I want to buy a GOOD Panama hat

In My Humble Opinion
1

I want to buy a Panama hat but I don’t know what separates the good hats from the bad ones. Other then looking for hand made ones, what else should I look for in these hats.

2

I don’t know where my wife buys mine, somewhere in the US, I think.

It is commonly said that a good Panama hat (a ‘Montechristo’) comes with a tube. A good hat, you see you can roll up before you get on the plane. A neat trick.

3

I’ve bought two porkpie hats for my husband from VillageHatShop.com. The hats are really great quality, and I (and the huz) highly recommend buying from VHS.
The company’s specialty is actually Panama hats. Here’s a link to their Panama page:
http://villagehatshop.com/vhs_panama.html

4

I’ve always had good luck with Stetson and Dobbs.Have about a 5yr old Stetson Panama fedora for around $65 at the time.

Expect to pay up to $100 in today’s dollars for similar quality

Google stetson hats for online sellers.I’ve been to a few of those sites,good pics-but I prefer to try mine on and buy from a local merchant.

5

According to an article I saved from March 1989 Travel & Leisure magazine (by Tom Miller, author of the book The Panama Hat Trail), the very best Panama hats are made by hand in a little Pacific coast village in Ecuador called Montecristi; a hat from here is called a Montecristi (not “Montechristo,” Paul).

Miller states:

“The finest Montecristi can slide through a napkin ring and snap back to its original shape. The extremely rare classics are as smooth as silk and fine as linen. Turn them upside down and they’ll hold water.”

Miller goes on to add that you can purchase an Ecuador-made Panama (presumably including a Montecristi) from the following outlets:

J.J. Hat Center (New York, NY)
J.W. Cooper (Miami, FL)
Montecristi Custom Hat Works (Sante Fe, NM)
Optimo Hat Works (Bisbee, AZ)
Paul’s Hat Works (San Francisco, CA)
Western Hat Works (San Diego, CA)

I haven’t a clue whether any of these places still exist. If you need exact addresses or phone numbers, ask me and I’ll post 'em. Miller also gives locations where the hats can be bought in Ecuador if you want those too.