Hats for American Heroes!

April 5, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

At American Hat Makers, we believe in giving back to our community. It is not only a core belief of ours, it is written into our mission statement:

At American Hat makers our mission is to produce distinctive hats while treating our customers and employees with compassion and integrity and bettering our community through service and philanthropy.

Recently, our American Hat Makers family has been asking ourselves:

“What can we do to make a difference in the lives of American service men and women?”

As part of our ongoing dedication to bettering our community, American Hat Makers is proud to announce a new initiative, Hats for American Heroes.

Decorated serviceman Audie Murphy

The purpose of Hats for American Heroes is to give back in the best way we can to those who have given – and continue to give – their all for us. We want to do anything and everything we can to the men and women in uniform – both active military and veterans.

U.S Air Force Veteran and founder of the Make-a-Wish foundation, Frank Shankwitz.

Did you know:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 21.8 million veterans of the U.S. armed forces as of 2014, and approximately 10 percent of them are women.
California has the highest number of veteran residents, with 2 million, followed by Texas and Florida, each with 1.6 million.
According to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, as many as 20 percent of troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2001 have come home and reported having PTSD.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that in 2013 there were 722,000 unemployed veterans.

To that end, through Hats for American Heroes, American Hat Makers will:

Donate hats to America’s heroes through community events and charitable giving opportunities.
Donate financially to reputable organizations that support our service members and veterans.
Offer employment opportunities to America’s military personnel and their families.

Hannah & Garth Watrous attending Master Chief Navy Seal Steve Viola 30 year retirement ceremony as a notable Navy Seal with several accolades.

We want to show support and gratitude for those on active duty, retired veterans, and the wounded, injured, or sick. We hope that our efforts will not only help our heroes, but also inspire others to volunteer, donate, and support the men and women who so selflessly put their lives on the line for our freedoms.

Please join us as we salute and give thanks to our American Heroes!

Written by Jessica Johnson for American Hat Makers

Why choose American Hat Makers?

March 27, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Are you looking to revitalize your sales with unique, high-quality products? For over 40 years, family owned American Hat Makers has offered superior quality and design across seven product lines. Our hats are proudly cut and sewn by hand in our 17,000 sq. foot facility in Watsonville, California, with attention down to the last detail. We stand confidently behind each and every item we make, and offer a lifetime guarantee on our entire line of products. At American Hat Makers our mission is to provide our customers with distinctive, one-of-a-kind, artisan hats cut and sewn by hand with the finest materials. Above and beyond the creation of superior products, we are dedicated to treating our customers, and employees with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to bettering our community through service, philanthropy, and open-hearted-ness.

American Hat Makers is currently in a period of hyper growth. We recently moved facilities, into a building 3x larger than our previous site. We want to take this opportunity to reach out and make new relationships with retail and wholesale partners, so that everyone may share and benefit from this growth.

All of our hats are assembled in house, allowing for a close eye to be kept on quality and consistency. We offer a lifetime guarantee on any product we manufacture, because they truly do last a lifetime. American Hat Makers offers an unconditional buyback program on any stock not sold, so there is no risk! If some of our hats do not sell, simply let us know and we will buy them back! With no dead inventory, there truly is no risk to buying American Hat Makers.

The world of American Hat Makers is far reaching. Our styles have been seen on the heads of countless celebrities and been featured in major motion pictures. This is a formal invitation for you to take the next leap that will push your business to the next level! We want to help you start selling a significant volume of the worlds highest quality hats with some of the highest margins anywhere!

Sizing Your Head: Find the Perfect Fit!

March 10, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Here at American Hat Makers, no head is too big! We offer a variety of sizes that guarantee we have a hat that will fit you. Finding the size that’s right for you is such an important part of getting a comfortable hat. Follow these directions and you’ll have an accurate measurement of the circumference of your head!

What you’ll need is a 3-foot length of ribbon or string, and a standard tape measure. First, take the length of ribbon and place it an 1/8 inch above your ear.

