By DJ Ashley
On the corner of North Upper and West Short Street, a quaint hat shop lay hidden between the bars and restaurants of downtown Lexington. Since early 2021, the Headquarters of the Bluegrass Hatters Society has been providing headwear for Lexington residents and educating many about the history and craft of hat making.
Nicholas Godbehere has been running the Bluegrass Hatters Society for the past four years, starting in his garage and slowly moving up to a permanent storefront in the heart of downtown. Godbehere struggled for many years looking for a business space until he caught word that the iconic Lexington business Tony’s Shoe Repair was closing its doors after 54 years of service. After a meeting, Tony was more than happy to have his original workspace live on in the possession of another craftsman.
Unlike many other hat shops, the hats made at the Bluegrass Hatters Society are made in a traditional style, used by hat makers hundreds of years ago. Godbehere truly prides himself on this fact, claiming that if you want an authentic and quality hat it needs to be made the old-fashioned way. Using tools that date back as far as the 1800s, Godbehere makes all his hats completely by hand from start to finish.
What sets Godbehere apart from other hat makers is his devotion to the study of the history of hats, and his passion for educating those around him about the importance of craftsmanship and tradition. The hatmaker studies antique books, newspaper clippings, vintage photos, and even old film reels in order to learn as much as possible about the craftsmen who came before him.
Godbehere faces many of the same problems other small business face, but what makes his situation unique is the circumstance in which he must work around. In order to uphold the traditions of past hat makers, Godbehere refuses to machine manufacture hats, opting instead to make everything individually by hand.
The hat maker has stated many times that his biggest struggle in regard to maintaining his business is production speed, and production quantity. Although purchasing machines would quickly solve this problem, Godbehere is adamant about continuing to make hats the same way they were made over a hundred years ago.
Not only is Godbehere an excellent craftsman, but he is also a well-versed historian. The hat maker states that anyone can make a hat, but in order to do it right, you must understand the history. Godbehere claims to not just be a hat maker, but also a teacher; teaching everyone from shop passersby, to other hat makers.
This education of hat making serves to teach others about the importance of tradition, as well as the dangers of industrialization. Godbehere believes that we currently live in a society where products are built quickly and cheaply, and that we buy things that are made to be replaced rather than repaired for extensive use. This resentment for industrialization and commercialization is one of the many reasons why Godbehere refuses to buy machinery, even though it would make his life much easier.
Although Godbehere is often dealing with the day-to-day struggles of being a business owner, that does not stop him from dreaming of a hopeful and successful future. The hat maker hopes to open what he calls “Outposts” in places such as New York, New Orleans, and Nashville, with the Lexington location being the “Headquarters”. These locations would not be factories or warehouses, but rather shops similar to his current workplace where he could recruit other traditional hat makers to carry on the hat making craft and tradition, educate others about the history, and most importantly, make high-quality hats for as many people as possible.
