the... Annual Notebook for 2019. Hail Mary Magazine - Japan Formation Book for Mr. Untouchable (edition). ***a fun note on the pic: its a iPhone pic taken by a friend when I met them at their shop after riding 100+ miles on a brisk Dec. evening (1948 Panhead).
Get Back USA! (feature story: history and resurrection of Black Bear Brand) Hail Mary... Japan - January 2019
The entire West Coast Shoe Co. team is exceptional... its an honor to work with you.
Happy 100th!
Thank you.
Founded in 1914, today's modern iteration of the Black Bear Brand is "pragmatic, refined, tough, romantic" in its custom leather jackets.
A celebration of the iconic leather jacket... a collision of America’s best.
A pure curation of excellence.
Handmade to order by Langlitz in Portland just as it was since 1947.
Horsehide by Horween Leather Co.; who’s been producing the finest leather since 1905 in Chicago.
Designed and curated - Black Bear Brand.
*** Each jacket will be custom made to order.
Horween Tannery - Chicago, IL
History…
The resurrection story has just begun!
Black Bear Brand’s winter/fall advertisement from the 1930’s.
The beautiful connection to our past.
1949 Black Bear wool shirts AD! Keynote for Fall... Black Bear Brand- The new and old colliding in a quest to elevate what we do. A love for the Americana, the old ways, its strong influence on style. The resurrection story has just begun.
Black Bear Brand - Black Manufacturing is Seattle manufacture that was born in the early 1900's. Uncovering pieces of history like this picture fuel our resurrection journey! We are not a simple translation of the past, but creating from what in the past has influenced us…. our story has just begun.
In celebration of Wesco's 100th anniversary, we created a very special boot together. Horween provided a brown ‘Chromexcel' horsehide. The uppers feature a double toe and an option of handmade silver hardware. Made in the USA, at Wesco's family-owned factory in Scappoose, Oregon.
Hail Mary - Japan (Oct. 31 "Must Own" issue)
Part 3 of the Black Bear Band product testing in Japan... Two hour ride on an 70yr. old chopper to Himeji Castle; a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan.
Part 2 of the Black Bear Band product testing in Japan... Typhoon followed by riding motorcycles to Aso volcano; one of the world's most active volcanoes Oita Perfecture, Japan.
These two amazing weeks started with being a guest of Wokini Studio at the Clutch Collection Show in Tokyo. http://www.ccshowjapan.com
after the show...
*** Typhoon in Oita followed by riding motorcycles to Aso volcano; one of the world's most active volcanoes.
*** Touring Kobe on a 70 yr. old Panhead and visiting the hilltop Japanese castle complex Himeji Castle (姫路城 Himeji-jō).
*** Back to Tokyo for a day with Tokyo's own Mr. Boots Man... Fukurokuju. A day of boots, bikes, and lots of laughs with a new dear friend and a master of boots! Takeshi Okuyama...
More on the above coming soon.
Hail Mary Magazine - October 2018
Japan
Full boot collection of our boot collaborations is available for pre order on 8/30!
Wokini Studio has created a special silver claw pendant for Black Bear Brand. This is a piece of art created from the cast of a real bear claw!
• Casting made from a real bear claw.
• Sterling silver
• Black deerskin lace with turquoise beads and silver beads.
• Hand hammered branding of Black Bear Brand and Wokini on each piece.
• Polish by hand.
This collaboration has set in motion some very exciting things. In Sept. we will be accompany Wokini Studio at the Clutch CC Show in Tokyo and following the show I’ll be riding a friends 1948 Panhead on a 4 day ride around the tropical island of Ōita Prefecture!
This journey has just begun... Explore To Create!
Our friend/photographer/cinematographer/documentarist Bradley Wentzle documenting the Mint 400 in Primm Nevada; filming the Spitfire Race Team. These boots are collision of tough raw simplicity with beautiful refinement; a curation of pragmatic utilitarian beauty. Black Bear Brand with Wesco & Horween!
Celebrating 100 Years Of Wesco.
Collision of tough raw simplicity with beautiful refinement.
Wesco Shoes: The Gold Standard is 100 years old this year!
Horween “horsehide” Leather
the art of tanning at its finest.
Unparalleled blend of quality, consistency, responsiveness, and innovation
A love for Americana, the old ways, its strong influence on style.
The new and old colliding in a quest to elevate what we do and love.
*** Black Bear Brand Coverall salvaged from 1940.
*** Horsehide Engineer Boot releasing 7/10.
...a short 45 mile ride from Seattle is Sultan WA. A year plus ago a piece of Black Bear Brand history was uncovered; a painted advertisement sign from the 1920's.
This touches on a deep and hidden history the Black Bear Brand has and we're working to resurrect. Black Manufacturing's Black Bear Brand has been part of the Pacific Northwest manufacturing community for almost 100 years, Black Bear Brand has stayed true to its original legacy of making durable and aesthetically-classic goods through a union of regional makers considered the best in their craft. Black Bear Brand keeps original founder George G. Black’s vision alive by making simple, straightforward, and durable garments while re-imagining the definitions of traditional workwear.
Sultan WA. Sultan City played an important role in the building of the Burlington Northern Railroad which runs east from Everett adjacent to the Skykomish River. During the railroad construction, Sultan was as a supply station employing (at times) over 800 men. This boom brought many new businesses to the area and in 1905 Sultan incorporated.