After years on the back burner, we’ve finally released the M&T Ball Cap.
If you’re a hat person, you get it. You feel somewhat naked without a hat on your head. It gives you shade when the sun is high, fixes the upper periphery of your visual field in a comforting way, and protects you from dive-bombing goshawks. It keeps morning trail spiderwebs out of your face and Maine blackflies out of your eyes. You perch your sunglasses on the bill or your carpenter’s pencil in the band. It means you don’t have to worry about combing your hair (or even washing it – great for long-distance backpackers) and helps break up your outline if you’re hunting animals for food or photographs. It also assists in identifying other members of your tribe – think of how sports fans immediately strike up a familiar conversation thanks to a team hat. And long wear builds up a “custom” patina and fit that cannot be duplicated – the hat becomes part of you.
So, we weighed this hat design carefully. It had to be no-nonsense, adaptable to different styles of wear and occasion, and because we like old things, it had to look a little bit time-worn. But not like those jeans you buy with holes already in them. I don’t need anyone putting holes in my pants – I do well enough at that for myself, thank you. The style we found is comfortable, rugged, and classic. The embroidery is simple but not boring (and matches your Fore Plane T-shirt perfectly). And while we didn’t want a gimmicky brand/logo/company-ad-kind-of apparel, it does offer an immediate connection with other hand-tool woodworkers. (“Ooh, nice, a wooden-bodied jack plane. How do you feel about off-center totes?” You know, grocery-store conversations.)
For your enrichment, the following guide offers a plethora of wear options for the M&T Vintage Ball Cap. Be sure to send any other suggestions our way – we will update this post with the good ones. Enjoy!
Flat Brim Hip – this is the wrong way to wear a hat. But all the cool kids are doing it.
Pencil Place – keep a variety of shop pencils ready at hand. Not recommended for marking knife storage. Wearing this hat is almost certain to increase layout accuracy.
Bro – play some Ultimate Frisbee with your buddies.
Desert Adventurer – a wet bandanna keeps you cool, and your shades are always at ready.
Ponytail – long hair locks the hat in. Even a hurricane can’t blow this away.
The Hunter – through jungle, field, and forest, the hat’s camouflage level is custom-adaptable with local vegetation.
Late-Innings Rally Cap – you’re down a few runs late in the game. Increase your chances of an epic turnaround.
Proper Brim Management – as any current or former Little-Leaguer knows, getting the proper bend for your hat’s brim is essential. The tried-and-true method utilizes a beat-up baseball and a rubber band. Bend your brim into a tight arc, then place the baseball inside and bind it overnight with the rubber band. It is good practice to repeat this treatment every few weeks for effective brim maintenance.
Pick up your M&T Vintage Ball Cap now.
–Mike