History

The Pajk's (pronounced pike) family tradition of making hats goes back to earlier 19 th century.
Rudolf Pajk Sr. was born in Ljubljana Slovenia ex Yugoslavia in 1906. At age 12 he left home and walked from home to find a job. He find one in Cole mine where he was working for two years and than accident happened and he was one of few people who survived than he decided that he never goes back to mine. luckily he met a hat maker who was willing to give him a job where he began a 4 year apprenticeship into the trade of hat making.
After that he worked for 3 years for one particular company. In 1927 he started his own small independent business. Due to innovating concepts for that time, the company very rapidly grew from being very small to 15 employee-2 store-1 factory business. The Company temporarily ceased operations during the second world war. In 1946 after the war, the communist government of Yugoslavia confiscated the property on which the business was located. At that time a new restricting was necessary. Rudy Pajk junior was born 1931.At age 8 he was already helper in fathers business. At age 17 had lots years of experience in the hat making business and had also completed trade schooling. The diploma achieved at the end of 3 year program as professional hat maker. He was at that particular moment the youngest professional hat maker in Yugoslavia. He undertook the restructuring of the business upon himself. In 1952 he started again with company Pajk klobuki again small. Since the availability of tools was close to zero in those days in Yugoslavia ,Rudy worked on each hat by hand. After one year two workers were employed. In 1959 the business really started to expand. From 2 to 20 workers. Rudy Pajk imported from Italy the most advanced machines to produce hats: nobody, not even the State factories had such advanced machines A show store was opened in the commercial shopping area of Ljubljana Slovenia. The event was televised and local authorities attended the opening. Rudy Pajk went to became the president of the commission presiding the instruction of hat making. Rudy I Pajk met in 1978 actor Dennis Weaver alias Mc cloud and become friends since he physically resembles him Pajk was shown on television and newspapers wearing a western style hat. This was excellent advertising. To further draw advertising trough media coverage Pajk created very expensive hat for Weaver with band made of gold valued at the time 5.700,00US $ Pajk has two sons Rudy II and Sergej. Since the business during the early seventies expanded to a level which by communist standards was to big and also al the media coverage was to much for government and so they sized al the machinery owned by Rudy Pajk so he decide to leave Yugoslavia and he left everything behind. Older son Rudy II whose choice was to stay in Yugoslavia he was at that time 21 years old. son Sergej went with father to Austria as immigrant at age 12 where he went to trade school for textile since there are no longer schools for hat's making. father and Sergej opened a small market where you could buy from hat to food also they had exchange office since they had market direct on border between Yugoslavia and Austria at that time 1980 in Yugoslavia was weary hard there were no bananas coffee jeans al the things from import and also no other currency .but people were free to cross border and so they buy lots of items in Austria and Italy So business was booming for three years and than Yugoslavia closed border ( you had to pay 200 Us $ deposit to the state for every crossing of border and they returned you money after one year . monthly average pay was 400,00 US $ for most people to much. Physically borders were still open not like in Russia.
to Italy an Austria because people were spending to much money outside the country borders were closed for a year which was enough for market to be shout down since 95 % costumes were from Yugoslavia in Austria. So Rudy I Pajk decide to Leave Austria with his Son Sergej to Canada. Rudy II following the father's steps became also professional hat maker. He stil has smal hat shop in ljubljana. Pajk Rudy I went to Edmonton to start a buisnie with his friend from Yugoslavia who was there already for several years . They decided to start buisnes with smal suvenir cowby hat's and than later with real hat's Pajk imported some machinery from Italy and invested all his money for machinery and material and they also bild a smol place where they can work. After first order Pajk (friend) dicide to do everything by him self and trow Pajk out since he trusted him he didn't have any contract So Pajk was again without everythig so he sold gol chain from his mother so he can travel to Toronto where he knew some more people and they turned out to be his real friends and they helped him a lot and they also give his yunger son Sergej a job in Jewery store. So pajk and his son saved some money and started to sale cowboy hat's on Fairs and Trade shows at that time they make also a hat for president Regan who was at the visit in Canada .Hat was hand crafted with silver acessories value US $ 2.400,00 They also foud a wholsaler for Equestrian top hats and the busnies started.His son Sergej was at the time 19 years old and dicide to live father and to se if there is anything else beside hat's in this world . He wen't to La he spend all his money he didn't know what to do and Pajk klobuki a trade name which is still well known in Europe. And story continues...