So it’s Christmas time now, but maybe in the future it’s Father’s day or someone’s birthday. You want to get that cool conservative guy in your life something cool that he will really treasure, but what type of gift do you give the conservative man who has everything? Well, how about some of the cigars that Rush Limbaugh recommended on his program recently? Give him a box that he and his buddies can share on the back deck during your next cocktail party, and you’ll have a place in his heart forever.

Obviously, Rush is a seasoned cigar aficionado, so he’s smoked a lot of cigars and we must trust his judgement in this area. We’ve compiled a list of some of Rush Limbaugh’s favorites, and we hope they become yours as they have become ours!

Arturo Fuente:Known as a near perfect cigar. Hard to find, but amazing to smoke — these should be high on your list! We know Rush loves the El Presidentes, but our favorite is the Hemingway. They’re all amazing though, without a doubt.
ARTURO FUENTE VS THE WORLD 10 CIGAR SAMPLER
ARTURO FUENTE SELECCION D’ORO CORONA IMPERIAL CONNECTICUT LONSDALE
ARTURO FUENTE DON CARLOS PRESIDENTE CAMEROON
ARTURO FUENTE HEMINGWAY BEST SELLER CAMEROON PERFECTO
ARTURO FUENTE SELECCION PRIVADA NO. 1 NATURAL LONSDALE

Cohiba:Rush calls these “The cream of the crop”, and enjoys this Dominican sister brand to a famous Cuban version of the same cigar. Rush says the Cohiba Blacks have an even more bold, luxurious flavor if you can afford them!
COHIBA 5 PACK WITH CASE COMBO CAMEROON LONSDALE GRANDE
COHIBA CAMEROON LONSDALE GRANDE
COHIBA BLACK CHURCHILL MADURO SINGLE CIGAR
COHIBA BLACK CHURCHILL MADURO

Excalibur:Rush enjoys this premium brand, and says they burn well and are hard to beat!
HOYO DE MONTERREY EXCALIBUR I EMS DOUBLE CORONA
HOYO DE MONTERREY EXCALIBUR III EMS TORO
HOYO DE MONTERREY EXCALIBUR EPICURE MADURO ROBUSTO
HOYO DE MONTERREY EXCALIBUR 1066 GALAHAD PLUS HUMIDOR CAMEROON LONSDALE GRANDE

La Gloria Cubana:Rush recommended La Gloria Cubana, and we listened. They are a great value, and a great premium cigar for the money! We enjoy how some of them come individually cedar wrapped. Very reasonably priced…
LA GLORIA CUBANA SERIE R BELICOSO NATURAL
LA GLORIA CUBANA WAVELL NATURAL ROBUSTO
LA GLORIA CUBANA EN CEDRO NATURAL LONSDALE GRANDE
LA GLORIA CUBANA CRYSTAL NATURAL LONSDALE

The Montecito Resort and Casino is set in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is used as a Las Vegas hotel, resort or casino location by NBC and NBC-Universal shows. 1 Overview 2 Appearances 2.1 Las Vegas 2.2 Crossing Jordan 2.3 Heroes 2.4 Knight Rider (2008) 2.5 Medium 2.6 Monk 2.7 Passions 2.8 Stargate Atlantis This location originally was the setting for the show Las Vegas. This show was about a hotel. Montecristo Platinum Casino III- Box of 10 FREE SHIPPING Out of stock. $84.99 Qty: CONTACT US P: 323-301-3399 Hours: 10am - 5:30pm PST Monday-Saturday andrew.

Macanudo:Rush recommends Macanudo, which is the number one selling premium cigar in the world, and an amazing smoke. You can’t go wrong giving these as a gift, and you will be thanked profusely if the giftee knows anything about cigars!
MACANUDO ESPECIALE CHURCHILL HABANO
MACANUDO CAFE MAJESTY CONNECTICUT PRESIDENTE
MACANUDO GOLD LABEL LORD NELSON CONNECTICUT CHURCHILL
MACANUDO ESPECIALE PLUS CASE HABANO TORO
MACANUDO ESPECIALE PLUS CASE HABANO CHURCHILL

Montecristo:One of the most recognizable brands in the world, and something you might see a wealthy arms dealer smoking in the VIP lounge of a Vegas night club. Very sheik!
COHIBA / MONTECRISTO SAMPLER
MONTECRISTO CASINO I CONNECTICUT CHURCHILL
MONTECRISTO NO. 2 CONNECTICUT TORPEDO
MONTECRISTO CASINO III CONNECTICUT ROBUSTO SINGLE CIGAR
MONTECRISTO PLATINUM ROBUSTO SUMATRA

