OPTIONS ?

[Rick Blaine]

I have a few summer straws already;
a Biltmore "Panama"that I have been informed is likely to be paper, but it is light and looks great, like a classic panama fedora. It is my current "go to" hot weather hat.
I also have a couple of very cheap Brisa Cuencas that are kinda floppy & imprecise as to uniform brim width & such, great yard hats tho'.
And a couple of 50s-60s Stetson synthetic straws that I got mainly for the pugs.
In this purchase I hope I have found something that will be a cut above what I currently own.

Panama Ultrafino Montecristi Hat Rarely Worn Size 7 3/8
Questions...
Is this the real deal?

Do ya'll think I will be able to achive a center dent or teardrop, snap brim, pinch front fedora?

Do I need to use mist or steam?

Any advice?

Thanks,

Rick

 

[Rick Blaine]

oh & one more, obviously "Ultrafino" was at one time a registered trademark. Is this the same as a "brand" like "Stetson" or "Dobbs"?
And if so, does anyone have any info on this company, dates of operation, location & such? When I attempt to Google it I am inundated with hits. It seems that now that, like "Kleenex" or "Jello", "Ultrafino" has passed into the lexicon as a generic term for a fine panama, 'cuz I see it everywhere.

 

[Panamabob]

Can you get a clearer shot of the inside of the crown? If it is a Montecristi, I'd expect that weave tightness to have 10 or so vueltas, maybe more depending on how deceiving the photo is. I can only see 3 or 4 from the photo and that screams CUENCA. The proof is in the pudding, but I can't see the pudding clearly. If you can hold the crown up to a light or the sun, so that we can count the vueltas, I think I'll have a pretty good idea.

The ultrafino that I know is not registered, check the records, and sells on ebay a lot. And I can honestly say that she sold me a white Cuenca as a Montecristi, and you can look that up in the Attorney General of Indiana's office, which is where I filed the fraud and mail fraud charges. That is why she sends her buddies here once in a while to stir things up.

 

[Lloydel]

P. B.--

Are the vueltas created by shifting from llano to brisa and back?

Lloyd

 

[Panamabob]

This hat is a llano weave. In Cuenca they call it llano liso or Cuenca weave, but it is the traditional weave of the Montecristi area.

Look towards the bottom of this thread for some photos of the vueltas: http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=18063

 

[Rick Blaine]

Can you get a clearer shot of the inside of the crown? If it is a Montecristi, I'd expect that weave tightness to have 10 or so vueltas, maybe more depending on how deceiving the photo is. I can only see 3 or 4 from the photo and that screams CUENCA. The proof is in the pudding, but I can't see the pudding clearly. If you can hold the crown up to a light or the sun, so that we can count the vueltas, I think I'll have a pretty good idea.

I will post better photos when it arrives.

The ultrafino that I know is not registered, check the records, and sells on ebay a lot. And I can honestly say that she sold me a white Cuenca as a Montecristi, and you can look that up in the Attorney General of Indiana's office, which is where I filed the fraud and mail fraud charges. That is why she sends her buddies here once in a while to stir things up.

Yeah, don't worry ya'll all warned me off of that seller. She sounds most unscrupulous. Her auctions are always so busy with so much info, they seem designed to obfuscate or at least confuse, they confuse me. I dunno if she has embossed leather sweats. Anyway she is dba Montecristi Ultrafino and this is an Ultrafino Montecristi from a private seller. As you say the proof being in the pudding, I'll just have to wait a week to ten days. Plenty of summer left.

 

[Shanghailander]

This hat is a llano weave. In Cuenca they call it llano liso or Cuenca weave, but it is the traditional weave of the Montecristi area.

I'm trying to educate myself here. I am presuming "this hat" refers to the hat pictured in the top of the thread, the one which was for sale.

The llano, llano lisa, or as it is called in Cuenca the "Cuenca weave" is what is found in a Montecristi hat.

Does this mean:

1. If you see a Brisa weave in the hat, it is a Cuenca, and cannot be a Montecristi?

2. A Cuenca hat can have a Brisa weave, or a Llano weave, or both?

3. A Montecristi hat will only have a Llano weave.

4. None of the above - Cuenca and Montecristi hats can have Brisa, Llano, or any combination of the two weaves. They cannot be differentiated by the presence or absence of a particular weave.

It sounds like the number of Vueltas is the best way to differentiate, but in lieu of this bit of intelligence, comments on the above would be helpful.

 

[Panamabob]

1. If you see a Brisa weave in the hat, it is a Cuenca, and cannot be a Montecristi?

Yes, Brisa weave hats are not from Montecristi. Brisa weave hats are from the Cuenca area.

2. A Cuenca hat can have a Brisa weave, or a Llano weave, or both?

Brisa weave hats always have a little bit of llano in them. Around Cuenca, you can find hats in about 12 or so weaves. The three more famous are the Brisa (with a little llano), llano liso (Cuenca weave in Cuenca), and torcido weave.

3. A Montecristi hat will only have a Llano weave.

Yes, with the best hats coming from Pampas, Pile, and Tres Cruces (for some reason I can't remember if this is the correct name or not).

4. The Cuenca Llano weave leaves many number less vueltas than the Montecristi. If a hat has 2-3 vueltas and is coarse or 4-5-6 vueltas and is fine, it is Cuenca. Even really Coarse Montecristis have 4-5 vueltas, and an intro type fino has 6-7 vueltas or more.