Panama Hat Thread

[deadlyhandsome]

Nearly all the "cheap" hats I see here in the US are pretty junky and are not blocked/creased in the usual fedora way. By the time the hats are imported and creased by a US hatter, the price goes up considerably.

You might check with Art Fawcett at Vintage Silhouettes to see what he has available in reasonably priced Cuenca hat bodies. MrsFed and I visited his shop last year and he has lots of blocks especially made for blocking and creasing the paja toquilla (straw) hats that come from Ecuador. He puts out a delicious looking toquilla straw hat in the classic fedora style.

Last I heard, Mike Miller at NW Hat Company also has some hat bodies from Ecuador. @Redfokker has one or two of Mike's Cuenca hats and they look pretty sharp.

Art and Mike are both making me hats from hat bodies I brought back from Ecuador. They weren't inexpensive hat bodies, though, with the weaves per square inch (WPSI) running around 400.

 

[FedOregon]

My Cuenca llano weave came in from Art at VS, today. Sorry for the crap phone pics. I bought this as a grade 12 body. Weave is around 400 WPSI, and the crease, ribbon, bow treatment is pure Vintage Silhouettes! Art made this from a hat body we picked up in Cuenca, Ecuador, on our last trip down to visit family. Just what I envisioned!

The weather with clouds and bright sun spots made it hard to get balanced pics with my camera phone, but I think y'all get the idea. A great Ecuadorian straw.

.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

My Cuenca llano weave came in from Art at VS, today. Sorry for the crap phone pics. I bought this as a grade 12 body. Weave is around 400 WPSI, and the crease, ribbon, bow treatment is pure Vintage Silhouettes! Art made this from a hat body we picked up in Cuenca, Ecuador, on our last trip down to visit family. Just what I envisioned!

The weather with clouds and bright sun spots made it hard to get balanced pics with my camera phone, but I think y'all get the idea. A great Ecuadorian straw.

.

Who wouldn't be pleased with that? Very nice. I just hope you're gentler on your Panamas than I am. Man, I can't stop looking at that hat. There's just no comparison to cheap Panamas.

 

[FedOregon]

The leather sweat is a real plus, too.

 

[Bill Hughes]

So I made an offer of $250 which was accepted. How did I do?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Montecrist...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

If I over paid please tell me so I don’t make the same mistakes!

 

[Redfokker]

So I made an offer of $250 which was accepted. How did I do?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Montecristi-Fino-Genuine-Panama-Hat-Hand-made-in-Ecuador-size-7-1-4-57-8-cm/253362693411?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

If I over paid please tell me so I don’t make the same mistakes!

View attachment 103230 View attachment 103231 View attachment 103232 View attachment 103233

Wow Bill, a Monti. I would think you did very well. Can't wait to see it in your hands. Some of these go for thousands.

 

[RJR]

Wow Bill, a Monti. I would think you did very well. Can't wait to see it in your hands. Some of these go for thousands.

+1

 

[65 Classic]

So I made an offer of $250 which was accepted. How did I do?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Montecristi-Fino-Genuine-Panama-Hat-Hand-made-in-Ecuador-size-7-1-4-57-8-cm/253362693411?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

If I over paid please tell me so I don’t make the same mistakes!

View attachment 103230 View attachment 103231 View attachment 103232 View attachment 103233

It looks like you did well. Great looking hat! Congratulations

 

[johnnycanuck]

So I made an offer of $250 which was accepted. How did I do?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Montecristi-Fino-Genuine-Panama-Hat-Hand-made-in-Ecuador-size-7-1-4-57-8-cm/253362693411?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

If I over paid please tell me so I don’t make the same mistakes!

View attachment 103230 View attachment 103231 View attachment 103232 View attachment 103233

Looks good to me. Looking forward to seeing it on your head. Remember getting a good deal on a hat your don't wear inst a good deal. So if you get lots of use out of it, you did good.
Wear it in good health.

