From First Inquiry to the Hat on Your Head

A custom hat is not a transaction so much as a collaboration. Every hat is built by hand, on a wooden block, for the person who will wear it — and the process reflects the care the craft requires. What follows is a brief account of how a custom order unfolds, from the moment you first reach out to the day your hat arrives.

Step 1  ·  Inquiry

Every custom hat begins with a conversation. Whether you reach out through the inquiry form, by email, by telephone, or in person, the first step is simply to tell us what you have in mind. There is no need to arrive with every detail worked out — a style you admire, an occasion you are preparing for, or even a photograph of a hat that caught your eye is enough to begin. A response will follow within one business day.

Step 2  ·  The Consultation

Once we have spoken briefly, we will schedule a consultation — in person when possible, by video or telephone when distance requires. The consultation typically lasts between twenty and forty minutes, and is the conversation in which the hat begins to take shape. We will discuss material (rabbit or beaver), crown style and dimensions, brim width and set, color, trim, sweatband, lining, and any personal details you would like built into the hat. Your head will be measured and your preferred fit noted.

In advance of the consultation you will receive a short packet — a primer on materials, styles, and a preference worksheet — so that the time we spend together is spent refining, rather than orienting.

Step 3  ·  Specification and Deposit

Within a day or two of our consultation, you will receive a written specification sheet summarizing every decision we have made — material, style, dimensions, color, trim, sizing, and the agreed price — along with the estimated date of completion. If the specification is to your liking, a deposit is collected to reserve your place on the bench and to secure the materials for your hat. The remaining balance is due before the hat ships or is collected.

Step 4  ·  Construction

Once the deposit is received, your hat enters the shop. Construction of a custom hat typically takes three to four weeks, depending on the current queue and the complexity of the piece. Each hat is built from a raw fur body and shaped by hand on traditional wooden blocks — sized, crowned, pounced, sanded, steamed, flanged, banded, and finished through a sequence of steps that has changed very little in over a century.

Along the way, you are welcome to a quiet update — a photograph of the body on the block, or the finished crown before the brim is set. These small glimpses are often the most enjoyable part of the wait.

Step 5  ·  Delivery

When your hat is finished, you will receive final photographs and an invoice for the remaining balance. Upon receipt of the balance, the hat is packed with care in its own keep-sake hat box and either shipped to you (fully insured) or made ready for collection at the shop. For customers who can visit in person, a fitting and personal handover is always preferred — there is no substitute for the first moment a custom hat is placed on its owner's head.

Step 6  ·  Aftercare and Adjustments

A well-made hat should settle onto its owner over time. For that reason, every custom hat includes a fitting period during which minor adjustments — a softened crease, a tightened band, a small shaping refinement — are made at no additional charge. Beyond that, we are always glad to advise on the long-term care of your hat, and to perform reshaping, cleaning, and refinishing as the years require.

A Few Practical Notes

Pricing. Custom hats begin in the range of rabbit felt and move upward from there with beaver felt, specialty trims, and bespoke details. Every hat is quoted individually following the consultation, so that the price reflects precisely what you are receiving.

Lead Time. Most custom hats are delivered within three to four weeks of the deposit being received. Seasonal demand, trade shows, and the complexity of individual orders may extend this window. If your hat is needed by a specific date, please tell us early; we will be candid about what is possible.

Deposits and Refunds. A deposit is required to begin construction. Because each hat is built to your specifications, custom orders are non-refundable once construction has begun. In the rare event of a workmanship defect, the hat will be repaired or remade at the maker's expense.

Shipping. Hats ship in a sturdy, keep-sake hat box, fully insured, via a tracked carrier. International shipping is available; any duties or taxes assessed at the destination are the responsibility of the customer.

Privacy and Photography. We occasionally photograph work in progress for our journal and social channels. No customer is identified without permission, and any hat you prefer to remain private will remain so.

A Hat Worth the Wait

A custom hat is a considered object. It takes longer than an off-the-shelf purchase because it is, in every sense, yours — measured to your head, shaped to your preferences, built by a single pair of hands rather than a factory. When the hat finally arrives, it should feel inevitable; as though no other hat would ever have suited you quite so well.

We look forward to building yours.

—  —  —