Torino Panama Fedora

The bodies for the Mayser Panamas are hand woven in Ecuador from toquilla fiber, the finest of the straws used in hats. The Mayser Panamas are blocked and trimmed in Slovakia. The bodies are tightly woven, and the weave is kept solid in blocking to ensure good protection from the sun. A substantial fiber is selected to produce a firm hat that holds its shape well. The pinch is reinforced to reduce breakage if the hat is handled by the pinch. These hats are great for hot sunny weather (but not suitable for use in the rain). Hat Care With reasonable care, Panama hats will last well. While extremely light fine weaves may be folded and rolled, the firmer weaves we offer should not be crushed. Pick the hat up by the brim, not by the crown or the peak, even though the peak is reinforced. Panama hats are designed for protection from the sun. Do not wear them in the rain, and do not store them near the rear window of a car or truck, where they would bake in the sun. When you put your hat down temporarily place it on its crown, so as not to distort the brim. Store the hat on a hat rack or supported at the sweat band in a hat box. Use a soft brush to remove dust. If you expect to wear your Panama Fedora in windy conditions, we suggest adding our hand braided Stampede String.

Genuine Panama hats are, and have always been, handwoven in Ecuador from toquilla fiber. The toquilla palm grows on the coastal lands of Ecuador, where conditions are ideal for its growth and regeneration. Straw hats hand woven in Ecuador from the toquilla fiber were exported to Panama in the mid 1800's and purchased by fortune seekers crossing the Panama isthmus on their way to the California gold rush. During the Spanish American War, the US government bought 50,000 of these hats for the troops from merchants in Panama. During the early wentieth century, these same hats became very popular at the Panama Canal construction site, where the hats were very well suited to the hot and humid weather conditions. As word spread around the world of this construction marvel, so too did word the straw hats hand woven in Ecuador. Since then, these practical and stylish hats, handwoven in Ecuador, have been known as Panama hats.

Mayser Hats was established over 200 years ago in Ulm, Germany. Leonhard Mayser's success came early with his desire to produce quality men's hats. Over the next two centuries, Mayser has expanded into other industrial areas, but their motto remains as "Innovation by Tradition". Mayser uses traditional methods with modern techniques. This allows them to produce high-quality hats yet remain on the front edge of fashion.