Deerskin Gloves

Warm hands are no redundant luxury in the coming season. Deerskin working gloves are my preferred accessory. They are strong, flexible, look cool and do what they have to do: keep your hands warm. Last winter I sported the Churchill Classic Maverick gloves. What I like is the light caramel brown color which ages nicely. I also used them for scooping coal in the display cases in the shop. They were completely covered in black dust, but I managed to clean them a bit.

The Churchills I have are bloody nice, but they were a bit cold when the frost kicked in. When that happens I am going to carry the Red Wing gloves. They are also made of buckskin, but they provide better insulation because of the white soft lining. You've got to love it. They come in black and caramel and in sizes medium, large and extra large. Available at our shop Red Wing Shoes Amsterdam.

Expedition Duffle

Apolis Activism is a California based company owned by two brothers. The vision to have a company where products are carefully selected by their production history including, but not limited to, criteria such as: who made it, where did it originate and what does it do for that community, has led to products that are sincere and honest.

This Expedition Duffle bag by Apolis Activism is inspired on a Belgian WWII military issue duffle bag and is made from vegetable tanned leather and 18 oz waxed canvas. Because of the possibility to wear it as a rucksack this bag is ideal to use as an urban backpack or when you're headed out on a longer hiking trip.

Portraits from Bonneville

Land Speed Racing is a voluntary drag racing sport on my wish list. Not as a participant per se, but just to experience first hand everything special this sport has to offer: great cars, a very special setting and wonderful people.

One of the more famous events is the Bonneville Speed Week. This event is organized every year in the salt flats in Utah. Photographer Taylor Glenn visited this event in August and shot a series of beautiful portraits. His blog is also worth a pit stop.

The SCTA warns visitors of their website for Salt Fever. This makes you wanna come back every year because of the addictive experience (in a healthy way of course). I can imagine why! Do you have plans yet for next summer? Let's go there..

(via Joachim Baan - www.anothercompany.org)

Schott NYC Pea Coat

The pea coat is a classic that has survived the hands of time. It is a classic and will stay a classic for centuries to come. What was a cold weather uniform for sailors is now a good choice of casual winter wear. The term pea coat originates from the Dutch word "pij", which refers to the coarse woolen fabric. I personally was unaware of this, because the word "pij" is mostly associated with a monk's habit in the Netherlands.

The term pea coat was first used in the 1th century. In that era it was adapted by the British and Dutch Navy. The US Navy adopted it only in the late 18th century. The typical pea coat is double-breasted, having 3 to 6 buttons often with naval insignia. A pea coat should be navy blue or black. One of my favorites is the Schott NYC Pea Coat. Made of 32 oz Melton Wool and this will keep you warm. The fit is a bit slimmer then the original. I guess the sailors in the 17th century did not have a red satin lining in their jackets, but I love it anyway. 

(image via Rakuten.jp)

Red Wing 8166

A couple of weeks ago we had a customer who came in to the shop, wearing these shoes. He only paid 30 euro for them so we started wondering if it was the real deal or a replica. I knew the model but hadn't seen them in Europe before. They were developed for the Japanese/European market and appear to have thinner leather.

The style number was printed on the front of the tongue instead of the inside of the shoe and the Red Wing label seemed a bit different from what I have. I still don't know for sure if these are replica's or not but if anyone can enlighten me, be sure to leave a comment! It's a pity we don't carry this Oro Russet colorway but luckily we have some other nice colors in this round toe.

[EDIT]  A message from Fred, editor of RedWing1905 informed us this particular model was in the collection of 2009. So 30 euros was quite a bargain for this pair of shoes!

Rock and Roll Queen

A great black and white shot of the photographers "Rock and Roll Queen". I do like her swallow tattoo on the shoulder and her vintage sunglasses. She wears her bandana like a crown, so she deserves the title if you ask me. The photo was made by burnout girl. Enjoy your Saturday.

Harley Liberator WLA

Well I know there are a lot of motorcycles lately but I couldn't keep this one from you! Last Wednesday I heard the roaring sound of a Harley on our street, and this Liberator WLA was parked directly in front of our store. Apparently a couple of days before the same owner of this amazing piece of history came into the shop and Matthijs had a conversation with the guy about his bike. He promised to come back with the bike and so he did.

