American Hat Makers Top Designer Merry-Lee Rae winner of Saul Bell Design Award 2014

January 29, 2016American Hat Makers Leave a comment

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Merry-Lee Rae (Watrous) One our Top Designers at American Hat Makers

Merry-Lee Rae- I love being with my family. My extraordinary husband and my amazing, gifted daughter. My horses, becoming a child in their presence and simply experiencing them in all of their profound perfection. I also have been designing hats for my husband’s business. Something new for me, and I am having a blast! I love learning new things; I thrive on a good challenge. Traveling, but after all home is best!

Merry-Lee Rae (Watrous) is a world renowned cloisonné artist. Merry-Lee has recently begun to contribute her artistic talents to the leather medium, and gratefully to our hats in particular. Her innovative designs and metal work make up an impressive part of both our Steampunk and Ashbury brands. Her 40+ years of artistic creations bring into play an amazing addition to this new (for her) medium. Merry-Lee’s cloisonné can be viewed at www.merryleerae.com

http://riograndeblog.com/2014/10/saul-bell-design-award-winner-merry-lee-rae-story-behind-artist/

Hat Collection Merry Lee Designed:

Draco Hat “How sharper than a serpent’s tooth…?” From the depths of time itself comes an all-leather masterpiece of fierce design and regal pedigree. Our Draco asks nothing more from its wearer than 100% boldness, as that’s what it presents to the world. Hand-worked dragon-scale pattern, scalloped leather band, powerful wing accent and serpentine eye all come together to speak of battles yet to win and skies to seek aloft. Available in black and brown, to match almost any mood, the Draco is a solid beauty. Water-treated, like our other offerings; however the wing itself holds its shape best when kept as dry as the dragon’s breath. Buy the Draco today, wear it to your next gathering, and utter not a sound. Let this beauty do the roaring for you.

Comes in Black/Brown Leather
http://www.headnhome.com/draco.html

Evil Within

Kraken Hat –From the depths of the seas and hearts of Steampunk lovers everywhere comes The Kraken. The airbrushed artwork covers a full three-quarters of the crown, while a beveled hatband rises ominously to reveal the eye of the beast itself. Our best-selling new hat, THE KRAKEN offers old world elegance, mid-crown suave and a hint of danger lurking just beneath the surface.

Comes in Black/Brown Leather

http://www.headnhome.com/kraken.html

Kraken

Sprocket– When it comes to clockwork precision, THE SPROCKET is spot on. Laser-cut leather and engraving with an airbrushed design add elegance, style and mechanical beauty to this topper. Accented with a dual-colored, beveled-edge band and gear concho, this hat is perfect for Steampunk events, cosplay or simply topping off that weekend outfit.

http://www.headnhome.com/sprocket.html

Sprocket

Sprocket Black Angle View

Spat in the Hat Wine (Angle View)

Spat in the Hat Cocoa (Angle View)

Spat in the Hat Coffee (Angle View)

Boundary

Marlow Brown - Metallic Band

Eureka

Eureka Brick (Angle View)

Eureka Electric (Angle View)

Eureka Olive (Angle View)

Humboldt

Mendocino Wine

Sonoma Rustic

Strut

Strut Copper Angle View

Opal

Opal Copper Angle View

AHM partner with Adam Rose

January 22, 2016American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Watsonville, CA — American Hat Makers was created in the early 1970’s with a total investment of $20 in leather and $20 in leather working tools. The family owned and operated business quickly grew from selling belts and wallets out of the back of a station wagon to a premier hat company known world wide for their creative designs. With everything from beachcomber to western wear, hippie chic to steampunk flair, American Hat Makers continue to push creativity and design in the world of hat making.

In 2015, American Hat Makers partnered with tattoo artist, Adam Rose. As artist and owner of Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio in Denver all hats in Adam Rose’s line are directly inspired by his tattoos and artwork. Public response to Rose’s initial release was immensely positive and we couldn’t be happier with the results. All hats in Adam’s line are 100% American made, hand painted, and laser etched with the highest quality materials available.

