I Needed a Hat ...
Why 'Boat Hat' ?
This style hat - in the short time it has been around, has become an icon of the Southern California Ocean Lifestyle. Surfer, bodysurfers, sailors, lobsters divers, SEALs - all seek out the Boat Hat. My 2nd favorite kind of shoe is the Boat Shoe (Locals Slippers are of course my 1st) - LocalHat.com was not available - so, naturally, Boat Hat came into fruition.
Style & Quality
Designed by Dougie Mann, owner of URT, an ocean lifestyle brand from Coronado, Ca. He was inspired by parachord - his dad, a former UDT (Underwater Demolition Team) member, always had it handy.
"I remember being allowed to cut the line as a young kid - I used the Kabar that my dad gave me in 1st grade to cut the parachute line. He worked for the Chart House restaurants, and his company car was a Ford Van - We would drive the van down to Mexico to camp, where we could freely surf, fish, and do bitchin guy stuff - if there were no matches, he taught me that the cigarette lighter was the next best solution to burn the ends of the parachute line."
Reading and recalling this, I appreciate the trust my dad gave me all those years. In the name of safety, fathers and society tend to not trust their sons. My dad always had faith that I would ultimately make the right decision, and that despite the risks posed, I would be a stronger person because of it. Give a kid a Kabar, and he will cut or be cut. He trusted that I would not be overcome by the risk.
Because of this trust, I challenged myself one day to come up with a bitchin hat solution - this was it. It fits any size head - and if put on properly, it will stay on even at top speed crossing the to Catalina Channel.
Canvas Patches
Canvas patches are not readily available - so troubleshooting this was quite a task. We make them where I currently live, on Balboa Island, and we will soon offer blank patches for those of you who wish to try their hand at it.
The goal here is to team up with a lot of cool artist friends that we have as well - so look forward to seeing some pretty impressive and unusual work that will be displayed here.
Another goal is to keep everything outrageously simple - as a result we will have product begin to emerge, however it will emerge slowly and only with very significant meaning.
Hat Construction
I wanted a hat the not only would stand the test of time, and get better with age - but one that was made in the USA, and not just made in the USA, but made with PRIDE in the USA - and not just for marketing purposes - Boat Hat is made by Knickerbocker, Mfg.
Knickerbocker Mfg - is a bunch of bitchin people who bought a 165 year old hat factory in Brooklyn, and now turn out the most classically well made hats ever. They are putting it all on the line, and putting their money where their mouth is. This kind of thought and risk is what has made the country strong.