Every custom hat we make starts the same way—with your logo and a blank piece of full-grain leather.
What happens between those two points is what sets our hats apart from the embroidered caps and cheap printed patches you'll find elsewhere. This post walks you through our process, from the moment you send us your logo to the day your hats arrive.
It Starts With Your Logo
Before we touch any leather, we need to understand your design. When you submit your logo through our customizer or request a mock-up, we review it to make sure it'll translate well to a leather patch.
Not every logo works perfectly as-is. Intricate details, thin lines, and complex gradients don't always stamp cleanly into leather. If we spot potential issues, we'll reach out with suggestions—maybe simplifying a border, adjusting line thickness, or recommending a different patch shape that suits your design better.
This back-and-forth is part of the process. We'd rather spend time getting it right upfront than deliver hats that don't do your brand justice.
Your Logo Becomes a Brass Stamp
Once we've locked in the design, we create a custom brass die. This is a metal stamp milled specifically for your logo—the same technique leather craftsmen have used for generations.
The die is precision-cut to capture every detail of your design. Unlike digital printing or embroidery, there's no thread, no ink, no layers that can peel or fray. Just solid brass, ready to press your logo directly into leather.
We keep your brass die on file after your order is complete. That means reorders are faster and easier—we don't have to remake anything, just heat up your existing stamp and get to work.
Why Heat-Stamping Instead of Laser Engraving
If you've shopped around for custom leather patch hats, you've probably seen companies offering laser-engraved patches. It's a common method, and it's faster for the manufacturer. But there's a reason we don't use it.
Laser engraving burns the surface of the leather. It vaporizes a thin layer to reveal the design, which can leave edges looking scorched or uneven. The result is often flat and lacks depth. Over time, laser-engraved patches can fade or wear down, especially with regular use.
Heat-stamping works differently. We heat the brass die to a specific temperature—typically between 300°F and 400°F depending on the leather—and press it firmly into the surface. This compresses the leather fibers rather than burning them away.
The result is a deep, three-dimensional impression with natural texture. It feels substantial. It looks premium. And because the design is physically pressed into the leather rather than burned onto it, it won't fade, peel, or rub off over time.
If you want to dive deeper into the differences, check out our post on heat-stamping vs laser engraving.
Full-Grain Leather Makes the Difference
The leather we use matters just as much as the stamping process.
All of our patches are made from full-grain leather—the highest quality grade available. Full-grain means the leather's natural surface hasn't been sanded or buffed to remove imperfections. It's the strongest, most durable part of the hide.
Lower grades like top-grain or bonded leather are more processed. They might look fine initially, but they don't age as well or hold impressions the same way. Some competitors use "leatherette" or faux leather, which is essentially vinyl. It's cheaper, but it doesn't have the same feel, durability, or character.
Full-grain leather does something unique over time: it develops a patina. With wear, the leather gets slightly darker and richer in tone. Your hats actually look better the more you use them. That's not something you get with synthetic materials or lower-grade leather.
Choosing Your Hat Style and Colours
Once your patch design is finalized, you'll select your hat style. We offer four main options:
Trucker Hats – The classic structured cap with a mesh back. Breathable, comfortable, and works for just about any setting. This is our most popular choice for custom orders.
Dad Hats – Unstructured with a curved brim. More relaxed and casual. Great for brands going for a laid-back look.
Flat Brim Hats – Structured with a flat bill. Popular with younger audiences and brands that want a bolder, streetwear-inspired look.
Jockey Hats – A five-panel cap with a shorter, rounded brim. Clean and minimal. Works well for creative studios, cafes, and lifestyle brands.
Each style comes in a range of colours—over 50 options across the lineup. You can mix and match within an order if you want variety, or keep it simple with one style and colour for your whole batch.
If you're not sure which style fits your brand, just ask. We're happy to make recommendations based on your industry and what we've seen work for similar customers.
Patch Shapes and Placement
Beyond the hat style, you'll choose a patch shape. We offer more than 10 options: circle, square, rectangle, oval, diamond, crest, and more. The right shape often depends on your logo's proportions. A wide horizontal logo might work best on a rectangle. A round emblem suits a circle patch. We can guide you here too.
Patch placement is typically centered on the front of the hat, but you can customize this. Some customers prefer off-center placement, side patches, or back patches for a more unique look.
Assembled by Hand in Ottawa
Here's where it all comes together.
Once your leather patches are stamped, we attach them to your selected hats by hand. Each hat is assembled individually in our Ottawa workshop—not mass-produced overseas and shipped in bulk.
This matters for a few reasons. First, we can catch quality issues before they reach you. If a patch didn't stamp cleanly or a hat has a defect, we set it aside. Second, it means we control the entire process from start to finish. We're not waiting on third-party factories or overseas shipping timelines.
After assembly, every hat goes through a final quality check. We inspect the patch, the stitching, the fit—everything. Only then does it get packed and shipped.
Turnaround Time
Most custom orders ship within 2–3 weeks from the date you place your order. That timeline includes everything: design review, brass die creation, stamping, assembly, quality check, and shipping.
If you've ordered from us before and we already have your brass die on file, reorders can be faster—sometimes as quick as 10 days depending on our production schedule.
Need a rush order? Reach out and let us know your deadline. We can sometimes expedite, but it depends on order size and how busy the workshop is. We'll always be upfront about what's realistic.
For more details on timing and what to expect after you order, check out our custom hats FAQ.
Why We Work This Way
We could speed things up. We could use laser engraving, skip the brass dies, source cheaper leather, outsource production. A lot of companies do.
But that's not why we started Byward Outfitters.
We're a small business. We know what it's like to want quality branded merchandise without ordering 500 units from a faceless supplier. That's why our minimum order is just 5 hats. That's why we use full-grain leather and heat-stamping. That's why every hat goes through our hands before it goes into yours.
Custom hats are an extension of your brand. We think they should look and feel like it.
Ready to Get Started?
If you've got a logo and an idea, we'd love to help bring it to life. You can use our online customizer to design your hats and see a real-time preview, or send us your logo and we'll create a mock-up for you within 48 hours—no obligation.
Whether you're a small business, a brewery, a sports team, or a group of friends planning an event, we're here to make hats you'll actually be proud to wear.
Let's make something worth wearing.