American Hat Makers ships worldwide. To preview the full line go to http://www.headnhome.com. To see more of Adam Rose’s work and inspiration go to http://www.FallenOwnTattoo.com

Check out a few of his astonishing designs used as inspiration for our hats below.

Adam and his team at Fallen Owl Tattoo have made giving back to the community a large focus of the studio. Working with several local charities Fallen Owl was awarded Business of the Year for their support of The Action Center. Nature’s Educators has been another amazing charity close to the heart of Adam & his crew. The charity cares for and educates the public with non releasable birds of prey. For Fallen Owl it was a perfect fit. The American Hat Makers have agreed that for every owl hat sold ( ‘Wisdom’ ), $5.00 will be donated to Natures Educators. If you would like to learn more about them or donate to their cause, you can visit their website at the link here. Call #1800NICEHAT if you would like to purchase one of Adam’s masterpieces.

You can also see more of his designs on his studio website, Facebook, and Instagram.

http://fallenowltattoo.com/home.html

https://www.facebook.com/adam.rose.tattoo

@adamrosetattoo on Instagram

Skulls & Roses

Brown Cocktailer

Splash

Shipwrecked

Balance

Happiness

Wisdom

Adam and Garth

Adam Rose featuring his Hat Collection

Here’s a link to our Pinterest Board with the pages from Magazine https://www.pinterest.com/americanhat/adam-rose-tattoo-designs/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/432838214168383553/

Headwear for the Homeless – AHM

December 2, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Santa Cruz, CA — The American Hat Makers are going to participate in the eight annual Headwear for the Homeless campaign. We will be joining The Headwear Association along with other notable hat companies to donate thousands of hats to the homeless shelters and nonprofit organizations nationwide. “Our family is so grateful to have the chance in making a positive difference in the community,” said Hannah Watrous, Director of Marketing and Branding, “it gives us the ability to give back and care for those in need during those long, cold nights.”

The American Hat Makers will be supplying hats and beanies to the homeless shelters and non-profit organizations in Santa Cruz County in efforts to give back to the community.

WHY: When temperatures rapidly descend during those long winter months, thousands of the underprivileged are left in freezing temperatures. People lose up to 80 percent of body heat through their head so The Headwear Association took the initiative to give back to those in need by distributing warm hats to thousands of men, women, and children. The American Hat Makers will be participating in the campaign this year by distributing their American made hats and beanies to those in Santa Cruz who are in need to stay warm this winter.

WHAT: American Hat Makers will be supplying hats and beanies to the homeless shelter and non-profit organizations in Santa Cruz County in efforts to give back to the community and provide a bit of warmth and comfort to those who are disadvantaged.

WHEN: December 17th, 2015 at 4:00pm.

WHERE: Santa Cruz Homeless Shelter– 115 Coral St. Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

AHM- Sip-n-Shop Event

November 18, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Watsonville, CA — Come get your holiday shopping done early at our 2015 factory-studio sale. Everything in store will be buy one, get one half off.

This year’s event will be located at our extraordinary facility; get a few hats and take a tour of the facility. Everything that is in store is available. See you all soon!

WHAT: Our Factory-Studio Sale

WHEN: December 5th, 2015 from 9:00am to 6:00pm

WHERE: American Hat Makers/Head’n Home Hats – 125 Aviation Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

American Hat Makers is also co-hosting the annual Sip-n-Shop event with the Santa Cruz Socialites.

Stroll through the treasures from various local vendors while sipping on a refreshing beverage.

Sip-n-Shop event located in our Employee Lounge from 3pm-7pm

American Hat Makers is participating in our second annual Factory/Studio Sale & we are co-hosting the annual Sip-n-Shop event with the Santa Cruz Socialites. Both events at same place differ locations on site. Studio Sale is located in Retail Store Only & Sip-n-Shop located in Employee Lounge.

