Craftsmanship
“Handmade” has become synonymous with craftsmanship – implying that machine-made products are inferior to handmade. Truth is, craftsmanship and machinery are not mutually exclusive. In fact, it is not possible to produce a hat completely by hand that looks, feels and performs as well as a hat made using the right machinery.
Back when Optimo was founded in 1996, all of our hats were handmade. They were good hats, but they fell short of the quality we were capable of making later when we discovered abandoned hat machinery from the beginning of the 1900’s in a barn in France. Restoring these machines and obtaining the craftsmanship required to run them was a giant leap for our quality.
Craftsmanship is a set of evolving skills enabling you to perform a craft. It does not exclude the use of machinery. In fact, when it comes to high-quality hats, machines – and the skills to use them – are imperative.
“Handmade” has become synonymous with craftsmanship – implying that machine-made products are inferior to handmade. Truth is, craftsmanship and machinery are not mutually exclusive. In fact, it is not possible to produce a hat completely by hand that looks, feels and performs as well as a hat made using the right machinery.
Back when Optimo was founded in 1996, all of our hats were handmade. They were good hats, but they fell short of the quality we were capable of making later when we discovered abandoned hat machinery from the beginning of the 1900’s in a barn in France. Restoring these machines and obtaining the craftsmanship required to run them was a giant leap for our quality.
Craftsmanship is a set of evolving skills enabling you to perform a craft. It does not exclude the use of machinery. In fact, when it comes to high-quality hats, machines – and the skills to use them – are imperative.
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