Did you buy a PANAMA HAT in MONTECRISTI?

We are thinking about buying a "Panama" hat each when we get to Montecristi in Ecuador.

Having read up on them, we know a few things about them including that there are 3 different qualities at three different prices. Theres the most coarse which is the lowest price, the mid range quality which is finer and mid price, and the extra fine which is the most expensive.

We think we read somewhere a long long time ago, that "real" Panama hats can be rolled up for packing, but when unrolled they revert back to their original shape undamaged. What we dont know is which quality (or all of them!) actual does this.

Did you buy a hat and roll it up, and if so, which of the three qualities was it?

Hello Edinburgher,

Last year (Jan.) we did the Celebrity trip from Ft. Lauderdale to Valparaiso and Montecristi was one of the ship's tours. We both bought "Panama" hats in the outdoor marketplace but did not have much time to check out the stores that sell them in the town. I guess they were somewhere in the mid-to-fine range quality (about $60 US) but they were not blocked in the traditional hat shape, hence could be rolled up. I guess they could be called "unfinished" and they put them in a wooden box, rolled up. When we got home to Toronto, DH went to a hatter here and had his blocked for about $90 Can. It now cannot be rolled up. We saw people who had bought hats in the stores (probably the more expensive ones as they had the traditional Panama shape) and they were either wearing them or carrying a large hat box. The fine weave of the fibers is very pliable but I would not risk rolling up a very fine shaped hat.

Hope this helps you out...enjoy your trip!

Anita

Thanks for that. Very interesting to read.

We were there on our Jan 2005 cruise and yes bought one of hte $15. hats - it could be rolled up and would then revert to the hat shape. However it did not last. It is already falling apart so I guess my advise is pay a little more and get the better quality one.

I came across several internet sites with info re Panama hats. This is perhaps one of the better ones. It made an interesting read although its just as well theres no exam at the end or we would have failed.:D

www.brentblack.com

BCHAPPYGAL, maybe you did something with your hat which caused it to deteriorate, or maybe there was something you did not do which you should have done. Theres an awful lot of "do's and dont's" with these hats. The above may give you a clue.