Haka Hat was born from a lifelong friendship that began in 1992, when two middle school friends in Redmond, Washington, bonded over their shared passion for hats. From classic Starter wool caps to The Game’s iconic circle and bar designs, they were captivated by headwear and even experimented with creating custom hats cutting out logos from high-crown hats and super gluing them to blanks. Though their paths diverged after high school—one pursuing real estate and sporting goods, the other becoming a gemologist and later a middle school teacher and coach—their friendship endured through gatherings, annual traditions like Turkey Bowls and Dunk Hoops tournaments, and parallel life milestones like getting married in the same month and having their first child in the same year.
Years of staying connected sparked entrepreneurial conversations, culminating in 2018 when the duo reunited to launch Haka Hat from a small office in West Seattle. Their mission was clear: to craft the most comfortable and stylish hats, featuring high-quality, clean, and crisp designs. This vision demanded an unwavering commitment to excellence in every aspect of production. Through rigorous product testing and customer feedback, they perfected their hats, introducing the exclusive HAKA comfort-fit sweatband as a hallmark of their brand.
What began with just three designs—Texas and California state flags and the PNW-X—packaged on an office floor and photographed in a makeshift basement studio has grown into a thriving operation. Today, Haka Hat operates from a fully staffed warehouse, offering hundreds of stock designs and a dedicated design team creating custom hats for businesses, schools, and events.
Our story is still unfolding, and you are a vital part of it. Thank you for supporting Haka Hat and joining us on this journey.
