Panama Hat Thread

[Barrelhouse]

A stingy brimmed custom made semicalado. It's off to Oregon for blocking.

That's a real peach Bob, I hope we get to see the finished hat!

 

[buler]

MMMmmmmmm. I could look at that all day long. I've got to admit I really don't like an Optimo look to Panama's. This hat is perfection!

B

 

[Panamabob]

It certainly is a beautiful photograph of a beautiful hat! TES scored a winner. :eusa_clap

 

[TES]

Thanks, Bob. I actually wear this one a lot when the weather's right. Here on Galveston Bay, though, it's beginning to be more appropriate for something like the open weave you posted, getting hot, very hot and humid. Go figure...hats from the tropics sometimes don't do so well...in the tropics.

 

[FurFeltFedora]

Well after Tes' hat mine really looks bad but here it is anyway

Well this is my first Panama hat. A sub-fino Monetecristi from Panama Hats Direct. Being my fist straw hat I didn't want to go high-end off the bat, instead I just wanted to see what they were like. It's not the greatest Panama hat by any means, but I like it and maybe for next year I'll get a higher grade. It came with a liner, but I took it out - just didn't seem right.

BTW, anyone know why the join of the silk band is on the right (when wearing it)? It's not a mistake with mine, all of Casey's silk bands are like that while the bows are on the left (as per usual).

See, the seam of the ribbon is on this side.

And the obligatory ugly mug shot.

 

[HatDoc]

Looks great on you!!!!

Actually, my hat from Casey had the pug seam on the customary left side. You could switch it if you don't like it.

Congrats on your first Panama.....most likely not your last.

 

[Panamabob]

FFF, don't worry about how it compares to that rare hat. Simon can only weave 3 or 4 of those a year. What is going to save the industry is when people like Casey (me, too!) actually buy these young weaver's hats to sell. If nobody buys their hats, they aren't going to weave anymore. The key is in keeping the youth weaving. We've got to figure that out.

I can tell from the weave exactly which neighborhood the hat comes from. I have a video from a young man in that neighborhood here on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHjkE1PXqXA&feature=channel_page The kid in the video is about 15 or 16 and makes fine hats in the 700-800 weaves per square inch range...and he's a young pup.

 

[FurFeltFedora]

I'm glad to hear that Bob, and it does make sense. If the no one wants the hats by the young start-ups, why are they going to bother trying to hone their craft? Neat video BTW.When I was a kid my grandmother tried to teach me to knit, I could barely do that. Can't imagine weaving those hats.

HatDoc I was thinking about switching it, but the way the fabric of the pug is pleated if I switched it to the other side I'd end of having the end of pointing forward or upside down. Unless I'm missing something. I watching one of Casey's videos and William was attaching them just like mine.

As for another hat, I think I'm crazy enough to try an optimo style next

 

[TES]

Bob's right, keep buying the hats. That one is beautiful. Buy more and the people will benefit, that's what we have to do.

 

[Panamabob]

FFF, send my your address via email, [email protected] , I'll send you another pug.

 

[FurFeltFedora]

I'm not one to praise for the sake of it, but I have to make a brief comment on Panama Bob. I contacted him at his request about the pug and I had to fight with him to let me pay something for a replacement pug. Not only that but in commenting about the fit of the hat needing a little adjustment he offered to see what he could do or even make an even swap with me. Folks, I didn't buy the hat from this man and he's offering me customer service that is rare to find anywhere. Thank you Bob - you are a gentleman.

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

I like it so much when this place is all civilized and classy. I experience enough corse behavior walkin' around but here you are a bunch of fine gentlemen. Glad to be a witness to it.

 

[rlk]

Montecriste 1939 NY World's Fair Brochure

Click on link below to see text inside. click on the "all sizes"symbol above the scan to enlarge image.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36164702@N07/3596220448/in/set-72157619249120994/

 

[HungaryTom]

Rlk,

Thank you for this brochure!
Seeing Casa Arcentales -quality focusser- was very interesting.
I guess they underwent when the Panama hat fashion ebbed, since there is no news on them lately - sad.

Thanks again.

Tom

 

[fiddletown]

One of my favorites, also from Panama Hats Direct --

 

[WineGuy]

I'm finally wearing a REAL Montecristi!

Well folks, after that whole episode with Ultrafino Hats (see the "Panama Hats" thread I started then) I finally have a Montecristi on my head! Ultrafino did refund my money in full to their credit, although I had to cajole them to make a prompt refund rather than the three weeks time they wanted. Then I ordered a nice Cuenca from PanamaBob which came quickly and was significantly much better quality and $30 cheaper than the so-called $99 "Super fino" from Ultrafino. But as fate would have it, the hat was not the size indicated and turned out to be too big, I sent it back to Robert who ordered a replacement from Ecuador. While waiting for Robert to receive the replacement Cuenca he received a great Montecristi C-Crown fino that he offered me at $249. I snatched it and it has made this whole episode worth it. So while I ended up spending two and a half times the original hat, I feel like I traded up from a Yugo to a Lexus.

The hat, in my humble newbie opinion, is very fine with a 23wpi (529 cuenta) all Llano weave with apparently 12 vueltas. It's light as a feather and the the straw color seems very consistent and evenly woven. Robert tells me that the hat was woven in Pampas, a near by town that competes with Pile for "top hat" status. It was hand blocked to 59.5 cm in Ecuador and hand finished with USA supplied leather.

The fit is perfect but apparently the shape of my head is torquing the brim on the right side a bit and causing it to form a wave when I put it on. I've been gently steaming it and shaping it with my fingers to get the rear upcurve to flow more to the side and give it rigidity. Any suggestions?

I'm also thinking of replacing the band with one at least half an inch taller, again, any suggestions? Does a band need to be Grosgrain? Can other materials work? Pictures below.

The hat is actually whiter

The Cuenta

The Inside

The Vueltas

The Mug shot

 

[HungaryTom]

Great hat!!!!

Wineguy,

Bravo.
Now you see what is vinegar and what is real wine.
First you were fooled - not because of the 70 USD price -I paid for a Panama hat the same in Budapest, until the hat travels this far through at least two hatters the profit adds up- but because they faked you with a wrong brandname and misleading denominations.
We have seen what an even weave is with high weavecounts and now with this 500+ wpsi it is the same: fine and even weave nice uniform cream color.
The difference in the weavecount is not visible from normal male to male distance anyway - only for those whom you let coser....But I guess those people aren't approaching you with a ruler and that 1x1 inch window anyhow...
Enjoy this hat.

Tom

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Wineguy I am glad things worked out for you.....nice hat, nice story. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[HarpPlayerGene]

That is a good looking hat, W.G.

I'd leave the ribbon as-is for a while. See if you warm up to it's width. I personally like that width of ribbon on a hat such as yours. Very traditional and well balanced to the hat.

As far as brim deformation (or head deformation, as it were ), I have the same problem with nearly every hat I've ever worn. It is especially prominent with some straws. I either get to 'like' the asymmetry of it - character, y'know - or I reposition the front pinch and rework the crown crease. This is easy on a felt but not recommended to 'try this at home' on a Panama unless you are experienced at it. Basically, though, by changing the front/back orientation of the hat to be off center, and then placing it on so that the new center lines up with my face, I rotate the hat so the brim agrees with my irregular head shape.

 

[Dinerman]

I managed to strip off most of the white treatment that had been put on this one. It looks much better now, and weighs about half what it did.