Next, bring the other end of the ribbon around your head until the two ends touch. Grab where the ribbon measurement ends, and get your tape measure.

Lastly, find a table where you can lay down the ribbon and measure the length. The length of the ribbon will tell you the circumference of your head, making it easier to narrow down a comfortable size!

That’s all there is to it!

Sun protection at it’s finest, SolAir Hats!

March 8, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Here at American Hat Makers we manufacture a line of hats for any occasion. Our SolAir Hats brand is our line of the finest quality sun hats available. Who doesn’t love spending time soaking up the sun? I don’t know about you, but I’m most at home with my feet in the sand and a good book to read. As important as it is to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, it’s more important to keep yourself protected from the suns harmful rays. SolAir Hats can help.

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. Over the past three decades, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have either basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma at least once. When you take these facts into account, it’s not difficult to see just how important it is to take care of your skin! Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is essential for safely enjoying the outdoors.

When you’re protecting yourself from the suns rays, not just any hat will do. You need one of the finest sun hats available. SolAir Hats have a UPF 50+ rating, guaranteeing that the suns harmful UV rays are blocked out. The crown of each SolAir Hat utilizes a durable, breathable mesh to give the hat breathability, insuring you stay cool. The waterproofed suede and top grain leather used in the brim and top of the hat repel rain, mist, and sea spray, allowing these hats to follow you anywhere!

The Extraordinary Doc Phineas!

March 6, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

We’d love to take some time to highlight one of our wonderful hat ambassadors! If the Steampunk world was personified into the body and soul of a single person, that person would be Doc Phineas! There’s hardly a more distinct character than he.

Doc Phineas has an intriguing story for any day of the week! In fact, he’s probably runner-up for Most Interesting Man in the World! Doc is a seasoned world traveler, with experiences in 92 countries around the globe. He is a veteran actor who has starred in 15 Hollywood motion pictures. During his college years in the SF Bay Area he wrote, scored and produced 18 Broadway style shows which were produced at the Grace Church in San Jose, CA where he was Youth Minister. On top of this, he has produced 3 musical CD’s, authored 5 books, and has been teaching for over 45 years.

It seems that since birth, even, Doc Phineas has had an affinity for artistic performance. At the age of 3, he went into full on dance lessons, tap, ballet, gymnastics, singing, violin, piano, and drum lessons. Every weekend his mother took him to do fancy dancing at Buffalo ranch in Akron, Oklahoma. From ages 5 to 8 he appeared as a regular tap dancer on the Pinky Lee Show on television, with appearances on Howdy Doody, the Mickey Mouse Club. He even made guest appearances on The Lone Ranger, Jungle Jim. As he got older his piano skills really developed and he could play old fashioned rinky tink piano tunes. As a young teenager he was dressed up in a bowler and spatz and even a fake moustache, knocking out the tunes at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City, Kansas where they filmed Gunsmoke. Doc Phineas claims that he adopted the style known as Steampunk as early as the 1950’s!

He soon landed a full scholarship to attend UC Berkeley and relocated to San Francisco, where he worked 3 jobs and produced broadway style shows for the children at a local church, where he was a youth minister. When he completed his BA degree he got a scholarship to study in India. He then headed off to India where he studied yoga under the tutelage of the great Indian saint Sri Anandamayi Ma. He completed his MCE at Madras University, and headed back to Berkeley to continue work on his Ph.D. He was very thin being 6 ft tall and when he returned from India he weighed only 105 lbs as he had gone through famine there. When he was walking in San Francisco one day in long flowing Indian clothing, the fashion diva Sabina saw him and signed him into her agency as a male model. He became a celebrated male model working for House of Dior in Paris and the house model of I Magnin in San Francisco appearing in GQ magazine and on fashion runways all over the world.

