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

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

Made in Seattle, Made in Japan: The Two Homes of Black Bear Brand

One brand, two homes, and a bolt of Scottish wool in between. Josh Sirlin on why Black Bear Brand is designed in Seattle and built in Okayama.

Heritage, Japan, Japan & CultureJosh SirlinJuly 17, 2026made in seattle, made in japan, black bear brand story, pacific northwest, okayama, made in usa clothingComment

The Henley: The Shirt Between a Tee and Everything Else

A collarless placket, three or four buttons, and somehow the most useful shirt a man owns. The henley's rowing-club origins and what makes a great one.

Craft & Materials, fabric guide, shirtsJosh SirlinJuly 11, 2026henley shirt, thermal henley, waffle knit, men's henley, garment dyed, made in seattle, black bear brandComment

Waxed Canvas and "Tin Cloth": The Seattle Cloth That Beats the Weather

From ships' sails to the Klondike gold fields to Seattle's logging camps, waxed cotton is the toughest weatherproof cloth ever made — and it ages like nothing else.

Fabric Guide, Heritage, Jackets, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 6, 2026waxed canvas, tin cloth, waxed cotton history, waxed canvas jacket, made in seattle, pacific northwest workwear, black bear brandComment