American Handbag Makers?!

IMG_1689

American Hat Makers is pleased to introduce you to our new line of gorgeous handbags and accessories made from repurposed leather scraps from our hat making facility.  

As American Hat Makers has grown, we have found ourselves with more and more scrap leather left over from our increased hat production. As dedicated stewards of our natural resources we wanted to utilize our leftover leather in a meaningful way.

 

To that end, our talented designers have worked with our team to produce these gorgeous, super-durable leather handbags and totes. The result is beautifully simple handbags that show off their raw, bohemian nature and offer extreme durability, water-resistance, and a lifetime guarantee.

1697

Just like our hats, these bags are proudly Handmade in America with high-quality leather. Each bag is unique –  as no two pieces of genuine leather are alike. Each scrap of leather is being repurposed into a one-of-a-kind piece.

IMG_1706

In addition to our tote, messenger, and festival bags, we also offer handmade leather chokers, cuffs, and bag accessories. Now you can be fully outfitted at Coachella with your hat, choker, cuff, and bag!

IMG_1738

Our sturdy totes come in small, medium, and large sizes – pick the perfect one for the days’ errands, a trip to the beach, or a day at work or school.

Perfect for school, work, or every day, our men’s and women’s satchels are made of supple leather and feature a long shoulder strap that can be easily adjusted with fashionable brass rivets.

IMG_1676

Effortlessly channel the easy-going music festival vibe every day of the year with our fringed shoulder bags in a small or medium.

American Hat Makers Accessories Photoshoot 2017 (94)

Come check out our smokin’ deals on these awesome bags all of which are available in black or natural brown.  Because we are repurposing leather that may otherwise end up in the landfill, we are able to offer these items to you at incredible prices – but you better act fast, because once they are gone, they are gone! 

Don’t Forget to Follow us on Social Media

SocialMediaCardBack17SWITCHEDICONS

Written by Jessica Johnson.

Concho-Logo

Voodoo Hatter!

Voodoo Hatter goes to lengths unseen to deliver the ultimate in handmade leather top hats. 19th Century style infused with fierce sensibility and a touch of dark energy make our Voodoo Top Hats essential to your subversive lifestyle.

 

caliber-collage

The Caliber in red, black, cigar, and rattlesnake.

 

From hard-kicking rocker to brazen biker or neo-noir grifter, you will make a definitive statement wherever you go. We designed these bad asses to be the kinds of hats you can become known for wearing. Formed out of black or brown full-grain smooth leather, our toppers are built to last. The new additions feature remarkable airbrushed, laser engraved designs and eye catching rattlesnake skin overlay.

 

skull-n-roses-collage

The Skull N Roses (design by Adam Rose)

 

Adam Rose of Fallen Owl Tattoo is an amazing tattoo artist who sends us his designs to be used in the production of our hats!

 

silver-skull-collage

The Silver Skull (design by Adam Rose)

 

These styles utilize state-of-the-art laser engraving and airbrushing techniques to perfectly recreate Adam’s absolutely stunning works of art.

 

Cocktailer Collage.jpg

The Cocktailer (design by Adam Rose)

shipwrecked-collage

Shipwrecked (design by Adam Rose)

Balance Collage.jpg

Balance (design by Adam Rose)

 

Voodoo Hatter lives for biker rallies! Whether it’s the Lone Star rally in Galveston, Texas or the world famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally we love absolutely tearing it up with our fans and having a great time.This year’s rallies were especially great. As we attend more and more rallies, Voodoo Hatter becomes more and more recognizable among the community and being able to experience that first hand is incredible!

 

14022095_1092553097459211_857737605797630605_n

Downtown Sturgis 2016

14045987_1092553047459216_3595010816304576555_n.jpg

Enjoying Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

Voodoo Hatter is even respected among celebrities! We’re absolutely delighted to see such a wide range of stars enjoying our hats!

 

14992061_1157967970917723_20011664394127090_n

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith looking absolutely characteristic in an El Dorado

elvis-nolasco

Elvis Nolasco of American Crime rocking an El Dorado

anastasia-baranova

Anastasia Baranova of Z Nation wearing an El Dorado.

It really isn’t hard to see why Voodoo Hatter is so well loved! When you put on a topper by Voodoo Hatter it invokes an adventurous spirit that’s sure to take you to new places! When it comes to Voodoo Hatter, the meek need not apply!

unnamed-5

The Hats for Adventurers! “American Outback Hats”

unnamed (3)

Step up and stride out into the American Outback. Inspired by the Aussie icon, these hats are tough, good-looking, everyday work and recreation gear. These durable beauties are in their element when you’re riding the range, hiking to Machu Picchu or sitting around the campfire. The crushable styles pack easily and gain more character every time you put them on. Look your best grilling at a BBQ, exploring the county fair or shopping the farmer’s market. Everywhere you work and play in the USA, you’re in the American Outback.

