How the Original Hat Shaper Was Born: My 5-Year Journey from Walmart Bowls to Building My Own Solution

Five years ago I started selling hats online and quickly realized one thing — restoring and prepping hats to sell (or to keep in my own collection) took way too much time.

Cleaning them wasn’t the hardest part. The real headache was shaping them properly after washing so they actually looked good again.

The Problem I Needed to Solve

I figured out pretty fast that most hats can be washed either by hand or in an agitator-free washing machine without destroying them. But once they were clean and wet, getting them back into the right shape was frustrating.

For low-profile dad hats, I started using simple plastic bowls I bought from Walmart for 50 cents each. Surprisingly, they worked really well for that style.

But when it came to structured vintage sports hats and old patch trucker hats, those bowls didn’t cut it. I needed something with the right height, curve, and support for the more rigid styles — and I couldn’t find anything that actually worked.

From an Idea to the First Prototype

So I reached out to a friend who had a 3D printer. I gave him the exact dimensions I wanted, and we went back and forth with several versions until we landed on a shape that finally felt right.

It worked so well that I started needing a lot more of them. My friend couldn’t keep up with how many I was going through, so I made a decision: I bought my own 3D printer, refined the design even more, and started printing them myself.

That’s how the Original Hat Shaper was born.

Why I’m Bringing More Hats to Hathouse79.com

For years I’ve sold almost everything through eBay, and it’s been great. But I realized I could do better for both my customers and myself.

I’ve now started moving more of my inventory — vintage sports hats, modern bangers, and my personal favorites — over to hathouse79.com.

By selling direct, I’m able to offer better prices while still making it worthwhile on my end. It saves the buyer money and lets me put more energy into finding and restoring great hats.

I hope when you visit the site you find a hat you really love to go with your collection — and if you grab a Hat Shaper, I really believe it’ll become one of your favorite tools.

Want to See It in Action?

I have tons of videos showing exactly how I use the Hat Shaper, plus cleaning and restoration tips. Come say what’s up on:

• Instagram: @hathouse79
• TikTok: @hathouse79
• YouTube: HatHouse79

I’m always around if you ever want to talk hats, ask questions, or need advice — just shoot me a message on IG. I actually enjoy it.

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Let’s bring those vintage hats back to life, one at a time.

— Mac Hat House 79