Big News Guys… Big News

American Hat Makers is excited to tell everyone that Ruby Roxanne Designs has a special collection of Hats with matching cuffs ‪#‎itstimetoSparkle

Vendors include:
Ruby Roxanne Designs Ruby Roxanne Designs
Brody & Cole Brody & Cole
Bead Goddess Design Bead Goddess
Zia Jewelry Designs Zia Jewels
Coastal Scrub Soap Co. Coastal Scrub Soap
Ashby Confections Ashby Confections
Wargin Wine @Wargin
Rosalinda’s Treasures

**Special performance by Yala Lati at 5:30pm

Donations from this month’s Sip-n-Shop event will go to support the Salvation Army
We look forward to seeing you!

– American Hat Makers and Santa Cruz Socialites

Wana was a Wolf

September 22, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Inspiration can be extracted in the most surprising places. In this case, we have the heartwarming story of Wana the Wolf, told by our very own Nikki.

Nikki shares her heartfelt enthusiasm.

Nikki is a talented designer here at American Hat Makers/Head’n Home Hats. Not long ago, Nikki visited Wana at the Wolf Mountain Sanctuary. She describes her experience,

“Wana touched my soul, in a way… I can’t explain.”

Wolf Mountain Sanctuary is a non profit organization, “dedicated to the preservation and proper management of wolves in the wild, and in captivity”. People see the wolf as a threat, and based on that stereotype, this beautiful animal is banned from the ecosystem by many. In addition to the threat of extinction, wolves are also captured, forced into captivity, and then abandoned when they become too big, or unmanageable.

“These wolves cannot be released back into the wild” said Nikki. She elaborates, “People think it’s cool to have a dog/wolf hybrid, or a pure wolf, and then they get too big, and they can’t handle it”.

Nikki was so moved by this wolf sanctuary, and the purpose of it, she decided to do something about it. She used her inspiration to draw some beautiful sketches of Wana, and created a hat specifically designed to compliment the outdoors, wildlife style. Once these specifications came together, the Double G, Wana hat was born! Nikki wasn’t done yet. Next, she put together a plan of action to help fund the program. Every time a Wana hat is purchased, we donate five dollars to the sanctuary.

Wana, Denali, and Takaani

If you would like to purchase a Wana hat in support of the sanctuary, click here. If you would like more information on how to sponsor a wolf directly through Wolf Mountain Sanctuary, click here.

Special thanks to Nikki, for bringing this extraordinary refuge to our attention! When we know better, we can do better.

DIY- Hat Care is EASY!

September 16, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

SolAir, Cabana

If you’re reading this, chances are, you have one of our outstanding hats! You’re in the right place to learn some easy ways to maintain the integrity of your hat, whether it’s leather, suede, mesh, or combinations of these.

Let’s start with the SolAir Cabana.

This super quick video packs a whopping directive in 39 seconds on maintaining the shape of your Cabana. If you have any further questions about the shape of your hat, please contact us.

American Outback, Zephyr

All of our hats are shapeable, in one way or another. They hold up to abuse really well, but you may need, or want to reshape it from time to time. If you have a crushable hat, like a SolAir Breeze, or the American Outback Zepher, and it needs reshaping, we can help! This 2 minute video demonstrates how to shape hard metal wire, or techno wire, into your desired look. We’ll also show you how to use a coffee can to maintain your perfect hat shape.

Now that you have the right shape and storage technique, lets go over a few more things. You should know that your leather hat has had Scotchguard worked into the leather during the tanning process. You do NOT need to apply and kind of weatherproofing. But, we do wear our hats in all kinds of weather, and to every kind of event imaginable. They get dirty. Here is another short video on hat cleaning:

If your hat needs more than a light cleaning, has been damaged, or just been worn to the point that it’s looking tired or wilted, we do refurbish hats. We recommend calling our shop to talk about that process at 1-800-642-3428, or email us at nicehat007@gmail.com.

