The beautiful city of Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca - The oldest and largest Panama hats production center

Previous post I was telling a bit about Montecristi which produced quality panama hats. Today I would like to share with you about Cuenca where the production level of Panama hats is much larger and much cheaper to be produce and sell. 

Founded in 1557 by the Spanish, Cuenca is an open-air museum of colonial architecture built with the traditional techniques and materials of the indigenous cultures. The Spanish, who built Cuenca on the foundation of an Inca city, intended the city to become the region’s agriculture hub. City planners also built the city on a grid, making orderly development possible over the next several centuries. 

Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Ecuador’s third-largest city. Cuenca has been anointed by International Living Magazine as one of the top places to retire. The town has an Old World, Spanish colonial feel. There are flower boxes on windows, wrought-iron balconies, red-tile roofs, cobblestone streets and a lively market (open Thursday, with a smaller market on Saturday). 

Cuenca's population and importance grew steadily during the colonial era and reached the peak of its importance in the first years of Ecuador's independence. It became the capital of one of the three provinces that made up the nascent republic; the other two capitals were Guayaquil and Quito.

Panama hats are the trademark of Cuenca, the misnamed toppers were first made in the Cuenca area and are still produced there. In Cuenca, you will find many Panama hat factories and shops that sell only the genuine Panama straw hats. Travelling with these roll up hats will not be a great problem. Of all other things in Ecuador, the Panama Hats will make a great souvenir. It's also a center for arts and crafts. Many of the things sold in Quito and Guayaquil come from this area.

Cuenca first started Panama hat production in the 1850s. The oldest and largest Panama hat exporters are located in Cuenca. To properly block a hat, commercial hat finishers require dependable electricity and quality water to generate steam. Most commercially-finished hats are finished in Cuenca because the city is able to provide these utilities.

Although there is demand for authentic Panama hats, Cuencan weavers can't always access a market for their fine products. Weavers live in rural locations in and around Cuenca, where raw materials are readily available. Tradition dictates that weavers depend on intermediaries, who set prices and keep a portion of the profits. Often, the skilled work of the weavers is not reflected in their income. Many indigenous weavers live in impoverished conditions. They lack steady wages and give up weaving in order to look for odd jobs to supplement their income.

Apart from that, Cuenca Ecuador is also an ideal base for excursions to the Inca fortress ruins at Ingapirca, the Cajas National Park and the subtropical valleys of Gualaceo, Yunguilla and Paute. So one day is not enough to explore all of Cuenca, you'll need another couple of days to enjoy the surrounding area here. Actually there are many interesting place to visit in Cuenca but for this post I only share little bit of it. If l had to tell all those wonderful place and attraction area in Cuenca, most of you will book a flight ticket to go there immediately.

Little bit about Montecristi, Ecuador.

Better hats come from Montecristi.

Hello guys, today’s post I would like to share with you a little bit about Montecristi, Equador where the better Panama hats come from. This is what I found. Enjoy reading. In Montecristi, Ecuador live a handful of master weavers, the creators of the finest straw hats in the world "Montecristi Panama hats". Hats so fine, they almost defy description. Montecristi panama hats are made from toquilla straw, hand-split into strands not much thicker than thread and woven so finely.

At first a panama hat appears to be made from linen. Masterpieces of detail, the edges of these panama hats are woven back into the brim never trimmed and sewn like lesser quality panama hats. Each Panama hat is woven by a single artisan, hand-blocked, and takes months to complete. Because there are so few master weavers of panama hats left (two generations ago there were two thousand Panama hat weavers, today there are only about twenty weavers of panama hats left), these works of woven art are becoming endangered to the point of disappearing.

