"Really good hats" for you
In today's world of mass production and mass consumption, THE HWDOG&CO. takes the time and effort to produce every product, making no compromises and with the utmost care, so that as many customers as possible can get their hands on a truly great hat.
THE HWDOG&CO. draws inspiration for its products from the high quality craftsmanship seen before the 1930s, before the advent of mass production by machine, and the functionality of military products that became popular from the 1940s onwards.
As time progresses, the convenience of mechanization enriches our lives. However, there was a charm to those days that cannot be found in today's laborious mass production. We have completely reexamined the manufacturing process, bringing back that charm to the present day, and are proposing "truly great hats" designed for the modern era.
When you pick up a THE HWDOG&CO. hat, you will surely feel its meaning.
"Something worth having in hand"
In today's age of mass production and mass consumption, we devote time and uncompromising care to every piece so more people can pick up a “truly good hat.” We are inspired by the craftsmanship before the 1930s and the functionality of military gear from the 1940s onward. While mechanization brought convenience, a charm certain of the past cannot be reproduced by today's mass production. We revisit fundamentals to revive that and charm tailor it to the present. When you hold an THE HWDOG&CO. hat, you will understand what we mean.
" "Making things for THE HWDOG&CO." THE HWDOG&CO.
There are two ways to make hats, called hat bodies. One is the mold method. This method uses heat and pressure from a machine to form a sturdy men's hat, and special machines have been used for a long time. Currently, there are only a few factories in Japan that specialize in making men's hats. THE HWDOG&CO. continues to produce products using the same machines and manufacturing methods as those used at the time.
The other is the wooden hat method. Characterized by a soft and fluffy finish, it has been used mainly for women's hats. Even earlier, wooden hats were skillfully used to make men's hats. Wooden hats that can be finely adjusted are essential for making one-of-a-kind custom-made hats. At THE HWDOG&CO., we use wooden lasts for one-of-a-kind and special hats, carefully crafting them from the ground up using vintage wooden lasts and special sewing machines.
The classic baseball cap is based on a design from the 1860s, but has been reconstructed with modern materials and functionality. While synthetic fibers are the mainstream for the interlining of regular caps, this one uses the same wool interlining as back then. The finishing mold was also created from scratch, and after numerous revisions, the desired shape was achieved. It is our goal to connect the "norms" of the good old days to the present day. This is a product made by THE HWDOG&CO.
There are two principal methods of forming a hat body. The first is the mold method—mechanically applying heat and pressure to achieve a crisp, structured finish, historically used for men's hats. Only a handful of factories in Japan specialize in this today; at THE HWDOG&CO. we preserve these machines and techniques.
The second is the wooden block method, known for its soft, fluffy finish and commonly used for women's hats. Long before metal molds existed, craftsmen also made men's hats with wooden blocks. For bespoke, one-of-a-kind pieces, fine adjustability is essential—hence wooden blocks. We build special hats with vintage blocks and specialized sewing machines, carefully from the ground up.
Our BASEBALL CAP reinterprets 1860s designs with modern materials and function. While most caps now use synthetic interlining, we use traditional hair canvas. We also craft our finishing blocks from scratch, refining them repeatedly to reach our ideal silhouette. In the spirit of old-world manufacturing, we spare no effort in our craft.