Full Size Reducer

Half Size Reducer

If your hat is too big or too small, we have remedies for that as well. Let’s start with the problem of it being too large. Sometimes the perfect fit falls by the wayside after a significant hair cut. We’ve designed our own perfect fit sizing system. The velcro tabs sewn into your hat securely hold the sweat liner, but are also ready to accommodate a size reducer. You can purchase a pack on our online catalog after you determine how much reduction you need. If you’re not sure, give us a call, and a team member will happily assist you. Assortment packs are also available containing a full size reducer, half size reducer, and sweat liner.

Maybe your hat was a gift, and it’s just a little bit too tight? Don’t worry! We can offer a couple of options. Hats can be shipped to us for professional stretching. We can also recommend a DIY (do it yourself) Hat Maintenance Kit for home use. This kit includes everything you need to keep your hat in perfect condition.

Kit includes the following:

1 HatJack Maintainer
Spray ‘N Shape for stretching and shaping any leather
Cleaning Solution for suedes
Cleaning Kit for the dry cleaning and maintenance of any suede
An assortment of size adjusters
Sweat patch replacements

If your hat gets wet, and then shrinks while drying when you’re not wearing it, get it wet again, and let it dry on your head. Put in on, and gently stretch/pull it in place as you would normally wear it. It will dry to fit your head perfectly.

If you’ve ordered a chin strap, this video demonstrates how to install it:

Now that we’ve provided you with this information, don’t be afraid to wear your every day, at any event, in any weather… it’s tougher than you think!

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if your questions have not been answered.

1-800-NICEHAT (1-800-642-3428)

“Keeping it Weird”

September 2, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Core Values, #7: Happy/Weird – Being comfortable in the work environment, as well as having fun, has helped us be our most productive selves here at Head’n Home. We’re a bit weird here at Head’n Home Hats, but in the end we always end up with an extraordinary product that is beyond our expectations.

The Zappos Experience

Recognizing a need to establish a group dynamic that would stand the test of time, we flew our team to Zappo’s to experience their company culture. We collected and applied ideas, and we continue to add our own sense of style. Making hats is a collaborative team effort. Without exception, each and every team member is treated with respect, and provided with quality materials, and the necessary tools to create their masterpiece. All work stations are designed to be comfortable and efficient, but that’s not a reason to take ourselves too seriously.

Let’s get weird! Our Company culture promotes a “Keeping it Weird” campaign, keeping things light and fun.

Garth’s cake eating etiquette is on point!

At Head’n Home Hats/American Hat Makers, our Keeping it Weird Committee plans monthly themed luncheons, including recognition for outstanding team members, and odd games. We are a celebratory group, celebrating any holiday (standard calendar holiday’s or fictitious ones).

St. Patrick’s Day and Easter

Crazy Hair Day

The Keeping it Weird Committee is not alone in bringing good times to the workplace. The staff are full of surprises at every administrative level, keeping things light. We’re making hats, not performing open heart surgery.

“One day Garth called everything to a halt, loaded us up in cars, and we went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. We rode the Giant Dipper a couple of times and came back to work”, said Retail Associate, Bruce Driggs. “It was awesome.”

Our festivities feature themes, and raffle prizes.

100.00 Winner!

Crazy Hat Day

Pajama Day

Lunchtime Foosball

We’re big on high fives, and incurably competitive. In the heart of our facility, you’ll find the employee lounge. Foosball, air hockey, hoops, recliner chairs and plenty of friendly competition.

This kind of company culture is what makes the staff want to be here, working and playing in this fun environment, and giving their best talent back.

We’re proud to be making an American made product. We make it, we wear it, and we keep it weird.

The Team

On Top of the World at Hat-A-Palooza

August 24, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Hat-A-Palooza is an annual mixer for the members of The Headwear Association. The Headwear Association (THA) is a 106-year-old association, the oldest in the fashion industry. They are committed to globally promoting the headwear industry. Hat-A-Palooza provides a platform to bridge gaps connecting the worlds best hat makers and designers. This year, American Hat Makers/Head’n Home Hats was invited to attend Hat-A-Palooza III, at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas !

