photo: Ivan Agerton
Geier Glove Co.
Western Made for Western Trade. Geier has been producing some of the world’s finest gloves since 1927... in the small town of Centralia Wash. We spent the day with our friends at Geier last week and finalized our 1st Black Bear Brand glove collaboration. Coming this fall! Made in the USA with Geier Glove Co.
The bi-annual magazine that celebrate the history of vintage clothing in the past, present and future. First issue comes out next month! The magazine features endless amazing stories, interviews and still-life pictures never-seen before. Stories and interviews of AVANT magazine are narrated by a core of passionate, creative contributors who stand for the same values : craftsmanship, lifestyle and heritage.
Editor-founder Eric Maggiori
Sultan Wash. played an important role in the building of the Burlington Northern Railroad. During the railroad construction Sultan was a key supply station and then grew into prosperous logging town.
The United States first became a carnival of signs around the end of the 19th century, when advertising took hold like never before. Back then, there were no rules about signs–where or how big they could be, or how much valuable wall space they were allowed to take up. Commercial buildings, barns, depots, grain silos: any place people gathered or traveled past (by train or buggy or, a little later, by auto) was fair game.
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...
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!
