Brotherhood and Himel Gear Testing - Part 1

October 21, 2022

 Part of running my company is about making the things I love, imagine or have seen in my decades of vintage dealing and collecting.  That process isn't just about some drop-off replicate and wear thing––it requires design, construction, testing, developing, redeveloping, the process is time consuming and intricate to create a perfect item. 

I am not building thousands or even hundreds of garments; sometimes just building one good thing but the goal is perfection and that is counter intuitive compared to the current models of capitalism. 

It is the 1930s 40s model without the infrastructure.  This year I drove 13 hours north to north of Wawa Ontario to meet my very special 30 something tribe and hunt forage and fish in the cold shoulder season of the north.  We tested out our deadstock Nova Scotia Textiles waffle shirts, Brisbane Moss moleskin campshirts, hats and other gear against the sub zero fall weather.

 

Mark, Luke and Jesse came down the old overgrown logging roads at different arrival times.  We set up in the dark to be honest the first day was a bit brutal, but also magically beautiful. The fall colours were spectacular this year, but the early snowfall was unexpected. The boys brought a bike, ATV and boat mostly Luke and I were walking overgrown long forgotten logging paths.  Spruce hen and ruffled grouse really stand out in the snow but the Himel gear in layers worked to keep my Southern Ontario ass warm.  These boys don't mind the cold but I am a touch weak.

 

 Luke is a brother from another mother.  Our first chilly night included charcuterie from Bruni's, a traditional butcher shop that Bruni himself smokes, stuffs, ages and cures all his own meat in the back, also Luke's own salami and prosciutto made from a pig Jesse grew and slaughtered last year.  We stayed warm in the camp shirts and Luke shared one of his prized pipefulls of tobacco from his pipe made by a world class pipe-maker in Toronto, now retired.

We were out for birds, fish and my new obsession, wild mushrooms.  Luke brought his grandpa's 1940s Winchester and days of walking talking and bonding began!  Lobster mushrooms and Winter chanterelles were bursting out from the snow!

 

 

Stay tuned for Part 2...

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