Words Jo Barnes
Photos Tanya Murchie
There are no skates, sticks or a triplicate of goals. But with an abundance of orders, positive reviews, and even exposure in the movie industry, you could say this local milliner is pulling off a pretty good hat-trick.
Braeden Paterson, of Paterson Hat Company in North Saanich, crafts beautiful high quality classic western-style hats which are made from another iconic symbol of Canada: the beaver. Current orders for his hats are quickly accumulating and customers vary, including a few of note. “I focus on timeless western hats of heirloom quality,” shares Braeden. “I have almost 200 orders in the queue, so I’m busy. Tantoo Cardinal has one of my hats.” This well-known movie star, who appeared in Dances with Wolves and Killers of the Flower Moon, not only wears one of Braeden’s hats in her personal life, but has even worn them on camera.
Braeden’s hats are making their presence, no doubt about it, both in the United States and in Canada. In December, his hats were seen at Las Vegas’ National Finals Rodeo, one of the most prestigious rodeos in the world, and its accompanying gift show Cowboy Christmas. “It is one of the biggest country markets, with country music stars booked at local hotels. Competitors and attendees were wearing my hats,” says Braeden.
So, how did this former musician become a hat maker, you might ask? It was a gradual discovery. “One of the bands I was with moved to London, England. There were shoemakers and hatmakers there, and I realized you can make a quality product by hand. I had a conversation with a musician who said that he was going to Italy to do an apprenticeship in boot making. That’s when the wheels started turning for me,” shares Braeden.
He returned to Canada and through connections with friends, learned of Samantha Mainville, a milliner, otherwise known as a hatmaker. He began training with her, learning about both sewing and hat-making basics. Upon return to the West Coast, he began to make hats for sale. “I started with hats that you would wear on stage; hats you couldn’t always find,” he says. “They were fashionable-looking, but I wanted to do hats that looked classic and timeless and would last forever.”
The craft has meant learning two trades: felt making, a process whereby fur is dipped into hot water, shrunk, and rolled; and hat making. Braeden uses two kinds of felt – a pure beaver and a blend of beaver and rabbit. Sourcing the material is not always easy, but Braeden has been successful in finding a source in Tennessee. He talks about the benefits of beaver fur. “Beaver is breathable, keeps out the rain, provides warmth in the winter, and wicks out moisture in the summer. It’s amazing material.”
Initially, sizing is done. Braeden has a unique customer sizing kit, allowing him to properly attain the right dimensions of the customer’s head. From his inventory, he chooses an appropriate hat block and uses a crown iron to get the felt tight to the block. “I iron out the crown. If I feel it has inconsistencies, I have to level it out,” he notes. “The denser the felt, the better the quality of the hat.”
Using steam and his own hands, Braeden begins the important stage of shaping. “It’s very important to me,” he comments. “The slightest difference in shapes makes all the difference.”
The work requires expertise and dedication and takes time and patience. On average, a hat will take about 16 hours to complete. “A hatter’s job is to take the raw hat body and turn it into something that is dense, will hold its size and shape, and is extremely smooth,” relates Braeden. “There is a start, middle and end, and steps to follow. Hat making is all about the effort I put into it.”
In the final stage, the hats are lined with luxury leather sweat bands, edges are bound, and hat bands and other accessories added. Everything is done by hand and custom-made for each customer. The quality and expert craftsmanship is noticed by those who purchase his hats who repeatedly describe Braeden’s “sense of style”, “eye for detail”, and “mastery” of hat making.
Braeden’s success and the demand for his creations means he’s aware he may soon need to expand his business from the current one-man operation. But in the meantime, he’s engaged in the art of making hats that are not only high quality but individual works of art. “It’s a really interesting skill that I’ve learned to do,” he shares. “I want to be at the top level amongst hat makers.”
And so, a tip of the hat to this western Canadian milliner whose “goal” is making quality western hats from beaver down fur. Now, that’s something that “scores” well with his customers!
patersonhatcompany.com; Instagram @patersonhatco.
