This past Friday we visited Knickerbocker Mfg. Co., a cap manufacturer that is run by three young designers in Brooklyn, NY. Knickerbocker is named after the first baseball team to wear baseball caps, the New York Knickerbockers. The trio opened Knickerbocker after buying an old cap manufacturer, and running a Kickstarter campaign to help buy modern machinery. With the three co-founders all having different backgrounds in design, they make the perfect collaboration to help their clients meet all their needs.
Knickerbocker focuses on quality over quantity, and mainly works with private labels and brands looking for small run production. Every product is made in house, from start to finish, and a typical production run can range from 25 to 200 pieces.
Knickerbocker has a young and vibrant vibe, and visiting their facility will inspire anyone to start making something. Their passion and creativity is evident in all the work they do. “Our master hatter, Felix Pantaleon, has been making hats for more than 30 years and takes great pride in ensuring that each person who touches your cap has a solid working knowledge of production on every level.”
Every Wednesday, Knickerbocker creates a one-of-a-kind hat and auctions it off on Instagram. These “one-off-wednesdays”, as they call it, shows the multiple levels of craftsmanship that they bring to their clients.
Below is photo tour of their facility:
Learn more about Maker’s Row on their MakersRow.com!
