Straight crown panama hat (indy style)

[Fexxi]

Hi everyone,

I‘m looking for a panama/straw hat that looks similar to the indiana jones raiders fedora or - most importantly - doesn’t have a tapered crown but a rather straight one. Can also be a teardrop shape. It shouldn’t be very expensive either (<100€) since I won’t be wearing it very often. I found one on etsy but it sells for 300€+.

Does anyone have any leads?

 

[jlee562]

Hi everyone,

I‘m looking for a panama/straw hat that looks similar to the indiana jones raiders fedora or - most importantly - doesn’t have a tapered crown but a rather straight one. Can also be a teardrop shape. It shouldn’t be very expensive either (<100€) since I won’t be wearing it very often. I found one on etsy but it sells for 300€+.

Does anyone have any leads?

I don't think anything like this exists. The market for people looking for a good Indy hat doesn't have a lot of overlap with the cheap hat market.

For one, at $100 it's not going to be a very nice hat. Most likely some form of paper straw, or at best perhaps you might find a course weave Cuenca Panama.

Second, I don't think any such block exists. Straw hats have to be blocked with the crease, and the pre-creased blocks are from a time when tall, straight sided hats were not popular.

Peters Bros used to make a Milan Indy hat but not sure if they still do. I had and sold a Panama Bob Indy straw many moons ago, but IIRC, even that had a bit of taper. Which honestly, you should probably just stop worrying about

 

[JC Montecristi Hat]

Hi everyone,

I‘m looking for a panama/straw hat that looks similar to the indiana jones raiders fedora or - most importantly - doesn’t have a tapered crown but a rather straight one. Can also be a teardrop shape. It shouldn’t be very expensive either (<100€) since I won’t be wearing it very often. I found one on etsy but it sells for 300€+.

Does anyone have any leads?

If the hat was blocked using a hydraulic press, the crown will most likely have a somewhat conical shape. Ecuador, as well as certain countries in Europe and Asia, has been heavily influenced by the industrial Italian method of hat-making. Many styles feature a conical crown because a large portion of the vintage machinery and tools were imported from Italy, and Italian experts were brought in to train the local workforce.

The 'teardrop' style is one of those that typically shows the least conical shape. I’m attaching some photos for reference. For that same price point or perhaps just a bit more, you could get a 'simplified' Montecristi or even an authentic Montecristi.

 

[Edward]

I don't think anything like this exists. The market for people looking for a good Indy hat doesn't have a lot of overlap with the cheap hat market.

For one, at $100 it's not going to be a very nice hat. Most likely some form of paper straw, or at best perhaps you might find a course weave Cuenca Panama.

Second, I don't think any such block exists. Straw hats have to be blocked with the crease, and the pre-creased blocks are from a time when tall, straight sided hats were not popular.

Peters Bros used to make a Milan Indy hat but not sure if they still do. I had and sold a Panama Bob Indy straw many moons ago, but IIRC, even that had a bit of taper. Which honestly, you should probably just stop worrying about

I remember the Peters Bros hats. They always looked nice in photos - never seen one in person. I've recently ordered a pair of the new Wentworth Hat Company Milano-weave 'braid' (some sort of manmade fibre, I presume, like my standard Stratoliner) straws. They're not quite the shape OP is after, but I'm hoping that they expand the range over time. A Federation (pre-blocked, obviously) in the line would be quite something. I'm hoping they might see a market in a "straw Indy hat" if they can establish the brand.

Agree it'll be difficult to find something "cheap" that's good. By then end of the model run, even my beloved polystraw Akubra Capricorns weren't cheap any longer. The Stetson cost me probably £150 by the time I imported it, the hemp version a little more. The Wentworth has a great, late 40s profile. https://hatsdirect.com/products/the-townsman-navy-summer-braid Could be worth a looksee, if more Bogart than Indy. Still, for seventy notes GBP, could be worth a punt. I am myself a little wary of spending really big on straws, given their relative fragility compared to the average felt.


Though I agree on taper. Much as I love great, straight sides on a high crown fedora (hell, I'd look like the lost, overgrown member of the Ant Hill Mob left to my own devices), I did a few years ago catch myself obsessing about taper when trying to compare a new fedora from a local place to a Federation. Realised in he end if I have to look that hard for it, it's not worth worrying about.

 

[belfastboy]

Hi everyone,

I‘m looking for a panama/straw hat that looks similar to the indiana jones raiders fedora or - most importantly - doesn’t have a tapered crown but a rather straight one. Can also be a teardrop shape. It shouldn’t be very expensive either (<100€) since I won’t be wearing it very often. I found one on etsy but it sells for 300€+.

Does anyone have any leads?

I missed this. I can make you one from a grade 1 Panama blank. I can give it a tear drop or centre dent...leather sweat...vintage ribbon of your choice $200

 

[belfastboy]

I missed this. I can make you one from a grade 1 Panama blank. I can give it a tear drop or centre dent...leather sweat...vintage ribbon of your choice $200

I have either #52 blocks (slight taper) or straight sided.