“It was 118 degrees outside, walking to the car was like bikram yoga, but we made it”, said Garth. “We are so pleased to be recognized in this elite gathering of like minded individuals. This event gives us the opportunity to emerge among, and alongside the world’s best hat makers. It’s wonderful to be recognize. We’ve been doing hats for 40 years, and now that there is a higher demand for leather, our “cut and sew” method is being recognized. We’re honored to be contenders in this industry”.

Garth reflects, “We were in the Stratosphere, literally on top of the world, sitting at the ’round table’ with the best of the best, discussing our futures in hat industry. And, we’re having some fun in the process too”.

It was a pleasure to meet Preston Souza, of Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs. His “fashion forward” approachable style is top notch in sales etiquette, and technique.

Garth Watrous with Joel Johnston of White Wing.

Beth Watrous with Amber Fekete, Tere Cutler & Monty Goodson of Overland Outfitters.

It’s easy to see why we do this, everyone looks good in a hat.

Garth and Zach Belinski from Village Hat Shop.

Gerry Miller – Sales Manager, Stetson Hats, and Garth.

Steve Wood with Hattitude, relaxing with Beth.

Hannah and Beth Watrous enjoying the view from the Stratosphere.

Matt Katz – Bollman Hat Co.

Our own Cynthia with James Nelson of Nelson Leather Company, and Beth.

Don Rongioni of Bollman Hat Company, John, Garth and Suzi .

Hat-A-Palooza III is happening RIGHT NOW!

August 18, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

We are in Las Vegas, giving away hats! Hat-A-Palooza III is tonight, Tuesday, August 18th at the Stratosphere!

Open Bar, Delicious Food and a FAB crowd. — at Stratosphere Observation Deck.

The event is sold out — but we are giving away a pair tickets. If you are in Las Vegas, click here, leave a comment and you are entered to win!

We are proud members of the Headwear Association and stoked to be part of this years Hat-A -Palooza! Here is a clip from the Morning Blend on the event, we got a mention!

10 Days, 2000 Hats – Sturgis 2015

August 18, 2015American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Garth Watrous sums it up, “Our Voodoo Hatter brand is spreading like wildfire! We are now the official hat in the motorcycle industry. We’re always looking for new partnerships with the leaders in the industry, like Indian Motorcycles, and Harley Davidson. This kind of event put us in an optimal position for exposure, and our customers love our hats”.

Hat shipment ready to go.

Selling 2000 hats in 10 days requires some preparation. Bikers were pouring in days before the official event began and we were ready. We cranked up production a month in advance, fabricating (by hand) over a thousand hats in addition to our usual customer orders. Those hats were packed on pallets and strategically shipped to our booth in two separate shipments. Our goal to make supply meet demand is our highest priority.

Here we are on Main and Junction.

VooDoo Hatter headquarters was located at the corner of Main Street and Junction Avenue, in front of JJ Davenport’s restaurant, and close to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.

This is a prime location on the main drag!

Diego En Fuego Gomes on stage with his band at the “Buffalo Chip”.

Kommando Kilts

It’s such a good feeling to get product recognition from people who are at the top of their trade”, says Garth. “I actually had the honor of signing an autograph for being the Owner of VooDoo Hatter. It really makes us feel good about our hats”.

Tommy Shaw of “Styx” gives his approval.

Dallas Hageman at Wild Ride Radio loves his VooDoo Topper.

We go to Sturgis with the goal of becoming the #1 hat maker in the industry. Next year, VooDoo Hatter will be in the same location, and we’re bringing it! We’ll have new hat designs and of course plenty of the old school classics.

We want to thank our customers, and give heartfelt high fives to everyone who participated in making this event a success. Here are some of our favorites. For more pictures Click here.

American Hat Makers

We are THE #1 hat manufacturers in North America who produce quality leather hats to fit any personality.

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