Montecristi, Ecuador Panama Hats, this village is internationally renowned for the high quality of the “Panama hats” they produce (Panama hats are and always have been from Ecuador and not from Panama). Lying at the foot of a large hill called Montecristi, the small town of the same name has many attractions such as Eloy Alfaro’s (an ex-Ecuadorian President) house, the Hermanas Largacha Museum, and the Monserrate Sanctuary, where thousands of Ecuadorian and foreign pilgrims traditionally flock, especially on the weekends. Another place of interest is La Pila, whose artisans make a variety of sculptures and replicas of Pre-Colombian ceramics. In addition to hats, these artisan centers display other handmade crafts made of different types of straw and iron.

Modern day Panama hat design was originated by one Francisco Delgado. In Spanish, the word delgado means thin, and thin are the fibers which make the finest Panama hats. He lived in the coastal Manabi area of southern Ecuador in the 1700s. Due to the fineness by which the native Americans split the fibers, as with flax, the finest of finest Panamas look like silk and cost from $10,000 or more on the retail market. Why? This quality represents many months of work of one individual! Panama hat production in fact is a God send to the weavers, for it's the only income the weaver's families have.  

It is erroneously stated on some websites that Panama hats are pretty much exclusively blocked, finished, bleached and dyed in Cuenca no matter where they were woven. Well, these processes of course do occur in Cuenca to a considerable degree because the exporters are chiefly in Cuenca. But finishing and blocking etc. are not exclusive to Cuenca since the province of Manabi is the center of the weaving itself. 

The coastal town of Montecristi of Panama hat fame is a little hyped as well in that most hats are actually woven outside the city limits in country cottages and in villages generally in Manabi and Guayas provinces. If Panama hats were only produced in Montecristi, every citizen of Montecristi man, woman, child, dog, cat and chicken would have to be working 24/7 just to keep up with demand. And there is a lot of weaving going on in Cuenca and surrounding areas as well. So things are not as localized as one might gather from some information on the web.

Tips for your Panama hats care !!

How to take a good care of your Panama hats?

How do you take care of your Panama hats? As you already know, genuine panama hats are made of toquilla straw through an Ecuadorian weaving process that is very labor-intensive. Make sure you are treating your panama hat with the special care it deserves by cleaning it in the right manner. Right now, I’m very sure that every one of you wants to know how the proper way to take care of your expensive panama hat. So today with some research, I would like to share with you how to take care of your panama hat in order to let it lasts longer and remain beautiful to wear. 

The most important thing that you should know is your Panama hats are designed for protection from the sun. So do not wear them as a rain hat! If you are caught in a shower and your Panama gets wet, let it dry naturally without heat, with crown and brim in the proper shape.

How to remove stain on your panama hats? Remove stains using a damp cloth. Gently rub with the grain to remove surface stains and dust. A brush can be used as well if stains are on the surface and not embedded too deeply in the fibers. Try to remove stains before they set to prevent permanent damage. To dry the sweat band, turn the inside of your hat out and rest your hat on the band. If your hat has dark sweat or water stains, take the hat to a professional hat cleaner or restoration expert. Professional hat cleaners have special chemicals and tools for removing deep stains in fibers.

Next is brushing your Panama Hats. Make sure you are using a soft brush to remove dust. Brush your Panama hat with a small whisk brush to prevent dust from settling into the fibers. Brush your hat regularly (at least once a week) to prevent surface stains and to maintain your hat's color. Use a brush with bristles that are similar in color to your hat. Small bristles can become embedded in the fiber and will be less noticeable if the bristles match.

As you already know, Panama hats are made from fibers that are sensitive to extreme temperatures. Always store your hat in a cool place. Direct sunlight can cause the fibers to become dehydrated, which causes cracking, so do not leave your hat in the sun for too long. Spraying your hat occasionally with water helps prevent cracking. Use a spray bottle and spray a thin mist over the hat. Allow the mist to dry before wearing or storing your hat.

