Cuenca Finos

[Panamabob]

While trapped in Ecuador, I found some really nice Cuenca Finos. Roger scooped up the best one...maybe he can get some photos.

Here's an unblocked Cuenca fino. They look nice and have the llano weave like the Montecristis do.

 

[Prairie Shade]

I hope you bring some back!! I assume you will be willing to part with several??

 

[Hemingway Jones]

That looks great. Is there enough hat there to block it fedora style?
BTW, I love the hat I bought from you about a month ago. I wear it all of the time. I just swapped out the ribbon for a vinatge one I got from Steve Delk. I'll have to send you some pictures.
Thanks,
HJ

 

[Panamabob]

This particular hat is about 4 inch crown, 3 inch brim, so it really depends on how high you want the crown...it is well within normal panama parameters...depends on your tastes...we can get them bigger.

I don't want the powers to be to think I'm trying to drum up business...I wanted to share something new that I found. I've found some neat new ladies crocheted paja as well.

Thanks for the kind words.

 

[SHARPETOYS]

Is it a Montecristi weave.

I think the hat I just got from Robert is a woven Montecristi and then bleached white like a Cuenca hat. A very nice Panama hat for my collection.
Thanks Panamabob.

 

[Panamabob]

The weave is the same, that is for sure. However, the prices are much lower than Montecristi so I'm on the fence.

 

[Brad Bowers]

Never thought I'd say a Cuenca looks really nice, but that Cuenca looks really nice!

Sounds like another good product. Are you worried about them competing with the Montecristis?

Brad

 

[Panamabob]

Will they compete with Montecristi....certainly. For a hat like Roger got, better than the photo, we'd sell if for $100.00. A Montecristi natural with similar weave count would be about $200.00 or so. I'm having some more sent up as soon as I can afford it. Since a great part of our sales go directly back to my wife's family (Yes, the business is licensed in Ecuador, RUC available upon request!) in Ecuador, I'd be tickled pink to find a market for them.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I may be crazy, though I like loose weaves. They may be cheaper (as they should be) though I preffer the breathability of a loosely woven hat.

 

[Panamabob]

The loosely woven brisa weave pales in comparison to a llano weave hat.

 

[Prairie Shade]

Lose the Clorox

Just wondering why they have to be so white, the bleaching process is optional? Its really nice weave, but would be really good without the "bleached to death" (I believe thats your quote" look. Best regards

 

[Panamabob]

Yes, they are available natural. I haven't found them quite this fine in natural color, but perhaps a few phone calls could change things a bit. The fact is that they look ten times better than the brisa!

The factories I went to use an 8, 10, or 12 day oxygenation process and uniform them white for the likes of, *GASP*, some company in Milan, Italy (to pass them off as Montecristi) as well as others in Europe and Canada. They had only a few companies listed in the USA.

I had some fino Cuencas 4 or 5 years ago, but these were the best by far. I didn't tell you that I had to go into a high security room and even the highest finos I couldn't touch as they were locked in a floor to ceiling cage...top price quoted direct to me? $300.00, but I couldn't actually handle one.