by Cyndi Rowat
When Russian immigrant Morris Shumiatcher pioneered the Smithbilt Hat Company in Calgary in 1919 little could he have known what the world would be like in 2007.
In those early days, hats were something people needed to keep the sun off their brow and the rain off their head. Today, the cowboy hat is a symbol that affirms a tradition, a style, and a way of life.
With those confirmations of Western style and tradition etched so firmly into the heritage of this near century-old company, it spoke firmly to five Albertans who believed that the company should not just survive the “New West,” but thrive in it.
With a background in marketing and business development including 17 years with Prudential Steel and several years consulting in the legal industry, Bryce Nimmo was brought on board in 2005 as a consultant for the, then struggling, company and thought to himself, why not buy it?
Nimmo at the time was on the Calgary Stampede rodeo committee, which he now chairs. “We were wearing hats all the time,” says Nimmo. “It was a perfect fit.”
Joining him in the venture were rodeo committee members and businessmen Brian Hanson and Byron Hussey along with silent partners Cam Clark and Darol Hamilton. The five frontiersmen were determined to put the luster back on the Smithbilt brand and purchased it in January 2006.
Nimmo (President), Hanson (V.P.) and Hussey (V.P.) manage the day-to-day business of manufacturing hats. The company employs three to ten other individuals depending upon the time of the year with June and July the busiest months.
Hanson was already working for Smithbilt hats for a year when he bought in. Born from a ranching family, it was the history and tradition that attracted him.
At the time, Smithbilt was leasing the same building Shumiatcher had owned since it was built in 1947. “It was pretty tired, although, it had a lot of character,” explains Hussey of the building, which was sold by the Shumiatcher family in 2005. “But the move gave us an opportunity to present ourselves in a better retail environment and lay out our factory more efficiently.”
“The major criteria,” assessed Hussey, “was somewhere close to Stampede Park.” The factory boasts an inviting showroom and a wall of fame accents the decor featuring photos of movie stars, athletes and politicians wearing Smithbilt hats.
The hats are available in 2x and 3x wool felt; 5-7x fur (European hare); 10x, 20x and 30x that ensure a 50 per cent beaver and 50 per cent fur blend; and 50x and 100x consisting of pure beaver felt.
While the industry lacks continuity in determination of the “x” and is a measurement that not all retailers and manufacturers are able or willing to divulge, Smithbilt eagerly educates their customers. “We know what goes into each hat because we make them.”
Theie beaver and beaver-blend hats represent the high-end of the industry. The importance of the beaver percentage pertains to the durability of the hat to maintain its shape. It has superior feel, comfort, rain resistance, shape retention and durability.
Beaver felt wears better because the hairs have a hook on them allowing the fibres to knit together firmly and stay that way.
“A lot of people come in looking for a hat and may want to spend $200 to $300, but wear their hat all the time. Nine out of ten of them will leave with a 50 per cent or 100 per cent beaver hat,” claims Hussey.
The main advances made in hat manufacturing since Shumiatcher’s day is in the finishing of the high-end hats… and the price.
“We had a hat brought in for restoration. The customer still had the original box with the price tag still on the box. It was her grandfather’s hat and she brought it in to be re-shaped,” recounts Hussey. “The price on its original tag was about $6. Today, it would probably be a $170 hat.
“Our goal is to keep Smithbilt a legend and maintain the tradition in how the hats were made. The Smithbilt advantage is that you can build it exactly the way you want to, to suit your own individual personality,” says Hussey.
The company imports hat bodies from Winchester, Tennessee, and from there, takes the time and care to manufacture each hat by hand using presses and tools that are nearly a century old. In fact, the shop resembles a working museum.
Fashion and style have influenced the evolution of hat making, but the most popular style is still the cattlemans’ crease and black is still the number one colour, says Hussey.
“But we’ve noticed the pecan and chocolate are becoming more popular. I think that swings with the Western fashion colours of the time.”
Smithbilt has endured humble beginnings, the depression, and the Second World War. Its celebrated decision to create a white cowboy hat in 1946 snowballed to become the official hat of Calgary and has been presented to dignitaries from around the world.
Today, Smithbilt offers a unique blend of history and tradition in each hat along with a good measure of modern quality and style. This legend lives on in the New West thanks to the fortitude of five Alberta businessmen.
