Fino Montecristi days seem numbered...

[Panamabob]

My brother-in-law reports from Pile today that there aren't very many fino hats around. Why? Many of the weavers are working in agriculture, and those that have hats have jumped their prices about double. Why? The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific has artificially raised the paying price, but is only buying the best hats. An armed man named Jorge and/or his brother regularly make the rounds collecting the best hats only for The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific. So, the rest of us are left with broken contracts, scared weavers, and upset clientele.

The self anointed savior of the panama hat is rapidly killing an industry. Congratulations, Mr. Black, you've won!

 

[NonEntity]

Perhaps we should round up our own "Panama possie" and head down there to straighten things out.

 

[hipster]

panama

Im assuming Mr Black is Brent Black.

Went to his web site. Pretty pricey hats.

You must not agree with his statement:

"To save the art, first we must save the artists.”

 

[HungaryTom]

War requires three things,-money, money, money.

Quote from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raimondo_Montecuccoli

Source:
http://www.giga-usa.com/quotes/topics/war_t015.htm

I don't see the problem with prices being raised - as long as the 40% of the 8-10K sales price really lands at the master weavers as it is announced on the website. That is almost 50-50. Those prices could revive the tradition of the state-of-the art hats woven for 8-10 months, too. If the master is paid, why not? And that quality and performance is really not something for a clientele that is eager for discounts or bargains. Me myself and I included- IMO even the comissioned grade hats were bargain priced.

But masterworks go only if the master can really focus on his chef d'oeuvre hats. Gunmen threats and constant financial worries never produce great artworks.

Since hats from the master weaver line (among them Simon Espinal) fetch 10K at Hartford&York that should give the Pile master weavers a quick boost in lifestyle - it is not only Simon Espinal who weaves but his entire family-and apart from the family and the buyer who knows their respective performance since years - nobody can tell who has woven which hat, frankly.

And if the hat is woven by a toothless septuagenarian great-grandmother who went half-blind and weaves after feeling the knots instead of seeing them? And not the Charles Bronson lookalike or his charming daughter Gisela - who cares? If it is nice and well done...at least I am not Mr. Hyde "I want THAT maid to serve me the hat"

So if we see their houses covered, painted, proper doors and windows being put in place - the raise of their wages was done. But if you go there the next time and you still make the same photos about the housings...

I see the problem in the fact that gunmen and threatening of artisans are tolerated on the market. Is there no police? What does CORPEI and other organizations do?

I mean this entire stuff is not that hard to monitor - we talk about a few weaver villages with thousand inhabitants each. A country that prides itself with the finest straw hats of the world could really make some efforts to get some sheriffs or gendarmes (or whatever you call it) in Pile and Pampas.

How do the other up-market hatters (Montecristi Custom Hatworks, Pauls hatworks, Optimo hats) get their supplies of the finer grade Montecristi hats...Graham Thomson told in his blog that he is going down personally to Ecuador to purchase his hat bodies - does he also have bodyguards?

 

[Panamabob]

"To save the art, first we must save the artists.”

Watch this video and look at the houses and the lives. Are the people being saved?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRia8pZTorw

Many people don't believe me. When this film is out, they'll see the truth.

We're not talking about basic business markups here, we're talking about making a $500 hat into a $30,000 hat. We're talking about NOT buying from everyone and spreading the wealth. The wealth is concentrated in Hawaii.

There is no use, as the man with bigger pockets will win.


We're moving back to Ecuador and I'm sure I'll outlive the destroyers. We'll see what happens then.

Perhaps the others haven't had their weavers bought out from under them.

 

[RBH]

Good luck Robert, our prayers will be with you.
I am sure you will need them.

 

[HungaryTom]

Bob,

It is also enough if people watch the heroic CBS video on Brent Black's site – the scenes with the house of Simon Espinal - it looks the same poor.

That house would be accounted as half ready in countries with temperate climates - houses like that are re-worked entirely in terms of isolation, doors, windows and other luxuries, like a proper coating and painting inside-outside. I see bare brickwalls in all the indoor scenes with Simon Espinal. That house could be re-worked from the 40% revenue of 2-3 own 10K hats.

Yep, I will continue to criticize the lack of sharing wealth until I see changes - summer 2007 saw a hat sold through PanamaBob to Brussels from Simon Espinal. If he got really that rich why did he sell to Bob with his prices?

