Bought a bargain Panama and need some info

[lauro13]

I was in Bogota this past week and I bought this Panama from one of the shops on "La calle the los sombreros" which translates to "The street of hats". It was where all the hats shops were back in the day and it still has a few hat shops left. Most of these shops don't carry anything to write home about and my purchase was a bit impulsive. This thing ran about $85 and while I'm sure it's not the score of a lifetime can someone tell me if it's remotely close to being of OK quality. The hat itself has a nice sweatband and is not stiff at all which I like.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

If your are happy with it that is all the counts. It is a basic Panama nothing more nothing less. From a shop this is an average price. By nice sweat you mean Leather or grosgrain ribbon? A leather sweatband would denote a high quality Panama.

 

[Shangas]

It looks a bit like my Panama when I got it. Which was rather middle-grade. I doubt it's bad quality, but it's not first-rate, either. Just be happy with it. And be glad that it's not one of those cheap paper-mache hats that are so wildly popular today.

 

[danofarlington]

Panama Bob's own price for such a hat may not be so terribly different.

 

[mikespens]

Panama Bob's own price for such a hat may not be so terribly different.

Agree and would add it is a nice Cuenca brisa weave, the fact it has a leather sweatband already makes it a better deal than you could probably find up here. Like Ed said, the fact your happy with it is what counts.

 

[lauro13]

It doesn't have a leather sweat which I don't mind cause I find them a bit uncomfortable in hot weather. I was going to order a hat from P Bob but jumped the gun while in colombia and before buying one from Bob I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to end up with something similar for the same price.

 

[mikespens]

Nothing wrong with a cloth sweat on a summer hat. A liner too! That's unusual. The weave looks very nice for the price.

 

[Panamabob]

I'd like to see a shot from the top, middle of the crown. It could be from Colombia. It's not a brisa weave.

 

[lauro13]

Here is a shot from the top. I will most likely end up ordering a Panama from you so let me know what you'd recommend as far as getting something nicer for around $200.

 

[Panamabob]

By the looks of the top, it may be from Huila province. There's an outside chance it's coated paper from China, but without seeing it, I can't tell. The full lining won't allow me to see the vueltas underneath.

 

[lauro13]

Here is a pick from under the liner.

 

[Shangas]

Doesn't look like paper to me.

 

[Panamabob]

I don't think it's paper, either. but I've seen some pretty good paper hats. Probably from Huila or Antioquia (provinces), Colombia.

 

[lauro13]

I'm gonna venture to say its not paper since it was bought in Colombia. All the shops along the streets sold the same hats but with their shop brands printed on them. They all carried this hat for around $100 US and also an assortment of cheaper quality ones for around $30. While I was able to talk them down (I was there with a local who did the bargaining) on the cheaper ones they all were very firm on the price of the nicer ones insisting that the quality was good and the mark up was low.