1st Post & Hello

[softouch]

Good to be here! Finished with the lurking thing. Its time to get a hat.

Does anyone have any experience with "Panador Hats"? They have several grades & I am considering the "Maestro Fedora"
From their website: "This Fedora Panama Hat is carefully selected from the very best Cuencan weavers. It includes an exceptional weave, a beautiful finish, Teflon® Coating, and an covered crown tip. The Maestro Fedora Panama Hat is among the highest commercial grades that we sell. The weave is very tight, and the hat has a beautiful finish. Christys’ of London makes this hat for us. They're the most revered name in the hat industry, and they use finishing techniques dating back over 200 years. We’ve updated this design to include a Teflon® Coating that provides resistance against stains and water, and an interior covered crown tip that helps the hat keep its shape."

I did a search & found nothing on them in "The Fedora Lounge".

Regards,

softouch

 

[johnnycanuck]

Hello softouch and welcome to the lounge.

I do not have experience with this dealer. With that said if you have been lurking here for a while you will know you will be getting the Panama Bob wave shortly. So let me be the first to say "Have you looked at http://www.panamas.biz/ yet?" I also have had a good experience with http://www.panamahatsdirect.com/

Johnny

 

[Rick Blaine]

Hiya & good to see ya' here softouch!

Now I don't know much but I DO know that every Christies' straw hat sold in the N. American market are made by Dorfman-Pacific right here in the 'States. However Hornets hats carries REAL Christies' straw panamas & the prices are quite reasonable. I have never seen or owned one, however so I cannot vouch f/ their quality. I do have three of their fur felts that I am very pleased with though.... my .o2

 

[jwalls]

Welcome

Enjoy yourself among friends.

 

[daizawaguy]

Welcome.

Had a brief look at their site - even their best at over $400 is only avaliable in S/M/L/XL.

Read a few threads and find yourself a hat maker or panama dealer that will deal in exact sizes is my recommendation...

Panamabob is a name which crops up here often...

Art Fawcett might have stock of 200-300 WPSI grades in the upper $200 range...and thats custom...

 

[fluteplayer07]

Welcome! Listen to D-guy...

 

[Rick Blaine]

Straight shooter & on the level.

I can, however, vouch for the quality of Panamabob's hats, having two hanging here & having given a couple as gifts in the past. They are finest kind. And I love the new gray colored line I've seen. I NEED one of those.

 

[RBH]

WELCOME!

 

[softouch]

Thanks...

For all of the advise.

Regards & All the Best,

softouch

 

[Mav]

Good to be here! Finished with the lurking thing. Its time to get a hat.

Good Lord, man- don't do it. I just found this place this year, I now have six of the damnable things, and am eyeing another.
Run away. Quickly.

 

[Dewhurst]

Welcome, welcome!

 

[Hawkhat]

Softouch,

welcome...I fully concur with the Panama Bob recommendation. I would take a look at his ebay offerings. I got a couple of inexpensive hats that are quite nice, and they helped a Panama novice like me figure out the various weaves and differences.

 

[Panamabob]

The guy is from my home state. Some kind of marketing man who's been helping out the Cuenca people in marketing their hats. You can see he's marketing the "black panama hat" in an attempt to relate them to Montecristi and their own Black. He grilled me pretty good with questions and then disappeared. Act friendly, get advice, start selling hats approach. I had to tell him that the people in Cuenca were lying to him calling them Montecristis. For some reason, they still call the high quality hats Montecristi in Cuenca.

If anyone buys one, I'll send them one to compare cost/quality, no problem, as I do with those overpriced Stetsons.

 

[Joshbru3]

Welcome to the lounge softouch. Enjoy your stay.