How a Handmade Wool Felt Hat Is Made – Inside the Pokijomba Studio

There is a moment in the process of making a hat — somewhere between the first pull of the felt over the block and the final stitch of the ribbon — where the piece stops being material and starts being itself. I’ve been chasing that moment for years, in our studio in Vic, a small city in the heart of Catalonia, an hour north of Barcelona.
This is how a handmade wool felt hat is born at Pokijomba.

It Starts With the Felt
Not all felt is the same. At Pokijomba we work primarily with wool felt and merino felt — natural fibres that have been used in hat-making for centuries because of their unique properties: they mould under heat and steam, hold their shape when dry, and age beautifully with wear.
We source our capelines — the raw felt cones that are the starting point of every hat — from specialist suppliers who share our commitment to quality. The weight, density, and texture of the felt determines everything that comes after. A thin capeline will make a light, elegant hat. A dense one will hold a more structured, architectural shape.
Choosing the right felt for each design is the first creative decision of the process.

 

Blocking: Where the Shape Is Born
Blocking is the heart of hat-making. It’s the process of stretching the felt over a wooden block — a solid form carved in the exact shape of the crown — using steam and tension to coax the material into the silhouette you have in mind.
The felt is dampened and steamed until it becomes pliable, then pulled over the block by hand and secured with pins and a pulling cord. As it dries, it takes the shape of the block permanently. This is where the crown of the hat — its height, its curve, its character — is defined.
Different blocks produce different shapes: teardrop crowns, high western crowns, round bohemian crowns, flat-top cylinders for top hats. At Pokijomba we have a collection of wooden blocks that has grown over the years, each one responsible for a different personality.

 

Cutting the Brim
Once the crown is blocked and dry, the brim is cut. The raw capeline leaves excess felt around the base of the crown — this becomes the brim, trimmed to the desired width with sharp scissors or a blade, following the line of the block.
The brim width changes everything about a hat. A 6cm brim gives a clean, modern fedora silhouette. A 10cm brim creates drama and sun protection. A 14cm brim becomes a statement — a wide floppy hat that moves with the wearer.
After cutting, the brim is shaped — either left naturally curved, stiffened flat with wire, or rolled and set with steam into a particular angle.

 

Finishing: Where the Hat Becomes Pokijomba
This is the part I love most. Once the hat has its shape, the real creative work begins.
Depending on the design, finishing might involve:
— Pyrography — burning patterns, textures, or details directly into the felt with a heated tool. This is one of our signatures at Pokijomba, inspired by the tradition of wood burning applied to a completely different material.
— Hand dyeing and painting — some of our hats are dip-dyed, brushed with pigment, or painted by hand to create gradient effects, tie-dye patterns, or one-of-a-kind colour combinations.
— Distressing — for our edgier designs, the felt is deliberately aged, sanded, or treated to give it a worn, vintage leather-like texture.
— Ribbons and trimmings — every hat gets its band. We work with grosgrain ribbons, silk ribbons, leather cords, passementerie, bandanas, and quartz or bead details, depending on the aesthetic of each piece.
Each finishing decision is made for that specific hat, in that specific moment. No two Pokijomba hats are identical.

 

The Sweatband and the Final Touches
Inside every hat, a sweatband is sewn by hand — a strip of leather or cotton that sits against the head, protects the felt from wear, and gives the hat its final structure. This is the detail most people never see, but it’s what makes a hat comfortable to wear for hours.
The hat is then steamed one final time, checked, adjusted if needed, and photographed. Only then does it go into the world.

 

Made to Order, Never Mass-Produced
At Pokijomba, most of our hats are made to order. That means when you place an order, we begin making your hat. It’s not sitting in a warehouse. It hasn’t been produced in a factory run. It will be made by hand, in our studio, specifically for you — and it will take approximately two weeks.
This is what slow fashion actually means in practice. Not a label. Not a marketing word. A different way of working, where quality and intention matter more than speed and volume.

Come and See for Yourself
If you’re ever in Vic or Barcelona and curious about the process, send us a message at pokijombahats@gmail.com. We love sharing what we do with people who care about how things are made.
And if you’d like a hat made for you, explore the full collection at pokijombahats.com — or reach out directly to talk about a custom piece.