Padron:A family owned cigar maker out of Nicaragua is one of Rush Limbaugh’s favorites. Rush says that the Anniversary 1964 variety of cigars from Padron are some of the best he’s ever smoked!
PADRON 1964 ANIVERSARIO SAMPLER NATURAL
PADRON 1964 ANIVERSARIO NO. 4 MADURO GORDO
PADRON 1964 ANIVERSARIO NO. 4 NATURAL GORDO
PADRON SERIE 1926 NO. 1 NATURAL DOUBLE CORONA

Romeo Y Julieta:Rush’s pick from the USA is the fastest growing cigar company in the United States and an amazing smoke! Lots of people enjoy this cigar, including us. We love those individual cedar wrappers they come in!
ROMEO Y JULIETA RESERVA REAL CORONA CONNECTICUT
ROMEO Y JULIETA EDICION LIMITADA TUBES NO.2 PLUS ASHTRAY COROJO TORPEDO
ROMEO Y JULIETA RESERVE REAL CASINO I CONNECTICUT CHURCHILL
ROMEO Y JULIETA RESERVE REAL CASINO III CONNECTICUT ROBUSTO

A Celebrated History

Edward VII instructed his Bond Street hat maker to obtain for him the “finest Panama available.” The hat maker would not have dared to present less than a Mil Fino (meel fee-no).

Napoleon wore a Montecristi hat while in exile on the island of St. Helena, but not a Mil Fino. Emperors in exile don’t have generous wardrobe allowances. If you do, you can wear a hat finer than Napoleon’s. You’re probably taller, too.

Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, ruled as Emperor for eighteen years, and allowed himself, well, whatever he wanted. Of course he wore Montecristi hats. Of course he wore the best – the Mil Fino.

In 1934, a high stakes baccarat player in a famous Monte Carlo casino reluctantly offered his Montecristi Mil Fino (a center dent fedora with a burgundy ribbon) as collateral for a $1000 bet. That was during the Great Depression. A straw hat worth $1000. Nice hat. The casino consented. He won. He kept his hat.

For more than two centuries, Montecristi Panama hats have been legendary for their fine weave – which means thin straw, tightly woven. My Montecristi Mil Finos prove the legends are still true.

I have blocked by hand, with my own hands, Montecristi Mil Finos for movie stars, CEOs, even a king. Do you deserve less? Maybe. But money is a great equalizer.

I’m old. Get ‘em while you can.

What’s a Mil Fino?

A Mil Fino (meel fee-no) is a Montecristi Panama hat with a weave count of 1000, or higher.

A Mil Fino is also called a “Mil Cuenta” (meel kwenta - thousand count). It is often said, “Cada Mil Cuenta tiene mil cuentos.” “Every thousand count has a thousand stories.” Indeed. Mil Cuenta Montecristi hats are worn by people who live lives of a thousand stories. Stories the hats never leak to the media.

The Simple Math

To determine the weave count, you count the little rectangles in one inch of weave, horizontally then vertically, then multiply the two numbers. Example: 33x31=1023.

Here are some photos of weave counts of Montecristi Mil Fino hats. The actual size of the weave area is 1x1. The lines are the paths of weave counted.

• B1716: 32x33=1056
• B1870: 33x31=1023
• B540: 35x35=1225

The Verification

• B540 34 X 34 = 1156
• B1870: 33 x 31 = 1023
• B3635: 34 x 38 = 1292
• B2486: 44 x 44 = 1936

I make a photo count of every Montecristi Mil Fino. Proud owners receive a certificate of verification, which includes the photo weave count.

It’s the only way to verify for myself, and my clients, that the weave count really is one thousand or higher. Counting by eye gives you a number that is just a possibility. Not even a probability. Little more than a rumor.

Earlier today, I was choosing a Mil Fino to block for a client in Australia. I selected a beauty from inventory. The count (horizontal) penciled inside was 33. It is a fine, cloth-like hat. 33 looked right. I made a photo weave count to be sure, before blocking the hat.

I was surprised, and disappointed, to discover that the photo weave count is 28.5x30. Not a Mil Fino. Of course I put the hat aside and searched for another. Sure looked like a Mil Fino.

And that’s the point.

Experience Counts

I’ve probably counted more weave counts of finely woven Montecristi hats, over the past thirty years, than anyone on the planet. I’ve used magnifying glasses, goggles, loupes, lights, low power microscopes, everything I could find.

With a tape measure and good light, I can count accurately up to about 28 weave count. Maybe. Even with magnification, I don’t trust my count, or anyone else’s, beyond that. A careful photo count is the only way to be certain.

In the photo of a 1-inch-by-1-inch sample of the weave, I draw a line along the path I counted, so the count can be recounted and verified.