@enrikegrageda (2)

@enrikegrageda on Instagram (Happy Customer)

Durable and practical, American Outback hats offer great-looking protection – rain or shine. Soft, durable, surprisingly lightweight 50+ UPF rated leather blocks 100% of the sun’s rays and holds up in the rain as well. From oiled leather, to smooth finish full-grain leather and suede, this is the hat to have when the weather could turn from sunny to stormy and back again.

@enrikegrageda

@enrikegrageda on Instagram (Happy Customer)

Coast to Coast

Rosemary & Don Nelson (Happy Customers)

“We just returned from a month plus trip to France and then we did the Coast to Coast in England where we walked over 200 miles across the country in 18 days. Not bad for a couple of seniors! Last year we hiked in Patagonia and then New Zealand and your hats go every where with us. They are a couple of years old now, but we still love them.”

– Rosemary & Don Nelson
Parksville, B.C. Canada

Coast to Coast - England

Satisfied customer, Don Nelson

national-geographic-nizar-ibrahim-american-hat-makers-crusher

Nizar Ibrahim a vertebrate paleontologist and comparative anatomist featured on the National Geographic Channel

@matthewhenry

@m.a.t.t.h.e.w.h.e.n.r.y on Instagram (Happy Customer)

@maenoel

@mae_noel_ on Instagram (Happy Clothing Brand)

 

unnamed (1)

Anthony Anderson wearing an American Hat Makers Hat  (3)

Anthony Anderson wearing a Crusher

Gilles Marini wearing American Hat Makers Hat  (7)

Gilles Marini wearing a Crusher

Morgan Heritage American Hat Makers grammy winners

Morgan Heritage wearing a Crusher

Noah Sierota Echosmith American Hat Makers 1800NiceHAt

Noah Sierota from Echosmith wearing a Crusher

Renee Olstead American Hat Makers Crusher (6)

Renee Olstead wearing a Crusher

bravo-black-a

A hard-working hat with Outback style. The durable Bravo is soft and flexible enough to handle crushing and abuse while maintaining its custom shape. The full grain, smooth finished distressed cowhide is complemented by an edge braided band and brim trim for a great looking finish. A hat you can wear all day, everyday. (3 colors available)

crusher-chocolate-f

The Crusher does what a hat is supposed to do and looks good doing it. Outback style, super lightweight, oiled leather survives packing like no hat we have ever made. Fold it up, beat it up, stuff it in a pocket, head into a storm. This hat bounces back and looks great no matter the abuse. The more you do it, the more character you give it. Don’t Worry, Just Wear It. (4 colors available)

     unnamed (5)

unnamed (2)

unnamed (4)

am_outback_patch_med

Do you believe in MAGIC? American Hat Makers does!

steampunk-hatter-absinthe-on-model_MG_1006

Do you believe in MAGIC?

I’m not referring to the David Copperfield kind (although this kind does appear in Las Vegas!)

Nor I am I referring to the pulling a rabbit out of a hat kind (although this kind does involve hats!)

No, I am referring to the amazing, one-of-a-kind fashion tradeshow that takes place in Las Vegas twice a year. With over 60,000 (yes, that is correct: sixty THOUSAND) industry insiders in attendance, MAGIC is the marketplace for all things fashion forward.

12710995_1051001441624696_4769026420044971089_o

If this is the place to be then you know American Hat Makers is there! We are proud to be a part of this huge marketplace for the past several years. It’s one of our favorite places to be! (Well, they all are, but don’t let the secret out!)

MAGIC is truly like nothing else and American Hat Makers is thrilled to be exhibiting in “The Collective” marketplace again this year.

What is “The Collective” you ask? well, according to MAGIConline:

THE COLLECTIVE is the culture of men’s fashion. This platform showcases everything from classic collections to lifestyle-driven and licensed apparel for men and young men. By uniting this community under one roof next to PROJECT, THE COLLECTIVE gives buyers unparalleled access to the rapidly growing men’s and young men’s market.

Come by THE COLLECTIVE and find us:   August 15-17, booth #30038.

This year we will be proudly showcasing both our new hats and our perennial bestsellers as well as celebrating our new Outdoor and Heritage catalogs!

 

If you’re in Vegas August 15- 17 we’d love to see you – or you can follow the magic on our Facebook page or  Instagram or Twitter!

logo visual hats only

Written by Jessica Johnson exclusively for American Hat Makers

Take Care of Your Hat: American Hat Makers Shares Hat Care Tips

concho

A great hat may speak for itself ~ but it still needs you to take care of it!

Finding the perfect hat can feel a little like that birthday when you get exactly what you wished for ~ you want to dance about and show it off to everyone!

