SunBody Hats

Luckenbach Legend Tony Wilson knows how to SunBody!

There's something unique about Luckenbach, Texas. This Texas hill country town is known for its laid back style and true cowboy ways. The town motto rings true-"Everybody's somebody in Luckenbach"-especially when your name is Tony Wilson.

Tony Wilson owns and operates Snail Creek Hat Company in the heart of Luckenbach. He is a great friend to SunBody Hats, our number one customer, and we'd love to share his story with all of you.

The History Of Snail Creek Hat Co.
    Tony Wilson's interest in hats started at a young age and, by the time he was a junior in high school, he traded his first hat. (A green felt fedora in exchange for a silverbelly with a gus crease-his favorite crease to this day!) Tony's fascination with hats grew over the years and he soon discovered Luckenbach-a sleepy little town that would some day change his life forever.

    Tony used to hitchhike or walk a long way from the small town he called home (Boerne) to Luckenbach, about 30 miles total. He became quite the regular, spending time with Luckenbach greats such as Hondo Crouch, a rancher and folklorist. An ad in the paper offering "town — pop. 3 — for sale" led Hondo to buy Luckenbach for $30,000 in 1970. Tony even wrote a column for his high school paper retelling Hondo's adventures and sharing news about the sleepy town. He also became involved in reenactments of the fur trade era and developed an eye for antiques. His retail endeavors led him to an annual booth at the Kerrville Folk Festival and other events in Luckenbach. 

      Tony, his wife, Cassey and her mother, Donna, traveled down to Guatemala on the prowl for antique glass beads. What they wound up finding would soon become synonymous with the name "Tony Wilson." Tony found 5" brim palm hats, a rareity in the states. Most hats back then were shorter brimmed. He trusted his instinct and purchased the entire supply. The hats were a huge hit and sold out at his next event!

    Tony then secured Pueblo To People as his manufacturer and importer before they quit operating in 1997. At that time, Jimmy Pryor started a for-profit offspring, SunBody Hats. Jimmy and Tony already had a working relationship so Tony began buying the hats from SunBody. He soon helped SunBody popularize the 5" brim hats as well as the palm leaf ball cap and top hat. 

    After a few years of traveling around the United States selling hats and hatbands, Luckenbach offered Tony a brick and mortar shop  at the banks of Snail Creek. This was the birth of Snail Creek Hat Company.

    For over 10 years now, Tony Wilson has been selling hats, hatbands and accessories in his cozy and charming shop in Luckenbach alongside his wife, Cassey, and friend, Boo Dale. 

    Tony purchases mostly unshaped Guatemalan hats, which he shapes and trims with his own custom styling. He has become quite skilled in his trade and folks travel from far and wide, not just to buy a hat, but to take in the personalized care and experience that Tony offers. 

    Tony also supplies us with all of our beer bottle caps that go on the Last Call and Last Call Light! Tony also hand-makes our Old West leather hatbands, seen on some of our most popular hats, including the Oak Elko.

    If you find yourself deep in the heart of Texas, be sure to make a pit stop at Snail Creek Hat Company, shake Tony's hand and have a look around. 

Hat Diplomacy - SunBody in Spain

We just received these pictures of an international event held at the U.S. Embassy in Spain with representatives from around the globe.  We expressed several hundred SunBody hats to them in September just in time for the event.

 

Houston Mayor Sports a SunBody in the Art Car Parade

Houston Mayor Annise Parker was wearing a 4" Brim Fedora in Houston's annual Art Car Parade yesterday (May 22, 2011) in the very first car of the parade!  Now that's a politician with taste!

Many other SunBody hats were seen being proudly worn by parade participants and spectators alike.

 

Letter From Bernice Ende, Long Rider

May 10, 2010

Dear Jimmy,

As I unwrapped the new SunBody hat from the box I could not help but smile and think, "It's too nice; it's too pretty." My old hat of what, 4,000 miles, hangs from Tucker's saddle, dozens of stories woven into the palm le af hat like an old woman's face aged with character.

It is impossible to for me to throw them away.  I have three others waiting back home in Montana from previous rides. They are the hats of a long rider, a necessity for what I do and an intimate part of my life that rides atop like a protective crown.

I dislike parting with the old worn one.  Yes, it has a hole in the crown. Yes, the edges are tattered and frayed.  It is dirty, colored, stiff, bent and holds the trials and tribulations of a 4,000 mile distance woven intricately between the stitches.

I wish I could read the name of the person who personally handcrafted last year's hat, but I can no longer read the tag. But to "Joaquin Alvarado", whose name is written on the new tag, who rides with me as surely as he made the hat, I extend a hearty "Thank you!"  I will see his name and wear the hat then another year, or longer perhaps. To his hands that wove the sturdy, beautiful hat, and to you, Mr. Pryor, for making SunBody Hats possible, a hearty thank you.  

