Form and Function Come Together in the Legendary Kromer Cap

At the turn of the century, George Kromer was a semi-professional baseball turned railroad engineer. He found himself repeatedly losing his baseball-style cap to the fierce mid-western wind while working on his locomotive. Tired of replacing caps, he asked his wife Ida to stitch a new "hybrid" cap that would stay put.

Ida created a 6-panel hat that was roomier at the top so it clung to the head even in strongest winds. She also slightly changed the angle of the visor downward so it wouldn't catch the breeze. She even added touches like a sweatband of absorbent cloth. The hat worked so well that soon George Kromer's fellow engineers all wanted one, and a business was born. By 1919, due to increasing demand, the Kromers opened a factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where caps were produced by the thousands.

But the story doesn't end there. Because of the cap's unique design, it transcended the railroad industry and sales skyrocketed in 1955 when Kromer created wildly designed cotton caps for welders and pipeline workers. Welders in particular, found it useful to turn the cap around as the visor offers neck protection from sparking. 

Today, Kromer caps remain among the most distinctive, fun-to-wear, well-made headwear for anyone who wants a quality cap, with attention detail, fine craftsmanship, all made in the USA. See the full line of Kromer cap styles on our website!