Vietnamese tycoon owns a straw hat worth 3.5 billion VND

Video : Close-up of a Vietnamese tycoon's straw hat worth 3.5 billion VND. (Source: Character provided)

Talking to VTC News reporter, Mr. Tran Hai Dong, a Vietnamese pilot, informed: Panama is a super expensive straw hat. He currently owns a hat of this type that costs about 3.5 billion VND and there is definitely no second one in Vietnam.

"The sophistication of the hat can be recognized at a glance by those with a keen eye. This type of hat is not only expensive but also very difficult to buy," said Mr. Dong.

Image of super expensive Panama straw hat shared by the character.

Being a fashion enthusiast and having a special love for straw hats, he has long spent time looking to buy expensive masterpieces from famous brands.

“ I have been passionate about straw hats since I was a student. When I started working, I bought straw hats from famous brands. But it took me decades later, with increased income, more and better relationships, to have the opportunity to know about this special type of straw hat ,” Mr. Dong shared.

He said that in 2010 he became a pilot. It wasn't until around 2020, thanks to his relationship with the owner of a world- famous cigar brand, that he learned about the "upper-class" straw hat line that he liked the most.

“ At that time, I joined a cigar club because I knew that people who smoked cigars often wore straw hats. The cigar company at that time had an advertisement for the straw hat line “Father and Sun” printed on the cigarette box. After getting to know the owner of the cigar company, I asked him what kind of straw hat was this and why it was so sophisticated? Why had I never heard of it and never bought it? From then on, I began to gain knowledge about this straw hat line and researched it thoroughly ,” Mr. Tran Hai Dong recounted.

By connecting with the straw hat artisan through the cigar company owner, combined with the COVID-19 pandemic raging around the world, all socio-economic activities were frozen, including auctions, Mr. Dong had the opportunity to order the most expensive straw hat in the world, as he had always wished without having to go through an auction.

Mr. Dong revealed that this straw hat is currently being kept at his home and may soon appear at a major fashion and cultural event in Vietnam.

The intricate weaving of sedge is shown through a magnifying glass.

Explaining why the Panama straw hat is the most expensive in the world, Mr. Dong said that there are many types of straw hats, the common type will be made of imitation papyrus paper fiber, processed on a technological line, the worker only needs to sew it into a hat. Because there is a ready-made mold, the labor productivity is very high and the price is very cheap.

But unlike these straw hats, the high-end Panama straw hat requires 100% handcrafting and must be woven with extremely high-quality straw fibers. The price of a Panama straw hat can reach hundreds of thousands of USD due to 3 factors: Straw fiber material, craftsmanship and the rarity of the product.

Mr. Dong said: " The material to make the most expensive straw hat in the world must be Paja Toquilla straw (some places call it palm tree), which is only crocheted in one place in the world in Ecuador.

In terms of craftsmanship: The most expensive straw hat in the world is one with weaves of 50 or more (WPI: weaves per inch, meaning 50 weaves/square inch). The straw hat I own is one with weaves of 59 (59 weaves/square inch).

Finally, about rarity: There is only one place in the world where exceptionally good Panama straw hats can be made. Despite the name Panama, they are made in the Pile craft village, located near the town of Montecristi, in the province of Manabi (Ecuador). In particular, to weave weaves of 50 or more, only one artisan in the village can do it, that is Simon Espinal (50 years old) ".

Sharing more about the process of creating the billion-dollar straw hat, Mr. Tran Hai Dong said: “The artisans have to work almost 18 hours a day, continuously for about 6-8 months to complete. But that is the most urgent time, if the speed is normal, it will take about 14 months. To weave a hat with WPI 50 or higher also requires very high manual techniques. The hat weaver must bow his head continuously for more than 10 hours a day, looking through a magnifying glass to weave (making the difficulty increase 10 times), and must use very strong force to reach a density of over 50 knots. If the straw is unfortunately broken while tightening, all previous efforts will be in vain.

To achieve the necessary smoothness on the surface of the hat, the sedge fibers must be small enough. During the hat weaving process, the artisan must use a magnifying glass to be able to process the weaving to be as precise as possible, both evenly and smoothly, while creating the shape of the hat and finally marking the sedge around the brim. These are difficult techniques that until now I still do not understand how they do it .

Artisans are weaving straw hats in the native land.

In addition to costing billions of dong, a special Panama straw hat is only produced by pre-order from 6 months to 1 year for a special auction for the upper class. Therefore, very few Vietnamese people like Mr. Dong have the opportunity to own this straw hat.

Mr. Dong revealed that in 2013, artisan Simon launched a weaves 57 straw hat. He tried many times but failed. Finally, after 10 years, the weaves 59 hat was released and is currently owned by Mr. Tran Hai Dong.

Another expensive straw hat is in the process of being completed according to Mr. Dong's order.

Along with owning the most expensive straw hat in the world, this 36-year-old man also owns a collection of dozens of expensive straw hats. Not only that, he also wants to bring this "high-class" hobby to enthusiasts in Vietnam by opening the sale of Montecristi brand Panama straw hats in Vietnam.

Some more pictures of the hat that costs as much as a car:

Source: https://vtc.vn/dai-gia-viet-so-huu-chiec-mu-coi-gia-3-5-ty-dong-ar746251.html