Panama Hats at Meyer the Hatter, Canal & St. Charles
Meyer
the Hatter
120
St. Charles Ave.
New Orleans, LA
Sam H. Meyer established Meyer the Hatter in 1894.
https://meyerthehatter.com/
504
525-1048
800 882-4287
Store
Hours:
10
am - 5:45 pm , Monday
through Saturday
I
have a real panama hat that has lost its shape and seems to have shrunken.
Do
you re-shape hats? In addition, can you stretch it to 7 5/8's?
CAPAS
BOGART PANAMA FEDORA
Teardrop
crown sits low, for someone who doesn't like a taller look.
a 2 1/2 inch brim
The Bogart is a classic, wide brim Panama.
The Teardrop crown sits low, perfect for someone
who doesn't like a taller look.
Has a 2 1/2 inch brim and features
comfortable cotton band on the inside.
7
5/8 BLEACHED $135.00
Natural
DORFMAN
PACIFIC P180 PANAMA PINCHFRONT STRAW HAT
Panama
Fedora
Pinchfront
crown
2
1/2 inch brim.
Handwoven in Ecuador
A Classic Panama Fedora from Dorfman Pacific.
It has a Pinchfront crown and a 2 1/2 inch brim.
Handwoven in Ecuador and
finished in the USA.
7
5/8 BLEACHED $135.00
MAYSER
IMPERIA VENTED PANAMA HAT
Ventilation
Panama
straw
Brim
size "2 1/2
The Imperia provides ample coverage and ventilation in
a quality
Panama straw! Flip the back brim down for a Safari look.
Brim size "2 1/2
$160.00
NATURAL ONLY 7 5/8
MAYSER
PIETER VENTED PANAMA SAFARI
Ventilated
a
2 1/2 inch brim
a
wider 2 3/4 inch brim front to back
It's ventilated
crown makes the Pieter one of summer's coolest looks! Features a 2 1/2 inch
brim on the sides and a wider 2 3/4 inch brim front to back for
sun protection in a downward safari shape.
Designed in Germany
Handwoven in Ecuador
Finished in Slovakia
$160.00 NATURAL ONLY 7 6/8 (7 ¾)
Designed in Germany
Handwoven in Ecuador
Finished in Slovakia
$160.00 NATURAL ONLY 7 6/8 (7 ¾)
TOAST.
THEY HAVE NATURAL.
STETSON
AVIATOR VENTED PANAMA 150th ANNIVERSARY STRAW HAT
Handwoven in Ecuador
2
3/4 inch brim (most are 2 ½”)
Lightweight
and ventilated
Handwoven in Ecuador, the Aviator is
Stetson's featured Panama straw with a 2 3/4 inch brim.
Lightweight
and ventilated makes it perfect for Spring and Summer..
$165.00
BLEACH ONLY 7 5/8
STEFENO
#2 VENTED PANAMA PF
2
1/2 inch brim
Teardrop
crown
Handwoven in Ecuador
The #2 Vented is a stylish bleached
Panama that features a ventilated crown. It has a
comfortable, cloth sweatband, tear drop crown and a 2 1/2 inch brim.
Keeps a sweaty head as cool as possible! Handwoven in
Ecuador and finished in the
USA.
$175.00
BLEACH ONLY XL
STEFENO
BAYOU VENTED PANAMA OUTBACK
2 1/2 inch brim
Teardrop
crown
Handwoven in Ecuador
Beautifully handcrafted Panama Outback shape to
protect your ears, neck, and face. Features a 2 1/2 inch brim and woven
vents in its teardrop crown for extra ventilation. Handwoven
in Ecuador. Finished in America.
$175.00 NATURAL OR TOAST, XL
the rings in the crown.
Hold the hat up to a strong
light and look at the inside of the crown.
You’ll see the rings.
You might even want to count them. I
sometimes do. However, don’t let the number of rings determine which hat you
buy or how much you pay.
a hat with three rings is
not a fine quality hat.
Moreover, a hat with twenty-seven
rings probably is a finely woven hat.
ask the seller to count how many
rows of weave there are per inch.
The best way to measure the
fineness of a woven hat is to count the rows of weave per inch (or 2.5
centimeters), first horizontally then vertically.
“How finely woven is the
hat?” is usually the first thing someone wants to know about a Panama hat. With
most woven items (fine cottons, oriental rugs, etc.), quality is at least
partly determined by how many strands per inch there are in the weave. The same
is true of Panama hats.
