Manabi is famous for its straw handicrafts and the most famous of all of them is the Panama hat. The Panama hat is the widely and most popular purchased souvenirs from Ecuador. The Manabi inhabitants have been hand weaving the straw hats for years, and they are truly master weavers. The toquilla palm straws are widely used in Manabi region to weave the Panama hats. Way before the discovery of America by Columbus, pre-Hispanic cultures in Manabi used to weave straw headgear to protect against the heat.
Manabi lies on the northernmost province of Ecuador. It is also well known for its fauna and flora. The town of Montecristi is the home of the famous Panama hat, “Montecristi hat”. Montecristi is where many master artisans live weaving the famous Montecristi hats. Several people in this region have dedicated their lives weaving the Panama straw hats.
The Montecristi Hats are regarded the finest Panama straw hats in the world where people around the world eagerly seek to lay its hand on it. This Panama hat from the Manabi region is the most expensive straw hats. The weaves are so fine that is as supple and soft as silk. The straw hats are also smooth and light as a feather. The Panama hats are also weaved in Cuenca but quality wise the Montecristi hats are more superior. The Cuenca hats are quality straw hats however, the Montecristi hats are still well known for its finer quality weave.
The Panama hat is the famous straw handicraft of the Manabi region, but there are also many other handicrafts that are made out from the toquilla palm straw. The toquilla straws are not confined in making the Panama hats only. You will find baskets, carpets, handbags, bracelets, toys and much more. Next time you are in Manabi, you can pick up many straw handicrafts as a souvenir but don’t forget to pick one Panama straw hats as this is perhaps the most wonderful straw handicraft in the country.
To own a Panama hat is a great pleasure for anyone. The legendary straw hat is known for their fine artistry. Authentic Panama hats are made in Ecuador from the dried Toquilla palm straws. The Panama straw hats are the most expensive hats in the world. A very fine Panama Montecristi hat can exceed beyond $ 10,000 while a Cuenca Panama hat can be affordable.
If you are going to buy a Panama hat, here are some tips, which might help you out.
• Montecristi hats are the finest of all Panama hats. They straw is smoked with sulfur fumes so you will find them in natural light ivory colors. While Cuenca Panama are bleached to white or tinted to Montecristi alike colors. Cuenca hats are affordable but there are no less when it comes to quality. You will find many attractive colored Panama hats in Cuenca.
• The Panama hats are all hand woven by the master artisans in Ecuador. Do not get alarmed with the high price tag of some fine Montecristi Hats. They are the finest of all straw hats so the cost is more, but it is worth every penny.
• If you are looking for the finest Panama hat, you can do so by determining the quality of the weave. The best way is to hold them up on a light or sunlight. The fine weave will become obvious against the light. A super Panama hat will have a fine weave as compare to the rest. You can also count the rings inside the crown.
• A high quality Panama hat takes months to complete. They are soft as a silk and light as a feather.
• Panama hats mostly come with sweatbands. Better buy with one if you sweat a lot as that will prevent your sweat from contacting with the straw. If you travel a lot, guess what? The Panama hats are roll up hats. These roll up hats are easy to carry, and they come with a small wooden box to store.
The Panama hats are known to accentuate and magnify the personality of the wearers. These straw hats are a remarkable handicraft of the master artisans in Cuenca and Montecristi. The Panama hats are considered by many as a stylist accessory rather as an ordinary hat. The hat production in Cuenca is larger than in Montecristi.
In Cuenca, the Panama hats take less time to weave than a Montecristi hat. A Panama hat usually takes time from a day to months depending on the delicacy of the weaves or the weaver’s skill. If you visit Cuenca, you will see straws lined up in straw market days. Many weavers, especially women are seen busy with their hands weaving the straw into different patterns. This is very common in Cuenca. It is claimed that baby girls are often born with a toquilla straw in their hands. However, it is not known whether that this statement is true or not, but with the everyday scene of the women weaving the straw hats in Cuenca, anyone will believe that.
In Cuenca, hundreds of people depend on the Panama hats for their livelihood. The weaving is quite different from the Montecristi hats. The straws that are used here are mostly thick, and it takes only few days to complete one Panama straw hat. When they complete the weaving, the straw hats are passed down to the hat factories to complete the outer brims. The shapes are also given in the hat factories before shipping out.
Cuenca produces the Panama hats in all quality level. Though, they have less reputation than the Montecristi hats, but they are all straw hats of fine quality. The Cuenca Panama straw hats are produced in large numbers. They keep up the demands of the mass that is increasing day by day, something which the Montecristi hat weavers cannot compete.
Cuenca, in Ecuador is a haven for most historians and cultural buffs. This city is surrounded with narrow cobbled streets, dozens of fine architecture churches, museums, art galleries and red tiled roof houses with ironwork balconies. Cuenca is famous for its colonial architectures, but it is also known for the Panama hats that are sold in great numbers.
The Panama hat weaving business in Cuenca began in 1836, to increase the local economy. For that, the authorities opened a modern hat workshop with several hat-making tools like bleaching powder, hat blocks and toquilla straws brought from the coast plantations. Master weavers from Manabí were brought in and people were trained to weave the straw hats. The hat industry grew up immensely as well as the demands. The development of the hat industry in Cuenca became the most powerful and profitable economic activities.
The Cuenca Panama hats are weaved from a thicker straw and that allows the hat to be complete in just days of weeks. Though, the Cuenca hats have a lesser reputation than the Montecristi Hats, but they are no less when it comes to quality. The Cuenca panama hats are bleached white and most people seem to prefer that color. The Cuenca Panama hats are weaved thicker than the Montecristi hats, but they are still the Ecuador Panama hats. The quality is good and hand weaved by the local artisans. These hats are regarded as affordable of overall good quality.
Next time you are in Cuenca, the Panama hats will be served to be a luxury souvenir. You will find many hat factories selling the genuine Panama hats in affordable prices. You can also have the chance to view the Panama hat being made in arrays of colors. You don’t have to just dream about getting the Panama hat. Make it possible with the Cuenca Panama straw hats.
Manabi is famous for its straw handicrafts and the most famous of all of them is the Panama hat. The Panama hat is the widely and most popular purchased souvenirs from Ecuador. The Manabi inhabitants have been hand weaving the straw hats for years, and they are truly master weavers. The toquilla palm straws are widely used in Manabi region to weave the Panama hats. Way before the discovery of America by Columbus, pre-Hispanic cultures in Manabi used to weave straw headgear to protect against the heat.
