Brent Black – Montecristi Panama Hats, Men's, Women's, Fedoras, Foldable

PHOTO TOUR

See how a $25,000 Montecristi Panama hat is made.

1. Introduction

2. Simón Stalks Plants

3. Taming Wild Cogollo

4. Panama Hat Soup

5. Bleach Job

6. A Hat is Born

7. Weaving Miracles

8. Getting the Edge

9. Edging Closer

10. Cutting It Close

11. Laundry Day

12. Pound After Pound

13. Close Shave

14. Ironing It Out

15. Shaping & Styling

WOMEN'S
Montecristi
Panama Hats

Panama Hat
GIFT PACKAGES

Saving the Art of Montecristi Panama Hats

Business Practices & Ethics

We exist to prevent the extinction of a fine art.

The business was created in 1988 with the specific goal to prevent the impending extinction of the art of fine hat weaving in Montecristi. How do we save the art of fine hat weaving? Simple. Buy as many hats as possible, raise market prices so weavers earn enough to make weaving a desirable way to make a living.

Weaving School

60 new weavers in first five years!

Established in January 2011, in the village where the very finest hats are woven, our little school is teaching the next generation to weave–to perform the sorcery that turns straw into cloth. PLAY VIDEO

The Montecristi Foundation

To save the art, first we must save the artists.

We have been working, sometimes successfully, for almost 30 years to improve quality of life for the weavers. We have provided free medical care, prescription medications, blood tests, eye exams, food, clean water for the village, and more.

El Gringo Loco

The weavers never met a buyer like me.

I don’t try to beat them or cheat them, like they’re used to from the local buyers. I treat the weavers like my teammates, not my adversaries. They make what I sell. I want them to keep weaving. I pay higher prices, give them free supplies, even free groceries. An entertaining example:

There’s More to Life Than Hats

This little boy caught my eye.

I noticed his eyes don’t agree with each other. I worried he couldn’t learn to read, that kids would tease him. We got him to an optometrist and into a series of corrective lenses. Here’s how it happened.

Read Our Customer Reviews

Others have come before you. All have survived. Many had the same questions and concerns you have now. Here is a sampling of the many happy endings.

NPR Reviews Finest Hat Ever Woven

8 months to weave, straw thinner than dental floss.

Simón Espinal, the best-ever weaver, wove the finest-ever Montecristi hat – from June 19, 2013 to February 20, 2014. NPR and National Geographic writer Roff Smith tells the story.