The grading systems used
by the exporters in Ecuador that give a number to describe the hat grade, such
as Grade 10/11, are based upon counting the rows of weave per unit of
measurement (usually a centimeter). But then they complicate it by taking the
number of rows of weave actually counted and multiplying it by this and
subtracting that ....
Mother and daughter weaving
Of course, since the
fineness of weave is never completely, exactly identical throughout the hat,
one could search around on the hat to find a spot where the weave is finer than
elsewhere on the hat. Even so, you still have more real information with “20
rows of weave per inch” than you would with “it’s a Fino Fino.” 20 rows of
weave per inch is a fact. Fino Fino is an opinion.
The Montecristi
Foundation grading system begins with a single number called the Montecristi
Cuenta.
Fineness of Weave,
HorizontalFineness of Weave, Vertical
To determine the
Montecristi Cuenta of a Panama hat, count the number of rows of weave in one
inch horizontally (or 2.5 cm).
For the hat in the
photo to the left, the horizontal count would be just a little under 23.
Then count the
number of rows of weave in one inch vertically.
The second photo
shows the vertical measure of the same hat in the same area of weave. The
vertical count would be 27.
It is not unusual
for the vertical and horizontal counts to be different. Actually, it’s unusual
for them to be the same. Usually, the vertical count is a larger number.
Now multiply the two
numbers together. 23 x 27 = 621. The number 621 would be what is called the
Montecristi Cuenta for this particular hat.
This is a very
finely woven hat. A hat with a Montecristi Cuenta over 900 is a rare treasure.
A hat with a Montecristi Cuenta under 300 is not an especially noteworthy hat.
Did you try to count
the rows of weave yourself? It’s not easy, is it? It’s hard even in the photo
above where I digitally sharpened the lines and boosted the contrast; it’s
harder to count when looking at the hat itself. Manually counting the rows of
weave is a tedious task. In order for me to be able to do this with every
single hat I have in inventory (over 2000 Montecristi hats), or when I am
purchasing hats in Montecristi, I would need some sort of handheld scanner to
speed up the process.
Grading hats with a
magnifying glass
Counting the rows of
weave with a hand lens is a tedious task.
Montecristi Guide
The first person I
met in Montecristi
If there are any
inventors out there, the ideal scanner would be about the size of the handheld
scanners I’ve seen used at the checkout register in some stores. The scanner
would have a one inch by one inch reading window that would be placed against
the surface of the hat. The user would push a button or pull a “trigger” and
the scanner would scan the rows of weave both horizontally and vertically. The
LED readout would report that the hat is 23-27-621.
Call me when you
have my scanner ready.
In the meantime, I
only do an actual count on the very fine, very expensive hats.
Determining the
fineness may be the most important part of grading a hat. But there are still
other important factors to be considered before making a final decision.
6. Other Grading Factors
·
the quality of the weave and
·
the color of the straw
Is the hat well woven or poorly woven? Ah, but now we’re back to
opinion. Fineness of weave is just math; you can count the rows. But quality of
weave is very subjective. It’s easy to tell excellent from awful, but how does
one decide if the quality of the weaving is excellent or just very good?
A hat that has an even color throughout is probably quite acceptable. A
hat that has one area where the straw is obviously different than the rest of
the hat is probably less desirable.
Almost every hat will have at least some red and/or gray straw. How
many “points” would you deduct for that? Especially when you consider that many
people prefer the subtle patterns that are often created by the slightly
different color straw.
7. How I Grade and Price Hats
I look at the hat for an overall impression of how visually appealing
the hat is. Then I consider fineness, weave quality, and straw color.
If the weave is obviously below my minimum fineness standard, or if the
weave is horrendous, or if I spot a stain or an area of straw scarred by the
apaleador, then I put that hat into the No pile.
Remember: ALL HATS HAVE SOME FLAWS, IMPERFECTIONS, AND IRREGULARITIES.
If I bought only absolutely perfect hats, then I would never buy any hats.
I can very quickly estimate the fineness of weave. I do not have to
actually count the weave of each hat to determine its approximate fineness.
But Fineness is only one factor. It may be the most important factor.
It is usually what people want to know about first. Even so, Fineness is still
just one part of the total equation.
The hat we looked at above in section 5, for which we counted the
weave, was 23 by 27, a finely woven hat. So, if I told you that another hat was
30 by 23, you would know that is even more finely woven than the first.
