49ers answer to the cheesehead: noggin nugget

 A shiny piece of a headwear is taking off along with the 49ers success.

The hat is called a noggin nugget and is made of foam stamped with "49 Karat" gold on the front.

They've been showing up at Candlestick Park, but aren't available in any store.

Maurice Tuiasosopo Bell is the creator and used his Oakley garage as a workshop.

Bell said the idea came to him two years ago when the team was slumping.

"What if you just had a big gold nugget on your head? And then, you know, the 49, the gold rush," Bell said.

Bell said was inspired by the Green Bay Packers fans who routinely wear "cheeseheads" to games.

Bell decided to contact the manufacturer before beginning the project.

After some failed attempts, Belll got some help from an art warehouse in Richmond to help him with materials.

"It takes a special mindset," said Arty Cordisco of Douglas And Sturgess Art, "for anybody to have the perseverance to see this through to its completion."

Bell works for PG&E during the day and makes his noggin nuggets at night.

For a year, he experimented with molds, foams, and dyes to get it just right.

Finally, last season he started selling the hats at games for $20.

Next, he launched a Web site to start taking orders.

Each hat takes one hour to make and Bell has only three molds.

"I think it's kind of grown to a point where I need to start thinking about scaling up," he said.

Following Saturday's game against the Saints, he received at least another 100 orders for noggin nuggets.

He wants to expand production but would like to find a manufacturer for the hats in the Bay Area, he said.