He is the proud owner of this Harley Davidson Liberator WLA that he has had in his possession since the 1980s. At the time he was working as a contractor and one day, he was at work at a house that belonged to a big bike enthusiast who built and restored bikes like these. A friendship developed and in exchange for working on the house (as the contractor was a handy guy but not to familiar with building bikes) he would get the bike. Something that 's hard to imagine nowadays. A lifetime friendship between the house owner and the contractor and his bike was the result.

Harley-Davidson began producing the WLA in small numbers in 1940, as part of a general military expansion in canada. The later entry of the United States into World War II saw significantly increased production, with over 90,000 being produced during the war (along with spare parts for many more). Production of the WLA ceased after the war, but was revived for the Korean War between 1949 and 1952. The headlight has been repainted in the army green shade by the owner as it was originally brown. 

Oh, and he bought a nice pair of Engineered Boots to go with his bike...

Mink Oil on Rough and Tough

my Engineers dirty and dried out

Walking onto any construction site with clean Red Wings will make you look like a greenhorn. For me it is a matter of opinion if you want to walk around with a toothbrush in your pocket or with boots looking like you just did some hiking in the mountains. No matter how you want your boots to look, always condition them once in a while. I try to do this every 4-6 weeks. Treat your boots rough but care for them well.

The first thing you need is the right care product for the type of leather. This little guide shows you how to use Red Wing Mink Oil on Copper Rough and Tough leather. This type of leather has a lot of texture in the color, but still has a very smooth surface. It is defined as a fine type of leather, so you should be a bit careful with the choice of care products. Normal leather conditioner will make your boots water proof but can darken them as well. I would prefer to maintain the original color as much as possible.

it looks nice but drying out is bad for the leather

CLEANING:

First you have to clean your boots. You can do this with a damp sponge or a cloth and a bit of water. If your boots are really dirty I would recommend the Red Wing Leather Cleaner. Use a little bit only and use the brush gently. The solution will drive dirt and grease out of the leather. If this is available in your closet, a little Jason Markk PSS also works like a charm. Let your boots dry out of the sun and away from any heat sources. I did not clean my boots myself before using the Mink Oil because my boots were not dirty. Also, I cleaned my outsoles with Jason Markk after conditioning.

CONDITIONING:

Step 2 is to apply the Mink Oil. I love the smell of this stuff. Apply it with a dry cloth. My preferred material is an old t-shirt or something like that. I take a little Mink Oil and spread this over the boots with the cloth. I rub it in lightly and pay extra attention to the seams and welt. You will notice that this process will remove extra dirt from the leather. When I covered all areas of the boot I start rubbing the oil in more vigorously. Try to work it in the leather as well as possible. The boots will feel a bit greasy of coaurse and will look a few shades darker than before. Let the boots dry.

after Mink Oil treatment - a bit darker and shiny

ALMOST READY:

Next morning take a clean polish brush and use it on your boots. This will bring a bit of the texture back on the Rough and Tough leather. After doing this I cleaned my outsoles as noted above with the Jason Markk Sneaker Solution. The brush included with the solution works good and the outsoles look like new. That is all. Nothing fancy and it takes only little time. Feel free to ask questions if you want. Just post a comment under this post.

ready to go!

Deus 'Inari'

This beauty is a labor of love by bike enthusiasts Deus Ex Machina, an Aussie based company that makes custom built bikes as well as fixed gear bicycles. Out of love for the old fashioned way of custom builds in the 1940's they started a company that is a bit different than most of the shops we see these days. This particular bike is a totally rebuilt Honda CB100 made in their bike shop on Bali, where the CB100 is still a very popular everyday ride for a lot of people. It is named 'Inari' after the Japanese Shinto spirit of futility and success. These guys know what living is: being the surf-, skate- and motorcycle enthusiasts that they are, they made the bike with an optional surfboard rack and is smaller than most bikes we see. With robust suspension and simple mechanics this doesn't require a degree in electronics to fix. All in all, this makes me wanna build my own...

For the specifics on the 'Inari' you can check out there blog Deus Bali Blog.