So then it should be worth more, right?
Not necessarily. We need to see how well woven it is.
Look at the photo on the left. There is an area on this hat that counts
30 by 23. And overall it is a finely woven hat. But you can see easily that the
rows of weave are not even close to being straight. The thickness of the
individual straws varies significantly. There are irregularly woven areas that
look very different from the surrounding weave. And many other very visible
flaws.
Compare the weave above with the weave to the right. The hat above is
more finely woven. But which hat would you prefer to own? I think most people
would prefer the beautifully woven hat to the right over the more finely woven
hat shown above.
To me, the hat above is so irregularly woven that its price should be
significantly lower than the price of the hat to the right. Possibly as much as
3 or 4 price levels lower.
So when I price hats, I start with Fineness of Weave. I count, or
estimate, the fineness and set a price based solely on that.
Next I look at the Quality of Weave. If the Quality of Weave is within
what I consider to be an average range, then I stay with the price assigned to
the hat based solely on fineness. If the Quality of Weave is significantly
better than average, I would give the hat a +1, or possibly even a +2, meaning
that I would raise the price by one or two levels. Conversely, if the Quality
of Weave is significantly below average, then I would give the hat a -1, or
possibly even a -2, meaning that I would lower the price by one or two levels.
When pricing the irregularly woven hat above, I gave it a -2 for
Quality of Weave. The beautifully woven hat above right was given a +1 for
quality of weave.
The third factor is Color of Straw. If the Color of Straw is
exceptionally clear and even, then I would give the hat a +1. If the Color of
Straw is a problem due to excessive amounts of gray or red straw, then I would
give the hat a -1, possibly even a -2.
I am more likely to buy a hat with irregular weave than with color
problems. To me, a finely woven hat is desirable even if there are
irregularities in the weave. Generally, one has to look closely to see the
irregularities. But a color problem is obvious and detracts immediately from the
appeal of the hat.
So the combination of Fineness of Weave, Quality of Weave, and Color of
Straw determines the price for the hat. The unblocked hat.
The other factor that affects the price of any particular hat is the
shaping and finishing. It is more costly to shape a hat with high quality
hand-blocking done in the US than with a hydraulic press in Ecuador, or in the
US.
There are only 5, maybe 6, craftsmen in the US who can do high quality
hand-blocking of Montecristi hats. (Naturally, I think my own hand-blocking is
superior to any of the others.)
I have never seen a hat that was hand-blocked in Ecuador that came
anywhere close to meeting my standards. Of course, I do admit to being an
unrepentant perfectionist. Hats that have been hand-blocked in Ecuador may look
fine to you. You may prefer lower cost over higher quality and superior
aesthetic.
However, let’s say you could examine two hats side by side. The two
hats are identical, except that one was hand-blocked and finished in Ecuador,
and the other was hand-blocked and finished by me. I believe the differences
would be immediately obvious to you.
See also Why One Hat Costs More than Another.
Well woven Montecristi Panama hat
Finely woven, and well woven
Weaving a Montecristi Panama hatMontecristi Panama hats, blocked and
unblockedHand-blocked Montecristi Panama hatsGatsby Style Montecristi Panama
HatYoung Weaver of Montecristi Panama Hats
The future of Montecristi hats is literally in her hands
The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific dba
Brent Black Panama Hats
1314 Center Dr., Suite B-448
Medford, OR 97501
There is no retail store at this address. (more)
Toll Free: (888) 658-6500
Phone: (541) 201-3113
Fax: Coming soon
bbb@brentblack.com
Text and photos © 1988-2018, B. Brent Black. All rights reserved.
100% Secure Shopping
Montecristi hats are the crown jewels of Panama hats.
Mil Finos are the crown jewels of Montecristi hats.
For those with champagne tastes.
And champagne budgets.
A Celebrated History
Edward VII instructed his Bond Street hat maker to obtain for him the
“finest Panama available.” The hat maker would not have dared to present less
than a Mil Fino (meel fee-no).
Napoleon's Montecristi
Napoleon wore a Montecristi hat while in exile on the island of St.
Helena, but not a Mil Fino. Emperors in exile don’t have generous wardrobe
allowances. If you do, you can wear a hat finer than Napoleon’s. You’re
probably taller, too.
Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, ruled as Emperor for eighteen years, and
allowed himself, well, whatever he wanted. Of course he wore Montecristi hats.
