David Morgan 'feather weight panama'

[Smyat]

I've searched but don't find any mention of the 'Feather-Weight Panama' David Morgan sells. Is it good, bad or indifferent? I see some negative marks for the Bushwalker, but nothing else about DM's panamas.

I added one to an order today but wonder if I should have done a little more searching. I also have to see if their XL will fit my 7-5/8 fathead. (A good cm or two of size on me is hair, so I have natural felt pads and some slack in sizing...)

I also can't believe Mark C. got that incredible unfinished panama for a lousy C-note. Impressive!

 

[Panamabob]

Be sure to do your research on Cuenca Brisa weave hats. I know hundreds of guys here know what I'm talking about, but DM is a sponsor here and I'm not going to touch it, but maybe someone will have the guts to. Do your research.

 

[carter]

(A good cm or two of size on me is hair, so I have natural felt pads and some slack in sizing...)

An XL from DM fits my 7 5/8 fat head but felt pads are cheap and DM sells them.

Here's a Dobbs Panama I picked-up on ebay a couple of days ago. It doesn't look like any of my others and the price was right. It'll be interesting to see what I got.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=110155794902&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=001

 

[Smyat]

Be sure to do your research on Cuenca Brisa weave hats. I know hundreds of guys here know what I'm talking about, but DM is a sponsor here and I'm not going to touch it, but maybe someone will have the guts to. Do your research.

Funny, I had a response exactly like this from my broker today to a fairly dumb suggestion I made. I can read between the lines.

Thanks...

 

[SHARPETOYS]

If I were you...

The hat you are looking at is a Cuenca not a Montecristi. These hats are all light weight. "2 to 4 oz's" in a fedora block.

Here is a link that will save you alot of money on a nice Panama hat.
Give Robert Weber a call ...

http://www.panamas.biz/cuenca.html

Buy the hat not the story.

 

[Will Morgan]

Be sure to do your research on Cuenca Brisa weave hats. I know hundreds of guys here know what I'm talking about, but DM is a sponsor here and I'm not going to touch it, but maybe someone will have the guts to. Do your research.

Bob, please do feel free to post about why a Cuenca Brisa hat at the $150 price point should not be trusted given that information alone.

I'd appreciate any information you can provide given that we at David Morgan do not believe in misrepresenting products either intentionally or through ignorance.

( Or perhaps if some of those hundreds of guys you mention would care to step forward. ... )

We are relatively new to the world of Panamas, but from all the information I have been able to glean thus far, including a search of the forum here, I believe we've got a great product at a great price in the feather weight.

 

[Smyat]

What's more an issue here is how little info DM posts about the hat - f'rexample, P-bob seems to know it's a Cuenca Brisa (and I trust that he knows what he's talking about!) but none of that info appears on the DM web site. In fact, the lack of info that DM provides should be a tipoff that something ain't quite right...

In any case, DM canceled the hat from the order and has been great about some give-and-take over what shirts are available in what sizes and fabrics. I just casually added the Filson hat to the order, which is awaiting two shirts they didn't have in stock.

But sometimes silence (even in print) tells more than anything

 

[Tango Yankee]

Will,

Welcome to the Lounge! I don't know if you've been lurking and decided to post in response to this thread, or if someone told you about it... but either way, always good to have a vendor around.

I can't speak to the quality of the hats in question. It's a nice-looking hat, but I'm not educated in the area of straw hats yet. I just wanted to point out as a potential customer (as, I think, we all are here in the Lounge) I wouldn't spend $160 on a hat that was listed in size ranges rather than individual sizes. Something in a range usually doesn't fit quite right like one in an actual size does.

I realize that it's easier and cheaper to stock hats in ranges rather than sizes and most people are used to buying that way. To me it's kind of like shoes. You walk into the average shoe store and most of their shoes in stock are D width. I wear an EEE. The clerks expect me to go up in size to get one that will fit my width, not concerned with the fact that it is then too long. But, it's easier and cheaper to carry just the one width and most customers will go along with it. Instead, I go elsewhere to get one that fits my feet. (Usually online these days.)

Anyway, that's my two cents worth.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Panamabob]

David,

I'd be happy to tell you in a private email.

panamaecuador@yahoo.com

Robert

 

[Will Morgan]

David,

I'd be happy to tell you in a private email.

panamaecuador@yahoo.com

Robert

Robert,

I feel you have cast a shadow on the quality of our Featherweight Panama in public, so it is only fair for you to make rain from this shadow in public.

I am confident we can thereby clear, or at least narrow, this broad taint that I feel has been applied to the David Morgan company and our Feather Weight Panama, our distributor, right back to the people who crafted the hats in Cuenca.

I had the idea to, and purchased these hats myself, after examining many samples. I trust our supplier, and I look forward to bringing him in on the discussion to address your or any lounger's concern about the general quality of Brisa pattern hats coming out of Cuenca, but most particularly of the David Morgan Featherweight Panama, so that we may thereby sort this out for the good of all.

I look forward to learning more about Panamas!

 

[Will Morgan]

Will,

Welcome to the Lounge!
...
I just wanted to point out as a potential customer (as, I think, we all are here in the Lounge) I wouldn't spend $160 on a hat that was listed in size ranges rather than individual sizes. Something in a range usually doesn't fit quite right like one in an actual size does.
...
Cheers,
Tom

Thanks Tom for the welcome! I have been lurking for a month or two now and our shop hat expert Mike a bit longer than that.