Maintain the shape of your Panama hat by picking it up by the brim rather than by the crown. When you put your hat down temporarily, make sure that you place it on its crown so as not to distort the brim. Do not leave your hat on flat surfaces as this can cause bowing in the front and back, which causes the sides to bend downward. Instead, place your hat on a hat rack or block. To store your hat, fold it along the ridge and put it in a storage tube. Tubes can be found in most hat stores and online. Do not store your Panama hat for more than a few months at a time as this could cause a permanent change in shape. Even when not wearing your hat, take it out of the storage tube and brush it so the shape is maintained.

So today you have learned how to take care of your valuable panama hat. Do not forget to give it a try and you will be happy to see your Panama hat still in good condition even after many years!

Choosing a better quality of panama hats

 How to find a good quality of Panama hats?

Panama hat is a unique hat that must be owned by fashion lovers especially men. Apart from its function as a good sun protector, I think men look better when wearing a panama hat. However there are several things that need to be examined to select a better quality of Panama hat. It is said that a Panama of true quality (a "superfino") can hold water and when rolled for storage can pass through a wedding ring, i also did mention this in my previous post.

Panama hats are made of natural fibers from the Toquilla Palm, called Palmata Carludovica, which is grown in fields and the wild near the West coast of Ecuador often only accessible by horse or donkey.  People from a whole village live from working on the Paja Toquilla (Toquilla straw). Only the unfolded shoots are used and are first split into finer strands by skilled fingers or with the help of a metal point. The finest strands are reserved for the finest hats while the leaves that are too soft or of inferior quality are separated and used for other purposes. The leaves are then cooked in boiling water after which they are hung up to dry. During this process they roll up vertically and form weavable strings but must be shaken regularly to avoid them sticking together. Once these strings, or paja toquilla, are dried, they are sorted and bundled up for transport to the weavers located in numerous towns and villages including Pile, Motecristi, Cuenca and Otavalo.  

The two Ecuadorian towns of Cuenca and Montecristi are the main producers of the Panama hats. However, these two towns do not produce the same quality of Panama Straw Hats even though the designs may be close. So what is the difference between a Cuenca hat and a Montecristi hat? There are major differences between these two hats. The Montecristi hat in quality is much more superior to the Cuenca hats. The Cuenca hats are made much faster so there are weaved in less time than that of the Montecristi hats. The production level is also much larger and much cheaper to produce and sell. The Montecristi hat on the other hand can take several months to make. More than quantity, here quality is a real issue. So in production level, the Montecristi hats are produce less in number each year.

Other than that, the Cuenca hats can have only one shape. The Montecristi hats on the other hand can have varieties of shapes. A true Montecristi hat has the ability to re-blocked in any shape. However the Cuenca hat does not have that flexibility to change shapes. Once made, the shapes are permanent. Montecristi hats are made to last a lifetime because the straw is so thin that becomes flexible. The Cuenca hats are made with thicker straw that might break after heavy usage. On the edge of the two hats, it is back weaved. The Cuenca hats do not have a strong back weave like that of the Montecristi hat.

More than that, the Cuenca hats are bleached with chemicals in order to turn the different colour tones of the straw into white. The straws will start breaking sooner or later if exposed to the strong sun with poor humidity. The Montecristi hats have a natural straw colour and the process involves to be smoked with sulphur and hand washed in water. The process of making the Montecristi hats are far more careful and better than the Cuenca hats.

For a hat of standard quality, a skilled weaver needs about 4 hours. Fine Montecristi hats can only be woven by the best weavers using the finest fibers and can take up to several months. The highest quality hats have a silky smooth texture where the weave is barely visible unless you hold them up to the light when you can see the fine weaving and “vueltas” or “carreras” (concentric rings). Hat quality is often judged by the number of vueltas per inch. A standard hat will have less than 10 vueltas whereas a finer Montecristi will have around 40.

