Hand Forge (Portland, OR)

April 20, 2017

It really fulfills a primal urge to smash something with a hammer, but turn that hammer into a power hammer that strikes 220 times per minute and you’ve got yourself an art-making machine. Of course, the machine itself is only as good as its user, and Lyle Poulin of Hand Forge is a true artist when it comes to working steel into a beautiful shape.

During my visit to his shop, Lyle was making a tomahawk—one of many stunning pieces in his repertoire. He worked to transform a bar of steel into a blade in what seemed to be a series of effortless maneuvers, which we all know to be the sign of someone well-versed in the craft.

Lyle’s blacksmithing started with working at his family business and eventually lead to him starting his own in Portland. His strong foundations lead him to do things that aren’t entirely “necessary” but make a better quality product, and Lyle takes the time to push his products toward perfection.

In addition to Tomahawks, the Hand Forge shop also sports home goods such as bottle openers, Damascus steel knives, Damascus wedding bands, as well as other various, intricate ironworks. It’s amazing to see what all Lyle is able to do in his shop and I can’t wait to see what other great products he makes in the future!

Mac Sign Painting (McMinnville, OR)

April 14, 2017

When you think about all the print advertisements and other signage fighting for our attention day-to-day, it’s hard to remember there was ever a time when signs were only made by hand. I met up with Colt Bowden of Mac Sign Painting who is working to keep this age-old art alive.

I first met Colt at a lecture he gave with Hand-Eye Supply’s Curiosity Club, which is a series of talks about pretty much anything and everything. Colt not only knows how to paint a sign, but he knows a chunk about the heritage and history of sign painting too.

Although Colt had just finished up a series of truck doors, he was taking it back to the basics by practicing his Gothic Alphabet, only tracing a few guide lines and free-handing the rest. I jokingly asked for him to make me a sign, and in a few minutes he had nearly finished it.

Colt is currently apprenticing with Northwood Signs in Carlton, OR, which is where this shoot took place. Stay tuned for more pictures of on-location jobs that Mac Sign Painting has coming up in the warmer weather.

Red Clouds Collective

March 26, 2017

If you’re ever on South East Morrison, be sure to find the team at Red Clouds Collective working away at making some truly stellar products. They made the move from NE Prescott to SE Morrison to open their retail space, which also houses their workshop. Neatly tucked away in the upstairs of their space, sewing machines whirr as they stitch together quality canvas and leather goods. On the main floor, leather is cut, rivets are set, and all other sorts of magic happens.

Their waxed canvas pants have been more popular than ever, and they don’t show any sign of slowing down. Of course, warmer weather might make make heavy-duty wax canvas pants a bit… sweltering… but motorcyclists, adventurers, and the fashionable minded can take solace in knowing that their pants wont give up when the going gets tough. Even the rivets are hammered flat so that they don’t snag on anything or cause unnecessary wear.

The leather that the Red Clouds Collective uses is veg-tan sourced from Herman Oak—traditionally tanned leather made in St. Louis—which I’ve found to be some of the best leather to work with. Every component of each product gets the hand-loving attention that it needs to make it a highly durable, long lasting good.

The team at Red Clouds Collective were among the first people I met when I moved to Portland a couple years back and it was great to reconnect and see what all they’ve been working on. Be sure to head over to their website and check out all of the great products they have in-stock

Portland Razor Co.

March 22, 2017

Portland Razor Co. Is nestled on the second story of a building in South West Portland where Scott Miyako, Alex Pletcher, Hunter Lea, and a handful of others grind, quench, and sharpen away at some of the finest, handcrafted straight razors this side of the Mississippi.

The building is currently undergoing renovation, and their production space is tucked behind their showroom and soon-to-be single-chair barbershop. Just around a corner sits an array of belt sanders, sanding stations, hand saws, a laser cutter, and the sharpening station that Miyako uses to put the finished edge on the blade.

During my visit, Miyako worked away at putting an edge on a series of razors that would go through several more steps before getting the final hand-sharpening and honing treatment prior to being assembled with their handle.

The demand Portland Razor Co. razors continues to increase, so if you’re looking for a close shave you’ll need to head on over to their website and pick one up or sign up for their waiting list.

