Looking For Bulk Custom Hats for Businesses? Here Are 10 Things You Should Know Before You Order
Howdy, neighbors! Mike here from Burl Wood Designs. If you’ve spent any time driving between Nacogdoches and Shreveport, or maybe grabbin’ a coffee in Center or Carthage, you’ve probably noticed something about our local crews. Whether it's the guys out there fixing the power lines in Lufkin or a landscaping team making Marshall look beautiful, a good hat is more than just a piece of clothing, it’s a badge of honor.
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of calls here in Shelbyville from business owners asking the same thing: "Mike, I need hats for my crew, but where do I even start?"
Ordering custom gear in bulk can feel like a headache if you’re doing it through some giant online warehouse that doesn't know a Richardson 112 from a grocery bag. That’s why I wanted to sit down and put together a guide. If you’re looking to get your logo on some high-quality headwear, here are 10 things you really ought to know before you pull the trigger.
1. The Richardson 112 is the Gold Standard
There’s a reason you see the Richardson 112 everywhere from the oil field to the local BBQ joint. It’s the "Gold Standard" for a reason. It has that classic trucker shape, a mid-pro profile that fits just about every head shape comfortably, and it doesn't lose its form after a week of hard work.
When you’re ordering for a crew, you want something that’s going to last. We’ve tried a lot of different blanks over the years, but for our Crew Gear collection, the 112 is almost always the winner. It’s rugged, it’s reliable, and it makes your logo look like a million bucks.
2. Leatherette vs. Real Leather: Know Your Weather
I get asked a lot if we use "real" leather. While we love the smell of a saddle shop as much as anyone, we primarily use a premium leatherette for our patches. Why? Because out here in East Texas and Louisiana, we’ve got two things in abundance: sun and humidity.
Real leather can sometimes dry out, crack, or bleed if it gets soaked in a sudden Shreveport downpour. Our premium leatherette is engineered to be UV-resistant and water-resistant. It keeps that crisp, laser-engraved look through the sweat of a July afternoon and the rain of a November morning. Plus, it gives us a huge range of colors to play with!
3. The "No-Stitch" Advantage
This is the big one. Most folks think a patch has to be sewn on to stay put. But we do things a little differently at Burl Wood Designs. Whether we’re building leatherette patches or our high-durability acrylic patches for local crews, we use an industrial-grade, heat-activated adhesive that creates a permanent bond between the patch and the hat.
Why no stitching? Well, for one, it looks cleaner. You don't have thread colors clashing with your logo or loose ends fraying over time. More importantly, that adhesive bond is incredibly tough. It doesn't weaken the structure of the hat with thousands of needle holes. It’s a "no-stitch" finish that’s built for the job site, not just the showroom.
4. Local Handshake Service & Personal Delivery
You can order hats from a big website based in California, but are they going to meet you at the gas station in Center to make sure the color is exactly what you wanted? Probably not.
Being based right here in Shelbyville, we pride ourselves on that "handshake" level of service. We’re out in Lufkin, Marshall, and Carthage all the time. If you’ve got a big bulk order, there’s a good chance I’ll be the one dropping them off at your office. We believe in looking a man in the eye and making sure the job is done right. If there’s a problem, you’ve got my cell number, not a "support ticket" number.
5. Mix and Match to Reach Your Goals
One of the coolest things we offer for our business clients is the ability to mix your hat colors. You might have a crew of 24 guys, but maybe half of them want a classic Charcoal/Black hat and the other half want something in Khaki or Navy.
As long as we’re using the same patch design, we’re happy to let you mix and match those hat colors to hit your quantity goals. It keeps the guys happy and gives your brand a little variety without costing you extra.
6. Pricing Tiers That Actually Save You Money
We want to grow with you. That’s why we’ve set up pricing tiers that reward businesses for ordering in bulk. We start our bulk pricing as low as 12 units, but the real "sweet spot" starts at 24.
Pro Tip: When you hit that 24-unit mark, we throw in Free Shipping. Whether you’re in Shreveport or all the way across the country, once you hit two dozen hats, the shipping is on us. It’s our way of saying thanks for trusting us with your brand.
7. Small Batch Speed vs. Big Box Delays
We’ve all heard the horror stories of ordering promo gear and waiting six weeks for it to arrive. Because we’re a specialized shop, we can move a lot faster. Our minimum order is just 12 units: what we call a "small batch."
If you’ve got a new crew starting next week or an event coming up in Nacogdoches, we can usually get you sorted much faster than the big online retailers. We handle the laser engraving right here in our workshop, so there’s no "middle man" slowing things down.
8. Meet the "Essentials" Tier
I know that sometimes you just need a solid, dependable hat that doesn't break the bank: especially if the guys are prone to losing them in the brush or getting them covered in grease.
That’s why we offer an "Essentials" budget-friendly tier. It’s still a high-quality hat with our industrial-grade adhesive patches, but we use slightly more cost-effective blanks that still look professional. It’s the perfect choice for high-turnover crews or large-scale giveaways where you need 100+ hats.
9. Color Matching Your Patch to Your Fleet
This is where the "Burl Wood" touch really shines. We have leatherette colors that range from traditional "Saddle Tan" to "Grey/Black" and even "Royal Blue."
I’ve had several business owners in the HVAC and plumbing industries ask if we can match the patches to their truck fleet. The answer is: Yes. Having a crew hop out of a white truck wearing hats with matching white-and-black patches? That’s the kind of branding that sticks in a customer's mind. It shows you care about the details.
10. The Impact on Crew Pride
At the end of the day, a custom hat isn't just a marketing tool. It’s about how your team feels when they pull it on in the morning. When your guys are out there in the East Texas heat, wearing a hat that looks professional and feels "premium," they take more pride in their work.
I’ve seen it firsthand: a crew that looks like a team, acts like a team. Whether you’re a small family business in Carthage or a large operation in Marshall, giving your folks a piece of gear they actually want to wear is one of the best investments you can make.
Ready to Get Your Crew Geared Up?
If you’re ready to take your business branding to the next level with some custom leatherette patch hats, I’d love to chat. You don't have to navigate some complicated website or talk to a robot.
Give me a call or shoot me a text at +1 (936) 935-0185.
Tell me what you’re looking for, and let’s see if we can’t get some of the best-looking hats in East Texas onto your crew’s heads. We’re proud to serve Shelbyville and all our surrounding neighbors, and we can’t wait to work with you!
Stay safe out there,
Mike Burleson
Owner, Burl Wood Designs