Hat Making: A REAL CUSTOM HAT

Texas Hatters still uses the same basic methods of hat making that Marvin, Sr. learned as an apprentice hatter back in the 1920’s. We buy unfinished blanks from a felter and then, all of the finishing is done by hand right here in our little shop in Buda. The blanks look something like Jed Clampett’s hat, only without the holes.

After we measure a customer’s head, we discuss their choice of color, style and trim. Each blank is chosen according to the customer’s choices, and begins a long, hands-on process. Though the process is only three generations old for our family, most of the methods are centuries old.

Each blank is steamed until soft and stretched over a wooden block appropriate for the style chosen and size of the customer’s head. Once tied on, the blank is wetted and ironed for several minutes. Instead of slicking the fur down with mercury like the hatters of old (this is where the term, ‘mad as a hatter’ came from. The mercury poisoned them and made them insane.), it’s given a hair cut with sand paper. The sanding and then ragging give the blank an almost polished look. This is especially so with the pure beaver. The same basic steps are used for the brim, only the wooden form is called a flange.

After the blocking and flanging, we cut the genuine leather sweatbands to size and sew them in by hand. The satin lining and the ribbon trim is sewn by hand as well, although we do have a special sewing machine for putting on ribbon bindings.

We also make several styles of custom hat bands; rattlesnake skin, leather and silver conchos, bone pipe beads, etc. and one type available only through Texas Hatters. That style is the shotgun shell band, an idea invented by Manny, using the end caps of 10 gauges, 12 gauges and various other shotgun shells as conchos.

Another unique band is a hand woven band made by our close friend, Ruffin. She makes woven bands of fine wool, cotton or silk threads. She has many designs like; the shape of Texas, longhorns, thunderbirds and many geometric styles. She also makes many other hand woven articles in her shop, located next door to ours.

After all the trim, fancy or plain, each hat is then hand creased to the customer’s specifications. Of course, this whole thing with mail order, and now e-mail ordering makes things a little more complicated at times, but the whole custom treatment still goes into each and every hat made here. Like Manny said, over thirty years ago, “As modern as yesterday, with tomorrow’s ideas.” I believe he meant the blending of traditional methods of making the hats, with modern methods of selling them.