For Superfino, (the highest quality of Panama hat) here is the comparison of select grade with a Superfino. The grade is measured by the number of weaves per square inch. A Superfino may have as many as 800-900 weaves per square inch and a Select 200-300. Superfine hats take four to six months to finish creating a marvel of lightness and purity. It takes a lot of order, skill and straw of great suppleness to create the unique Montecristi headwear. Today, the finest straw hats are rare but they continue to journey towards lands and seasons, bringing the softness and brilliance of these hats that are peculiar to Latin America. With a simple band of black cloth and a wide brim for protection, nothing is more desirable than the finest hats that are woven to perfection, a classic symbol of elegance and refined lifestyle, the legendary headwear that are here to stay forever.

So, if you buy a Panama hat from any vendor, make sure that it was crafted in Montecristi and you can be more confident that it will be of the best quality. One more thing that you should consider before buying Panama hat is not all hats advertised as Panama hats are in fact Panama hats. The phrase, "Panama hats", is not regulated. Materials from all over the world, some of which closely resemble carludovica palmata, are sold as "Panama hats". Some of these materials are quite nice and the hats are fairly priced. Others are not.  So buyers beware.

Panama Hats - The History

Panama hats originated        

Most people assume that the Panama hat comes from Panama. Why? Is it because of the name? Well, at first I also assume it originated in Panama, but it turned out wrong because the origins of the Panama hat actually lie in Ecuador, where the Incas first made straw hats from palm leaves, making improvements on the design of the hats worn by the Conquistadors.

 

A Panama hat is a type of flat, wide-brimmed straw hat manufactured from the fronds of Carludovia palmata, the Panama or toquilla palm.  The hat came to be known as a toca, a word derived from the Spanish word for hat, and the palm came to be known as a toquilla palm. In some parts of Latin America, the Panama hat is still better known as a sombrero de paja toquilla, “a hat made from toquilla straw,” or simply as a paja toquilla.

Why is it called a panama hat?

Its original name is "Toquilla Straw Hat", named after the palm tree straws they are made from. The Panama hat actually takes its name from the Isthmus of Panama, the trading crossroads of the 18th and 19th centuries for all South American exports. It has been misleadingly known as "Panama hat" because at the beginning of the last century when the workers involved in the construction of the Panama Canal used the hats as protection against the burning sun. During the construction of the Panama canal, enterprising hat sellers started to make the paja toquilla available to workers. It quickly became a popular part of the working uniform. Workers referred to the hat as a “Panama hat,” because it was far less of a mouthful than the Spanish name. 

Become popular outside Latin America

The hat reached its popularity during the 18th and 19th century.The Panama hat has been a favorite of many famous people through history including Napoleon, Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, Nikita Khrushchev, Harry Truman, Paul Newman and Alberto Santos Dumont.

In Paris, the Panama hat was featured at the World Fair of 1856.  French and Italian designers popularized the Panama hat with its World Fair debut. The Borsalino and Italian designs got their start during this time. The Panama hat is known as the prince of hats. Stetson and Borsalino carried on the fashion trends that started in Europe in the latter part of the 19th century. The Panama’s light weight and breathability made it an ultra popular summer hat.

The biggest global boost to the hats came in 1906, when President Theodore Roosevelt was photographed wearing a Panama hat when he was visiting the canal under construction. Just before President Theodore Roosevelt came to Panama to inspect the digging of the Panama Canal, Felix Maduro, a Panamanian department store owner went to Ecuador and bought a bunch of the soft white hats the Indians made. He brought them back to Panama and presented one to President Roosevelt. The president was delighted with the hat and wore it all the time he was there. All the pictures of him while he was there show him wearing the Panama hat.

In the 1920s, gangsters adopted the wide brim models still known as the "Al Capone style", while women preferred the smaller-brim models in a variety of colors to match their dresses. In England, royal patronage has helped to make the Panama hat the most fashionable summer hat. In 1985 Panama hat was declared to belong to the '100 best designs ever'.

The Panama hat is catalogued as one of the world's three finest hats. A Panama hat of truly fine quality a "superfino" which can hold water, and when folded for storage, it can pass through a wedding ring. Nowadays the hat is still used by Hollywood starts as well as by some members of the royalty.