And right you should, go ahead and show it off! Sport that hat, tip it to strangers, wear it with pride! Your American Hat Makers hat will bring you years and years of joy and happiness – not to mention protection from the sun, rain and wind – especially if you take good care of it.

Here are a few videos to help you do just that – our team has compiled a series of videos to help you clean, pack, shape and even add a chin strap to your  hat.

How to Clean a Suede & Finished Leather Hat:

Here Kameron shares how to do general cleaning of suede and finished leather hats as well as how to get rid of unwanted scuffs and scratches. He also demonstrates the gentle touch required when cleaning our airbrushed and laser etched hats.

How to Pack A Hat:

Watch Kameron demonstrate our hat packing tips! Learn about the hat saving taco move.

 

How to Maintain Your Hat’s Shape:

Learn our best tips for helping your hat maintain its ideal shape.

How to Shape a Hat:

American Hat Makers founder Gary Watrous demonstrates the best way to shape your leather hats using a simple coffee can. He also shows his favorite techniques for utilizing our wire shaping systems.

 

Here is another exclusive video of  American Hat Makers founder, Gary Watrous showing you how to attach a chin strap to your mesh hat using a pencil!

How to Add a Chinstrap to a Hat:

Not one to be left out, we have Gary’s son, Garth, demonstrating how just how indestructible our hats really are! You have to see this to believe it!

Our Hats Are Crushable:

 

If you have any questions please call us – we love to help!

1-800-NICE-HAT

concho

Written by Jessica Johnson exclusively for American Hat Makers.

American Hat Makers: Heading to Sturgis

11385583_438080193061759_2051631655_n

American Hat Makers is getting ready for the 76th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota August 8-14.

If you are not familiar with the epic event that Sturgis is, here are some facts from the official Sturgis Motorcyle Rally website:

  • in 2015 there were 739,000 attendees
  • there were over 900 licensed vendors (American Hat Makers has attended Sturgis for the past three years!)
  • 122 marriage licenses were issued. (There must be something about seeing folks in their leathers and on their bikes!)
  • Sturgis has approximately 6,700 residents, but each year the population nearly doubles that of the entire state!
American Hat Makers will be featuring the Voodoo Hatter line come check us out at the corner of Main and Junction!

This year we have more of our unique and eye-catching hats and gear like steampunk goggles, belts, and bags.

IMG_5475

IMG_5469

Of course,  we will be showcasing our full line of artisan, hand-crafted, Made in the USA hats. 

11380234_1624241367843845_918054375_n
Come by our booth and say “Hey”, try some lids on, check out our gear, and
find your next favorite hat!  
11373823_428376110702625_2066776060_n
Don’t be shy, you’re at Sturgis! 
logo visual hats only

 

Written by Jessica Johnson for American Hat Makers.

Introducing our New Line: Freedom Hats

DSC_0544

Let Freedom Ring!

All of us at American Hat Makers are excited to announce our newest line of hand-crafted, top-of-the-line hats:

Freedom Hats

Freedom Hats are the ultimate in durable, luxurious, one-of-a-kind outdoor hats. And, like all of our hats, they are suitable for all of your adventures – from kayaking to golfing, horseback riding to gardening, hiking to rock climbing and anything else you do!

DSC_0460

Made from the same high-quality, 100% sourced and produced in the USA materials as all of our American Hat Makers hats, Freedom Hats offers you an exceptional deal on limited run hats.

Our vision for Freedom Hats is to produce hats that live up to our high American Hat Maker quality standards while offering exceptional value to you. We do this by producing hats based on the availability of exclusive materials – which are then used to produce a limited run.

With this model we are able to offer these unique hats to you at an amazing price. 

If you are interested in taking advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to buy from American Hat Makers act fast! Each season our line of Freedom Hats will change based on the availability of materials. While we require you to place an order for a minimum of 12 hats in the same style keep in mind this is not a pre-pack – you get to choose the colors and sizes of your hats! 

Don’t forget, each and every hat from our Freedom Hat line is produced, by hand, in our Watsonville shop. Each hat adheres to our high-quality standards and is backed by our exclusive unconditional lifetime guarantee: 

We guarantee our hats for a lifetime against defects in materials and workmanship.

We include our sizing system with your order. This allows your hat to be adjusted to three different sizes. Should you need a different size than this allows, we will gladly exchange your hat for a perfect fit. Simply return the hat in the original box with a note as to what you need, and we will send you the appropriate replacement. By the same token, if the color of the hat is not what you expected we will exchange for another of our standard colors at no extra charge.

Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee speaks for itself. Should the hat not meet up to any of your expectations, simply return the hat to us for a full refund (less shipping costs)……no questions asked.

We are proud to introduce you to Freedom Hats and look forward to offering you another way to enjoy all the benefits of our high-quality, handcrafted hats at an amazing cost savings!