Alone in the wilderness

"To live in a pristine land unchanged by man... to roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed... to choose an idyllic site, cut trees and build a log cabin... to be a self-sufficient craftsman, making what needed from materials available... to be not at odds with the world, but content one's own thoughts and company... "

If I had to pick a brand ambassador for Red Wing Shoes in the 60's, it would have been Dick Proenneke. In 1967, he retired at age 50 and decided he wanted to live in the wilderness of Alaska. To make this possible he built his own cabin on the shore of Twin Lakes. The first summer he searched for the right site, and after finding the right spot, he cut and peeled the logs necessary to build the cabin.

The following year, he returned and built the cabin. According to the information available, he lived there for more than 30 years. Dick filmed his adventure with a 16mm camera and a tripod. Now we know where the inspiration for "Survivor" came from. Thanks Paolo Bellini for sharing.

Sledgehammer Pack

A nice side effect of running a cool store is that we meet a lot of cool people. Since the opening about 6 weeks ago we were honored to mak a lot of new friends. One of them hails from Switzerland and sent us a Swiss pack that is used by the Swiss national civil protection organization.

The pack can be used to carry almost anything, like sledgehammers, chisels, ropes and other tools. You can tell by the way it is designed it was built to carry heavy stuff. It is made of sturdy canvas with leather straps. It is about 68 cm tall and the bottom measures 26 x 30 cm. The straps are reinforced by leather patches on the inside. The bottom of the pack is made of a metal plate. It looks like you can wear it like a messenger bag across your shoulder. Thanks for sharing Ueli!

Kent Military Brush

A few weeks ago I had a discussion in the shop about hair brushes. Daan thought it was a shame I used the brush that I used. We're surrounded by cool stuff, and here was this plastic "monstrosity" in my scout pack. It did meet its basic requirements at the time, but Daan's comment and advice to go for a military hairbrush fired up my appetite for something that would match our requirements, both in looks and functionality.

Today I came across G.B. Kent & Sons Ltd. Commonly known as Kent Brushes, this British company started making brushes in 1777. Amazingly, they have had a Royal Warrant from the beginning. This means they have been supplying the English Royal Family for over nine reigns. The company was run by the Kent family for six generations, until 1932. The last of the three Kent brothers passed away and Eric Cosby, owner of Cosby Brushes, went into association with the company. The company is still run by the Cosby family today.

The men's brushes from Kent come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The bristle versions are the ones I was looking for. This mostly oval shaped brush is generally referred to as the military brush. The handles are made of Cherry, Beech or Ebony wood. My favorite is the MN11. It is made of Ebony wood, which is a very dark timber and comes with a pure black bristle. This combination gives it a very durable, quality appearance. It has been marked on the hit list for next month..

Wooly Mammoth Tusk Ivory Neck Knife

What can I say about wearing a knife around your neck that doesn't sound a bit off? I think when it comes to things like these and you're planning to travel the world, this is just a really cool wannahave that you want hanging from your neck, whether you need to peel your apple or forge a hand-made slingshot during a warm evening sitting next to the bonfire. The handle from this particular neck knife is said to be made from 20.000 year old woolly mammoth tusk ivory, so they don't come more fancy than this I think. The knife and the pouch are both hand-made by Mike Carter of Carter Crafts and are all unique. they are available for a very reasonable price at his website.

(via Carter Crafts)

Cirkut Camera

Everyone probably knows the typical character of a photographer in comic books. Especially the ones in the USA in the old days. Dressed in a distinguished manner, and burdened with a very big, heavy camera. One of the cameras that fits this image perfectly is the Cirkut camera.

This special camera was developed in the early twentieth century. It was very big, heavy and had the intriguing capability of capturing large groups of people at once. The large panoramic shots are widely known, but I never asked myself how these were made.

Motorcycles, around 1915

The camera was mounted on a tripod and turned from left to right very slowly. With the same speed a light sensitive film was pulled behind the lens and automatically rolled up in a internal container. The people being photographed would be lined up in a half circle. This was to make sure the distance between the camera and subjects would be the same. If not, the people on the sides would be out of focus.

Asheville Fire Department - 1994 !!

