3D Printing

Randal Alan is a fascinating man who looks at the world with a unique perspective; by doing so, he designs and creates items in new ways or brings an object of antiquity into the present. As a mad professor, I like to think of him in his workshop with his brain running at top speed, making and creating innovative new hat making tools.

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I discovered Randal through Instagram; his state-of-the-art headwear tools struck me; I had never seen anything like them before. The traditional hat-making processes and tools have hardly changed in centuries, and here was Randal using 3D printing to make modern tools more affordable and in a new way.

I had to hear his story… Randal found himself in his early 20's waiting tables in NYC. At the end of his shift, he chatted to a customer who told him about this new 3D printing technology. Randal immediately connected with the idea, a bell rang inside his head, leading him to investigate further. After researching the technology, he taught himself how to program and use 3D printing machines. This knowledge led to a corporate position, where Randal happily spent five years honing his skills. He would use his 3D experience to reverse engineer product surfaces, then create 3D renderings of new inventions such as electronics or kitchen gadgets. These prototypes allowed his clients to mock-up their products and enabled them to receive funding to take them to market.

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Randal's love of hats was born out of necessity. He started losing his hair in his 30's and had difficulty finding any hats that would fit his small head. From an early age and his humble background, he has always enjoyed making things. His relentless aim was to make home-made items look like they were industrially manufactured, so it's no surprise he turned his hand to hat making. When he researched the process, he discovered that the equipment required could make this an expensive journey, so he decided to make the equipment himself. After a few weeks of tinkering, he was happy with his first block, which led him to investigate further. This exploration has progressed from creating blocks to hat tools such as brim trimmers, curlers, conformatures, block stands, and other hat making accessories, plus hat inspired jewelry.

This journey to make a hat for himself has become a full-time career making equipment for others, with each piece being custom made to order through his Etsy site. What I love about Randal's creations is how sleek & modern they look. I am not dismissing traditional wooden hat blocks, because they are also beautiful but seeing the completely black surface of his 3D designs feels like a glimpse of the future.

Talking with Randal is always an enjoyable experience because he is so excited about creating the next item on his truly revolutionary products list. He feels like he is still at the very beginning of his hat journey. I can't wait to see what he creates next! Watch this space for the next chapter.

You can shop Randal’s creations here and follow his work on facebook and instagram.

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