Of course he wore the best – the Mil Fino.
In 1934, a high stakes baccarat player in a famous Monte Carlo casino
reluctantly offered his Montecristi Mil Fino (a center dent fedora with a
burgundy ribbon) as collateral for a $1000 bet. That was during the Great
Depression. A straw hat worth $1000. Nice hat. The casino consented. He won. He
kept his hat.
For more than two centuries, Montecristi Panama hats have been
legendary for their fine weave – which means thin straw, tightly woven. My
Montecristi Mil Finos prove the legends are still true.
I have blocked by hand, with my own hands, Montecristi Mil Finos for
movie stars, CEOs, even a king. Do you deserve less? Maybe. But money is a
great equalizer.
I’m old. Get ‘em while you can.
What’s a Mil Fino?
A Mil Fino (meel fee-no) is a Montecristi Panama hat with a weave count
of 1000, or higher.
A Mil Fino is also called a “Mil Cuenta” (meel kwenta - thousand
count). It is often said, “Cada Mil Cuenta tiene mil cuentos.” “Every thousand
count has a thousand stories.” Indeed. Mil Cuenta Montecristi hats are worn by
people who live lives of a thousand stories. Stories the hats never leak to the
media.
The Simple Math
To determine the weave count, you count the little rectangles in one
inch of weave, horizontally then vertically, then multiply the two numbers.
Example: 33x31=1023.
Here are some photos of weave counts of Montecristi Mil Fino hats. The
actual size of the weave area is 1x1. The lines are the paths of weave counted.
B1716: 32x33=1056
B1870: 33x31=1023
B540: 35x35=1225
The Verification
B540 34 X 34 = 1156B1870: 33 x 31 = 1023B3635: 34 x 38 = 1292B2486: 44
x 44 = 1936
I make a photo count of every Montecristi Mil Fino. Proud owners
receive a certificate of verification, which includes the photo weave count.
It’s the only way to verify for myself, and my clients, that the weave
count really is one thousand or higher. Counting by eye gives you a number that
is just a possibility. Not even a probability. Little more than a rumor.
Earlier today, I was choosing a Mil Fino to block for a client in
Australia. I selected a beauty from inventory. The count (horizontal) penciled
inside was 33. It is a fine, cloth-like hat. 33 looked right. I made a photo
weave count to be sure, before blocking the hat.
I was surprised, and disappointed, to discover that the photo weave
count is 28.5x30. Not a Mil Fino. Of course I put the hat aside and searched
for another. Sure looked like a Mil Fino.
And that’s the point.
Experience Counts
I’ve probably counted more weave counts of finely woven Montecristi
hats, over the past thirty years, than anyone on the planet. I’ve used
magnifying glasses, goggles, loupes, lights, low power microscopes, everything
I could find.
With a tape measure and good light, I can count accurately up to about
28 weave count. Maybe. Even with magnification, I don’t trust my count, or
anyone else’s, beyond that. A careful photo count is the only way to be
certain.
In the photo of a 1-inch-by-1-inch sample of the weave, I draw a line
along the path I counted, so the count can be recounted and verified.
I try to find paths with complete straw rectangles at both ends.
Sometimes, I will count half a weave unit. Seems fair. That one-inch half
count, spread all over the hat, can make a slight difference in how it looks.
Weave counts vary slightly even within one square inch. Different rows,
different columns can vary slightly. Usually by a fraction of a weave
rectangle, sometimes a full.
If I make photo counts in three different places around the equator of
a finely woven hat, I would expect them to vary slightly, but not dramatically.
Back to the Search
Back to finding a Mil Fino to block for my client in Australia. I
searched again. I found another candidate. Another beauty. Weave count
(horizontal) penciled in the hat was 34.
Actual photo count (shown below) is 34x34=1156.. Actual size is 1 inch
by 1 inch. Hat ID - B540
So, a hat represented to be a 33 count is a 30. And a 34 really is a
34.
That’s why I make photo weave counts. Trust, but verify.
It is important to me to be absolutely certain that my Mil Finos really
are Mil Finos.
Woven by Certified Master Weavers
Master Weavers are certified at three levels of mastery by The
Montecristi Foundation, Inc.
Maestro Tejedor Certificado for weaving hats 30x30 and higher.
Maestro Tejedor Superior for weaving hats 40x40 and higher.
Maestro Tejedor Cumbre for weaving hats 50x50 and higher.
