Panama Hat Thread

[deadlyhandsome]

This inexpensive Panama disappointed me with its shape. I wasn’t able to add crown height, but thanks to Bowen’s gift of a block that was just the right size, I was able to shape it more to my liking. It’s now boxed and ready for the rotation come summer. Thanks again B!

Before:

After:

These show the new shape better: less taper and it’s lost the tourist crease.

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[Steinbockhase]

This inexpensive Panama disappointed me with its shape. I wasn’t able to add crown height, but thanks to Bowen’s gift of a block that was just the right size, I was able to shape it more to my liking. It’s now boxed and ready for the rotation come summer. Thanks again B!

Before:

After:

These show the new shape better: less taper and it’s lost the tourist crease.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

" .... tourist crease"

What is the definition of a "tourist crease" ?

 

[Tukwila]

What is the definition of a "tourist crease" ?

I think Brent is referring to the ubiquitous crease one sees in straw hats from Ecuador... in top the picture above, in Brent's post, you an an oval center crease with another little oval bulge coming up in the middle. Homero Ortega told me a name they use for the crease, named after a local gentleman of good report, but I just can't remember it.

 

[deadlyhandsome]

I think Brent is referring to the ubiquitous crease one sees in straw hats from Ecuador... in top the picture above, in Brent's post, you an an oval center crease with another little oval bulge coming up in the middle. Homero Ortega told me a name they use for the crease, named after a local gentleman of good report, but I just can't remember it.

Just so.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Steinbockhase]

Fléchet Panama
Although light and soft, it still holds it shape well.

 

[Tukwila]

Fléchet Panama
Although light and soft, it still holds it shape well.

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Super nice Panama

 

[Steinbockhase]

Dobbs "Panaire" in blue.



Originally in Optimo style; I sunk the top to make it a Pork Pie.

 

[Steve1857]

Dobbs "Panaire" in blue.

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Originally in Optimo style; I sunk the top to make it a Pork Pie.

Super Dobbs Panama, Georg. Great look, too.

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[Dotneck]

I've inherited a couple Supernatural Panama hats recently. Straw hats are my favorite and was super excited to get my hands on this beauty. Doesn't fit. Love the hat and the hat band is beautiful. Somebody let me know if you know of a good head shrinker so I can put this hat to use. Its a 7 and I need about a 7 1/8" - 7/1/4".

Is Supernatural still an active brand? Not sure how old this had is but I think its wonderful...

 

[Bill Hughes]

I've inherited a couple Supernatural Panama hats recently. Straw hats are my favorite and was super excited to get my hands on this beauty. Doesn't fit. Love the hat and the hat band is beautiful. Somebody let me know if you know of a good head shrinker so I can put this hat to use. Its a 7 and I need about a 7 1/8" - 7/1/4".

Is Supernatural still an active brand? Not sure how old this had is but I think its wonderful...

I think wonderful is a good description. Looks vintage 1950s to me.

 

[1on1]

Heyhey to all the hat hounds! I picked up this hat last weekend..i am guessing its a panama but this is my first deliving into "the world of Panama's" so any advice is cheerfully accepted. As you can see it has the words "Okonawa Air Way Air Cooled" on the sweats. Does anyone know how old this is ? Also, its got a bit of "yellowing" and wondering how best to clean it? I'm not sure if this soiling is actual loss of the white color or if its soiling from years gone by, and last but not least, as you see the hat has a few crumpled areas and what is the best way to restore the original shape of the hat, especially around the crown, it has a couple "sunken in" areas, if you are going to suggest steaming it, is there a particular way to do this? I do have a decent steamer btw, the sweats i dont know what i'm going to do but i'd rather fix this old one (if at all possible) rather than replace with a new one.
till soon
1on1
PS i am assuming its made in Japan..

 

[1967Cougar390]

This link should give you plenty of information about care of your hat.

https://ultrafino.com/blogs/articles/how-to-care-for-your-panama-hat

Overall it looks like a good hat. Enjoy.

Steven

 

[1on1]

1967Cougar390- thanks. So any idea on age or where its made?

 

[1967Cougar390]

1967Cougar390- thanks. So any idea on age or where its made?

I’m not sure or either but I’m sure some other member will be able to answer those questions.

Steven

 

[1on1]

fair enough - thanks.

 

[milandro]

Very interesting.

I would say that yes, this is a panama hat, though probably at first and inaccurate glance not a very fine one. I not expert enough to determine by the weaving style where exactly it was made in Ecuador.


Given its name that hat may be finished by a Japanese company. ( although OKANAWA doesn’t return anything on google, but you certainly know that)

The coat of arms, though, looks somewhat European (but may be referring to the shop selling these anywhere in the world and being just a fantasy coat of arms ).

A bit deeper exam of the feature of this coat of arms reveals, two or 3 tigers , very rare on European coat of arms. Tigers are on the Malaysia coat of arms. I can’t see exactly what the other figures within the shields are, one is most certainly a tiger too.


If you can try to establish contacts probably the best place to ask in Japan may be

Nishikawa Seibo Co., Ltd.
1-11-12 Kuwazu Higashisumiyoshi-ku Osaka-shi Osaka-fu 546-0041 546-0041 ( a company which has been in Business since 1894)
I couldn’t find any email address

As for the restoration, I am not so sure that I would attempt this restoration myself.

The sweatband would need restoring and if possible ( since it may be too brittle ) need reattaching (that may involve grafting or glueing this on some canvas to hold it all together), but would this make the wearing uncomfortable? I don’t know, maybe it would be advi

The lining with the decorative coat of arms band would most probably need to be detached and cleaned then ironed and then stitching back, which, given the web holding it , doesn’t seem to be a very simple operation but it is not beyond the possibility of a person with needle abilities which I don’t have.

I think your hat may need steaming but not before the sweatband problem and the lining has been addresses. Once this has been addressed, light steaming should help giving the hat its elasticity back but from the pictures it seems that the hat condition is goo, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of cracking which went trough and through.

Once the hat has been loosing some of its dryness it may be conditioned more. I don’t think there is a lot of staining in the straw threads and it is possible to use some of these bleaching methods described here (be careful and ask someone with more knowledge of restorations).

Good Luck!

 

[Tiki Tom]

I agree that this certainly looks like an authentic Panama. But, either way, you can wear it with pride. It screams "vintage" and is, really, a beautiful hat.

 

[Tukwila]

There are Japanese and other Asian straw hats, but this one looks to be a "Panama" although difficult to tell without the hat in hand. If so, it would most likely have been woven in Ecuador, even if the sweatband, liner and ribbon were added in Japan or somewhere else.

Did someone actually say this is Shantung, or was that an aside? If Shantung, then it is most definitely not an Ecuadorian "Panama" hat.

 

[Woodtroll]

Did someone actually say this is Shantung, or was that an aside? If Shantung, then it is most definitely not an Ecuadorian "Panama" hat.

Yep, it's pretty confusing when people decide to dig up old posts/threads and reply to them; in this case Milandro's reply was to a post that was 12 years old...

 

[jlee562]

yes, but there is nothing wrong in doing that otherwise the archives wold be kept for no reason and since they are kept for years and one can answer many years after, there is a reason to do that.

This piece of information is still valid and will be for years to come.


It would be a lot cheaper for the forum to get rid of all the information kept in the archives but the fact that it is kept makes sense also many years after ( and answering an old question is no more strange or wrong than putting a new one on line which then is merged into an old thread several hundred pages long and many years old).

Although the Lounge does not have a formal policy that I'm aware of, many forums frown upon necroposting.