His cousin was on her way to Hollywood to appear on Police Woman and St. Elsewhere so she took him to Hollywood and he ended up with parts on Young and Restless, and was featured in OOKid, Alexa, Out For Blood, Oakbay, Ardvarks, and Batman Forever. He was also working as a set designer and consequently ended up doing designing for Bette Davis, Doris Day, Barbara Streisand, and Michael Jackson for their homes. One night at a party for Wolfgang Puck, he met Tony Curtis. They became such great friends, Tony invited Doc to be on his production team and he worked with him on the last films of his life. He always plays characters that are like Steampunks and old characters in a Western city; the piano player in a bar, the old shop keeper in a western town. Tony asked Doc to move to Las Vegas so they could keep working together . In the year 2000 he had finished his Ph.D. at London University, Shefferton College, so he continued working in productions and teaching in the Las Vegas area. As a member of the Single Action Shooting Society he continued to work on Old Time Movies out at Bonnie Springs Ranch and Calico Ghost Town. Five years ago, he noticed the transformation of some of his students at UNLV to Victorian clothes, top hats, monocles and goggles. He told them he had been wearing that attire since he was a boy. They begged him to sponsor the Steampunk Group at UNLV they told him they couldn’t find one faculty member to back them up, that people laughed at them and they weren’t really welcome at Renaissance Faire…they loved this genre of fiction but they felt sad and alone. He decided it was time to resurrect Dr. Phineas, a character he had once played.

He was named President of the Steampunk Guild and they got organized so that they could have meetings, learn more about garb, enjoy tea and conversation with eachother, work on wonderful inventions, and travel to archeological sites and digs all over the world including Valley of the Kings in Egypt! Without Doc Phineas’ drive and dedication to the fashion subgenre, who knows where the world of Steampunk would be!

American Hero: Frank Shankwitz

March 3, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

It’s not too often that we’re graced with the opportunity to meet a true American hero. Around 8 years ago, while attending the Secret Knock seminar, we at American Hat Makers had the opportunity to receive invaluable advice from the one and only Frank Shankwitz. As one of the founders of the Make-a-Wish foundation, Frank has dedicated the majority of his life to impacting the lives of terminally ill children through his selfless acts.

Raised in northern Arizona, Frank graduated from Prescott High School in 1961. Frank graduated from Phoenix College in 1970, with continuing education at Arizona Western College and Arizona State University.

Following high school, Frank enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, was stationed in England, and received an Honorable Discharge in 1965. Upon returning home, Frank was employed by Motorola, Inc. for seven years. In 1972, Frank started his career with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, assigned to the Arizona Highway Patrol as a car officer assigned to Yuma, Arizona where Frank’s interest in working with children began as a coach for the Special Olympics program.

frankandchrismotorcycle

In 1975, Frank was transferred to the Phoenix area to be part of a new 10-man Motorcycle Tactical Unit designed for work throughout the state. For the next 10 years, whenever assigned to small towns, Frank would visit local grade schools and talk about bicycle safety and let the children sit on his motorcycle.

frank_and_chris_275x444-ashx

Frank was one of the primary officers from the Arizona Highway Patrol who was responsible for granting the “wish” of a 7-year old boy with leukemia, who wanted to be a Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer like his heroes, Ponch and John from the television show, “CHiPs”. Chris was made the first and only Honorary Arizona Highway Patrol Officer in the history of the Arizona Highway Patrol, complete with a custom made uniform, badge, and Motor Officer Wings.

chrishelmet

Chris succumbed to his illness a few day after receiving his “wish”, and was buried with full police honors in Illinois, with Frank leading the police funeral procession. Chris was the inspiration for Frank’s idea to start a non-profit foundation that would let children ‘make a wish‘ and have it come true.

