About Us
Based on a design that combines the high-quality craftsmanship of traditional artisans with the functionality preferred by workers, the brand believes in the word "GENTLEMAN," which represents masculinity, and the slang term "DOG," which means playfulness, and develops products that have a vintage feel but are in line with the current era.
Based on the design that combines the high quality of traditional craftsmanship and the functionality favored by workers, the company develops products that have a vintage feel yet are in tune with the current era with the belief in "GENTLEMAN," which expresses masculinity, and "DOG," a slang term meaning playful spirit.
"Something worth having"
In this age of mass production and mass consumption, HW DOG takes the time and effort to produce each and 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.
HW DOG 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 goes on, the convenience brought about by mechanization enriches our lives.
However, there was a charm to that era that cannot be achieved through modern, laborious mass production.
We have completely reexamined the way we make things, bringing back the charm of those times to the present, and the "really good hats" we offer are designs that are in tune with the times.
We believe that once you pick up a HW DOG hat, you will understand its meaning.
"Something worth having in hand"
In today's age of mass production and mass consumption, HW DOG takes the time and effort to produce each and every product with uncompromising dedication so that as many customers as possible will be able to pick up a "truly good hat".
HW DOG is inspired by the high quality of craftsmanship seen before the 1930s and the functionality of military products from the 1940s onward, before mass production by machine began.
As time has progressed, the convenience afforded by mechanization has enriched our lives.
However, there was a charm in that era that cannot be produced by today's work-intensive mass production.
We have fundamentally reexamined our manufacturing process and have brought back the charm of that era to the present, and at the same time, our company proposes "truly good hats" that are designed in accordance with the times.
We believe that when you hold a HW DOG hat in your hand, you will understand what we mean.
"HW DOG's craftsmanship"
There are two ways to make a hat, called a cap body.
One is the mold type.
When hats are made using molds, they are mechanically produced and involve forces beyond human control, such as temperature and pressure, which allows for the production of firm, crisp hats, and so these machines have long been used exclusively for men's hats.
Nowadays, there are only a few factories in Japan that specialize in men's hats, and HW DOG continues to make traditional men's hats using the same machines and manufacturing methods as back then.
The other is a wooden type.
At that time, after the molds were developed, wooden molds were mainly used to make women's hats, as they produced a soft and fluffy finish.
However, even before molds existed, men's hats were made using wooden lasts. When making a so-called bespoke (custom-made) hat, each one is completely unique, so it can only be made using a wooden last that can be finely adjusted.
At HW DOG, we use wooden lasts for one-of-a-kind or special hats. We are particular about the American style, and we carefully create hats from the ground up using vintage wooden lasts and special sewing machines.
In addition, the BASEBALL CAP, which has become a staple at HW DOG, was created in the 1860s when baseball became popular around the world, and is based on the baseball caps of that time, but with added materials and functionality that are relevant in today's world.
In today's typical baseball caps, the "interlining" that is attached to the back of the fabric to make it stiff and durable is typically made of synthetic fibers.
However, this HW DOG baseball cap still uses a hair interlining, just like back then. Because synthetic fibers were not as developed as they are today, animal hair (horse tail hair or deer hair) was used to make the interlining stiffer.
We also take great care in creating the finishing molds that determine the shape of the hats, making them from scratch.
The finishing molds commonly used today do not meet the quality we require, so we made repeated revisions to the finishing mold and arrived at this shape after much trial and error.
You may wonder why such effort is required to make hats, but in the good old days of craftsmanship, this was the norm, and HW DOG 's commitment to craftsmanship is such that they spare no effort.
"Making things for HW DOG"
There are two types of ways to make hats, called caps.
One is the mold type.
When a die is used to make a hat, it is a mechanical type, so it is subject to temperature, pressure, and other forces that cannot be handled by humans.
Nowadays, there are only a few factories in Japan that specialize in men's hats, and HW DOG uses the machines and manufacturing methods of those days to make traditional men's hats.
The other is the wooden mold method.
After molds were developed, wooden molds were mainly used to make women's hats, as they produced a soft and fluffy finish.
However, in the old days, when molds did not exist, men's hats were made by making good use of wooden molds. When making a so-called "vispoke" (ie custom-made) hat, it is impossible to make it without a fine-tuned wooden pattern because it is a completely one-of-a-kind item.
At HW DOG, we use wooden patterns for one-of-a-kind or special hats. We use vintage wooden patterns and special sewing machines to carefully craft our hats from the very basics.
In addition, HW DOG's BASEBALL CAP, which has become a standard item, is based on the baseball caps of the 1860s, when baseballs first became popular in the world, and is made with materials and functionality that can be understood because of the current era.
In today's general baseball caps, synthetic fibers are used for the "interlining" that is attached to the back of the fabric to make the fabric hard and strong.
However, this HW DOG baseball cap uses a "hair core" just as it did back then. Because synthetic fibers were less developed than now, animal hair (horse tail hair or deer hair) was used to make the interlining harder.
The finishing dies that determine the shape of the hat are also made from scratch with great care.
The finishing dies generally used today do not meet the quality we seek, so we have made many revisions to the finishing dies and arrived at this shape through a process of trial and error.
You may wonder why we go to such lengths when making hats, but in the good old days of manufacturing, this was the norm, and we at HW DOG are committed to our craftsmanship without sparing any time or effort.