Nestled in the Matanuska Valley just north of Palmer, Alaska, you’ll find a sprawling, 75-acre Musk Ox Farm – a project steeped in uniqueness and intrigue. A nonprofit organization, it was founded in the 1950s by John Teal Jr., an anthropologist and arctic explorer. Teal’s vision to domesticate musk oxen within the regions they were indigenous was not only an attempt to demonstrate that farming a geographically appropriate animal was a more sustainable agricultural practice, but could also boost local economies by providing Alaskan artisans the materials necessary to make knitted goods through harvesting the animals’ [qiviut] underwool.
The qiviut we offer here is handknitted into scarves and caps by the Eskimo women of the Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers’ Co-operative in Alaska.
With the cold winter weather, many of you might be thinking of protecting your hands. You may need gloves for outdoor activities or just a pair for the car until it warms up.
Many gloves come in small, medium, large and extra large. It can be a shock when someone asks you what your fitted glove size is.
It’s easy to figure out. Be sure to use a cloth tape measure or a string that does not stretch. Wrap the tape around the widest part of your palm. The tape will be just above the connecting point between the thumb and the palm and to the widest part of the other side of the palm. Wrap it fully around your hand and tug it gently. Do not pull it tight. It should just fit as you would like your gloves to fit.
Where to measure your glove size.
You will get a measurement in inches. The most common range is from about 7 inches to 10 or 11 inches. Go up to the nearest half size.
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.
Working at David Morgan is really fun when we can put people together to solve problems and preserve history. My father’s work in the field of whips did not just involve braiding the Indian Jones whips and other leather goods. It also included writing several books, including Whips and Whipmaking. Because of that, I occasionally field general whip queries.
A few weeks ago I took a call from a Mr. Patt Patterson of Missouri who was writing a book on stage coach whips. He asked me if I knew anything about them. I told him I had no information other than what was in my father’s books, but that I would check the list of whips that David had made. I checked and found Dad had a couple of stage coach whips in his collection, so I said I’d clean them up for him and send him photographs.
A few days later I took a call from Jimmy Wilson in Texas. He was looking for someone to clean up and put new falls on his wife’s whips. His wife was a wild west arts performer in the fifties and sixties. Jimmy also mentioned that he ran a business building stagecoaches. See his website here.
I introduced them by email and Patt is now busy fixing up the whips and having a new friend in the world of stage coaches.
After receiving the performer whips, Patt mentioned that some of the whips were made by the J.M. Bucheimer Co. I found a Bucheimer catalog or three in David’s files from the mid-sixties when they were in Frederick, Maryland. Along with the catalogs was correspondence that said David was interested in buying the Drovers and Performers whips. He then bought a couple, and later responded that they were advertised as 12 plait but arrived as 10 plait. Later Bucheimer catalogs described the whips as 10 plait. In 1967 the performer whips cost $10.60 to $31.00 depending on their length with extra long lengths available on special request.
The stage coach whips in David’s collection were labeled and measured as follows:
No. 94: Stagecoach Whip, Bert Hill, 1960s. He had made coach whips for Cobb & Co. See the Wikipedia entry.
11′ thong 6 plait dropped to 4. 12 plait covered handle is about 54″.
Coach Whip Tags
No. 95: Stagecoach Whip Bert Hill, 1960s. 9′ thong 6 plait dropped to 4. 12 plait covered handle is about 53″.
No. 98: Useless Thong by DWM on a Lungewhip handle by Millowick. Thong lacks weight in the belly. Handle is a bit under 50 inches.
Coach Whip with Useless Thong
It appears David had made an attempt at copying the stagecoach whip thong and failed. Thankfully David kept on trying his hand and made hundreds of functional whips–albeit not for stagecoaches.
Our best wishes to Patt and Jimmy’s respective and collective endeavors!
Pacific Northwest art has a long and vibrant history. Stretching back over ten thousand years, coastal tribes created artwork based on materials that they found locally and could trade with other tribes, such as copper and shells. When Europeans moved into the area, the artwork utilized products traded from the Europeans, including iron.
