Free Way

Oita, Japan is our home away from home… and our friends at Free Way are like family.

Article - Custom Front.

English version….

Founded in 1986. In the early days when there were only a few Harley shops in Japan, the "Freeway" was raised in Oita. It is an old war of history that has strongly supported Kyushu's freaks, with custom bikes that make it possible to feel the warmth of the builders and mechanical technology that can not be achieved by machining alone.

The representative Mizutani got the bike after high school graduation, but everyone says that it was kicking when they left the bike and brought out an interest in the car. He hates flocking from an early age, loves the loneliness, then leaves the bike for a while and goes on the music path, and moves to Tokyo alone. However, the dirty world of the music world went back to the local Oita three years later, and the store started.

At the time, though it started by completely self-taught, there is also the support of the advanced people who care about something, and its awareness spreads gradually. And someday, the name of "Freeway" will be escaping from Kyushu to the whole country, supporting the height of sensitivity to customs and technology that continues to evolve... full article. 
Josh SirlinComment
Black Bear Brand ghost sign on 1st Ave. in Seattle WA.
photo: Ivan Agerton- 1st Ave. Seattle, WA is the home of a special Black Bear Brand sign from the early 1900’s. - the archive Black Bear Brand - Union Coverall... from 1920.

photo: Ivan Agerton

- 1st Ave. Seattle, WA is the home of a special Black Bear Brand sign from the early 1900’s.

- the archive Black Bear Brand - Union Coverall... from 1920.

From now until the release of our next collection coming this fall our full concentration is on design, pattern making, materials, and testing!

  • jackets.

  • shirting.

  • overalls.

  • pants.

  • boots.

  • collaborations.

Made In The USA. We’ll be sharing this exciting chapter of the Black Bear Brand resurrection story as it it unfolds.

We are not a simple translation of the past, but creating from what in the past has influenced us.

Josh SirlinComment
Geier Glove Co. & Black Bear Brand in 2019
photo: Ivan Agerton

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.

AVANT, France.

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

Black Bear Brand, France
Josh SirlinComment
the Black Bear Brand ghost sign in Sulton Wash.

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. 

Josh SirlinComment
the... Annual Notebook for 2019.

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).

HailMary_annual_notes.jpg
the... Annual Notebook for 2019.
Josh SirlinComment
Black Bear Brand & Langlitz Leathers with Horween Tannery

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

Horween Tannery - Chicago, IL

Josh SirlinComment
Keynote for Fall

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.

Josh SirlinComment
a beautiful connection to our past....
BlackBearBrand_Seattle.JPG

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.

Josh SirlinComment
2 week whirlwind tour of 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.

Josh SirlinComment
Hey Mr. BOOTSMAN

Hail Mary Magazine - October 2018

Japan

Black Bear Brand, Hail Mary Magazine
Black Bear Brand in Hail Mary Magazine

Full boot collection of our boot collaborations is available for pre order on 8/30!

Josh SirlinComment