German & Austrian Hutmachers

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Wilke - Velour

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Looks like an interesting felt!

 

[marting81]

Looks like an interesting felt!

@Mean Eyed Matt Yes it is really soft...
@mayserwegener Steve, you also have a velour? But i think older one... Should be soooooft too, like the name says velour.

 

[mayserwegener]

@Mean Eyed Matt Yes it is really soft...
@mayserwegener Steve, you also have a velour? But i think older one... Should be soooooft too, like the name says velour.

Martin, Yes, I have a few 1930s and older C. G. Wilke Guben Real Velour Hats . I have many German and Austrian Real Velour Hats from that time period. Here is a really nice possibly late 1920s C. G. Wilke Guben Real Velour Hat of mine.

https://germanaustrianhats.invision...e-hutfabrik-guben/?do=findComment&comment=816

 

[marting81]

C.G. Wilke Melone "Haar Special"

 

[mayserwegener]

"Deutsches Fabrikat", 58 cm, 119 grams, possibly 1930s. No company labels so most likely sourced by the shop Emil Fischer Dortmund (see Case below). The Black Fur Felt has a unique Chamois Finish with a very soft Hand. The condition is near NOS condition which along with the Finish attracted me to this Stiff Felt.

Original Case, Emil Fischer Dortmund Wiss - Str 26 - 28

 

[PanosChris]

P. & C. Habig Wien "Special", P. & C. Habig's "Special Qualität, Reine Handarbeit", 58 cm, possibly 1930s late 1920s and reworked later. There is no paper label but the Liner is stitched in so if reworked it was possibly in the 1950s. The Felt has a Natural finish but a soft hand. The Sweatband, Liner and Band are of very high quality.

Open Crown

Natural Light

I have a NOS condition P. & C. Habig Wien "Special", P. & C. Habig's "Special Qualität, Reine Handarbeit Berlin Friedrichstr. 82a" that has very similar components and from about the same time period. This is definitely one of my finest hats.

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/5-p-c-habig-hutfabrik/?do=findComment&comment=1977

Super!!!

 

[mayserwegener]

Super!!!

Panos, Thank you!

 

[steur]

Fraenkel Wien velours made for Edka Le Chapelier. Size 59 with the raw edge brim at 6,5cm and the crown at 11cm at the center dent. Maybe it isn't on par with Hückel's highest velour hats, but it's pretty damn close for sure. Tough to find these Fraenkel hats as well (I don't have one myself), so a good find on any day. Apart from some light staining on the liner it is in excellent condition as well. No need to further explain why it came in first.

 

[mayserwegener]

Stefan, Super find! S. J. Fraenkel Wien 1930s and older hats are very difficult to find. This Velour is really fantastic. Very high gloss. Also really like the Band and Bow design.

 

[steur]

Stefan, Super find! S. J. Fraenkel Wien 1930s and older hats are very difficult to find. This Velour is really fantastic. Very high gloss. Also really like the Band and Bow design.

Thank you, Steve. It was a lucky find indeed. Never found a Fraenkel before.

 

[mayserwegener]

Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden,"Küssnacht" "Tell", 57cm, Wool possibly 1930s. I very much like finding old German Wool Soft Felt Hats this one. This Soft Felt could have been made by one of the German Hat Factories (located in what became East Germany post WWII) that produced Wool Soft and Stiff Felt hats up to WWII. It could have also been made by FRS from sourced Wool stumps from the same sources. The wide 7 cm Curled Brim is mildly flanged. The Liner is extremally light weight so very delicate. This is possibly the reason the two other FRS Soft Felts are missing their Liners. Matt also has FRS "Küssnacht" "Tell" so here is his explanation of "Küssnacht" "Tell".

"The overprint on the sweatband shows a top hat and says: "Küßnacht" and under it probably "Tell", so that I assume from a Swiss salesman. In Küssnacht, the legend of William Tell, the Swiss national hero, has its localization..."

Open Crown

Back in 2019 I found the Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden "Tell" mark.

