Watches - Part 3

Crafts - Mil-Spec Lanyard

Here's a small piece of custom leatherwork, that I did for my good friend, Rasmus. He requested a new key hanger or lanyard, as his old (shitty) one finally gave up.

I know, that Rasmus is quite into jeans, so I made him a lanyard with some very nice details, that would go well with a pair of jeans. I'm actually quite satisfied with it. So much I'm making one for myself now.

These pictures were taken after a couple of weeks of use and it looks like it is evolving quite nicely. The leather I used is a 3mm thick vegetable tanned leather from Germany. I oiled it quite a few times with Neatsfoot oil, just to get the process going.

The hardware is a bit more interesting. It's from the Danish military and it is made of steel/nickel, that has been enameled. The buckle is deadstock, so there is no chipping whatsoever, but the snap has been used - heavily - so it has plenty patina. I'm hoping, that they resemble each other a bit more with wear. 

I secured the snap using a 6 ply waxed Irish linen thread. Sewn by hand, of course. And here you can see my custom maker's stamp. I've come to the conclusion, that it's too hard getting it perfectly centred, so now I'm just quickly punching it. So it always gets a bit crooked, but that's just charming, I think.

All edges have been rounded slightly and burnished using beeswax and good, old elbow grease. What you can't seen from these pictures, is that the buckle has been set using two solid copper rivets. This is a very rugged solution, and it adds to the character, once the ageing process really kicks in. Nothing goes as well with vegetable tanner leather as solid copper rivets. 

All photos by Rasmus Jakobsen and all words (and work) by Simon Tuntelder

Factory Visit - Leiftur / Sp/f. Sjóklæðir

A couple of days ago, I stopped by Sp/f. Sjóklæðir to make a surprise visit, hoping to get a look of the production, sewing machines and have a chat about the company. I was greeted by a sincerely friendly lady, Bjørg Nólsoy, who was happy to show me around.

This morning there was very little activity in the white painted, rather anonymous looking house, which serves both as Sjóklæðir's storage and workshop. This was due to the fact because the shipment with new supplies from Belgium unfortunately had taken a detour to Latvia and therefore was expected to arrive later that day.

The company is situated up a hill in the biggest fishing community of the Faroe Islands, Klaksvík. The past 50 years It has been providing Faroese fishermen, farmers and the fish industry ashore with work wear the.

Initially the garments were branded 'Mammut', but it was renamed 'Leiftur' meaning baby whale, because a factory in Denmark, more or less similar to Sjóklæðir, also called itself Mammut.

In its early days the factory also manufactured a range of everyday apparel including jeans and jackets. Today the company is run by Bjørg, who is the daughter of the founders. Nowadays the company employs six people. In the golden days as many as 40 people worked at Sjóklæðir.

Very little has changed in the production. The customers are the same people wanting exactly the same things when the previous are worn out.

Sometimes small adjustments are being made, when a number of fishermen have proclaimed that a hood or sleeve is too wide or narrow for instance.

This is also why Bjørg has no website and why she doesn't advertise. ”People know we're here and what we're about”.

All words and photos by Fríðgerð á Hálvmørk

Eastland Made in Maine - Part Deux

I caved. I went back to get the other pair of Eastland Made in Maine shoes, that I had been eyeing for some time. My older mocs (mostly Quoddy and Yuketen) are all quite worn out, and they are my go-to summer kickers, so I felt it was an investment worth making. 

They fit me perfectly and the construction of the shoe feels very solid and very sturdy. The leather choice isn't that interesting per se, but this Chromexcel from Horween feels a bit different from the other Chromexcel footwear I have. It's more waxy, more greasy and bit thicker as well. I'm sure, it'll wear in very nicely. But the colour however is a bit more interesting than the more regular colours you often see, although it's not crazy like some of the more recent moccasin, we've also been seeing.

Another nice feature is the leather mid sole. It's not an original feature, as far as I know, when comparing to bluchers in old LL Bean catalogs for instance. but it is a feature I quite enjoy.

Nice grain on the leather. It has a bit more character than regular Chromexcel, though still very subtle.

Perfect stitching.

I wouldn't mind adding more Eastlands to my shoe collection. They very well-made.

Now this post wouldn't be complete without a video. I hope I haven't posted this one before. It's hard to keep track. This video shows the Rancourt factory, where I'm quite sure, that Eastland's Made in Maine collection is made. It'll make you appreciate your shoes more.

Watches - Part 2