 

[Bill Hughes]

It arrived Friday. The feel of it is fantastic and the fit is perfect. I have been reading all the information on the BrentBlack.com site. I believe this is the standard "Classic Fedora". If I counted correctly I get 24 x 26 = 624 for the Montecristi Cuenta.

Feeling a bit better. You maybe able to hear the sighs of relief. This is only my second Montecristi. Since I bought it secondhand I was nervous. I bought my first Montecristi from a lounge member I trust so was not concerned on that purchase in the slightest.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Great purchase. If you live in a dry environment you may want to put it in the bathroom next time you shower to get moisture into the hat so it doesent dry out and crack.
Next you have to take a photo of the weave pattern. Hold the hat up to the light looking thru the crown. Cool patterns show up.
Wear it in good health
Johnny

 

[RJR]

It arrived Friday. The feel of it is fantastic and the fit is perfect. I have been reading all the information on the BrentBlack.com site. I believe this is the standard "Classic Fedora". If I counted correctly I get 24 x 26 = 624 for the Montecristi Cuenta.

Feeling a bit better. You maybe able to hear the sighs of relief. This is only my second Montecristi. Since I bought it secondhand I was nervous. I bought my first Montecristi from a lounge member I trust so was not concerned on that purchase in the slightest.

View attachment 103629 View attachment 103630 View attachment 103631 View attachment 103632 View attachment 103633 View attachment 103634 View attachment 103635 View attachment 103636 View attachment 103637 View attachment 103638

Beauty,congrats.

 

[Bill Hughes]

Great purchase. If you live in a dry environment you may want to put it in the bathroom next time you shower to get moisture into the hat so it doesent dry out and crack.
Next you have to take a photo of the weave pattern. Hold the hat up to the light looking thru the crown. Cool patterns show up.
Wear it in good health
Johnny

Here they are.

 

[johnnycanuck]

Well Done. $250 for that beauty is a great price. Especially with that nice block. I bet you are REALLY looking forward to Summer now.
Johnny

 

[hatsRme]

Here they are. View attachment 103852 View attachment 103853

Spectacular, Bill!! You did yourself proud, my friend. Truly a special one!

 

[steur]

This one is a hat-swap addition. It's very hard to find decent panamas in this country (not surprising perhaps with our climate) and vintage ones are virtually non-existing. So I am very pleased with this addition to the collection. All I need now is the weather to go with it.
Dunlap panama. Size 7 with the brim at 7cm and the crown 11cm at the pinch. Nice tight weave and very supple straw. There's 1947 written on the sweatband. I'm guessing that's the year of manufacture. My thanks go out to Moehawk for this one.

 

[Bill Hughes]

Well it happened again. Just offered $99 for another Brent Black Montecristi. The seller accepted so that makes two Brent Blacks in just over two months. This one will need a little cleaning but all in all not bad for the price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brent-Blac...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[steur]

Well it happened again. Just offered $99 for another Brent Black Montecristi. The seller accepted so that makes two Brent Blacks in just over two months. This one will need a little cleaning but all in all not bad for the price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brent-Black-Monticristo-Panama-Hat/183139793793?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

View attachment 111566 View attachment 111567 View attachment 111568 View attachment 111569 View attachment 111570 View attachment 111571 View attachment 111572

Great catch, Bill.

 

[new2hats]

Maybe next time you could spread the wealth?!

Well it happened again. Just offered $99 for another Brent Black Montecristi. The seller accepted so that makes two Brent Blacks in just over two months. This one will need a little cleaning but all in all not bad for the price.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Brent-Black-Monticristo-Panama-Hat/183139793793?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

View attachment 111566 View attachment 111567 View attachment 111568 View attachment 111569 View attachment 111570 View attachment 111571 View attachment 111572

 

[deadlyhandsome]

Maybe next time you could spread the wealth?!

It’s very cool if he wants to, but he did the work, made the offers, etc., so I have no issue with him not “spreading the wealth.” These finds motivate me to keep looking for myself. Just my way of seeing it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk