Miller Hats' "Dunmore Hat"

[Mojave Jack]

I'm looking for a good versatile straw, and though I like a good Panama, white is not always appropriate. Anyone have any experience with the Dunmore Hat from Miller's Hats?

I think it would blend more with my daily wardrobe, yet still be practical for the summer desert heat. I'm hoping for a pliable hat like a Panama, but in a tan or brown shade. What I'm trying to avoid is all of the stiff straws that are seemingly everywhere. I recently tried the Panama Bushwalker from David Morgan. It's like it's made of wood with a straw pattern on it! I'm getting tired of sending back stiff straw hats!

 

[Rick Blaine]

WARNING

What I'm trying to avoid is all of the stiff straws that are seemingly everywhere. I recently tried the Panama Bushwalker from David Morgan. It's like it's made of wood with a straw pattern on it! I'm getting tired of sending back stiff straw hats!

Then, my friend, pass this one by. I was so disappointed when I received one of these and it resembled nothing so much as a piece of wicker furniture from Pier 1. RBH loves his, I find them brittle and cardboard like. It is odd 'cause I understand these are made by Biltmore for Miller, and I have a "natural" (i.e.-uncolored) Biltmore Panama and it is as soft,as light & supple as my Mouseriver from Panamabob. It must be something in the process that colors them that renders them so very unyielding? You can get 10x the hat from Panamabob for what Miller gets for this.

Regards,

R

 

[RBH]

I do love my Logan from Miller, but YES it is stiff. My Augusta is not stiff, but it is white.
But that said my vintage Supernatural is also stiff.
Its a trade off I think, I love the color of my Logan, but really love the feel of the Augusta. Both hats I replaced the wide ribbons with thin ribbons.
Its a good enough hat but I go along with Rick, holler at PB he will fix you right up.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Then, my friend, pass this one by. I was so disappointed when I received one of these and it resembled nothing so much as a piece of wicker furniture from Pier 1. RBH loves his, I find them brittle and cardboard like. It is odd 'cause I understand these are made by Biltmore for Miller, and I have a "natural" (i.e.-uncolored) Biltmore Panama and it is as soft,as light & supple as my Mouseriver from Panamabob. It must be something in the process that colors them that renders them so very unyielding? You can get 10x the hat from Panamabob for what Miller gets for this.

Regards,

R

Wicker furniture! That's the perfect analogy! I gather from the Bushwalker, too, that I may be a long oval. It fits front to back, but rocks from side to side to rather an alarming degree. Thnaks for the feedback, Rick.

I do love my Logan from Miller, but YES it is stiff. My Augusta is not stiff, but it is white.
But that said my vintage Supernatural is also stiff.
Its a trade off I think, I love the color of my Logan, but really love the feel of the Augusta. Both hats I replaced the wide ribbons with thin ribbons.
Its a good enough hat but I go along with Rick, holler at PB he will fix you right up.

Yes, the color is the main draw, and that's interesting that the white Augusta is not so stiff. They seem to be the exact same hat, except for the color. I never really thought about it, but are the palm fibers naturally white, and is it that the color comes from the shellac? Hmmm. I think you're right, RBH, I'll go straight to the source and see what can be done.

Thanks, guys!

 

[duggap]

The natural Panama from Monticristi is more like an ivory color. The ones from Cuenca are white. The white is from commercially using sulphur on the hats. It is done by hand on the Monticristi hats. You can always tell on a new Monticristi because of the smell (which is not unpleasant). And they are not stiff.

 

[Panamabob]

That photo is a Cuenca brisa. They probably lacquered it all up. Cuenca hats are white, but can be died any color you can imagine.

Montecristis do have that smell, don't they?