Nestled on the main drag of downtown Noble, Oklahoma, down from Tiffany’s breakfast spot and across from the Spurs and Lace boutique is a small shop where heritage is preserved through custom hat making. Schafer’s Hats, owned by Fred Schafer, produces custom, hand-made fine felt hats for men and women all over the country.
Fred Schafer’s word of mouth business has persevered through decades and served to create hats for well-known figures past and present, ranging from country music icons like Charlie Daniels, Travis Tritt, and Justin Moore, to entertainers like the bass player of Sublime Eric Wilson, the sons of the Allman brothers, and even both President Bushes.
Part of the store holds fine felts with extravagant decor, adorned with decorated snapping turtle heads that speak to the energy of the entertainers who wore them. Others, like the full beaver hats, appear as though they came off the head of one of the Cartwrights on the Ponderosa, and would undoubtedly withstand working cattle in rough country and sudden downpours. The latest hat awaiting pickup speaks to the Hollywood cowboy culture of the present, modeled after Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone look.
Schafer’s journey began as an apprentice under other makers before branching out on his own and has grown into a partnership with his wife, who creates ribbon hat bands reminiscent of the 1920’s to bind together the seamless look. His intention throughout the hat making process ensures an exact fit and a guarantee of a long life, as attested to by the fact that he has hats on display he created over 20 years ago that still look ready for wear. While his work speaks to the quality of his technique, he does not often elaborate, preferring each hat to speak for itself.
The high quality of his hat’s leads to lifelong customers and friendships, evident in the example of Charlie Daniels, who referred to Schafer as his “hat man” and commissioned numerous hats over the years for his new friends or his ranch hands as gifts. Schafer also utilizes each new connection as a ministry and places gospel tracts in his hat boxes for recipients to be reminded they are not alone on their journey.
Although Noble, OK may be a small town, Schafer’s hats find homes in every corner of the country and reflect the beauty of a handmade creation steeped in tradition. As Fred says, these are the hats that “make the world go western.”
