Posted 15 years ago
california…
(2 items)
Vintage Ponte Rialto Venice straw boater. Made in Italy gild-stamped on inside band. This is identical to the straw boaters owned and worn by Bing Crosby in his movies of the 1930s-1940s. Collectors and wearers have stated that the modern hat brims made by Ponte Rialto are not as thick as this vintage style. The straw is in perfect condition but shows vintage aging in color (the new ones are very pale and white-ish). I bought this is an antique store for $20-$30. I have seen similar ones selling for $25-$119.
I have a Ponte Rialto Venice straw boater hat. It has "Made in Italy" stampted in gold on the inside leather band. On the other side of the band is stamped in gold "Jos. A. Bank Clothiers" . How do I know if it is vintage or newer? A small tage inside says 06 7 1/2 Made in Italy. It looks identical to the one showen on this site.
In reference to my comment just made, the little tag says 60 7 1/2 Made in Italy. so sorry for the inversion of numbers.
Hello Sandy,
It's a tricky affair, although some vintage give-aways are the color of the straw, the thickness (as mentioned in my posting), etc.. The best advice is to email or write to Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (they've been around since 1905 and now have some 500 stores). Here's their webpage for contact: http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/ContactUsView?langId=-1&storeId=11001&catalogId=10050
Ask when (or if) they stopped offering the boaters for sale. I was able to generally date my Resistol cowboy hat by contacting Resistol, so the same may happen for you with Jos. A. Bank Clotheirs. Good luck!