Panama Straw

Master Weaver Delgado Garay of Montecristi, Ecuador.

“Panama hats are uniquely Ecuadorian, despite their curious misnomer. The term “Panama hat” has been in use since at least the 1830s, and came about because the hats were often sold in trading posts on the Isthmus of Panama, which was a shipping crossroads long before the canal was built.” - Roff Smith, for the New York Times

Designed initially for its hot humid area of the world to provide shade and protection from the sun, a Panama Straw is the perfect hat for summer wear or any time of year a customer wants a cooler option to Fur Felt. We select only the qualities that offer the ability to be serviced throughout the life of the hat but due to the Panama being a weave of fibrous straw, it is not as rugged as Fur Felt. Pinching the straw in the crown should be avoided and for the life of the hat, it should be handled by the brim or base of the crown.

Since 1974, Montecristi Custom Hat Works has been driven by the idea of acquiring the finest raw material (hat bodies) available in the world. From travels into South America, Milton Johnson discovered the beautiful art of hand woven Panama hats and the masters that create them. Woven from Paja Toquilla, a palm native to Ecuador, the finest Panama hats can look like linen cloth with the sheen of silk.

Delgado Garay, of the village of Montecristi, Ecuador, the patriarch of the group of old timers, first started working with Montecristi Custom Hat Works in the early 70’s, died in November 2019 at the age of 92. While he was the last of our original group, many fine weavers are still working, some exclusively for Montecristi Custom Hat Works. By paying more for fine material directly to the weavers, we accelerated production and refueled the demand for handmade Montecristi Panama hats at a time when it was widely believed to be a dying art. Today our inventory of this material is completely unmatched by titans of industry or any number of custom shops.

Pricing of Panama hat material fluctuates depending on several factors. Our collections fall within broad ranges: the fineness and evenness of the hat’s weave, as well as the consistency of the width and color of its fibers is inspected in every hat and priced accordingly. At Montecristi Custom Hat Works, we have developed qualifiers to grade the raw material of our Panama hats:

• Fino select ($1,000 to $1,500)

• Extra Fino ($1,600 to $4,900)

• Super Fino ($5,000 and up)

  Please note that terms like “Fino” and “Super Fino” are subjective and meant only to help guide your selection.

  There are also a few style enhancements that can be requested for an additional charge:

• Pencil Curl ($100) A curl around the edge of the brim that is applied with a rounded Shakel Iron.

• Tecate Curl ($100) Also a Pencil Curl but only applied to the sides of the brim leaving the front and back of the brim open.

• Oversize Brim ($50) Brims over 4 1/4”.

• Ribbon Bindings ($200) Ribbon that is applied around the edge of the brim. Available in several colors and widths.

Panama Straw Qualities

The village of Montecristi and city of Cuenca are the two primary regions of Panama hat production in Ecuador. Montecristi is on the coast and Cuenca rests in the Andes Mountains. Generally, higher quality hats come from Montecristi, but more hats come from Cuenca which produces Panama hat bodies in commercial quantities.

Montecristi

The village of Montecristi, our namesake, located on the coast of Ecuador, is world renowned for weaving the finest Panama straw. Locals have been weaving fine hats out of the fibers of the toquilla palm for centuries and it has remained a cottage industry to this day.

Montecristi Panama hat bodies can take months to weave and are priced at $1,200 and up and generally will have smaller brims. We do offer a small selection of wide brimmed Montecristi Panama hat bodies, but these are priced to reflect the extra brim width.

Cuenca

Cuenca is located in the Andes mountains and produces commerical quantities of panama hats. Most of our starting qualities, Fino Select especially, to Extra Fino come from Cuenca. These Panama hat bodies have larger brims and the weaves range from $1,000 to $2,500. Cuenca produces many different grade qualities and we choose not to carry some of their lower grades, but the grades we carry in the Fino and Extra Fino Select are sturdy enough to beautifully carry our Western styles and fine enough to rock our Fedoras and Ladies Fashion.

A selection of Cuenca ventilated hat bodies.

What level of quality is appropriate for your Panama hat?

That’s a personal question we cannot answer but we can guide you to an informed decision. Some of our hats reflect the ultimate expression of the hat maker’s craft, using techniques refined and passed down for generations. As such, these hats are significant investments. But even our most affordable choices meet our exacting standards. We shape each hat by hand for a perfect fit.

Our collections fall within broad ranges: the fineness and evenness of the hat’s weave, as well as the consistency of the width and color of its fibers. Please note that terms like “Fino” and Super Fino are subjective and are meant only to help guide your selection.

Montecristi Cordon weave in a Low Gus style with a 3/4 Pencil Curl on the brim.

Pattern and Ventilation

Although the solid weave Panama Straw is the most traditional and more common, both Montecristi and Cuenca weave ventilated patterns into the bodies of the Panama Straw hats. There are several different types of ventilation available, from the Semi-Calado (featuring a fully ventilated patterned crown) to the 8/9Z, a minimal design of three diamond vents on either side of the crown. The Semi-Calado is the coolest weave you can wear and still have protection from the sun’s rays.

Montecristi Ventilated Hats

The hats woven in the village of Montecristi are very specialized and no two are exactly alike due to them being woven one at a time by hand. They are available in Extra Fino Select.

• The Cordon has a band of ventilation at the center of the crown with a solid weave top and solid weave brim. We work closely with the weavers to produce each of these finely woven bodies, each with its own unique banded pattern due to being hand woven.

• The Semi-Calado has a ventilated crown and solid weave brim. Most of these bodies will have a solid weave on the very top of the crown with ventilation on the sides to offer sun protection to the top of the head. Each body has its own unique, one of a kind, pattern due to it being hand woven.

Cuenca Ventilated Patterns

The Cuenca ventilated patterns are mass produced for consistency in weave and pattern. They are available in the Fino Select. The different vent patterns are:

• The 8/9Z, which has the least ventilation of three diamonds on each side of the hat

• The Diamante, which carries the diamonds of the 8/9Z all around the center of the crown

• The RD (Reverse Diamante), has a larger ventilated band around the center of the crown

• The Cuenca Semi-Calado, ventilated sides with a solid weave on top for optimal coolness and sun protection.