***​

When you move back to Ecuador make sure that you take good care of you and your family – straw hats are not worth it to start wars over them.

***​

When is the film coming out? I am eager to get a copy - will it be available through you?

 

[Kaleponi Craig]

More Panama Hat Videos

Very cool video, Bob. Here's another one which is #1 of 3 videos on You Tube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp8bg451EQo&feature=related

 

[bolthead]

Robert, I wish you well Brother.

I watched the video clip on youtube, it was very, very interesting....to say the least. What I wanted to as you Robert, is that clip in connection with the other one on there as well? Weaving Life - The Story of Ecuador's "Panama Hat" It was very well done.

 

[NonEntity]

It is difficult for us from the civilized world, relatively speaking, to understand how most business, not just the Panama hat business, is routinely conducted in Central and South America.

Perhaps musician Warren Zevon said it best, "Send lawyers, guns, and money. The sh*t has hit the fan."

I have guns and money. Any lawyers up for a trip south of the border?

 

[HungaryTom]

It is difficult for us from the civilized world, relatively speaking, to understand how most business, not just the Panama hat business, is routinely conducted in Central and South America.

Perhaps musician Warren Zevon said it best, "Send lawyers, guns, and money. The sh*t has hit the fan."

I have guns and money. Any lawyers up for a trip south of the border?

I have asked for lounger lawyers last summer when Panamabob mentioned the same kind of problems about exclusive contracts. Seeing that only the contract was exclusive - not the lifestyle of the glorified weaver.

I really do not support violence in business - anyone can end up like those tsantsa when a war begins. Toquilla hats are inflammable too....The news featured how a large Chinese clothing warehouse was burning at that time in Budapest. Reason: rivalry? Revenge? Who knows. Only the result was sure: burning clothes. Nobody wants to see MC fino stocks being burned down, people disappearing in jungles. This is not the way.

If the biz is that tough, rather forgo those 'too floppy' and 'too hot-because soo densely woven' hats and leave up them to the true aficionados (or sopranos, or whatever nicknames you use).

Bob said that the bus accident even killed some local people -maybe weavers too- there are news about flood problems - maybe the deforestation did not do good to Ecuador either. The German http://www.kunstunddesign.com/ talked about EU co-financed toquilla palm reforestation programs for reasons. There is enough misery there. No additional wars needed.

I really don't know how the constitution assembly has ended in Montecristi. Whether the politicians were only engaged with themselves or it has ended up with some meaningful decisions and law as well.

This article tells anyway that there are no more hat weavers in Montecristi - just the finishers. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article531877.ece

KIND BARTENDER I WOULD LIKE TO EDIT THE FIFTH POST DATED 04-21-2007, 09:58 AM ON PP1 IN THE PANAMA HAT ARTICLES FROM THE WEB THREAD. PLEASE SPECIFY HOW -I WOULD LIKE TO SUBSTITUTE THE COPY PASTED TEXT WITH THIS LINK ABOVE I FISHED LATELY.

Bob once more, if you go to Ecuador, take a good care of you and your family. It is more important.

 

[Panamabob]

You can't win with egotistical sociopaths. Peace and waiting are the only ways to have a chance. Besides, my network is not willing to be shot. There is a reason some people walk around with armed guards down there, and I will never be one of them, nor will my workers. You can't screw up the established system without repercussions, and that is exactly what someone is doing and that is why his man Jorge is packed and loaded. Keep that gun in your waistband, Jorgito.

We'll keep buying hats from ALL and not kill the whole industry.

 

[hipster]

Panama bob

Best of luck to you and your family.
When I'm ready to purchase a fino hat, i'll be contacting you.

 

[Mark G]

The whole situation sounds depressing for everyone involved (except of course the person making all the money).

Hope everyone is safe.

 

[Ryan]

PB,
Here's an idea for you. I think someone said he had guns and money. Yes I know it was a joke but if N.E wants to help with his money, set up a webpage. Allows you to expand to a larger crowd, expressing what the Panama dude in the Pacific is doing. You can set up the page in a number of ways so if someone searches for Panama or his company, your informative page will pop up. Cheap and informative. The web is a beautiful thing sometimes.