Panama Hat Thread

[Kkaderly]

Alan ... I have to say that optimo looks great on you! Extremely great grab!!!

 

[alanfgag]

Thanks for everyone's comments... it's been getting quite a lot of head time.

 

[carouselvic]

Montecristi from panamabob...blocked by Art Fawcett

 

[Aureliano]

Is the brim edge a little bumpy or is that a camera/photo illusion?

 

[dnjan]

From my (limited) experience, that bumpiness is a characteristic of finely hand-woven Panamas.

 

[Aureliano]

Sometimes you see bumpy parts in the weave, crown and brim. I've never seen a brim edge like it, specially on Vic's hats. That's why I wonder if there's some odd photoshop making it look nicked on the bow's side...

The hat below is mine, from the late 70s, just to illustrate what I mean: edge not nicked-looking.

 

[Panamabob]

It does look kind of wavy. The backweave is done outside of the weaving village. To be honest, I haven't seen the hat in months, so don't remember what it looked like. I can send back for rework or maybe try to get someone to swap it out down there for a better edge. I'll put some feelers out. These types of hats take months to weave.

Since i've posted this, I've gotten the note of dissatisfaction from the owner. I've got the emails and photos out to Montecristi and am trying to solve the problem. As I told him, I'd happily put this hat against any other hat that cost the same price and see what we'd have to compare it with. Bottom line, he's not happy and I'm trying to see what I can do.

There was a similar hat that went to Art, but he found an ink smudge in it. I took it back to Ecuador and now can't remember how it looked on the backedge. In fact, 3 of the finest hats went to Art and he made the two good ones into bodies. I'll await the word on the other, too, and see what happened there.

 

[Aureliano]

It does look kind of wavy. The backweave is done outside of the weaving village. To be honest, I haven't seen the hat in months, so don't remember what it looked like. I can send back for rework or maybe try to get someone to swap it out down there for a better edge. I'll put some feelers out. These types of hats take months to weave.

Sounds like you don't check your stuff before you send it away to customers...

 

[Panamabob]

Please remove my names from the membership list.

 

[Panamabob]

Sounds like you don't check your stuff before you send it away to customers...

I buy my hats from the very same people everyone else does. I do look at all of the hats. I did not charge $10,000.00 for the hats. Aureliano, you know how your countrymen are. They tell me they do the best they can. You be the judge. I'll pay for their errors again. I said I'd rememdy the situation


\

 

[Lefty]

I buy my hats from the very same people everyone else does. I do look at all of the hats. I did not charge $10,000.00 for the hats. Aureliano, you know how your countrymen are. They tell me they do the best they can. You be the judge.

for posterity

 

[Panamabob]

Again, for posterity, Lefty chimes in. I said I would take care of it. Everyone, I'll take care of it. I didn't think it was that bad, but the customer is not happy. Aureliano and Lefty have spoken. The hat and weave are among the best ever. The backweave, which is done by someone else, is the issue, right?

Anyone else?

RBH, please dissolve my association here. This is a good time to only deal in Cuenca hats, huh?

Thanks for the kind words over the years.

 

[monbla256]

Again, for posterity, Lefty chimes in. I said I would take care of it. Everyone, I'll take care of it. I didn't think it was that bad, but the customer is not happy. Aureliano and Lefty have spoken. The hat and weave are among the best ever. The backweave, which is done by someone else, is the issue, right?

Anyone else?

RBH, please dissolve my association here. This is a good time to only deal in Cuenca hats, huh?

Thanks for the kind words over the years.

Well, the "experts" have spoken and we have lost a good member . I hope they feel good about this . Onward thru the Fog

 

[Aureliano]

. Aureliano, you know how your countrymen are. They tell me they do the best they can. You be the judge. I'll pay for their errors again. I said I'd rememdy the situation \

Oh Bob, because I know how my countrymen are--and you do too--I wouldn't quite trust them if they told me they did their best. Their best is not always what people with high standards understand as the best. I know you'll remedy the situation but one would think that, by knowing the idiosyncrasies of the weavers and artisans alike in Ecuador the way you seem to know, you wouldn't commit the same mistake of sending hats "that don't look that bad" over and over as I have witness through the years here in the fedora lounge. Charge one dollar or ten thousand but examine your product before it leaves your hands so you don't have to go through the embarrassment of clients and "reviewers" saying you sell sloppy hats. I know you don't always, I've seen amazing hats from you, I know mistakes happen, but when they happen repeatedly... something ain't right. It's all about keeping consistency in quality control.

 

[Aureliano]

Well, the "experts" have spoken and we have lost a good member . I hope they feel good about this . Onward thru the Fog

I am not an expert. I gave my opinion about a straw hat the same way I give my opinion about felts in other threads. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I've conducted my writing with politeness and respect. I also don't think, and honestly hope he doesn't, that Bob will leave. He knows people like him here, and he knows we voice our concerns and opinions with passion.

 

[new2hats]

Hey,

I just received my Monticristi Fino hat from Bob, blocked by Art. It's in the same style as the one just posted, but with a red ribbon. After I just read the last few posts, I inspected my hat's backweaving. The backweave looks great, the hat is great. Not a big deal guys, PB said he'd take care of the situation. It's often a difficult market when dealing with a product that you don't make directly. I love my hat and can't wait to show it off; it is my 'going out to dinner' hat. Now I am just waiting for my Cuenca Extra fino with blue ribbon. Don't let a little sniveling get you hot under the collar PB!

 

[vinnypolston]

@carouselvic,
That's a beautiful hat! I'm looking forward to getting one myself Great choice!

@anyone willing to listen,
From the looks of it, Robert is taking care of the situation. All of us have our own profession and some don't realize how difficult customer service is; I work in customer service directly on a day-to-day basis and see the ups and downs. What matters in the end is that the issue is resolved and we move forward. That is exactly what Robert is trying to do - and it should be left at that. No need to keep nit-picking at him/his products.

It's a shame ( and this isn't pointed directly at any individual, just society in general ) how people are so willing to post/talk negative, so much negative. Why not be uplifting? Encourage others. Compliment on the good aspects of a hat/object/whatever instead of focusing on the bad. By focusing only on the negative we don't see the whole picture - a beautiful piece of art.

@new2hats,
Lets see some pictures!

 

[RBH]

Again, for posterity, Lefty chimes in.
RBH, please dissolve my association here. This is a good time to only deal in Cuenca hats, huh?

Thanks for the kind words over the years.

As always....

I wish you the best Robert.
Take care.

 

[Aureliano]

@anyone willing to listen,[/I]
It's a shame ( and this isn't pointed directly at any individual, just society in general ) how people are so willing to post/talk negative, so much negative. Why not be uplifting? Encourage others. Compliment on the good aspects of a hat/object/whatever instead of focusing on the bad. By focusing only on the negative we don't see the whole picture - a beautiful piece of art

I know your post wasn't targeted at me, but I feel like saying again that there's nothing negative on my comment to PanamaBob. Mine was an observation about a repeated pattern on his customer service. Something I've seen happen not all the time, but constantly over all the years I've been a member of the lounge. Yes, he is taking care of the problem and that is commendable. The uplifting part: I'd say Art did a fantastic job blocking that hat.

 

[Blackthorn]

For what it's worth to anyone, I've had excellent hats (3 of them) and excellent service from Bob. He's an honorable man who does the best he can to help both his customers and the people of Ecuador. I like him a lot.