Here is the Super Barbisio I picked up off the "Buy it Now" deal on eBay. This is the most luxurious felt I have ever, uh, felt. My 1930s Borsalino Trionfo feels like course wool next to this hat. My Borsalino Grande Luxe doesn't even compare to this hat.
After a good brushing I think it looks nice. This bash is what it came with.
Brim 2 1/2"
Ribbon 1 1/8"
Open Crown ~5 1/2" I tried to eyeball it.
Bottom of the ribbon to top of the pinch is 4 1/4"
I was worried about the size, but this is it right out of the box:
I would say it's about a large 7 1/8 or small 7 1/4. There is no size tag, and the ink on the label inside is faded. I will need to stretch it just a little bit.
There is a small spot of something visible on the felt in this picture. It won't just scratch off with a fingernail.
The top of the liner is covered with the "oil silk" that is starting to crack near the front. On the top of the liner is "Super Barbisio", "Extra Lusso" and something else that is hard to make out. I think the last part is Made in Italy in Italian. I think this picture shows the true color the best.
Under the Super Barbisio name is "Sagliano Micca" which Google tells me is a village in Northern Italy. Maybe this is where the hat was made.
The other side of the sweatband lists all of the Barbisio shops. I was a frequent visitor to the window display of the shop in Catania. It was a regular stop for my wife and I after pizza and gelato.
In the front of the sweatband is stamped "Velvet Extra".
The bow looks a little stretched as you can see in this picture. I am afraid stretching it a half size will make it really bad.
There is also a small area of moth tracks on the top front-and-center of the brim. Under the artifical light of the computer room it's almost invisible. In the sunlight it's visible, but I can live with it.
Any comment on when this hat was made?
After a good brushing I think it looks nice. This bash is what it came with.
Brim 2 1/2"
Ribbon 1 1/8"
Open Crown ~5 1/2" I tried to eyeball it.
Bottom of the ribbon to top of the pinch is 4 1/4"
I was worried about the size, but this is it right out of the box:
I would say it's about a large 7 1/8 or small 7 1/4. There is no size tag, and the ink on the label inside is faded. I will need to stretch it just a little bit.
There is a small spot of something visible on the felt in this picture. It won't just scratch off with a fingernail.
The top of the liner is covered with the "oil silk" that is starting to crack near the front. On the top of the liner is "Super Barbisio", "Extra Lusso" and something else that is hard to make out. I think the last part is Made in Italy in Italian. I think this picture shows the true color the best.
Under the Super Barbisio name is "Sagliano Micca" which Google tells me is a village in Northern Italy. Maybe this is where the hat was made.
The other side of the sweatband lists all of the Barbisio shops. I was a frequent visitor to the window display of the shop in Catania. It was a regular stop for my wife and I after pizza and gelato.
In the front of the sweatband is stamped "Velvet Extra".
The bow looks a little stretched as you can see in this picture. I am afraid stretching it a half size will make it really bad.
There is also a small area of moth tracks on the top front-and-center of the brim. Under the artifical light of the computer room it's almost invisible. In the sunlight it's visible, but I can live with it.
Any comment on when this hat was made?
