Company Information Archives - David Morgan

The Current Situation at David Morgan

Jon — Sat, 07 Nov 2020 18:30:55 +0000

Dear Customers and Friends,

With the ongoing pandemic, we wish to share with you how we are faring, and what we continue to do to minimize the impact on our customers.

Holiday Shopping: We encourage you to shop early for your holiday gifts. Delivery times have been extended by the USPS and UPS. Although most of products are well stocked, some vendors continue to see pandemic-related delays. Those who shop early will have the best selection, without the worry of delayed last-minute deliveries.

Please note that our guarantee of satisfaction allows returns and exchanges for 90 days after purchase for items in unused condition with all tags. You can purchase holiday gifts now, with confidence as the recipient will be able to return or exchange gifts through January, if needed. This is the same guarantee we’ve stood by for more than 50 years.

Extended Hours: We will be working Saturdays in November and December until Christmas, ensuring your orders are processed as quickly as possible.

Retail Store: Unfortunately, the pandemic still precludes opening our retail store at this time. We will re-open as soon as we are confident we can do so safely.

Curbside Order Pick-up: We are now offering curbside order pick-up for our customers living in the greater Seattle area. Please call us at 425-485-2132 or check our Retail Store page for further information.

Fall Favorites: Our Lambswool Scarf is selling well this fall, along with our woolen sweaters and accessories by Devold and Lothlorian.

Thank you for your patience and for your ongoing support of our small family-owned business during these extraordinary times.

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Why are Frost River Bags so Strong?

Jon — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 23:38:17 +0000

Why is the fabric in our Frost River bags so strong? There are several reasons. Frost River gets their fabric from Fairfield Textile, a US company in Bridgeton, NJ. The fabric is imported from India, but the remaining work is done in the USA. The cotton is mercerized, a process that makes the fabric very tough. Mercerized cotton also allows excellent dye penetration and breatheability.

Then Fairfield hands over the fabric to the Martin Corporation for finishing. Martin Corp prepares and dyes the fabric, applies the water repellent treatment or Martexin Original Wax finish, and finally inspects and packs the rolls for final sale and shipment. All aspects of dyeing and finishing are handled in house, in Bridgeton NJ. The Martin family has been involved in the dyeing and finishing of textiles in the United States since 1838. The current owners are the 7th generation to run the company. In the 1930s, they patented Martexin. The Martexin formula consists of food and pharmaceutical grade waxes, and is completely non-hazardous.

Martin Corp does not provide this finish to any other customers, and Fairfield does not have any other stocking distributors of Martexin Original Wax. Fairfield Textile does not purchase and re-sell any pre-dyed, imported fabrics.

Martexin Original Wax is a highly specialized textile that precludes normal cleaning. Just as you wouldn’t wash a leather product such as shoes, gloves, or jackets, you won’t be able to wash or dry clean your Martexin Original Wax. Wax fabrics have been successfully used for many years without washing. A periodic cleaning with a hose, damp cloth is all that is needed. Bare areas can be refinished with our Martexin Original Wax refinishing compound which can help restore the wax finish. This is all you need to keep your bag resistant to inclement weather.

Over time, you’ll find the fabric gets a patina that complements the bag. Just like leather, you’ll grow more proud of your bag over time, and you’ll find that the person you pass it down to will be just as happy. You’ll find the bag lasts for generations.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Frost River

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News About our Spring and Summer Catalog

Jon — Tue, 05 May 2020 22:39:27 +0000

Our Spring/Summer 2020 catalog is now available as a pdf. You can download or view the catalog here.

Normally, you’d be receiving a printed copy of the catalog in your mailbox about this time. The COVID-19 disruptions started just as we were finalizing our spring catalog. Without knowing how the disruptions would affect us, we chose not to print. At the same time, we chose to hold all pricing in our Fall and Winter 2019/2020 catalog through the summer. Although our retail store is temporarily closed, we are able to take orders online or by phone. Most items are in stock, although our spring shipment of Darwin Panamas and Panama Fedoras has been delayed and some sizes are back ordered. Other summer hats such as the Hemp Balmoral are in good supply.

