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.
Videos: Finest Hat Ever Woven
Can you follow those fingers?
Simón Espinal, Sorcerer of Straw Reg speed
Brent Black in National Geographic
Even National Geographic noticed my work to save the art of weaving Montecristi Panama hats is important. See the article.
Brent Black on CBS News
I’m one of Keoghan’s Heroes on CBS. And he’s one of mine. Watch the video.
Brent Black’s Hats are the “Best of the Best”
Brent Black Montecristi Panama hats are the only hats named to Robb Report’s exclusive Best of the Best list.
Panama Hats of Presidents, Kings, and Other Rascals
Here’s the “Who’s Who” of famous people and celebrities who wear Montecristi Panama hats, including movie stars, rock stars, sports stars, and others who own Brent Black Panama hats.
The History of Panama Hats
Why is a Hat from Ecuador Called a Panama Hat?
Hat Weaving in Ecuador: A Tale of Two Cities
The Brent Black Blog
Have you read every word on this site and still can’t get enough about Panama hats?
Now you can read even more hat lore and tales, customer stories, foundation updates, and the latest hat news on the soon-to-be-famous Brent Black Blog.
