Brent Black Panama Hats

[carl browne]

Gentlemen:

Just wanted to draw your attention to Brent Black Panama hats.

He's based in Hawaii, but spends lots of time in Ecuador, In Montecristi, where he works tirelessly to promote the weavers, who, as you all know, have been dying off. He gets the hats in raw form and blocks and finishes them himself. The product isn't completely bespoke, but is blocked to measure, with lots of opportunity for customization. Depending on the quality of the weave, the hats are available from a few hundred dollars to many thousands. Most of his work is mail-order, but his fitting seems to be foolproof.

I'm very pleased with my (somewhat low-end) hat.

There was a very nice article about him in "Forbes Life" last week.

C

[cdo]

Hi Carl
I've occasionally thought about getting a panama hat from Brent Black but having to order from London have left this as something to do another time. Could you kindly describe your ordering experience with Brent Black, how long it took to deliver and your impression of your hat? This might give me the impetus to order one finally (weak sterling nothwithstanding)!

- C

[couch]

Another alternative is Robert Weber at Panama Hat Works of Montecristi:

http://www.panamas.biz/

I had mine blocked in the USA by Art Fawcett because I was looking for a long oval and a specific block, but you can also get very nice blocks done in Ecuador and by other U.S. hatters through Bob.

I believe Dopey has used Bob as well; see this thread, though the pictures seem to have been lost in the site move.

If you are new to buying Montecristi panamas, be aware that the very high-count weaves are very soft and clothlike, and without some sizing, will tend to flex and droop. A medio-fino or fino will be fine and elegant enough for almost any purpose except a museum exhibition.

[cdo]

Couch
Thanks for the advice regarding Monticristi hats. Yes, I am a newbie to the finer spectrum of these hats, having ones which I shrug off if they get a little crumpled after travels or pick up spots of dirt. Your point about fino or medio-fino grade makes sense to me and that's probably where I will aim for.

- C

[carl browne]

Very pleasant experience with Brent Black. He's very careful about sizing. He sends a paper measuring tapes and instructions in the mail, which you mark and send back. He then sends out three sweatbands with small size variations, and you pick one and send that back. He then selects a hat of the proper grade and size, blocks it and sends it to you with the selected sweatband. As I said, it's not a true bespoke experience, but with a little email or phone correspondence, there's considerable variation in what you can get. I don't remember how long the process took. 6-8 weeks possibly. He seems very consciencious. My hat was about $600.00--the low-mid range in grade. It's certainly the real thing, beautifuly woven and fits me perfectly.

[cdo]

Carl
I am encouraged by your remarks, especially as I am considering a hat in the $600 price mark. Thank you for sharing your dealings with Brent Black.

- C