Balmoral Hemp Hat by Akubra

Our catalog, which we publish just twice a year, also gives us the opportunity to alert our customers to changes. This spring brings a bittersweet change, with Judie Gumm retiring. We have carried Judie Gumm’s Alaskan jewelry for more than 30 years. We are sad to lose this collection but wish Judie and her husband Richard a wonderful retirement. Our remaining Judie Gumm lost wax castings, made in Alaska, are available here until sold out.

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Covid-19 Update

Jon — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 22:06:12 +0000

With the current COVID-19 disruptions, we are operating with minimal staffing but still able to process and ship most online, phone and mail orders within one to two business days. We follow CDC and Washington state suggested best practices, and are fortunate to have a work environment that is easily cleaned with good social distancing. Our retail store in Bothell, Washington is closed until Washington state allows us to re-open.

The worldwide pandemic has affected our ability to keep some products in stock. This past week we finally received a large shipment of Akubra hats, some of which were originally expected back in January. Delayed by global shipping disruptions, we were very pleased to have these hats! We still have a few outages, awaiting our next shipments, but most styles are well stocked, including the Kiandra.

Spring is here, and with it Panama hat season. Unfortunately our spring order has been delayed by the COVID-19 closures and we are out of stock of some sizes, in particular of our Darwin Panama, a customer favorite. We hope to receive these hats mid-May. Orders can be placed now – we will keep you updated if further delays occur and won’t charge your credit card until we ship. If you have immediate need of a Panama or straw hat, please consider our Gambler Panama, the Vented Panama and Featherweight Panama by Mayser, and Akubra’s Hemp Balmoral.

We thank our vendors, many like us small, family-owned businesses, for adapting to these unprecedented times. And we thank you, our customers, for your patience and understanding. We hope life gets back to normal soon.

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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Jon — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 17:40:55 +0000

One of our favorite places to advertise our Cavin Richie Wildlife in Bronze jewelry is Living Bird. It is produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The Autumn 2019 caught our attention with an article entitled, “3 Billion Birds Lost.”

According to research published online in September by the journal Science, wild bird populations in the continental U.S. and Canada have declined by almost 30% since 1970. While all six major biomes in the US saw a bird population decline, the largest percentage occurred in the grasslands, where there was a 53% decrease.

Click here for the article:

If you are interested in learning more, or making a donation, please visit Cornell’s Bird Lab homepage.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Cavin Richie

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RIP Phillip Hawk

Jon — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 16:36:24 +0000

We have received news that Phillip Hawk, the craftsman behind our bridle leather belts has passed away.

As an expert saddler/shoe maker, Phillip made our belts for many years, before passing the tradition on to Danny Whitaker. We were always proud of the extreme care and workmanship he put into each belt.

Please read this blog post if you would like to know more about Phillip.

Our condolences to the family.

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Farewell, Byrnie Utz

Jon — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 18:37:42 +0000

After selling hats in downtown Seattle for 84 years, the Byrnie Utz store closed its doors in September, 2018. For anyone interested in the details, The Seattle Times ran a story last year. Link here.

They were a wonderful company that sold Akubra hats along with many other brands.

Recently we obtained some of their remaining stock. We’re able to offer these hats at sale prices. They are limited to stock on hand. Browse the hats to see if you can find one that fits.

We also received some very interesting antique items that reveal the world of hatselling.

A Hat Stretcher

The hat stretcher will stretch a hat about a half of a size. Any more than that and you will damage the hat.

Old Stetson Boxes

Gold Embossing Tool

The gold embossing tool was used to print the name of the hat wearer. Since hats were worn by nearly everyone prior to the 1960s, it was easy to get yours lost among the others, especially in a restaurant or any place with a coat check.

Closeup of the embossing tool

A closeup of the embossing tool reveals the name: The Name-o-Gramer.

We’ll miss Byrnie and the part of Seattle that has been rapidly disappearing for the past ten years.

