Black Bear Brand is not a new company. It is a resurrection. Josh Sirlin on George G. Black, a forgotten Seattle name, and a decade spent bringing it back

Craft, Culture, HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 25, 2026black bear brand history, josh sirlin, george g black, seattle heritage brand, brand revival, made in seattleComment

Travel, Culture, and the Making of a Creative Life

Every good idea I have ever had came from somewhere else. Josh Sirlin on how travel and other people’s cultures shape creative work, from Okayama to the Outer Hebrides.

travel, Craft & Materials, Culture, Style, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 20, 2026travel and creativity, cultural influence design, creative inspiration travel, design philosophy, josh sirlin, black bear brand story, travelComment

Black Bear Means Long Wear: The 1914 Factory and the Brand I Brought Back

Black Bear Brand is not a new label with an old look. It is a real Seattle company from the early 1900s, with a real factory and a real slogan, that Josh Sirlin spent a decade bringing back.

Culture, Craft, HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 18, 2026black bear brand history, black manufacturing company, george g black, seattle heritage brand, josh sirlin, made in seattleComment

The 1948 Panhead: What a 76-Year-Old Chopper Taught Me About Design

Josh Sirlin rides a 1948 Panhead that has outlived almost everything built since. Here is what a 76-year-old chopper taught him about designing clothes worth keeping.

Culture, Heritage, MotorcyclesJosh SirlinJuly 17, 2026panhead chopper, 1948 harley, josh sirlin, motorcycle design, black bear brand, built to lastComment

My 1948 Panhead: On Presence, and the World Slowing Down

People ask why I ride an old machine when a new one would be easier. Ease was never the point. My 1948 Panhead gives me total presence — the world slows, the noise thins, and I'm here. A rider's history of the first-year Panhead.

Motorcycles, Culture, HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 6, 20261948 harley panhead, panhead chopper, first year panhead, harley davidson panhead history, vintage chopper, josh sirlin, motorcycle culture, black bear brandComment