About Us
" THE HWDOG&CO"
Based on the design that combines the high-quality craftsmanship of traditional craftsmen and the functionality preferred by workers, it has a vintage feel based on the beliefs of "GENTLEMAN", which represents masculinity, and "DOG", which is a slang term for playfulness. Although it is, it will be developed with products that match 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 the modern age of mass production and mass consumption, HW DOG puts a lot of time and effort into all of our products, and in order to get as many customers as possible to pick up a "really good hat", we do not compromise at all and have a deep commitment to making one. We are producing one.
HW DOG is inspired by the high quality of craftsmanship seen before the 1930s, before mass production by machines began, and the functionality of military products that were active after the 1940s.
As the times progress, the convenience brought about by mechanization enriches our lives.
However, at that time there was a charm that could not be produced by modern mass production.
We have reconsidered manufacturing from the ground up, bringing back the charm of that era to the present day, and our company proposes a "really good hat" with a design that matches the times.
We believe that you will understand the meaning when you pick up the HW DOG hat.
"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.
"Manufacturing of HW DOG"
There are two ways to make a hat called a hat body.
One is the mold type.
It has been used as a machine exclusively for men's hats since the old days because it can make hats with a firm click because it is mechanical, so it is possible to make hats that are hard to handle, such as temperature and pressure, which cannot be controlled by humans. .
Today, there are only a few factories in Japan that specialize in men's hats, and HW DOG uses the machines and manufacturing methods of the time to make traditional men's hats.
The other is the wooden model.
At that time, after the metal mold was made, it was mainly used to make lady's hats because the wooden mold produced a soft and fluffy finish.
However, in the old days when molds did not exist, men's hats were made using wooden molds. When making a so-called bespoke (= made-to-order), it is a completely one-of-a-kind item, so it can only be made with a wooden mold that can be finely adjusted.
At HW DOG, we use wooden patterns for unique and special hats. Among them, we are particular about how to make it in the American style, and we carefully build it from the basics using vintage wooden molds and props special sewing machines.
In addition, HW DOG 's standard BASEBALL CAP is based on the baseball cap of the 1860s, when baseball became popular in the world.
In modern general baseball caps, chemical fibers are mainly used for the "interlining" that is attached to the back of the fabric to make the fabric hard and durable.
However, this HW DOG baseball cap uses a "hair core" as it did back then. Since chemical 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 are also particular about the finishing mold that determines the shape of the hat and manufacture it from scratch.
Since the finishing molds that are commonly used today do not reach the quality we are looking for, we have made many modifications to the finishing mold, and finally arrived at the shape after trial and error.
You may think that we go to such lengths to make hats, but in the good old days of making things, that was the norm .
"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. 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.
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.