German & Austrian Hutmachers

[mayserwegener]

Paddy, Super! Yes probably late 50s very early 60s. I found Josef Auer in my 1926 Austrian Hat Industry Guide (a godsend).

 

[Beardog]

I need to practice shaping hats, so I picked up a Reich "Aspenvelour" at the flea market earlier today. I know nothing about it (other than the German name and label), but it was good practice, on an inexpensive hat.

2 inch snap brim, about a 4.5 inch finished crown. Attached are photos of the lining/label, after steam converting to an open crown (and gentle steam ironing of the brim), then my finished "teardrop" crease. This was my first attempt at all of this.

Not too bad for $10:

 

[mayserwegener]

It's a nice Trachten Velour probably late 50s into the 60s. I am not aware of the Reich company. There was a company named Ottmar Reich. Can you post of photo of the Reich logo on the sweatband? Also is there a paper label behind the sweatband?

 

[Beardog]

What is "Trachten Velour"?

Yes, There is a paper label. It says "Flaschengrun"

The label in the crown is a little blurry, but says "Reich 1838".

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks! The founding date of 1838 confirms that it's an Ottmar Reich. They were originally a famous straw hat company. Check this link for more information.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/18-ottmar-reich-hutfabrik/

Tracht is country / folk style of dress.

 

[Beardog]

Thank you! So, are Reich hats fairly common these days? One would think so, if they were in business for 150 years.

 

[Beardog]

This looks like the identical hat, marketed under a different company name:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/215897214/vintage-rockel-60s-german-traditional?ref=market

 

[mayserwegener]

This looks like the identical hat, marketed under a different company name:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/215897214/vintage-rockel-60s-german-traditional?ref=market

It's a very common Trachten style. Rockel was a famous hat company in Germany (they made all types of hats but specialized in Velour finishes). By the way the Etsy site belongs to Paddy (see above).

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/17-rockel-hutfabrik/

If you are interested in German & Austrian vintage take a look at my site.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/

 

[mayserwegener]

Thank you! So, are Reich hats fairly common these days? One would think so, if they were in business for 150 years.

Yes they are fairly common especially in Germany. The company lasted in the 1990s. As I mentioned historically they were known for their straw hats.

 

[mayserwegener]

J. Hückel´s Söhne "Prima", probably 1930s, not mine but a fantastic Velour.

 

[mayserwegener]

I found this article (from The World's Work, Volume 31, 1916) while researching Cold Tar Dyes.

https://books.google.com/books?id=DaQ6AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=coal+tar+dyes+felt&source=bl&ots=CV1S5fq6ss&sig=GdlHjKeU2iHuTHw4GZ_HJLbHjEk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aDfDVNG6EvH_sATG04IY&ved=0CEEQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=coal%20tar%20dyes%20felt&f=false

 

[mayserwegener]

Peasant couple from around Hanoi (Tonkin) (French Indochina)
Working with hats made of palm leaf fan. The hat shapes for men and women are different.

The Hat

Ciba-Rundschau 31

Basel. November 1938

The hat

Content: The headdress at the primitive peoples by Dr. A. G. Petitpierre page 1126

On the cultural history of the hat by Dr. A. G. Petitpierre page 1131

Hat factory and hat manufacturing by Dr. A. G. Petitpierre page 1144

The modern technique of hat manufacturing and dyeing of W.Thommen page 1152

Categories: Notes on the topic page 1157

Reproduction, even partial, as well as excess copying, are permitted only with the permission of the editorial staff of the Ciba Rundschau


To the Modern Technique of Hat Manufacturing - Dyeing Works

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/187-der-hut-cibachemical-industries-basel-rundschau-31-1938/#entry1105

This is the most interesting section of the book. Ciba (Chemical Industries Basel) was one of the major producers of Coal Tar Dyes used for hat felt (fur and wool) and was / is a giant of the Chemical industry. Probably worth taking a look if you have interest in dying felts (not a trivial matter). These are types of dyes + mordants you need to be using. Also the additive Invadin D (I couldn't find its make up) to reduce shrinkage during dyeing.

"The Chemical Industry

The first chemical factory in Switzerland was founded by Daniel Frey at Aarau in 1804. The big time of the chemical industry - always one of the important sectors of the swiss economy - began only 50 years later, however. In 1859 Alexandre Clavel, Louis Durand and Etienne Marnas came from France to Basel to produce synthetic colors. As early as 1884 their company was known as "Chemische Industrie in Basel (CIBA)". Johann Rudolf Geigy-Merian extracted in 1858 of auxiliary substances to produce colours. Johann Gerber-Keller and Armand Gerber from Mulhouse (Alsace) came to Basel in 1864 to produce dye Azalein, because they had not succeeded in securing patent rights in France. In 1886 two employees of CIBA, chemist Alfred Kern and manager Edouard Sandoz founded the Kern and Sandoz company. These are the roots of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz that merged in the 1990's to Novartis. As early as 1885 also synthetic medicines (pharmaceuticals) were produced. Fritz Hoffmann-La Roche founded his company in 1896 and specialized from the beginning in pharmaceutics."

http://history-switzerland.geschichte-schweiz.ch/industrialization-switzerland.html

 

[Daniele Tanto]

This hat arrived yesterday during a wind&water storm. It came from Germany and the trademark is unkown to me.
Huperz Qualitat

It is a thick felt with very classic EU proportions and shape

Brim are 5 cm. and crown 11 cm. low point

The finishing of the felt is Antilope and the ribbon is particular.

Here the interior of the Huperz

It is gently used and in a very good shape. Linen needs some little work.

If someone could help for identification and age. My thanks in advance.

 

[mayserwegener]

Great finish and ribbon / bow design! I couldn't find anything on "Huperz". It's possible it's a brand and not a maker especially since the paper label doesn't have any company listed. I will check with a contact that might know something. My guess is mid to late 1960s maybe a little later.

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Thanks for now Steve. I hope we will have more information.
The Huperz is really a very beautiful hat in material and finishing.

 

[Ghost Rider]

Very nice Daniele. By the way, the colour translates as "heron".

 

[mayserwegener]

Thanks for now Steve. I hope we will have more information.
The Huperz is really a very beautiful hat in material and finishing.

My friend hadn't heard of Hupernz but he doesn't think it's a maker. You see hats like this in Germany. They have a special name but no company mark on the paper label. For example this Pallas Homburg.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/38-pallas/#entry166

 

[Daniele Tanto]

Thanks Steve. It is my opinion too. There are same situation for Italians hats that have name not corresponding to a well known maker. I will post an example in this week. The homburg Pallas has some finishing the seems more French made. I found some similarities with frencie homburgs I have.

 

[mayserwegener]

I have seen some other Pallas marked hats. They are really nice made hats but probably sold a lower price point than the name brands.

There also hats made for retail stores like this Ernst Köln which also have no company mark.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/62-ernst-koln/

I was able to match the paper label format of this Hut Seidel München hat to Mayser.

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/3-mayser-hutfabrik/page-5#entry804

Mayers used "Parker 713 Broadway New York" trademark in the mid 1960s. This is just some made up brand name with an American connection (you also "Windsor" and "Cambridge" with British connections, not sure who made them).

http://germanaustrianhats.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/3-mayser-hutfabrik/page-5#entry769

Look forward to seeing your Italian examples!

 

[mayserwegener]

Mayser, measures 58.5 cm, 177 grams, very good condition, probably early 1900s. There is a paper label but I didn't want to disturb the sweatband which is very comfortable (self conforming). It has an offset bow which I really like and is also less common. It was made for the famous München hat store Johann Zehme (Royal Bavarian Court Supplier).