Among collectors a special type of photo is popular. It is a so-called double-ender that features one of its subjects twice. How? If you were photographed on the left, ran around the camera while it was turning and took a pose on the right side of the picture, you would be visible twice in the same photo. Nice practical joke if you ask me. You can moon and look eminent on the same photo!

A very good collection is bound in the book America By The Yard: Cirkut Camera. We have a few copies in the shop. Come and have look..

WPA Posters

The Work Progress Administration was the biggest governmental agency that was established as a part of the New Deal under the first term of President Roosevelt. Between 1936 and 1943, it employed millions of people during the Great Depression. This agency carried out public work projects, and operated large art, drama and media projects. It is not my intention to make this a history lesson, but I had to dig into some background info on the posters you can see in this post.

During the period the agency was active, various branches of the WPA produced around 2000 posters. This was to promote project, events, arts, safe working environments etc. The Library of Congress has the largest collection of these posters. The shop Unionmade from San Francisco made a nice selection on their blog of the ones that are work-related.

Imagine how cool these designs would be if you found enamel versions in your local junkshop or flea market. It would give a real authentic feel to your house, shop or showroom. The whole collection can be found here.

Canvas Military Scout Pack

Two days ago I was running some errands in the city when I stumbled upon this Scout pack. Some random guy was riding his bicycle, hardly looking like the fashion-minded type, but he carried this pack on his back. It looked so good I decided to ask him where he found it. His answer was somewhat strange in that he said it was from a friend of his and then asked me if I wanted to buy it! As I'm a bit broke at the moment, I had to say no, but apparently he was in the same predicament, and offered me the pack for €10,- ! It may sound a bit dubious but I couldn't say no to that!

It has some markings on it claiming to be made in Germany and a model described as 'Kurz Mod.1'. I couldn't find a thing about on the net so I wonder if anybody knows something about this pack. Let me know if you do.

J.W. Hulme Factory Pics

When measured in years, J.W. Hulme Company shares its amount of history with Red Wing Shoes. Both brands started back in 1905 and both were founded in Minnesota. J.W. Hulme Co. began as a manufacturer of canvas tents in world war I and II. After the wars they started producing leather bags and accessories for sport hunters.

Up until 1997 a big part of the production was focused on production of private labels for other brands like Gokey and Orvis. When Orvis started their own production and doing it overseas, J.W Hulme Co. began building their own brand. All products produced in the USA carry a lifetime guarantee.

You_have_broken_the _internet has posted some pictures of their factory in Minnesota. For more pictures click here.

216 Union Motorcycle Rag

Clean transport is necessary for an excellent appearance. Look at this great accessory to clean your bike. The large motorcycle rag from 216 Union is made from a linen / cotton fabric. Also cool for the low rider bicycle owners of course.

Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid

Designer William "Billy" Reid was recognized by GQ as the best new menswear designer in America. Next to winning the cash prize of $50,000 he also designed a limited edition collection for Levi's. Following the fine collection by Filson, this is something Levi's grabbed my attention with for the second time in a short while.

At first I was not impressed, but my opinion changed radically after I saw the detailed pictures and read about the inspiration for the collection. It contains a twill hunting coat, a 501 rigid denim, a 505 work pant, a woolen trucker jacket, two sweatshirts, one denim shirt, one oxford shirt, a t-shirt and a "apron" tool bag.

The inspiration for this collection came from a blacksmith's apron found in New Mexico. According to Billy Reid's website, this was also the catalyst and starting point for the whole collection. Each item has an element of this apron: from the pockets of the jeans to the lining of the oxford shirt. The best items from the collection are definitely the hunting jacket and the tool bag.

The twill cotton hunting jacket is lined with an apron which acts as a game pouch. The apron is also removable and can be worn separately. The tool bag is made from reformed apron. The pockets and detailing on the outside give the bag a unique appearance. Coolhunting published a video online about this creation of the collection. Check it out.

Visit BILLYREID.COM for more pictures and info.

2nd The Red Wing Book

This specially produced issue from 2nd magazine was released in july 2010. It takes a look at the history of Red Wing Shoes and its rise in popularity in recent years. It's all in Japanese but the pictures speak for themselves, showing some Japanese guys sporting their Red Wing's. The Red Wing edition is now available here at Red Wing Shoes Amsterdam.