Contact us NOW at 1-800-NICE-HAT to get in on this incredible new opportunity! 

DSC_0484

Photographer: Neil Simmons

Stylist: Ruby Roxanne Agresta

Models: Greg Flowers, Heather Bonds and Nicole Hatsedakis Happee

Catalog Design: Nikki Wolf

Blog Post Written by: Jessica Johnson

hnh-watermark

Big Hats for Big Heads ~ We Got ’em!

If you have a larger than average head, finding a hat that not only fits properly, but is flattering as well, can be a big hassle.

th-5

But not here at American Hat Makers! We proudly offer hats in large sizes all the way up to 5XL.

IMG_0283

Did you know that your hat size doesn’t change, once you are an adult? So although you may wear different pant sizes over the years, your hat size will stay the same.

If your head – measured around the largest part of your head – is between 23 5/8” and 24- 1/8” you are an XL. If your head measures 24 7/8” to 25 3/8” you are a 3X.

And we have you covered, no matter what size you are!

Take Jeff, for example. We met him at our recent Hat Day in the Sun event where we gave away over 500 sun protection hats including many from our top-selling SolAir line. Jim came by with his wife and was helping her select a free hat to wear.

When we asked Jeff where his hat was, he sadly told us he had a larger head and was never able to find a hat that fit him.

“And if I find one that fits, it never looks right,” he said.

Well, it was Jim’s lucky day! We were more than happy to run into the warehouse and find him a hat that fit – and looked great too!

IMG_0315

If you want more information about finding a hat to fit your head and your lifestyle, come visit us at The Hat Hangar. We are located at 125 Aviation Way in Watsonville, CA and we are always happy to help you find just the right hat!

ba83ed_d5ccd0e2c65944279c0baa7c910cc767~mv2

 

 

hnh-watermark

Rigoberto Arenas: May Employee of the Month

American Hat Makers is dedicated to honoring those who work with us – we know we wouldn’t be nearly as successful as we are without our valued team members. Because each of our employees is so important to us, we honor one special employee each month.
Even though we are a little behind, please join us as we celebrate our
May Employee of the Month:
Rigoberto Arenas
d6691565-0710-4622-90d8-6d04ea34422c

Rigo, as he is known at American Hat Makers, was born on July 19th in “the best town in the world,” El Potrero in Guanajuato, Mexico. He remembers his hometown fondly and says it was “surrounded by cows, goats, dogs, chickens, horses…oh and rats!”

Rigo is married to “the prettiest girl in the world,” Lupita, and together they have two children, 4 year old Alexa and 2 year old Hendrix. He loves to spend time with his family playing in the park and making music with his kids. Rigo shares that Alexa loves to sing and Hendrix plays the drums!

You might guess that with a son named Hendrix (like legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix) that Rigo is a music fan. You would be right! Even more than a fan, Rigo is a musician!

933cfa5c-738d-4c09-8d27-d2e64eee2a70

Rigo and his bandmates!

15f90150-b81d-4897-82e4-762a561334b1

Rigo and his Band Playing at Planet Gemini

In his three and a half years with American Hat Makers working in the trimming department, adding trim and wire to all our hats, Rigo has earned a reputation as a hard worker who is always willing to step up and loves to learn new things.

Director of Global Marketing for American Hat Makers,  Hannah Watrous, says, “Rigo is a friendly face who loves to sing while working 🙂 He is very approachable and is always willing to dress for all our crazy theme parties! We love when he brings his beautiful family to our company events.”

Please join us as we thank and honor our

May Employee of the Month Rigo Arenas!

Thank you for all the music and joy you and your family bring to

American Hat Makers!

hnh-watermark

 

Employee of the Month: Silvia Lobato

American Hat Makers is dedicated to honoring those who work with us – we know we wouldn’t be nearly as successful as we are without our team members.

Because each of our employees is so important to us we honor one employee each month. Even though we are a little tardy, please join us in celebrating our April Employee of the Month: Silvia Lobato!

unnamed (1)

Silvia has been working for American Hat Makers for 2 years.  She works in production sewing hat crowns and does fantastic, consistent, high-quality work.

Born in a small village in Michoacán, Mexico on September 30th (that makes her a Libra!) Silvia is married and has 4 children – 2 sons and 2 daughters. Her children have blessed her with 2 grandchildren who are the light of her life! (Well, other than working at American Hat Makers, of course!)

Silvia enjoys spending time at home, BBQing, watching movies, and enjoying time with her family. She told us two of her favorite things to do are eat – and sleep!

When asked what makes Silvia south an outstanding part of the American Hat Makers’ family, Hannah Watrous said, “She’s a team player, always willing to go the extra mile – whether it’s making flower bouquets or working Saturdays in a crunch time.  We are so grateful to have her!”

Great job Silvia! 

hnh-watermark