Does anyone here have one of our hats?
Where did you have it blocked?
Two questions....Could be setting myself up for a letdown!!!??HAHA
Does anyone here have one of our hats?
Where did you have it blocked?
The Panama Hatworks of Montecristi- in the Panamas biz since 2001
Said the fly..
I am interested in your hats, but am unsure what to make of it. I am waiting for someone to post a "review". There is so much garbage on the web about real panama hats. I have several from Chicago, one from Brent Black, and have been to FINO FINO in California. I have also been to Paul's Hatworks in SF. So I own and have seen very high quality hats. Also some vintage from Art Fawcett.
So Panama Bob...I am politely looking for a reference .... I could be a good customer.
"Wadda ya hear, wadda ya say?"
9 years, 4 months, 8 days.
Only 234 days!
Well for me, I'm looking for my first Panama style hat. Andy knows a lot about hat and I know a little (a real little!). If he is unsure about you, then I'm definately out of the loop.
A man can fall many times in life, but he's never a failure until he refuses to get up.
JUMP IN QUICKLY
Tonight I spoke to one of Panama Bob's customers who has ordered a hat (unfinished). It has not yet arrived, but the word I hear is that he stands behind his work and the merchandise is of good quality. I am very anxious to hear when it arrives..and I plan on being a customer.
"Wadda ya hear, wadda ya say?"
9 years, 4 months, 8 days.
Only 234 days!
I have one of the Indy Montecristis on order, so I can post pictures and my impressions of the hat, but the only other straw hats I have ever seen were the Stetson straw cowboy hats, so I'm not the best one to compare and review them.
I will do my best.
Brad Bowers
I ordered one of the standard Fino Finos in late Fall, and have been pleased.
Panama Bob represented the hat at about 36-37 weaves per inch, and the hat came in as advertised. The hat doesn't have any visible pinholes or obvious flaws. There are very, very few straw stubs on the interior of the hat; the finish and trim of the straw splices in the crown are very good.
Panama Bob answered several questions for me, and responded quickly and courteously.
The backweave on the brim is well done and has only one or two very small straws sticking out. The hat comes with a dark brown leather sweatband; it's slightly thicker and stiffer than the hatbands on my felt Akubras, and comparable to some of the 1980s Stetsons that I have. The sweatband is carefully sewn in with white thread, and was done by hand; there are no broken straws or other signs that the hat was damaged in the course of installing the sweatband. The ends of the sweatband are butted together; there isn't a bow or other finish at the rear of the hat. The hat comes with a black elastic hatband which is not attached to the hat.
The hat was sized correctly - I wear a 58 consistently in various Akubras, ordered the Fino Fino in a 58, and the fit is fine.
Using the pictures on the Brent Black website as a guide, there are some slight variations in the quality of the weave. Brent Black has a picture on his hat quality page with an example of "finely woven but not well woven" vs. a near-perfect "finely woven and well woven" with a comment that the not-well-woven hat would be four or five price levels lower. The hat I have in hand isn't as nice as the "finely woven and well woven" picture, but nowhere as bad as the "finely woven but not well woven" example. If there are four or five quality levels different between those two pictures, then I would guess that the hat I have would be 1 1/2 to 2 levels below the "finely woven and well woven" example. The flaws are only obvious upon close and critical inspection, and show up mainly as a very slightly textured finish to the straw in some areas.
On the down-side, I need to work a bit on the block, but this is not a fault of Panama Bob. Since it is winter in the Pacific Northwest, I'm waiting until we get closer to spring to fuss with the block.
Is the hat absolutely perfect? No. But it is a very, very nice hat, and definitely worth the $399 I spent for it. Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with other Fino Finos to use as an example such as Brent Black. It is, however, as nice as some of the straw Borsalinos that I've seen.
Hope this helps.
[edited for clarity 1/27/04 --DMc ]
Outstanding review. That is what members of this forum are interested in: namely honest reviews with factual data so comparisons can be made.
I have only purchased hats (Straw) from Optimo, Miller hats, Brent Black, Vintage Sillhouettes, and I have visited Fino Fino, and Paul's Hatworks in SF.
It is much appreciated to hear an honest assessment.
"Wadda ya hear, wadda ya say?"
9 years, 4 months, 8 days.
Only 234 days!
Thank you.
We do block hats, but most of the finer hat buyers prefer to have their master hatter to the work.
I appreciate the honesty...it only keeps us striving to be better.
The Panama Hatworks of Montecristi- in the Panamas biz since 2001
Hello All:
My order of a fino fino was placed with Panama Hatworks of Montecristi last week. No one could have been more helpful than Robert. He tolerated months of my tiresome questions while I decided whether I wanted to take the risk of buying such a product via the internet. I seem to have paid a bit more than Dave McCone states he paid for his PH of MC fino fino, but attribute this to a probable seasonal increment.
Originally, I had planned to buy an unblocked fino fino from PH of MC, and have it blocked by Brent Black: a service for which he charged $125; however, in a very genial reply from BB to an inquiry that I made about this service, he informed me that he no longer blocked hats of other sellers. My most recent hat was, therefore, ordered blocked from PH of MC. I was assured by Robert that the native blockers were quite capable of creating an exceptionally nice hat, even if many were not quite as skilled as master blockers that might be found in the US.
Years ago I acquired a BB Montecristi that had belonged to my father, albeit one on the lower end of PHCP?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s product line. A nice quality hat I might add, although still rather pricey if I recall. Having the desire to move up the quality chain, but being repulsed by the out of control prices of high quality Montecristi hats of other well known sellers, Panama Hatworks of Montecristi immediately caught my attention. The hat that I ordered was not a commissioned hat, but a market/stock fino fino. It is my hope that it will be as terrific as I anticipate. Indeed, if the hat is of as high a quality as the service, I?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢ll have one great hat, and will undoubtedly order others. I eagerly await its arrival.
I look forward to learning more about hats from the many knowledgeable contributors to this forum.
Regards,
Ray K.
I am wondering what the benifit is to purchasing an unblocked straw hat body and search for a hatter to block it. Panama Bob has agreed(I think) that there are only a handful of master blockers of Panamas Hats in the world. Two of whom are in the USA and sell fine finished Panama Hats.
My Optimo Natural from Milton Johnson (Montecrisit Custom Hats, Santa Fe) is a Calado Fino of intricate weave. There simply are no stubs of straw on the welt or inside the hat. The sweat band is simply top shelve goods.
I must admit this is not a 400 hat body that would cost 150.00 to block. It cos tme more. But, I suggest there is a difference between the quality of my hat and the hats discribed above with visual flaws. There is therefore a difference in the hat quality based on price. Of course spending thousands of dollars is over the edge. I say what ever makes your hair stand up.
I will be receiving a western straw from Milton next week of much lesser quality. Milton refers to it as a 8/9 and not a Montecristi, but from the hill villages outside of Monetcristi. I wanted a more causal look for a western panama that I could wear hard without being concerned about the value. I'll keep you informed.
Much like suits, there is a difference between a 500 dollar and 1,000 dollar suit. A fine fabric provided to a second rate tailor will not provide for a fine suit. Likewise, sending a good panama body to a second rate hatter to block makes me wonder why.
I am sure Milton Johnson and Brent Black charge more when all is said and done. But both are master hatters. Based on what I have read in this thread, the quality of my Optimo and my total joy with it, my money was well spent. Even if I paid several hundred dollars for it, including a custom hand beaded Native American hat band.
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