Bill has a background in art; He
studied art in Berkeley as a painter and
sculptor. Even while in the Air Force he
escaped the drudgerous duties by doing
artwork for the squadron commanders at
every base assignment.
Born in 1948 he grew up watching
great "Hat Movies" as he puts it. "The
best movies used the right hat to create
or distinguish a character" Bill learned to
appreciate that the right hat helps to
frame the face and become and integral
part of ones appearance and image. Bill
recognized that the form and look of a hat could affect the personality
projected to a great extent; An actor could be made to look serious, and
Intelligent, foolish, or rustic and downhome, etc.
Bill got started in retail in 1974 after 4 years in the air force. The original
store was all imports but included some Latin American Ethnic hats. Over the
next few years the store changed over to mostly outdoor clothing and more
hats, including western hats. Never one to leave things alone he began to
customize his own hats that he would wear in the store. As it turned out
customers literally bought the hats off his head. Soon he began spending
most of his time blocking hats. "Knudsen Hat Company" was started in 1981
as an adjunct to the outerwear at the Fisherman's Wharf store. The store
was re-modeled and changed over to all hats in 1985. Hats had become
Bill's art form. By then he usually spent all day forming custom hats.
"Golden Gate Western Wear" opened at fisherman's wharf in 1989 four
blocks from the "Knudsen Hat Co." store. The hat store was eventually
closed and consolidated to the western store, which was much larger.
"Golden Gate Western Wear" is no longer in San Francisco. We have
two larger locations in the East Bay. We miss San Francisco for the friends
we made from around the world and many celebrities that came into the
stores. But business in San Francisco is problematic, we're happy to be out
of there.
~Suggestion~ Don't get Bill started talking about San Francisco, he'll
go on and on about how it has gone to hell.
Bill has made hats under the "Knudsen Hat Co." label since 1981. Bill
hand formed early style cowboy hats and made what has become one of the
most popular vintage styles, the "Gus Crease". We always called it the "Bull
Rider", and others called it the "Montana Crease". But Robert Duvall
reintroduced it to the world in "Lonesome Dove" with his likable character
Gus Mcrae. We have made them for many years and there are many
variations.
Bill wanted a Pale Rider hat for himself, but the only way was to make his
own tools and equipment. The Pale Rider hat has become our most
distinctive, the Pale Rider hats you've seen in "Shoot" and "Guns of the Old
West" magazines were ours. In fact our hat customers are often
photographed for the pages of "Cowboy Chronicle", "American Cowboy",
"True West", etc. Knudsen formed hats are distinctive in the amount of
sculpture in the style.
~"Ya need to Getcha one"~