linda_and_chris_425x444

Officers Frank Shankwitz and Scott Stahl flew back to Illinois for the funeral, where Chris was given the ceremony of a fellow fallen officer. From the time the two officers landed in Chicago to when they left again, word spread of their story, and they were amazed at how strangers were affected by it. They talked on the flight home of making this the beginning of something wonderful for children. Meanwhile in Phoenix, similar discussions were taking place. At an officer’s retirement party, Shankwitz talked to Kathy McMorris, the wife of a DPS officer, about creating a wish-granting organization.That summer, a group of working-class DPS officers, friends and family gather. That meeting marked the beginning of Make-A-Wish. The first donation is $15, given to Shankwitz by a grocery store manager. In November of 1980 the group receives its tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization. By the following spring the group has raised $2000 and can grant its first official wish. Today, the organization grants wishes through its 61 chapters located throughout the US. Make-A-Wish also operates in 45 other countries around the world through 38 affiliate offices.

chrisuniform

Frank retired as a Homicide Detective from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, returned as a sworn Reserve Detective assigned to the Prescott Police Department Cold Case Homicide Unit, and is the current secretary/member with the Yavapai County Mounted Sheriff’s Posse. Frank has 42 years of service in law enforcement.

frankgrouppic2

Coming soon, a film centering around Frank’s life will be released. “Wish Man” covers Frank’s young life, the incidents and people who helped develop his character, and his adventures during his law enforcement career, including being killed in the line of duty and being brought back to life. And, finally, it portrays his realization of what his mission in life was when he met Chris, the little boy who inspired Frank’s idea to create the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

frankgrouppic Greg Reid, Dave Corbin, Frank Shankwitz, and Garth Watrous at the U.N. Greg was the recipient of the coveted “Excellence in Leadership and Empowerment” award.

Actor Clarissa Burt and Philanthropy Frank exchange their iconic hat styles.

Having the rare opportunity to meet with someone so passionate about helping others is truly inspiring. Frank’s actions have guaranteed that sick children worldwide have the chance to experience life’s immense joys, and have truly solidified his reputation as an American hero.

GBK Celebrity Gifting Suite Oscars!

March 2, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Who watched the Oscar’s this weekend? We love seeing so many talented individuals in one place! Before the ceremonies started, we had the chance to attend the GBK Pre-Oscars Gifting Suite! We met a ton of new and interesting people there, and had the chance to reconnect with some of our old friends! This time, the event was held in a gorgeous Beverly Hills home!

While we were there, we got to check in with our friend Viola Davis. After the event, she went on to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “Fences”! By winning this Oscar, she has become the 23rd member of the “Acting Triple Crown” club, by winning an Emmy, Tony, and an Oscar over the course of her career.

Every time we have the opportunity to attend one of these events, we’re reminded of why we do what we do! Sharing all the hat styles we’re so passionate about with people that have equal drive and creativity is an ultimately fulfilling experience. Here are some more of the hot celebrities we got to meet with!

Abigail Pniowsky from Arrival in a Cyclone.

Angell Conwell from Baby Boy in a Summit.

Aldis Hodge from Hidden Figures in a Trilby.

Asia Monet Ray from Dance Moms loved the Wisdom!

Brett Dier from Jane the Virgin and Haley Lu Richardson from the Edge of Seventeen in a Draco and a Cyclone.

Caroline Waterlow from O.J: Made in America in a Summit.

Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa from Kubo and the Two Strings in a Trilby.

Youtube Star Christian Collins in a Trilby.

The Collins brothers finding the right hat for them!

Kurt Krause from Hidden Figures in the Wisdom!

Cullen Moss from Dear John in a Soho.

David Mackenzie from Hell or High Water in an El Dorado.

Doris Morgado from Hall Pass in a Trilby

Doc Rivers, coach of the LA Clippers in a Soho.

Dylan Tarason from The Place Beyond the Pines in a Soho.

Elizabeth Daily from Rugrats in a Cyclone.

Yauni rocking a Summit!

Ezra Edelman, director of O.J: Made in America was stuck between styles!

Haley Lu Richardson from Edge of Seventeen in a Crusher.

Howard Barish from 13th in a Crusher.

Juanjo Gimenez director of Timecode in a Soho.

Vine Star Jessica Vanessa in a Summit

Producer Julie Goldman in a Trilby.

