The Shape of Things

A new hat, without any creases or bends, is a blank canvas for a hat shaper. They’ll take a boring flat brim and round crown and create a work of art — a masterpiece.

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You see, a cowboy hat doesn’t come out of the factory looking like it belongs on the head of John Wayne. Someone has to fashion it to look that way. All hats are, at first, basic models — no bells and whistles attached. A hat shaper, using the art of creasing and folding, is the one who customizes it. 

The Process:

  • The hat shaper will first size up the person. Is their jaw round, square, or practically nonexistent? Is their face wide or narrow? Based on these traits, the hat shaper will know how to properly crease a hat to conform to the person’s face. It’s not about the cut but how they can make that cut look best on you.
  • Not everybody’s head is shaped the same, and not everyone’s head has the same, well, straightness. The shaper will next have the person put the hat on to see how it rests on their head. A major part of shaping is to make sure the hat appears straight on a person’s head.
  • The hat shaper uses a pedal-activated steam machine that pushes steam out at 60 pounds of pressure and gets upward of 400 degrees. Waving the hat over the steam, the crown and brim will become malleable once it hits a certain temperature.
  • The shaper will have a handful of seconds before the hat cools down. During this time, he or she will begin creasing and folding the hat with their hands. They do this gently, careful not to put too much pressure on the hat, and with precision. This process can take up to 15 minutes as they communicate with the customer to ensure they’re getting what they want.

A little something about Danny Adams of The Best Hat Store

The city’s preeminent hat shaper is a hard-fought title in a place like Fort Worth. Best Hat Store, alone, which sells in the neighborhood of 20,000 hats a year (that’s a lot of shaping), has eight legitimate contenders for the title. But, with over 20 years of experience shaping hats, it’s hard not to give the title to Danny Adams. Any Fort Worthian who’s purchased multiple hats has undoubtedly had an interaction with Danny. His knowledge, wit, and mustache are unmistakable and the reasons he’s become a city staple.