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The Nevern Cross Church (Saint Brynach)

Jon — Fri, 08 Mar 2019 23:32:37 +0000

There is a church in Nevern (Nanhyfer),Wales dedicated to Saint Brynach. Nevern is a small village and parish in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. It lies in the valley of the River Nevern.

Nevern Cross (courtesy, Wikipedia)

The famous cross, constructed in medieval times, is 13 feet tall and ornamented with Celtic knotwork. It is dedicated to Saint Brynach, who lived lived in the late 5th and early 6th centuries. He was a native of nearby Cemaes who, after a pilgrimage to Rome and a sojourn in Brittany, returned to Wales to lead an ascetic life in Nanhyfer. The cross was carved in the 10th or 11th century. Legend has it that the cuckoo, on returning to Wales in the spring, first sings from the cross on April 7th, the saint’s feast day.

St Brynach’s Cross Pendant

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Celtic Jewelry

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Happy Saint David’s Day!

Jon — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 21:02:38 +0000

St. David, Dewi Sant, is the patron saint of the Welsh, and March 1, his feast day, is celebrated as a patriotic and cultural festival by the Welsh in Wales and around the world.

Dewi Sant was a Celtic monk of the sixth century. His mother was Non. The ruins of a small chapel dedicated to her memory may be seen near St. David’s Cathedral. His father was Sant, a son of Ceredig, King of Cardigan. Little is known for certain about Dewi Sant, but he founded several religious centers in Wales and western England, was consecrated archbishop during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and led an ascetic life. An account of his life was written towards the end of the 11th century by Rhygyfarch, a monk at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth. Many prophesies were said to have preceded the birth of Dewi Sant, and many miracles were attributed to him. One miracle often recounted is that once when Dewi was preaching to a crowd at Llandewi Brefi those on the outer edges could not hear, so he spread a handkerchief on the ground, and stood on it to preach, whereupon the ground swelled up beneath him, and all could hear. A short account of Dewi Sant has been given by Nona Rees in St. David of Dewisland.

March 1, the date given by Rhygyfarch for the death of Dewi Sant, was celebrated as a religious festival up until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the 18th century it became a national festival among the Welsh, and continues as such to this day. The celebration usually entails singing and eating, which may mean a meal followed by singing, or much singing followed by a Te Bach, tea with teisen bach and bara brith. Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, is flown as a flag or worn as a pin or pendant, and leeks are worn, and sometimes eaten. In schools in Wales the boys take leeks to school, status being given to those who bring the biggest leeks, and eat them earliest in the day.

The heraldic emblem of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon. The emblem of Wales is the leek, arising from an occasion when a troop of Welsh were able to distinguish each other from a troop of English enemy dressed in similar fashion by wearing leeks. An alternative emblem developed in recent years is the daffodil, used and preferred over the leek by the English government as it lacks the overtones of patriotic defiance associated with the leek.

St. David’s Day meetings are not boisterous celebrations of democracy and freedom in Wales, but rather the subdued remembrance allowed a captive nation under colonial rule.

For more information …

We are pleased to offer the following Welsh and Celtic information and items:

Celtic Art & Lore
Celtic Jewelry
Welsh Brooches
Celtic Crosses
Celtic Wedding & Engagement Rings

St. Dwynwen

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Celtic Rings Now in White Gold

Jon — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 22:59:50 +0000

David’s Welsh heritage was proudly displayed at David Morgan. Customers in the store could look at the Welsh flag which hung over the door. Street signs and posters also decorated the walls. One sign said, in Welsh, “Drink Welsh milk, not English beer.” David was a Welsh separatist, and had many books on the topic.

This influenced David and Dorothy’s buying decisions over the years. Many Welsh items such as the Nursing Shawl are long gone. Our jewelry, however, remains. David Morgan uses the Celtic design tradition as a part of its jewelry. Many of our Celtic rings have always been available in gold. Now we are proud to say that most Celtic rings are available in white gold. Our customers have asked for this option and we are now able to do it. The white gold also applies to the Kalgoorie rings.

Kalgoorlie Anniversary Ring

Gold Trinity Ring

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Celtic Jewelry

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