habigman

Brüder Böhm 1900 Hat Catalog. Fantastic find by Robert (RLK) on the FL. This prior to Novy Jicin factories.

This old promo JHS pocket mirror is not in very good shape but I really like the image. They have a blow-up of this same image on display at the Novy Jicin City Museum JHS exhibit.

Mayser Echt Panama, size 58cm. Wide brim open weave from Cuenca. Probably 1980s or 1990s but fine detail work. Really like the liner patch, ribbon and bow.

A. Peschel, Garmich, size 7 3/8. This one is from Dinkelsbühl and made for the American market. Fantastic Velour finish and overall quality. Probably late 1950s early 1960s and in near new condition. An amazingly well made hat for this time period.

Interesting article from 1911. Velour is the most complicated and labor intensive finish. When I posted this article on the FL it received no reponse. Sometimes people don't want to hear or accept the truth.

BillySpew on the FL alerted me to this promo Hückel mini hat + box but I didn't win it. The winning bid was 52.79 EURO!

I forgot to bid on these two beautiful old JHS hat holders.

Alles Unter Einem Gubener Hut!

This one belongs to RobStC on the FL. I am not sure of the manufacturer but it has some really nice ribbon / bow work. My guess is late 1950s early 1960s. No paper labels under sweat, apart from a simple '58' size tag. Stamped 'Meteor' on the sweat, but that's the only marking I can find. Sweat is gray leather - a bit wrinkled! Whole hat was rather squashed but has responded well to a good steam and shaping. Good but quite stiff felt - nice soft mid-gray colour, with a hint of green. Silver ribbon with neat bow detail, and matching edge binding. 2 3/8" brim, and approx. 5 1/2" open crown. A bit of taper, but not excessive. A nice everyday hat, and definitely a good £20~ worth RobStC

Hermann vod Heesen is a German clothing store Bochum, Germany. Not sure of the manufacturer.

Hückel Foulard, black, size 57cm with very light weight felt. This was made by Hückel Hutfabrik Weilheim, West Germany. Also came with a box which I assume is original. Probably late 1950s.

Echter Rockel Wildleder Velourette, size 58cm, Greenish blue.

Pre WWII JHS hat display holders. These belong to Robert (RLK) on the FL. Super find!

Continued

Here is a modern gray Mayser City Finale with vintage ribbon / bow work by Hut Neubarth Augsburg. Fantastic work Herbert!

Hut Neubarth does really nice ribbon/bow work. The owner and friend Herbert Jennissen actually passed the Vienna hutmachers certification but doesn't make men's hats anymore. Here is a modern gray Mayser City Finale they put a vintage ribbon on plus some other related photos.

Collins This is a very nice modern production hat made from a P. & C. Habig block for Hut Neubarth, Augsburg. Collins aquired some of P. & C. Habig's blocks when they went out of business back in the late 1980s. Supposedly Collins hat maker retired (ex P. & C. Habig Wien). The beautiful custom vintage ribbon/double loop bow work is from my friend Herbert Jennissen at Hut Neubarth, Augsburg.

Yes definitely worth a visit just to see all the old hat machinery.

Yes from the Novy Jicin city museum. I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the Czech Republic (about 2 1/2 hours east of Prague). Their hat collections is amazing and Radek Polach who is the curator is a super person. Novy Jicin is also a really beautiful town with many historic buildings.

I made some interesting Hückel related discoveries. Hugo Hückel did a 3 year exchange at Stetson, Crofut & Knapp and MacLachlan in the first part of the 1920s. Hugo was the last (4th) generation to run the business out of Novy Jicin. Additional proof that there was interchange with American hat companies. I also found some great information about Hückel Hutfabrik Weilheim, Bavaria. The people that started the company were out of the JHS Ratibor Silesia location and not Novy Jicin. Also very interesting that R. & M. Wegener provided assistance at the start. Here is a very rough translation from Czech of a overview of a article on the founders (Gnabl family) that appeared in Verein heimattreuer Kuhländler e.V. Jan./Febr. 1-2008, s. 20-23. I am in the process of trying to obtain the original article. "About Fritz Hückel fourth generation family member Hückel, managed to obtain information from the magazine Kuhländchen, which is still based. In remembrance Photos from Rita Gnabl hat we learn about a company that was founded after the war in Austria after the company J. Hückels Söhne in Novy Jicin expropriated and renamed Tonak. Rita Gnabl father was manager of the war in Racibórz. He and his brothers Anton and Rudolph successfully completed a learning the Hückel. Rita Gnabl remembers the time when it was recognized after the war her entire family. They went to Bavaria Ammerskému lake in Holzhausen at Utting, where Fritz had Hückel land on which stood a summer house. The family made contact with Fritz Hücklem, had given him 1000 RM and instructed to try to establish a new company. The family then settled in Weilheim, where she was hired two rooms. They started in very humble circumstances. In Buxbaum store on the square in Weilheim was entrusted to them in the backyard garage and small storage space in the store, which served as an office. Rita Gnabl took all the paperwork. Her father tried to find in Herrsching several associates, who formerly worked at J. Hückels Söhne and now in the hospital waiting for the arrival of their relatives. First came a former associate of Mark and Rita along with her father Gnabl looking for items that would help to clean and shape the hats used. They managed to construct an old iron stove, which could drown. In addition, introduced a wardrobe rack made of wood in the dryer. The remnants zavařovacího built steamer pot hat. Wegener hat factory gave them their stock of old forms of headgear. The store was later set up a reception for the hats used for cleaning and processing of new hats. Rita Gnabl mopped hats and learned works milliner, since the original occupation was clerk. Her father also tried to get additional manpower from the homeland. Meanwhile, aides, like Karl Zenner, who was previously head of a locksmith in Novy Jicin in Dingolfing attempted to produce machines that need to crude production, or to repair the machines used. The machines are then transported to Weilheim. In the hall of the Dornier company pledged to progressively build raw traffic. Meanwhile, several former employees enrolled. The company moved into the great hall of the former company Dornier, expanded production of hats and trade flourished. Fritz Hückel Welheimu commuted to and enjoying the progress of the company that helped establish their financial resources. The company employs around 250 workers and officials. Rita Gnabl left in 1953 to work in a banking house Neuvians, Reuschel & Co Maximilian Square in Munich. Fritz Hückel was a partner with the bank and the last years of his life lived in an apartment house bank. Rita Gnabl father, who helped rebuild the company after the war in Austria, died in 1967. Fritz followed him Hückel in 1973. The new head of operations (the main occupation of a baker), had no experience in this field and led to the operation of the millinery business in the 70 20th century finally closed."

Amazing hat collection. They have around 6,000 hats in their collection. Novy Jicin Museum Hat Exhibit

Wegener Hat Holder

The TONAK (originally Johann Hückel´s Söhne) factory and surounding villas. They wouldn't allow me to take photos inside the factory. Felting and hat making are done at the same site. They produce ~ 40,000 felt hoods a month. They are only at ~ 30% of capacity. I was told they were bought by a firm out of the Netherlands. [media=] [/media] Hückel family grave site with memorials. [media=] [/media]