To be certified, weavers must weave well, not just finely. They must
qualify in both categories.
These are the weavers whose hats I buy. I’ve known most of them for
many years. Some I’ve known since they were children, and they now have
children of their own. Even grandchildren.
They are paid high market prices in cash when I buy their hats. And an
even higher commission when you decide to wear the finest Montecristi Panama
hat anyone at the club has ever seen.
Weavers are eager for me to buy their hats.
https://www.brentblack.com/pages/sidebar_a_buyer_like_me.html
Just sayin’ – there’s no sweat shop exploitation thing going on here.
Just the opposite. I’m more of a mission than a business.
The business was created to buy and sell hats in order to try to save
the art of fine hat weaving. Not to make a big profit. I have had some success
saving the art. I have been spectacularly successful not making a big profit.
(Just ask my tax accountant.)
A core goal is to get more money to weavers, not to rip them off.
The weavers are my heroes. Some I am proud to call my friends. A few I
am honored to call my family.
Simón Espinal and I have worked together for about twenty years. He’s
moved from one room with a dirt floor to one of the biggest houses in Pile. His
granddaughters are my goddaughters. When asked if I am exploiting him, I have
answered, “If I am exploiting Simón, then I wish to heaven someone would come
exploit me.”
Just sayin’ – there’s no sweat shop exploitation thing going on here.
(I drive a 20-year-old car.)
The weaver of your hat will receive a much larger share of the price
than whoever made your pants or shoes.
If you decide to own a Montecristi Mil Fino, the weaver of your hat
will be very happy. As will I.
My goddaughter Odales.
Hey! Just had an idea.
I’ve always liked to send photos of weavers to clients who buy their
hats. Makes it more real, less remote, more person to person. So, let’s also do
the reverse.
How about if you send me a photo of you wearing the hat, and I will
send the photo to the weaver! You will have a photo of the weaver, and the
weaver will have a photo of you. Creates a more personal experience for both.
Kind of nice, in our mass-manufactured world.
The weavers will like this. In your photo, the weaver will see how the
finished hat looks, and the person who is enjoying it. It will help them know
that you are as proud to wear their art as they are to weave it.
Now what?
The most direct, and honorable, course of action would be to get out
your credit card and call me.
You might want to have someone measure your head while you’re dialing.
I need to know head size to know what we’re talking about. A 21-inch
head is a completely different conversation than a 25-inch head.
If your head is between 22 and 24 inches (56 to 61 cm), we’ll have more
to talk about, at least in terms of my existing hat inventory.
I have the world’s largest existing inventory of Montecristi Mil Fino
hats. It’s extensive, but not infinite.
Ready?
Wait.
Before you decide, ask your self this:
Is wearing one of these treasures
the ultimate personal luxury?
The ultimate self-indulgence?
A shameless surrender to hedonism?
Yeah. Pretty much.
Should you feel guilty?
No.
More like Mother Theresa.
You are helping to sustain an endangered art.
And buying a lot of groceries for the weaver’s family.
In 2012, UNESCO certified Montecristi hats as
Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World.
Miracles of straw.
Treasures of humanity.
Okay. You can call now. Or send the form.
Things I’ll Ask
When You Call, Email, or Send the Simple Form
Which style(s) you prefer.
Head size.
Brim width.
Other preferences.
No need to know everything about everything.
Good to know which styles interest you most.
Good to know what size your head is.
If you can already imagine yourself wearing a legendary Montecristi Mil
Fino, let me know what you have in mind by sending the Make Me a Legend short
request form.
Wear a legend. Be a legend.
The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific dba
Brent Black Panama Hats
1314 Center Dr., Suite B-448
Medford, OR 97501
There is no retail store at this address. (more)
Toll Free: (888) 658-6500
Phone: (541) 201-3113
Fax: Coming soon
bbb@brentblack.com
Text and photos © 1988-2018, B. Brent Black. All rights reserved.
100% Secure Shopping
We accept PayPal We accept
Visa We accept MasterCard We accept AMEX We accept Discover We accept Diners Club We accept JCB
Click to Verify - This site has chosen a GeoTrust SSL Certificate to
improve Web site security
Click for the BBB Business Review of this Hats - Wholesale &
Manufacturers in Kailua HI
Search brentblack.com…
Site Translation
made for Charlie Sheen
555 45x47 = 2115
Comments
Post a Comment