Recent content by monbla256

Here are two Montecristi's I got from Panama Bob and finished by Tom Gomez:

I have to completely agree, Tom is THE man to get Panama's finished from. Here's my Montecristi I got from PB last year and had Bob send it to Tom for crease/blocking in as an Optimo. He does aome of the nicest work I've seen.

This is absolutely awful! So sad, I will miss his unique and thoughtful insites .

Akubra worked with the costume designer for that movie and made the hats for it though they were not exactly the same as currently available models. There are some posts about this here back when it came out.

I see you live in South Dakota and if you have a good sized Feed Store near you, many times they carry saddlery and supplies for harness care. I get all of my harness care supplies at the feed store where I buy my feed for my horses.

Armorall is basically silacone and Lexol is a leather conditioner. I would NOT use Armorall on ANY leather.

I have two cars, a 74 Volvo 242 which really works well with my Stylemasters and a 1967 VW Beetle which is the best. No headrest and it's taller than current cars and I can wear ANY hat easily in it :) My brother in laws 99 Chevy single cab PU is the worst especially with the bench seat all the...

It's usually up in the upper 70s to low 80s by the midle of April here in Texas so the felts get put up in their boxes and the Panama's come out till around October :)

Except for my Campdraft, all were bought from DM. I've not handled a Coober Pedy but when I got my Cattleman ( Fawn) it was firmer than my Bushmans or Squatters but with wear, rain and time it's much less so. They are NOT made as say a Borsalino with real soft and pliable felt, but they were not...

I've worn Akubra's since 1972 and currently have 8 various models from a Bushman to a Cattleman and have never gotten one I would call "stiff" . They were not as soft as many of the older Stetsons or Knox's or even a modern Borsolino, rather I always thought they might be termed as being on the...

I live in the DFW area and DO NOT wear felts in the summer heat here in Texas! The felt will take the heat, my head just dosn't and I've found that Straws or Panama's work better in the Texas heat in the summer. Your body chemistry concerning heat my be different, but my experience tells me, NO...

I have a Charcoal Sydney also. It is the usual Akubra quality . I would imagine the Como is similar to the Allessandria in quality. Two different co's. each making quality hats. The Sydney is an open crown whereas the Como's I seen offered for sale are sold pre-creased. Myself, if I was to get...

Looks good on ya!! The crease and all works well with your head and face. I have the same color Sydney, the only one I have, and I agree about the color! Next one you order, order it from DM directly. You'll get it in about 3/4 days and if any problems with your order, they DO contact you. GREAT...

My favorite hats are Panama's. I've bought them from MANY retailers over the past 30+ years. I started aquiring them from PB a little over 5 years ago. For the same $s I have gotten BETTER hats from Bob than what I had gotten from the other retailers in the past. This was from both B&M shops and...

As far as which weave is "better", it depends on what you like looks wise. The Brisa weaves are a bit more open and some say "looser", the Llano weave is a tighter herringbone pattern very similar to that used on the Montecristi's. Niether one is "inferior", just different from each other. I...