Panama Hat Weavers – Montecristi, Ecuador

Monecristi superfino woven by Simón Espinal

The rematador - or rematadora since they are often women - is a specialist weaver who back weaves the loose straw to form a snugly woven edge to the brim. It is a dying art and practiced only in the weaving of traditional Montecristi Panama hats

The cortador trims the excess straw and gives the body of a Montecristi panama hat a very close shave with a razor blade to trim away any burrs or rough bits

Don Delgado the patriarch of Montecristi hat dealers. He began working in his father's hat shop asa boy in the late 1930s

Measuring the weave count on a Montecristi panama hat requires a sharp eye and a magnifying glass - sometimes even a jeweller's loupe

A snugly woven brim is essential for a fine Montecristi panama hat. Everything is done by hand.

The cross weaving or plaiting of the initial strands of straw

Every panama at begins with a cross - the cross weave of eight strands of fine toquilla straw

Simón Espinal weaving in his home in Pile, Ecuador He is regarded as the finest living hat weaver, possibly the best ever.

New straw has to be added as the weaving continues. Instering t requires a sharp eye ad sure hands

Simón Espinal is arguably the finest living weaver of panama hats, possibly the best ever. Following generations of hat weaving traditions his hats can have over 4000 weaves per square inch

Sulfur fumes are used to give the straw its delicate antique ivory colour. Cheaper hats are simply bleached but the traditional hat makers of Montecristi use the old ways - putting the straw in a wooden smoker with burning sulphur

Straw is lightly boiled, for less than a minute, as part of the traditional preparation for weaving.

After the straw has been boiled it is hug up to dry in place that is away from direct sunlight. The clumps of straw recalled cogollos

Toquilla fibres are like linen in that they can be split finer and finer

Toquilla fibres are like linen in that they can be split finer and finer

Simón Espinal bundles together a load of cogollos - enough to start a hat. More hikes into the jungle to collect more cogollos will take place over the three months he will spend on this one hat

Simón Espinal shouldering a load of cogollos which will eventually become a superfine panama hat worth more than its weight in gold

Every panama hat begins with a long hike in the jungle to a grove of toquilla palms

Toquilla fibres are like linen in that they can be split finer and finer

The top of a panama hat. This is quite a finely woven one - about 2000 weaves per square inch

Panama Hatter Brent Black looking over hats in Pile Ecuador

the main weaving done, the hat body awaits the work of the reatador, who will seal off the brim

Superfine Montecristi panama hat with over 3600 weaves per square inch, woven by Simón Espinal, of Pile Ecuador

An open door provides a passing glimpse into the lives of a hat weaver

Masterpiece hat woven by Simón Espinal - the dangling thread is a length of dental floss Photo: Brent Black

Masterpiece hat woven by Simón Espinal – the dangling thread is a length of dental floss Photo: Brent Black

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