Karina Smirnoff from Dancing with the Stars in a Draco.

Kim Magnusson from Helium in a Cyclone.

Laura Slade Wiggins from Rings in a Draco.

Leslie, from American Hat Makers: The Motion Picture.

Leslie and Yauni trying to contain their excitement.

Leslie and Brett Dier.

Linda Park from Jurassic Park III in a Summit.

Lotte Verbeek from The Fault in Our Stars in a Summit.

Mark O’Brien from Arrival in a Summit.

Marci Miller from American Fable in a Summit.

Marsai Martin from Black-ish in the Feedback.

Social Media Star Miss Julia Kelly in a Trilby.

Miles Brown from Black-ish in a Trilby.

Menik Gooneratne from Lion in a Summit.

Steven Bauer from Scarface in a Summit.

Jazmyn Simon from Ballers in a Trilby.

Eric Heisserer from Arrival in a Crusher.

Tommy Chong from Cheech and Chong in a Trilby.

Thomas Barbusca from Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life in a Trilby.

Tehmina Sunny from Argo in a Summit.

Shannon Lanier, host of Arise TV 360 in a Wisdom.

Stephen Kramer Glickman from Big Time Rush in a Cyclone.

Tara Pease in a Draco.

Sam Trammell from True Blood can’t decide what to try on!

Ruth Connell from Supernatural in a Trilby.

Russell Hornsby from Fences in a Summit.

Roger Ross Williams from Life, Animated in a Summit.

Richard Kind from Spin City in a Summit.

Priyanka Bose from Lion in an El Dorado.

Kristof Deak from Sing in a Soho.

All in all, we had a fantastic time at the Pre-Oscars Gifting Suite! Stay tuned for more events like this one, and check out our social media for all the latest as to what’s going on at American Hat Makers.

WESA was amazing!

February 24, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

This year’s WESA show was the best yet! For those that don’t know, the Western-English Sales Association is a trade show dealing with thousands of represented product lines and retailers . The WESA founders launched an initial trade show in Denver in January 1922, with the goal of creating a forum where retailers, manufacturers, and sales representatives could conduct business in an atmosphere of fair trade and fellowship. The resulting Denver International Western/English Apparel & Equipment Markets are the world’s largest trade events for the Equestrian Industry, attracting a constantly growing global audience to Denver’s world-class Markets.

We’ve been attending WESA’s awesome events since the 1980’s. This year, however, was something for the record books! Shortly before the show started, we caught word that the truck we had packed to the brim with all of our show supplies had been totaled in an accident and wouldn’t be making it’s delivery. This meant we would be left without a booth, and without any hats to show! At the last minute, we packed up all the hats we could, and hand carried fourteen boxes onto a plane bound for Denver.

When we arrived at the WESA show and let the staff know what a dire situation we were in, they immediately took us under their wing and turned the whole thing around. They provided us with all the parts necessary to build a booth, and even pointed us in the direction of a retailer that provided us with the exact shelving units we needed to display our hats! After an amazing show of meeting with new customers and reconnecting with old ones, we even won an award for Best Booth! We at American Hat Makers would like to extend a huge thank you to all the astonishing men and women at WESA for turning what could have been a disaster into a positive experience! Without your help, we would not have been able to have the rewarding and fulfilling experience we walked away from this year. We’re all looking forward to next year!

Business Highlight: Chapel Hats

February 22, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Chapel Hats is a nationwide chain of high-end hat stores that is dedicated to providing a fun environment in which the consumer can find a hat that’s perfect for them. Every Chapel Hats store has a story to tell. An interesting fact about Chapel Hats is that they partner with architectural salvage companies to reclaim wood and iron to build the shelves, tables and cash counters used in their stores. Each store is built on history with the use of old pieces, and salvage from old shops, factories, schools, pubs, churches, etc. When you step foot in any of their shops you will be taken to a different time period!

Chapel’s Chinook location.

