In 2015, we started messing around with laser-etched leather patch hats.
The moment we took a batch to our local saddle maker and had him stitch the patch to the hat with thick saddle thread, we were hooked.
This was a new look that wasn’t really on the market yet, and companies wanted it. Great companies. We were early to the trend, so we started Authentic Leather Patch Company.
From that point on, we watched every DIY person and several companies pop up saying they made the best leather patch hats.
Whatever. That's business.
Most were heat-pressing faux leather, not stitching patches, or just not doing it well. We stayed true to producing a quality product throughout.
A few years ago, my business partner Lisa and I started looking into this pressed look. But we decided embroidery would be a better new offering at the time, so we went all in on adding embroidery to what we do.
Tons of companies offer embroidery so it wasn’t the most exciting addition, but we were still determined to offer it at the highest quality we could.
We wanted to make a splash again. We wanted that same feeling we had when we first started our leather patch hat journey and brought something out that felt truly different.
We knew foil pressed into leather would look amazing so we revisited the pressed idea and started asking questions.
What do we need to bring it to life?
What if we could figure out how to do custom shapes, including die cuts?
What if we combined those patches with our unbeatable stitching?
Those things were going to stand out.
So, we started researching.
It wasn't super easy to find what we were looking for at the quality we were looking for. But we eventually found a place that I felt was worth a call for some information. Turned out the guy on the other end had been in the business for 40+ years, and was so enthusiastic to educate me over the phone. He explained how it all works, what we would need, and every component involved in the process.
The cost for the proper machine shook me a little. We were being cautious with spending this year but if anyone knows me...I'm willing to take a risk.
Jumping back to 2015 when I decided to finance my first laser etcher without a clue how to make money with it and with very little money in the bank. Taking a risk on purchasing something that cost as much as a car felt risky, but with determination I'm proud to say that it worked out.
My next hurdle would be convincing my partner Lisa that this was the time to do it. Luckily, she had secretly been wanting something like this forever (and honestly, really was her idea in the first place).
So, we went for it.
As of this writing, it's been about three months of testing, learning, finding the right vendors, die creators, and figuring out how to consistently produce the quality we were after.
The time is NOW and we recently launched Premium Authentic Press and have been thrilled with the response so far.
What excites us most isn't just the process itself. It's what it allows our customers to create.
We truly believe this is the most premium leather patch hat on the market today. The depth, the detail, the foil, the custom shapes, and the stitching all come together to create something that stands apart.
And that's important because a hat isn't just a hat.
It's often the first thing someone notices about your brand.
People are going to reach for these hats every single day. They're going to wear them to work, to dinner, on hunting trips, at the ball field, and everywhere in between.
Every time they put it on, they're representing your company.
We believe your brand deserves something more than a standard promotional hat.
And most importantly, it's a product that feels different again.
Premium Authentic Press is the result.
That's the story so far.