Wolf Ceramics

March 01, 2017

It’s not everyday that you get to see raw forms of earth shaped into elegant stoneware, but tucked in a basement studio in NW Portland, Sarah Wolf of Wolf Ceramics sits behind her wheel turning out an array of mugs, bowls, plates, and other beautifully shaped home goods.

Sarah comes from a background in the sciences with a degree Geological Chemistry, which puts her knowledge of the craft in both practical and theoretical spheres. As she stood over her prep-table weighing out and forming clay into balls that would eventually become some 72 mugs, Sarah gave me a brief glimpse into her world of ceramics by casually listing out the differences between types of clay, what makes porcelain so elegant, and what her favorite ratio of grog is (don’t ask me, I couldn’t tell you).

The Wolf Ceramics shop is growing from a one-woman operation, producing large volumes of product using an average of some 170 pounds of clay per week (some 1000lbs in 6 weeks). During my visit, Sarah was working on some 72 mugs for her mug club.

Wolf Ceramics is slowly growing in size, adding a few hands in the shop and getting some local Portland shops such as Rejuvenation for the studio’s line as well as the collaborations with local furniture studio FOLK.

Be sure to check out Sarah's work online or on her instagram.

The Tiny Spoon

February 16, 2017

Perry of The Tiny Spoon is one of the few people soldiering into the ever-waning world of hand-crafting neon signs. His studio is based in North East Portland where he is surrounded by other craftsmen, builders, tinkerers, and brilliant, bright neon light.

Working with great focus on the glass tubes that he would gradually sculpt into a complex interstate of letters, he calmly yet swiftly moved from flame to flame, heating different parts of the tube in precise ways to achieve the bend that he drafted in his planning. He calculated, measured, and marked each length of glass using a pencil and ruler that's also the breather tube he uses to keep the glass from folding in on itself as he executes extreme bends.

As Perry explained to me, the total working time from flame to fixed is about five seconds, which doesn't leave a whole lot of time for error or indecision. His movements are exact and decisive, yet not without feeling and gentle attention to the smallest of details.

At a point I looked over and saw that Perry was using two tiny tea spoons that he'd clamped together to hold his fuser torch (pictured above). I asked if that's where the name "The Tiny Spoon" came from, but the real story is much more meaningful than that. The name stems from his thoughts on how small objects such as a pencil, brush, or spoon have the potential to unleash great reserves of creative energies, and that even the smallest details carry the greatest weights.

Be sure to check out what Perry's up to on his Instagram and see a more of his work online.

“Great results, can be achieved with small forces.”

— Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Luke Messimer at the Fixin' To

February 13, 2017

I had the pleasure of shooting Luke Messimer at St. John's Fixin To bar. Luke made the generous move to donate his portion of ticket sales to the ACLU and Planned Parenthood in light of the current political climate. Overall, the show wasn't really a benefit concert, but I think that makes it all the more impressive when individuals are willing to go out of his or her way to do something for someone else.

My favorite thing about seeing bands play live is how they interact with the audience in addition to other bands that are playing. The band following Luke had a guest appearance of Krist Novoselic of Nirvana. Luke commented that it was distracting/intimidating him that Krist's bass was hanging out to his left the whole time he played.

Krist later commented that he enjoyed Luke's music, which is pretty much a no-brainer but still made Luke all giddy. Luke said he couldn't quite hit some of the notes that he used to hit when he was 18, but all in all it was a great show. Be sure to check out Luke's music here

“I believe in a knowing, from the bottom of my souls, that art can truly change the world. ”

— E.B. Harris of Afterlife Revival

Afterlife Revival at the Landmark Saloon

January 28, 2017

Afterlife Revival played a benefit show with a group of other local musicians to support the peoples affiliated with Standing Rock as they fight to protect their lands from water pollution due to the oil pipelines being built. The band is a fresh take on classic country music that's sure to get your boot scootin' and your bones a'groovin'

Mixing elements of acoustic guitar, lap steel, keys, and the rhythm section, Harris creates what he calls psychedelic honkey-tonk. Let's be real, when else do you see a dude with a haircut styled like Willy-Nelson and a Gibson SG electric guitar on the same stage singing love songs about a dog named Lupe?

Be sure to check out Afterlife Revival at their next show near you! More information about the band can be found by staring deeply into the evening country sky or on their website