ROWING BLAZER LOOKBOOK SPRING 2019

Jack did it again, he and his team delivered a quirky Spring Summer collection!  I love these reverse weave racquets sweaters.

CHAD'S FACTORY VISIT - PENDLETON WOOLEN MILLS

For several years I had on my wish list a visit to the Pendleton Woolen Mills and this spring I finally had the change to see how those beautiful blankets are made in Pendleton, Oregon. 

The blankets are still made on the same location since 1909. During the factory tour you see all the different stages, from spinning the wool to making the blankets by the computorized weaving machines. And when the final check is done (as you see in one of the last pics) the blankets are ready to be cut in the right sizes.

The company’s roots began in 1863 when Thomas L. Kay made a transcontinental trek to the west coast and began working in Oregon's woolen mills. He went on to open his own woolen mill, the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill in Salem, Oregon. Kay was an immigrant from England and a weaver by trade. He had worked in various textile mills on the east coast of the United States. In 1909 the family moved to Pendleton in northeastern Oregon and took over the defunct Pendleton Woolen Mills. The town of Pendleton backed the family in their new business venture and the Bishops’ company also took over the name Pendleton Woolen Mills.

CHAD'S FACTORY VISIT - FILSON SEATTLE

In May 2018, I travelled again to the USA and this time I conquered the North-West region, starting in Seattle, WA. I was lucky to arrive one hour before schedule in order for me to have time to visit the factory tour at the Filson Seattle headquarters to see how craftspeople take the best raw materials Filson can find from around the world and turn them into garments, bags and gear that last for generations.

After the tour, I spent some time at the flagship store which is decorated with love and passion. Availabele in this store is a Filson Restoration Department with one of a kind products some are rebuilt from Filson originals, while others are completely unique built from pieces of repaired luggage.

If you every have the change to visit Seattle, make sure you stop by the Filson store and book your tour.

CHAD'S VISIT TO SANBORN CANOE CO., WINONA MN.

The postman not always has to rings twice! Yesterday he delivered my goodies from Sanborn Canoe Co.  Not only I'm happy to receive the goodies I ordered but it also reminds me to my visit to the workshop in Winona, MN. It was mid May and I took a road trip from Minneapolis to Winona through the rolling hills with farms on your left and right hand side. When I arrived in the small village of Winona I passed by the workshop several times because there was no sign of Sanborn on the building. When I entered the workshop I was welcomed by Abbey and Todd.

Todd took me on a guided tour through every stage of building a paddle from selecting the wood to the painting by hand of the graphics. Todd and his buddy Zak started Sanborn Canoe as a summer project inspired by the lakes and outdoors of Minnesota and the stories of Grandpa making paddles and canoes in the 60s. In the Fall of 2012 the launched their Artisan Painted Paddle line. Inspired, by when the voyageurs travelled the landscape of the new world by canoe, trading and carving out a new culture all their own.

In the Spring of 2016 Todd & Zak bought Merrimack Canoes a company which builds canoes since 1954 and are now proudly build in Winona in the same way as they started in Merrimack, NH

After the tour I had to play darts, this is becoming a tradition within the company, every visitor has to play darts and the score is put on the wall.

I want to thank Todd and the company for their hospitality and wish them save paddles.