particular hat seems to be just an unblocked body that I have seen come this way before and have finished them out. I don't know the reason this happens, but it does and is worth investigating more.

 

[dopey]

Hi Dayonfire...welcome to the Lounge
these hat were normally "travel" hats that could be shaped when you get to your destination. This particular hat seems to be just an unblocked body that I have seen come this way before and have finished them out. I don't know the reason this happens, but it does and is worth investigating more.

Art & Dayonfire:
I will be glad to let you know more when the hat arrives. I decided to take a look, and bid on it.

 

[Canadave]

...I decided to take a look, and bid on it.

It looks like the hat in your avatar!

David

 

[dopey]

It looks like the hat in your avatar!

David

You are right!!! I guess I will leave it alone.

 

[EricH]

So I stop in one of my favorite used/vintage clothing stores this morning on the way to somewhere else. I dig through all the stratoliners, mallorys, and wide brim resistols, seriously, but size 7 to 7 1/8. There at the bottom of the rack is a chocolate brown Boralino wide brimmed and with a felted edge. It says 7 1/4, but easily fits my 7 3/8 head (I'm betting a Brit 7 1/4). The price is better than fair and far cheaper than Ebay. Now the question.

How old is it? As I said it has a felted edge, but no liner. The size tag is blue and white cloth. The manufacturing tag says Mogano with the numbers 706 17326. I know by some past threads this might indicate 1917 though there seems some disagreement on this.

What do you pros think? Eric

 

[besdor]

Without a picture ,judging by your description , I'd say 1960's . The size tag that Borsalino used back then was white and blue . Mogano I believe is brown .

Steven
www.bencraft hats.com

 

[Visigoth]

This Borsalino dating code seems pretty hit and miss. Did they use various numbering systems? Or is the first two digits thing just a myth? I mean, it's at least *credible* with my hat: 3894 71582 -- and the hat could easily be 1971.

 

[besdor]

Borsalino did date their hats from 1974 to 1986 and again from 1994 to the present .
Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Stoney]

Sorry to falgrantly flaunt my ignorance of the subject but can anyone tell me which Borsalino models are vintage and which are new production?

Like Allesandro and San Remo for instance.

 

[feltfan]

As far as I can tell, you can't go on model names alone.

It's not clear to me, BTW, that Allesandro was ever a
vintage model name (don't know about now). I think it
was just a prominent piece of text on the hat, indicating
the factory of origin.

Often people mistake the name of the store at which
the hat was purchased with a model name. The most
prominent example is "Baskin", which is stamped in a lot
of hats. I believe it was a department store. They may
have been a big enough customer to dictate some of the
design of a style or two of hats, but the name does not
indicate a particular style.

Your better bet is to get familiar with the appearance
of the liners used by Borsalino in the good old days.

 

[M_Jones]

Would it be possible to see some vintage liners if the owners of vintage Borsalinos are willing? Are cloth size tags any indication of age or do they deal more with quality?

Regards,
Hollis

 

[Dinerman]

Would it be possible to see some vintage liners if the owners of vintage Borsalinos are willing? Are cloth size tags any indication of age or do they deal more with quality?

Regards,
Hollis

here are the liners of my borsalinos. Click them to see detail.
The first two have cloth tags, the third has no tag, and the fourth has a paper one.

 

[M_Jones]

Thanks Dinerman!

I recently recieved my first Borso (via eBay) and it has the same type of liner and cloth tag as your second picture. Mine is in worse shape though. Any idea on the age of that one?

Regards,
Hollis

 

[Dinerman]

Thanks Dinerman!

I recently recieved my first Borso (via eBay) and it has the same type of liner and cloth tag as your second picture. Mine is in worse shape though. Any idea on the age of that one?

Regards,
Hollis

don't quote me on it, but I'd say that one is '50s.

 

[besdor]

The style known as the Alessandria was created in the 1950's . It has basicaly remained the same since then. The other two calssic styles are the "San Remo" and the Torino. Both are centerdent hats with a 19 line band and welted (sometimes cav edge) brim. One has a 2 inch , the other a 2 1/4" brim. These are the typical styles that you see on Ebay as they have been sold for many years here in the USA.



Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[Stoney]

Thanks for the info

Thanks guys. I'm learning a little bit at a time about these Italian hats.
From everything I've read here on the board, it seems that vintage is the way to go if possible.

BTW Dinerman,

I checked out your zine this weekend and had a great time browsing through it.
Loved your artwork as well. Great job! I'm a diner fan as well and prefer that type of atmosphere, and food, over the run of the mill chain resteraunts that are so common these days.