habigman

Mayser "Spezial", 60cm, Crown Open 5 1/2 inches, Brim 2 3/4 inches, probably later 1950s. This hat is in super condition so probably seldom worn. The felt is fantastic and easily dry creases. Also looks great brim up or down.

Josef Picher & Söhne Graz, matted advertisement cut from newspaper, 1930

Hückel Weilheim "Flexible", 58 cm, probably later 1950s. The felt on this one is fantastic with a very nice smooth finish. Unfortunately there was a pinch hole in the felt so I made a flat crown which was actually popular at the time. Natural Light

Rehfes & Cie, Kehl am Rhein, AERIFOR as Airplane Rehfusplatz, Kehl am Rhein Villa Rehfus, Kehl am Rhein

Natural Lighting

Brüder Böhm, 58cm Point 5 1/2, Crown Open 5 1/2 inches, Brim 2 1/4 inches probably 1930s. Fantastic Hot Wet Brushed Black Velour - Soleil that is very pliable and absorbs all light. The company paper label with model, form and color information is missing. I would like to thank Celia from the FL for letting me know about this hat which she found on French Ebay. This is a rare find. Open Crown

J.Hückel´s Söhne "Flexible", 58cm, Crown Open 5 1/2 inches, Brim with Curl 2 1/4 inches, probably 1930s maybe late 1920s. The felt is very light weight and very pliable felt (easily dry crease). The dressing (off-white wide sweatband, gilded liner logo, liner piping, and barbed hat cord ) of the hat is really fantastic. Open Crown

Wegener "Elasticon", 57cm, probably 1930s. This fantastic Stiff Felt belongs to Lennart on the FL.

Hückel Weilheim "Elastic", 56cm, Crown Open 5 1/2 inches, Brim with Curl 2 3/8 inches, probably mid 1950s. Mid width ribbon with thin brim binding. This is a really fantastic (felt, form, dressing) Homburg.

Black Hat, measures 58cm, Crown Open 6 inches, Brim 2 1/4 inches, 84 grams probably later 1930s. This is the fourth hat from my 01/2017 find. It doesn't have any labels or company marks. Not sure if it's Wool or Fur Felt (or blend). The felt is extremely light in weight with a very soft hand. It also has a very nice distressed leather sweatband which has buckled. The construction is primitive but the results are not.

J. Hückel´s Söhne Promotional Pocket Mirror, Otto Abendthum, Zella - Mehlis (Thuringia, Germany). I was missing this model so happy to find one. I have several of these JHS Promotional Pocket Mirrors. You can see the seven models here.

Max Förster "Marke Förster" "Saturn Pat.", 58cm, Wool, Crown Open 5 1/2 inches, Brim 2 1/4 inches, probably later 1930s. Made by Max Förster Hat Factory Altenburg (Thuringia) so a first for me (as far as I know). The felt is stiff but works well with this type of form and has a very nice color + finish. Also an interesting sweatband finish effect.

Altenburg, Germany Factory converted to a hotel (Parkhotel). Altenburg was a major hat manufacturing center up to WWII. "The Hat Factory "Max Förster" , which specialized in the production of wool and hair hats, was since 1872 in what is now Park Hotel on Great Pond. It was one of the largest factories in Altenburg and produced about 2,400 hats a day (1880). After a modernization of the production, the factory even had its own electric power plant starting in 1888. http://hutmacherhandwerk.blogspot.com/

"Orion", 58cm, Open Crown 6 inches, Brim 2 3/8 inches probably late 1930s. No company mark and most likely made of wool. This is a common man's hat that rarely survived. The felt has a great color and shine to it and can be modeled into any shape. Also I really interesting light weight liner. This is one of four hats that I recently found from the same source. Open Crown

J. Hückel ´s Söhne, K.u.K. Hof-Hutfabrikanten, Neutitschen & Wien. Seal Mark pre WWI could be late 19th Century. In a way it's sad that it was removed from the document but it appears there is a collectors market for just the Seal Marks. (Click on Photo to Expand!)

Great to hear from you! I am thinking they might have made some hats but probably not the Melone I posted above.

Posted by Celia on the FL. Interesting, there is also a privately owned hotel chain in Vienna called Schick Hotels. Not sure if there's any relation. I have come across a couple of Hut Schick hats on the Austrian market, but haven't bought them as they were in bad condition. Here is a picture of their shop in the Alserbachstrasse 12, taken around 1935. on the shop it says Hutmacher, so I assume they did make hats, not just sell them: And an advertising photo featuring the actor Otto Wilhelm Fischer ca 1955: Both images courtesy of the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, here are the source links: http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/baa1882771 http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/baa12844572 It is indeed a surname, the firm was founded by Wilhelm Schick, who died in 1934, aged 77. Here's his obituary notice: More genealogical information about Wilhelm Schick can be found here: https://www.geni.com/people/Wilhelm-Schick/6000000017674124363 Schick is also german for chic, so the name of the firm had a double meaning. I also found a few more things related to the firm: One of their cards with the receipt for hat repair work on the back:

Hückel Hat Box probably later 1930s so from J. Hückel ´s Söhne Neutitschen. This box came from a Austrian seller and there was a fantastic tiny Austrian Velour (not a Hückel) inside the box.

P. & C. Habig, Hat Maker Since 1862, Wien, The Old House, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, early 1900s. This Holiday card took nearly 100 years to arrive at my house but still in time for New Years. (Click on Image to Expand) Printed by Druck Brüder Rosenbaum Wien

Here is an interesting video (2001 but some parts seem older and in German) from Mayser (see below). I am not sure if they still have this department in Lindenberg (they moved production to Slovakia in 2011) but it's interesting to see the process plus making metal machine forms (this is for women's hats). Wood Blocks used by machines had to made to a different standard. Now most Felt Hats are machined formed. I know someone that can tell me more about the current situation.

Frank, Endel & Peles, Manufacturers & Importers, New York City (American Hatter, Vol. 41, 1912) Impressive list of German and Austrian Hat companies.

Nähart is the type of stitching used to sew straw hat braids together. Anita was a type of sewing machine made by H. Grossmann of Dresden that used a special Zig Zag Chain Stitch to sew the braids side to side vs. Oberstich (Over Stitch) or Unterstich (Under Stitch). Grossmann Anita B Grossmann Anita B II You can see the Anita stitching (braids sewn edge to edge) in the following two examples (Laichow - Mottled, Shansi - Mottled).

I found some interesting information. Turns out that the Hückel family married into the Habig family and vice versa. Marriage of Karl Habig (son of Karl Habig) to Berta Hückel (daughter of Johann Hückel) in 1902. This 1917 death notice for Johann Hückel has their names listed. There is also Frieda Hückel Habig wife of Karl Habig and mother of Karl Habig II.

I found some interesting information. Turns out that the Hückel family married into the Habig family and vice versa. Marriage of Karl Habig (son of Karl Habig) to Berta Hückel (daughter of Johann Hückel) in 1902. This 1917 death notice for Johann Hückel has their names listed. There is also Frieda Hückel Habig wife of Karl Habig and mother of Karl Habig II.