Panama hat quality

The different qualities of Panama hats - The determining factors.

The fineness of a Panama hat's weave:

The most important element when judging the quality of a Panama hat is the fineness of the weave. Looking closely, one notices the fineness of the straw diameter. If these are fine, the number of stitches per square centimeter will be higher. This number determines the overall quality of a hat. It's important to know that each increase by two of this quality factor corresponds to a fourfold increase in required work. This is also why a high-quality hat requires much more time. A basic Cuenca can take a minimum of 3 days to manufacture while a good quality Montecristi can easily take 2 months.

Currently, unfortunately, there is no standardized measurement system and each importer has their own unit of measurement so that one's grade 12 will mean something completely different from another's grade 12. The same applies to derivatives such as Fino, Fino fino or Super Fino.

Although the fineness of the weave is the most important basic factor in determining the quality of manufacture and finish, one must also consider the quality of the weave itself as well as the color of the straw.

Hat straw color:

As for the color of the straw, it varies from hat to hat because the base color of the straw used also varies. This is why we find darker or lighter shades. What really matters is once again the homogeneity of the color across the entire surface. If there are areas where the shade is very noticeably different, it is obvious that the overall quality suffers. Nevertheless, it is perfectly normal to detect very slight variations in the base shade of the fibers, and when observing the stitches closely, you can even notice gray or reddish lines.

The rings or "Vueltas":

You can compare hats and their respective quality by orienting them towards a light source to better see the number of different rings or crowns that were necessary for the assembly of the hat. These "vueltas" appear when new straw bands are added to the weaving. This means that a higher number of these vueltas indicates a finer and tighter weave.

The cheapest Panama hat on the market is probably the Cuenca with 3 vueltas. A low-priced Montecristi contains 8 while an excellent model can contain about 25.

The Montecristi Cuenta method for measuring weave fineness:

The number of stitches per square centimeter remains the most relevant indicator to judge the finish of a Panama hat. There is a seemingly more objective way to measure fineness known as the Montecristi Foundation system or: Montecristi Cuenta.

This system consists of counting the exact number of stitches per square centimeter of the hat's surface. First, the number of vertical weaves in a designated square centimeter is measured, then the number of horizontal weaves on the same centimeter is counted before multiplying them together to obtain the Montecristi cuenta. Thus, for example, 20 horizontal weaves multiplied by 25 vertical ones gives a Montecristi cuenta of 500.

While this method is laborious, it is currently the only one capable of objectively comparing the fineness of hats. All other methods are much more random and subjective.