Deutsche Hutmacher-Zeitung (German Hat Maker News), December 15, 1936

Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden

Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden

Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden I found the Franz Richter & Söhne, Dresden "Tell" mark. Deutsche Hutmacher-Zeitung (German Hat Maker News), December 15, 1936

germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Once again, great hat! If I remember correctly, this is already the third 'Tell' here in the round - with the small blue one, which I gave to Wayne because of its size, and the black one from Stefan. It's nice to revive a long lost hat brand a bit this way...

 

[marting81]

Wilke - Elch

 

[mayserwegener]

Once again, great hat! If I remember correctly, this is already the third 'Tell' here in the round - with the small blue one, which I gave to Wayne because of its size, and the black one from Stefan. It's nice to revive a long lost hat brand a bit this way...

Matt, Thank you! Yes, there are 3 "Tells" and our two are ""Küssnacht"" and Stefan's is a ""Uri". All three are on my website (see link).

https://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/topic/328-franz-richter-söhne-dresden/

It would be interesting to know if FRS made these hats or sourced. I tend to think they were sourced. The Wool felt definitely was sourced.

 

[mayserwegener]

Wilke - Elch View attachment 497525 View attachment 497526 View attachment 497527 View attachment 497529 View attachment 497530 View attachment 497531 View attachment 497532 View attachment 497533

Martin, Super! Great looking later Wilke! I hope the later story of Wilke can be solved.

 

[steur]

Wegener Cornett in a grey colour called Olmütz (Wegener uses placenames for their colours). Size 56, with the bound brim at 6,5cm and the crown at 11cm at the center dent. Camber model, although it works just as well as a fedora.

 

[steur]

Mertés de Luxe chamois/velour finish fedora. Overwelt brim at 6,5cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. Very nice hand to the felt, which sits somewhere between a longer haired chamois and a short haired velour. Couldn't find anymore information about Mertés, excepts that the full name was M. Mertés Hutfabrik and that there seems to be a connection with Mayser. Odd thing is that underneath the emblem the text "maison fondee en 1841" (in French therefore) can be found. Located in Alsace maybe, as that region switched nations more often than we do socks?
Even though the liner gives it away as a slightly more modern hat it is very well made. May have been refursbished at some point because it has two labels inside.

 

[steur]

I suspect it will be green hats all around today, but there are other (better) ways to go to celebrate St Patrick's day. A hat in the colour of Guiness for example and a different nod to Ireland.
Dublin homburg hat in black. Size 56 with the brim at 6cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. Model is called Basel and the quality is called Poniko. I need another black homburg like I need a hole in my head, but I couldn't resist. The label is by W&G Schuchart, a wholeseller who likely sourced from Wegener. Sláinte!

 

[marting81]

Mertés de Luxe chamois/velour finish fedora. Overwelt brim at 6,5cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. Very nice hand to the felt, which sits somewhere between a longer haired chamois and a short haired velour. Couldn't find anymore information about Mertés, excepts that the full name was M. Mertés Hutfabrik and that there seems to be a connection with Mayser. Odd thing is that underneath the emblem the text "maison fondee en 1841" (in French therefore) can be found. Located in Alsace maybe, as that region switched nations more often than we do socks?
Even though the liner gives it away as a slightly more modern hat it is very well made. May have been refursbished at some point because it has two labels inside.

I found :
Albert Mertés 1853-1924 (hat manufacturer)
His wife... Hermine HABIG from Wien (daughter of hat manufacturer)
Their daughter : Mimi Mertés

 

[Rmccamey]

I suspect it will be green hats all around today, but there are other (better) ways to go to celebrate St Patrick's day. A hat in the colour of Guiness for example and a different nod to Ireland.
Dublin homburg hat in black. Size 56 with the brim at 6cm and the crown at 10,5cm at the center dent. Model is called Basel and the quality is called Poniko. I need another black homburg like I need a hole in my head, but I couldn't resist. The label is by W&G Schuchart, a wholeseller who likely sourced from Wegener. Sláinte!

What hat could be better for the day, Stefan!