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Raw hats from Portugal and the United States sit on shelves waiting to be made into a custom made Smithbilt hat.Todd Korol

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Gerald Tyshkewich makes the Calgary Stampede Queen's hat with machines from the late 1800's.Todd Korol

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Vice president Brian Hanson moulds a custom cowboy hat. “We’re still making them the way they did 100 years ago,” says Mr. Hanson, who assembles most of the beaver felt hats himself. “There are not many things left that are handmade in Canada, but we’re one of them.”Todd Korol

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Hat moulder Larry Glasgow shapes the brim of a custom cowboy hat.Todd Korol

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Kim Trang sews a hat band into a custom cowboy hat. Visiting dignitaries including Princess Kate and the Dalai Lama have worn Smithbilt hats.Todd Korol

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Hat blocks - some 100-years-old - are used to shape the top of cowboy hats.Todd Korol

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Cowboy hat-maker Gerald Tyshkewich is covered in steam while working with a hat-making machine from the civil war era.Todd Korol

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Hat-maker Gerald Tyshkewich chooses top quality, hand-made hats, that will cost $1000 each for the Calgary Stampede Queen and Princesses.Todd Korol

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The Fletcher Elevator Building that will be home to the new Smithbilt Hats. Smithbilt’s construction plans for the Fletcher Building are still under review.Todd Korol

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Cowboy craftsman Gerald Tyshkewich measures the brim for a custom made hat. Smithbilt has yearly sales of 60,000 hats.Todd Korol

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