I try to find paths with complete straw rectangles at both ends. Sometimes, I will count half a weave unit. Seems fair. That one-inch half count, spread all over the hat, can make a slight difference in how it looks.

Weave counts vary slightly even within one square inch. Different rows, different columns can vary slightly. Usually by a fraction of a weave rectangle, sometimes a full.

If I make photo counts in three different places around the equator of a finely woven hat, I would expect them to vary slightly, but not dramatically.

Back to the Search

Back to finding a Mil Fino to block for my client in Australia. I searched again. I found another candidate. Another beauty. Weave count (horizontal) penciled in the hat was 34.

• Actual photo count (shown below) is 34x34=1156..
• Actual size is 1 inch by 1 inch. Hat ID - B540

So, a hat represented to be a 33 count is a 30. And a 34 really is a 34.

That’s why I make photo weave counts. Trust, but verify.

It is important to me to be absolutely certain that my Mil Finos really are Mil Finos.

Woven by Certified Master Weavers

Master Weavers are certified at three levels of mastery by The Montecristi Foundation, Inc.

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Maestro Tejedor Certificado for weaving hats 30x30 and higher.

Maestro Tejedor Superior for weaving hats 40x40 and higher.

Maestro Tejedor Cumbre for weaving hats 50x50 and higher.

To be certified, weavers must weave well, not just finely. They must qualify in both categories.

These are the weavers whose hats I buy. I’ve known most of them for many years. Some I’ve known since they were children, and they now have children of their own. Even grandchildren.

They are paid high market prices in cash when I buy their hats. And an even higher commission when you decide to wear the finest Montecristi Panama hat anyone at the club has ever seen.

Weavers are eager for me to buy their hats. https://www.brentblack.com/pages/sidebar_a_buyer_like_me.html

Just sayin’ – there’s no sweat shop exploitation thing going on here. Just the opposite. I’m more of a mission than a business.

The business was created to buy and sell hats in order to try to save the art of fine hat weaving. Not to make a big profit. I have had some success saving the art. I have been spectacularly successful not making a big profit. (Just ask my tax accountant.)

A core goal is to get more money to weavers, not to rip them off.

The weavers are my heroes. Some I am proud to call my friends. A few I am honored to call my family.

Simón Espinal and I have worked together for about twenty years. He’s moved from one room with a dirt floor to one of the biggest houses in Pile. His granddaughters are my goddaughters. When asked if I am exploiting him, I have answered, “If I am exploiting Simón, then I wish to heaven someone would come exploit me.”

Just sayin’ – there’s no sweat shop exploitation thing going on here. (I drive a 20-year-old car.)

The weaver of your hat will receive a much larger share of the price than whoever made your pants or shoes.

If you decide to own a Montecristi Mil Fino, the weaver of your hat will be very happy. As will I.

My goddaughter Odales.

Hey! Just had an idea.

I’ve always liked to send photos of weavers to clients who buy their hats. Makes it more real, less remote, more person to person. So, let’s also do the reverse.

How about if you send me a photo of you wearing the hat, and I will send the photo to the weaver! You will have a photo of the weaver, and the weaver will have a photo of you. Creates a more personal experience for both. Kind of nice, in our mass-manufactured world.

The weavers will like this. In your photo, the weaver will see how the finished hat looks, and the person who is enjoying it. It will help them know that you are as proud to wear their art as they are to weave it.

Now what?

The most direct, and honorable, course of action would be to get out your credit card and call me.

You might want to have someone measure your head while you’re dialing.

I need to know head size to know what we’re talking about. A 21-inch head is a completely different conversation than a 25-inch head.

If your head is between 22 and 24 inches (56 to 61 cm), we’ll have more to talk about, at least in terms of my existing hat inventory.

I have the world’s largest existing inventory of Montecristi Mil Fino hats. It’s extensive, but not infinite.

Ready?

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Wait.

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Before you decide, ask your self this:

Is wearing one of these treasures
the ultimate personal luxury?

The ultimate self-indulgence?

A shameless surrender to hedonism?

Yeah. Pretty much.

Should you feel guilty?

No.

More like Mother Theresa.

You are helping to sustain an endangered art.
And buying a lot of groceries for the weaver’s family.

In 2012, UNESCO certified Montecristi hats as
Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World.

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Miracles of straw.
Treasures of humanity.

Okay. You can call now. Or send the form.

Things I’ll Ask
When You Call, Email, or Send the Simple Form

Which style(s) you prefer.
Head size.
Brim width.
Other preferences.

No need to know everything about everything.
Good to know which styles interest you most.
Good to know what size your head is.

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If you can already imagine yourself wearing a legendary Montecristi Mil Fino, let me know what you have in mind by sending the Make Me a Legend short request form.

Wear a legend. Be a legend.