Sincerely,

Bernice Ende 

   

Long Rider in Texas - Sad News

Bernice Ende, who is riding a horse from Washington state to Texas to New England is now in Central Texas. I received the sad news from her today that her gray mare, Honor, broke her leg while in Wimberly, TX and had to be put down. She had traveled more than 13,000 miles with Honor.

But Long Rider that she is, Bernice will continue her ride on her remaining horse, Essie, leaving from Yoakum, Texas mid next week. Be sure to check out her website: Endeofthetrail.com

We're very pleased to be a part of her trip - by supplying her SunBody hats.  And I am very inspired by her, too.

Here are a few pictures...

Submitted by Jimmy Pryor, SunBody Hats

"My Hats Make Your Head Feel Good" says Don Livingston

Don Livingston of Longhorn Hatters in San Antonio sent us this beautiful picture and had this to say:

Ryleigh Milhorn - "A LITTLE WRANGLER " in her Palm Leaf    As a Custom Hat Designer I find that most people have never worn hats. I found that in order to get one on their head, it has to be fun and unique experience.

As an incentive, every person who buys one of my hats whether it be a Palm Leaf or felt - no matter what age, ethnic background,  or profession, is made to feel special, like a star.

Their heads are measured, a picture is taken, they get Honorary Texan, Yellow Rose of Texas, or Little Wrangler Certificate, information about how the hat was made, important facts about hats and a ‘Texas Tall Tale,’ featuring the hat they purchased, plus a WANTED POSTER. All of this is personally mailed to customers with a Thank You letter, as well as a thank you via Email.

Living up to the slogan: 'My hats make your head feel good’ takes a little work', but it’s worth it."

Don Livingston
LONGHORN HATTERS
- San Antonio, Texas
"My hats make your head feel good"

 

This Long-Rider Know A Good Hat When She Sees It!

This year we are VERY happy to be sponsoring Ms. Bernice Ende who is a Long Trail Rider.  She is about to head out for a 2-1/2 year trek across our great country.  Bernice has worn her SunBody Hat for YEARS, in fact we are very excited to see that in almost all of her pictures she is wearing our 6" low crown gus! 

Please take a moment to take a look at Bernice's website.  She has a wonderful story, and it's very much worth the read.  Who knows, maybe she'll be heading though your neck of the woods and you can wish her well.

You can find Bernice's website at:  http://www.endeofthetrail.com

Bernice had this to say about our hats:

"Where did you get that hat?"

It's one of the most frequently asked questions I hear.

Understandably so, as the Sunbody Hats are indeed striking.  I wear a 6-inch Gus with a low crown and a stampede string.  It is one of the many Classic Old West hats that Sunbody offers.  My 6-inch Gus offers much needed protection from the sun, holds up to relentless wind, keeps the rain off my back and shoulders, all the while continuing to look great!

I prefer a good palm hat to a felt hat as they are cooler and will hold up to rain and wind much better.  As a long rider, a hat is an intregal part of my attire.  Although this is the first year Sunbody has sponsored one of my rides, it will be the fourth year I have ridden with a Sunbody Hat on my head.  I am deligted to finally have them on the website."
-Bernice Ende-

You can find this testimonial here:  http://www.endeofthetrail.com/Support.html

Best of luck Bernice, have a fun and safe ride!

Famous Dog Wears SunBody Hat

This is a SunBody mini-cattleman, as worn at the Westminster Dog Show in Madison Square Gardens.

DC Cowboys - Americas Got Talent on NBC - SUNBODY HATS!

Good luck guys!
-SunBody Hats-

FROM: Kevin of THE DC COWBOYS! 

In case you missed it, we are proudly wearing one of your hats on National Television - NBC's America's Got Talent

Here is the youtube clip of our NYC audition on 6/24:   

The Las Vegas episodes are on 8/5 and 8/6.  Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks again!!

Palm Leaf Hat Story - Part 2

After about an hour of boat travel through the mangroves we reached "Hawaii" with its black sand.  The "barra" is long, but only a couple hundred yards wide, with Pacific on one side.  Palm harvesters, men and boys working alone or in pairs, leave before dawn in small boats to their harvesting spots.  The young man in this picture was 15 years old when I took this picture.  He said he had been gathering palm for 10 years.  He had a younger helper.  He said that good spots were hard find, so he went early, when it was still dark, to try and keep it a secret. 

The palm harvesters here are gathering palm near the mangrove swamps from palm trees that grow wild.  We hired a biologist to investigate palm growning and harvesting several years ago.  She learned that the palm growing in this coastal area is under pressure from ranchers, who are burning the palm trees to clear land for cattle grazing, and from developers building vacation homes. 

- Posted by Jimmy Pryor