Panamabob
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,012
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- Fort Wayne, Indiana
Does anyone here have one of our hats?
Where did you have it blocked?
Where did you have it blocked?
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Two questions....Could be setting myself up for a letdown!!!??HAHA
- Thread starter Panamabob
- Start date
- Status
- Messages
- 4,118
- Location
- The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Not I
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.
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.
Imahomer
Practically Family
- Messages
- 680
- Location
- Danville, CA.
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.
- Messages
- 4,118
- Location
- The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Let me
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.
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.
Brad Bowers
I'll Lock Up
- Messages
- 4,187
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 will do my best.
Brad Bowers
Dave McCone
New in Town
- Messages
- 41
- Location
- Seattle, WA
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 ]
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 ]
- Messages
- 4,118
- Location
- The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Thankyou
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.
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.
Panamabob
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,012
- Location
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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- 3,652
My hat from Mr. Weber doesn't really have any visual flaws. I had it blocked by a hatter here in the US, saving me several hundred dollars by going directly to the source. While not as fine as what a company like Brent Black or Optimo would sell for $1500, it certainly is as fine as what they would sell for $800.
It is around 700-750 weaves per square inch, but I specified that I would rather have a well woven 700wpsi over a not-so well woven 1400 wpsi. I think it turned out rather well. It doesn't have a hand beaded native american hat band, but I didn't want one, as I wanted a nice navy ribbon to go on it.
I know that some hatters up here in the US really hate guys like Robert, but as a penny pinching college student, I couldn't afford to give Milton, Brent, or Graham $1000 right now. Instead, I gave less than half that, and in my opinion, ended up with the same product.
I have three more hats coming in from Robert in the next few weeks, that are definitely not the same quality as this hat, but they are going to be blocked down in Ecuador, so I can compare the fit and finish to one finished by a master hatter up here in the states.
Here are quite a few pictures of it. If you go to http://public.fotki.com/nflowers/newpanama/ you click the option to "get original uploaded photo" to see high resolution shots of how nice the weave is.
It is around 700-750 weaves per square inch, but I specified that I would rather have a well woven 700wpsi over a not-so well woven 1400 wpsi. I think it turned out rather well. It doesn't have a hand beaded native american hat band, but I didn't want one, as I wanted a nice navy ribbon to go on it.
I know that some hatters up here in the US really hate guys like Robert, but as a penny pinching college student, I couldn't afford to give Milton, Brent, or Graham $1000 right now. Instead, I gave less than half that, and in my opinion, ended up with the same product.
I have three more hats coming in from Robert in the next few weeks, that are definitely not the same quality as this hat, but they are going to be blocked down in Ecuador, so I can compare the fit and finish to one finished by a master hatter up here in the states.
Here are quite a few pictures of it. If you go to http://public.fotki.com/nflowers/newpanama/ you click the option to "get original uploaded photo" to see high resolution shots of how nice the weave is.
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- 3,652
The hat when it was unblocked.
After blocking, in good light.
- Messages
- 3,652
I have never seen one that is lined. Andykev may have seen one though, as he has at least 5 straws that I know of, all of the high end from Brent, Optimo, and PanamaBob.
Matt Deckard
Man of Action
- Messages
- 10,045
I have seen a vintage straw lined with fine mesh lining, though most I have seen are unlined.
Zohar, I look forward to seeing how they block your hat .
Zohar, I look forward to seeing how they block your hat .
- Messages
- 4,118
- Location
- The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Never
You DO NOT line a straw hat...some boaters had linings..but they are "hard hats" .
My Optimo's are so soft and supple, I could roll them up and pass them thru a table napkin ring. The Panama Bob hat I have is far superior to ANY hat I have seen in a store, and it cost FAR less. The net result?
I can wear a very very high quality hat "everyday" and not worry about it. I do stress in wearing a $1500 hat vs. a $250 hat..
You DO NOT line a straw hat...some boaters had linings..but they are "hard hats" .
My Optimo's are so soft and supple, I could roll them up and pass them thru a table napkin ring. The Panama Bob hat I have is far superior to ANY hat I have seen in a store, and it cost FAR less. The net result?
I can wear a very very high quality hat "everyday" and not worry about it. I do stress in wearing a $1500 hat vs. a $250 hat..
Funny you would take such a strong stance on lining Panamas when the finest I have seen, made by the world aclaimed, are lined with a fine mesh to protect the crown from sweat.
This isn't a case of Panama Bob against the world of hatters is it? I'm am glad to hear you are enjoying his product. But based on the nasty private EMail he sent me..... well let me just say.... never mind, have a nice day.
This isn't a case of Panama Bob against the world of hatters is it? I'm am glad to hear you are enjoying his product. But based on the nasty private EMail he sent me..... well let me just say.... never mind, have a nice day.
- Messages
- 3,652
I don't really get the purpose of it. Wouldn't sweat go straight through the mesh?
Andy has Montecristis from "world acclaimed" hatters too, like Graham Thompson and Brent Black, and they don't line with mesh.
Andy has Montecristis from "world acclaimed" hatters too, like Graham Thompson and Brent Black, and they don't line with mesh.
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- 4,118
- Location
- The Beautiful Diablo Valley
Point one: I am not taking a strong stance. I have never seen a fine straw hat, nor the cheapies I buy for yard work lined. Never heard of it.
Point two: how would you sweat thru the crown...sweat usually is via the sweatband..on my hats the crown doesn't touch my noggin top..and I usually sweat around the forhead, not my hair on top.
Point three: I have no idea about Panama Bob whatsoever, I only posted that I bought ONE hat from him, it was as stated (high quality), shipped fast in a balsa box (neat!) and it was inexpensive (under $300). I thought it was a great deal.
Final point: Your nasty email? I guess you'd better speak to the sender.. I saw and read enough bashing on another site. It hurts. We are hear to share ideas and info on good hats. Good Luck.
I never heard of Panama Bob before viewing this forum last week. I never bought anything from him and never have seen anything he sells.
I have questioned him on his approach on a public forum and he got nasty and personnel. I responded.
Based on his conduct on this forum....well that speaks for it's self.
He is using this forum to promote his bussiness and bad mouth other hatters. Then again he isn't even a hatter.
I have questioned him on his approach on a public forum and he got nasty and personnel. I responded.
Based on his conduct on this forum....well that speaks for it's self.
He is using this forum to promote his bussiness and bad mouth other hatters. Then again he isn't even a hatter.
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