The raw material of Shantung hats was discovered in Japan. They were originally made from a paper thread referred to as "Washi" and perfected in the early 1900s out of a need to find an alternative and comparable raw material to Panama hats. The felt of Shantung hats is light weight, it has great durability and high strength. The quality of the knitting is measured by the width of the fiber, the smaller the fiber, the finer the weave therefore it takes about 1-5 days to weave each hat.
Over time and with the perfecting of the material, Shantung hats have established themselves as the "King of Straw" owning 65% of the quality hat market and they have nothing to envy to the famous Panama hats because they are also more economical.