Excellent point on sizing. Our Akubra fur felts are by the 1/8th, but they are, excepting perhaps The Sydney, quite a bit stiffer. Panamas are also worn a little more loosely in general, and have a bit of room in the sweat for padding.

Looking over our sales records our return rate is pretty good on the feather weight, the one's we've got back have mostly been because the crown height or brim width is not just right for the customer. What with either the origami or 3d visualization skills in this country perhaps, this a common occurrence in mail order. I didn't see any listed as being returned due to a poor fit, and there were just a couple of exchanges for size.

We are open to adding more Panamas for this Spring as this hat has sold well: finer sizing, more styles, and finer and different weaves are all features on the table!

 

[Will Morgan]

What's more an issue here is how little info DM posts about the hat .... But sometimes silence (even in print) tells more than anything

This was a mistake not to disrespect the city where they are from, Cuenca. We've missed the fall print catalog deadline, but have just amended the web page thank you!

* continues listening *

 

[Aerol]

Welcome

to the Lounge, Will. I look forward to hearing your take on some of the issues that get raised from time-to-time.

 

[Panamabob]

The Brisa weave panama that you have on your website is the lowest quality Cuenca brisa weave hat. The guys here know that it is a ridiculous price for a brisa. I'd love to discuss with your supplier, as well. I'll send you a fine Brisa weave if you'd like one.

 

[Will Morgan]

The Brisa weave panama that you have on your website is the lowest quality Cuenca brisa weave hat. The guys here know that it is a ridiculous price for a brisa. I'd love to discuss with your supplier, as well. I'll send you a fine Brisa weave if you'd like one.

Ah.. of course, it has to be the "lowest" quality.

I believe that you are at best grossly exaggerating as it would have been easy for me to buy a lower grade hat, we were offered a goodly range, both from Cuenca and I do believe and in the Brisa pattern, I'll point our vendor Jose Quiroz of Sky Trust to this thread to confirm that. The lower grades were nice too, just not so fine.

And who are these silent 'guys' you keep referring to? Could it be that other folks around here aren't so ready to trash another community member, at least once that community member shows themselves willing and able to reply to an off handed smear?

Instead of sending one of the hats you sell over, why not just post a picture?

No not really, I'm illustrating a point: and looking at a hat coming through the hands of someone who has been so quick and willing to smear our product based on a web image would be a really challenging test of my own objectivity.

Does someone out there by chance have both our Feather Weight, and a $150-$170 Panama they've already purchased from Bob they feel up to comparing objectively?

 

[Will Morgan]

to the Lounge, Will. I look forward to hearing your take on some of the issues that get raised from time-to-time.

Thank you Aerol! I am a learnin' all the time...

 

[Panamabob]

Will, you believe what you'd like. Remember, Sky Trust bills themselves as the only company to export hats made and finished in Ecuador. I know the panama hat industry inside and out. I'll gladly send you a $10.00 wholesale brisa, and I'll gladly send one to Mr. Quiroz.

I'd be happy to prove it to you. Guys here stay silent, that is the way it generally is.

Maybe some of these guys will post some of the Cuenca hats that they've bought from us, and again maybe not. Of course, most of them are the more expensive llano weave and might weigh a bit more because there is more paja...but then again, they may not.

Robert

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

I love a good challenge

Ah.. of course, it has to be the "lowest" quality.

I believe that you are at best grossly exaggerating as it would have been easy for me to buy a lower grade hat, we were offered a goodly range, both from Cuenca and I do believe and in the Brisa pattern, I'll point our vendor Jose Quiroz of Sky Trust to this thread to confirm that. The lower grades were nice too, just not so fine.

And who are these silent 'guys' you keep referring to? Could it be that other folks around here aren't so ready to trash another community member, at least once that community member shows themselves willing and able to reply to an off handed smear?

Instead of sending one of the hats you sell over, why not just post a picture?

No not really, I'm illustrating a point: and looking at a hat coming through the hands of someone who has been so quick and willing to smear our product based on a web image would be a really challenging test of my own objectivity.

Does someone out there by chance have both our Feather Weight, and a $150-$170 Panama they've already purchased from Bob they feel up to comparing objectively?

Here are photos of a Cuenca I got from Robert a month or so ago. If you feel that this is a hat you would like to challenge, I'm your huckleberry. Send your hat and i will be glad to make a fair comparison. Let us know if this is a head to head you are interested in. I know I am.

 

[Panamabob]

I may have erred a bit. They might be the second level Brisa, my apologies.

Here are some photos of various hats, brisas, whackers, real finos.

 

[Will Morgan]

Thank you very much Robert for the amendment, that took my back down a good ways, maybe I'll get some sleep tonight!

And those are, one or three of 'em especially, some good looking hats!

Bud, I'm up for sending you a hat for comparison.

I'm thinking:

a) That good looking hat you got there from Robert cost around the same as ours would be laid in: $167 including shipping.

b) You'll trust me to take the top hat off the shelf, so to speak. We currently just have the one grade, i promise not to cherry pick from stock.

c) I'll need your size and address. (PM?)

d) I'd like the hat sent back to us in a week or two in good as new condition, shipping on me; or if you like the hat you pay $140 for it as a service rendered ( $20 off for your trouble, and ours in restocking it, regardless of review of course unless that seems like a bribe to you or Robert. )

We've got a pretty good closeup picture i think on our website in the Other Images tab, and sizing info is there too:
http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=1104

_newly dedicated to growing the greater craftsman market through education including cultural exchange.