AFM: What is the most interesting hat you have created?
EW: The most recognizable pieces that I have created are the ones from ‘Godless’ because it was actually one of the largest western film budgets used in the last 25 years. It was a big, big deal. It had Jeff Daniels in it. They put a lot of money into that film. The film is broken down into a series, and if you were to binge watch it, it would take you like 12 hours to watch the whole thing through. I also do replica hats. I have done a few replica hats for this author that we work with, Michael F. Blake, who is also an actor and an Emmy-winning makeup artist. I made a couple hats for his book. When you open up the cover, it’s the hat he is pictured in where it’s talking about the author. I also made a replica of the Theodore Roosevelt hat. I also made a couple hats for Antwan Odem [a retired NFL defensive lineman for the Tennessee Titans]. He team ropes now, so I made a couple cowboy hats for him. We are also the official hat maker for the Arizona Quarter Horse Association, the Arizona Reining Horse Association and Arizona Cutting Horse Association. We are blessed to be busy and just want to keep getting busier and busier.
AFM: Since you have been so busy, who helps you?
EW: After I couldn’t handle it anymore, I brought in my uncle, which has been working for me now for a few years now. My wife, Emily, has been here for almost two years now full time. She’s very artistic too, so she does a lot of the fancy ribbon work on our Lady Watson collection. I taught her how to start the Panama hat making process, so she is getting really good at that. We have a couple other employees who help with hat restorations, but as for the custom hat-making side, as far as customer’s custom hats, it’s all family involved. So me, my uncle and my wife. It takes a really long time to learn all of this though. There are 64 steps for a custom, tailored hat from start to finish. Because we have multiple hat makers on staff, we have one of the best turnarounds in the country where people only have to wait about a week until we get that hat right out. If there is a hat emergency, then we get it back to them in 48 hours, which is kind of unheard of. We are here Monday to Saturday all day.
AFM: What are some of your favorite things to do in the Valley?
EW: Well, I do like to go hiking when the weather is nice. Emily and I are both commercial pilots so when we are able to rent an airplane we will go fly around the Valley, privately. We have flown up to the Grand Canyon and landed up there, out to the very west side of Arizona, like Bagdad. We have flown down to the Tucson area before. Just some local flying, it’s super fun. To eat, I love going to Indigo Crow and Brugos, which are right here in Stagecoach Village. Bryant’s Barbeque is really good barbecue and The Horny Toad. I love antiquing. I do go out and look for old hat-making equipment. I just have a fascination with the authentic way that hats were built on the original machinery.
Watson’s Hat Shop will be hosting another book signing with Michael F. Blake on May 17. For more information on the event, click here.