We first got involved with Chapel Hats 6 years ago at a Las Vegas trade show. John Mckernan, owner and founder of Chapel Hats, came into our booth and remarked at how much he loved our Steampunk Hatter line. We instantly hit it off! John is honest, open, and willing to try new things, which is one of the core values we employ here at American Hat Makers. John is a knowledgeable buyer who is dedicated to the organic growth of his company and isn’t in a rush when it comes to the way he runs his business. The values he employs in his company insures that he does not get too big too fast and lose touch with his clientele.

John is well known among hat enthusiasts for the impact his chain of shops has had on the hat world. By making high end, high quality hats more widely available to the public, a resurgence of hat styles has been started. Each location has a wide variety of styles in order to cater to a larger demographic. Chapel hats has a reputation for stocking new and cutting edge styles that keep them ahead of the curve when it comes to fashion.

Working with such dedicated people, such as those at Chapel Hats, is always so rewarding. Our shared interest in hats and hat-making has really made Chapel Hats a part of the American Hat Makers family. Sharing such similar company values and culture has made Chapel Hats a pleasure to partner with! If you’re ever around one of their amazing locations go check them out! The vintage appeal of their stores is only surpassed by the many fashionable hat styles they carry!

The amazingly talented Lindsey Stirling!

February 20, 2017American Hat Makers Leave a comment

Lindsey Stirling is an American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer.

She presents choreographed violin performances, both live and in music videos found on her YouTube channel, which she created in 2007. Stirling performs a variety of music styles, from classical to pop and rock to electronic dance music. Aside from original work, her discography contains covers of songs by other musicians and various soundtracks. Her music video, “Crystallize” finished as the eighth-most watched video of 2012, and her cover version of “Radioactive” with Pentatonix won Response of the Year in the first Youtube Music Awards in 2013. Stirling achieved one million singles sold worldwide by August 2014. As of July 2016, her Lindseystomp YouTube channel exceeded 8 million subscribers and over a billion total views. Stirling has been named in Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 In Music: The Class Of 2015. Forbes notes her quarter-finalist position on America’s Got Talent in 2010, a No. 2 position on the Billboard 200 for her second album Shatter Me in 2014, and her 8 million subscribers on YouTube. Stirling’s debut album was a commercial success in Europe, selling 200,000 copies in Germany, winning a platinum certification; three additional certifications were given by Austria, Switzerland and Poland. The debut album was nominated for the 2014 Billboard Music Awards for Top Dance/ Electronic album. Stirling’s second album Shatter Me won the 2015 Billboard Music Awards for Top Dance/Electronic Album. Check out this awesome video, Roundtable Rival, to see just how talented Lindsey is!

Her dancers are always so coordinated and alluring! It’s always such a pleasure watching one of Lindsey’s videos. She’s so obviously passionate about what she does, seeing someone create something so beautiful and genuine is so inspiring!

Lindsey and the Roundtable Rival dancers. The top hat on the left is a Trinket!

Stirling describes her childhood as being raised in a modest household and stated “I would not trade my humble childhood years for anything else. Due to her family’s financial limitations, her parents could only afford to find a violin teacher who would give her half lessons. Told by instructors that “a child isn’t going to learn how to play in 15 minutes a week”, her parents persisted, and at the age of five she began taking violin lessons. You can see where this led!

Lindsey with the Master of Tides dancers. The hats pictured here are the Pipefitter, Kraken, and Trinket!

Nowadays, Lindsey is recording amazing music and stunning crowds with performance pieces like “Master of Tides”. Lindsey partnered with UE Boom to create a live, spontaneous performance piece in a crowded plaza and filmed it with hidden cameras! Check out this one-of-a-kind performance!

Whenever we get the chance to partner with such a unique, creative-minded individual such as Lindsey, we’re reminded of why we do what we do! At American Hat Makers, we strive to create masterful pieces of art, so that artists like Lindsey can achieve their vision and continue to fill the world with captivating and genuine art!

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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