At David Morgan, our traditional jewelry has been made from patterns over a hundred years old. These traditional patterns were designed by Tlingit tribes. In the early 1900’s, Mayer Brothers, a jewelry manufacturer in Seattle, produced silver bracelets to sell to the Indians along the Pacific Northwest coast. These trade bracelets became favored items to be given away at potlatches. Production has continued to this day under a succession of manufacturing companies here in the Northwest.
Lovebirds Trade Bracelet, sterling silver. Designed by Bill Wilson, made in USA.
Pacific Northwest art continues to be vibrant and innovative today. Odin Lonning, a Tlingit from Juneau, is an award-winning artist who has designed several of our jewelry pieces, including the ever-popular Raven and the Box of Daylight.
Corrine Hunt has made a tremendous impact in the art world. She is also a Tlingit/Komoyue and a member of the Raven Gwa’wina clan. She designed the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics. We are proud to sell items from her Spirit of the Wild collection.
Corrine Hunt Deerskin Wristlet. Spirit of the Wild Collection.
We are pleased to offer a range of trade bracelets and matching rings designed by Bill Wilson, a Tlingit raised in Hoonah, Alaska. The bracelets are struck from the original dies made in the early 1900’s for trade with the Indians of the Pacific Northwest. Typical of the early patterns, the bracelets are relatively narrow, with the design on the terminals. The bracelets and rings are available in sterling silver.
Christian White carved the argillite chess pieces of which we sell the Boma reproductions. He is a Haida from the island of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia.
Please enjoy this article about Christian White from the New York Times.
A customer recently sent us his hat stretcher made in the 1800s. Just like our Hat Jack, this one has a center piece that turns and twists the end pieces in or out. This one also has two metal guides. It is made of rock maple. The reason he sent it to us is that he finally wore it out. This hat jack was used for over 100 years. Amazing.
Corrine Hunt was born in Alert Bay, British Columbia in 1959. Her paternal grandmother, Abusa, named her “Killer whale scratching her back on the beach.” Corrine has been creating contemporary art that reflects the themes and traditions of her First Nations Komoyue and Tlingit heritage since 1985. She is a member of the Raven Gwa’wina clan from Ts’akis, a Komoyue village on Vancouver Island. Her influences include Henry, Richard and Tony Hunt and her uncle, Norman Brotchie.
Her work is inspired by the desire to bring the stories of her First Nations culture into her art. The engravings are minimal, bringing a modern sense to an ageless craft.
Similarly, her custom furnishings combine materials that speak to old and new, and bring the concept of living culture into contemporary homes.
Corrine’s works include engraved gold and silver jewelry and accessories, custom furnishings in carved stainless steel and reclaimed wood, modern totem poles and other sculptural installations. She codesigned the medals for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics.
We offer many pieces designed by Corrine. For more information on her art, please visit www.corrinehunt.ca
With their catchy slogan, “Made to Do Hard Time,” Prison Blues boldly claims that their clothing can withstand the toughest workouts. We’ve been carrying several of their products for a few years now and our customers have been extremely pleased.
Prison Blues is located in Pendleton, Oregon. All of their Prison Blues brand clothing are made by inmates currently serving time at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institute.
In 1989, the Prison Blues garment factory began carrying high-quality shirts, work jackets, jeans and other denim work apparel. Their main goal was to significantly reduce the burden of incarceration costs on taxpayers. Prison Blues gives inmates the ability to earn a prevailing industry wage while paying for their own incarceration costs and other payments. Never forgetting their roots, the denim jeans and denim apparel sold by Prison Blues is still worn by inmates throughout Oregon.
When you are getting a Prison Blues item, not only are you getting a high-quality item, but you are also helping inmates.
If you need a hat for summer, but are worried that a fur felt is too much for the heat, you can always try a straw hat. Another alternative is to go with a Tilley.
Tilley started in 1980 when Alex Tilley needed a good hat for sailing and couldn’t find one. He decided to make one himself. Sparing no effort, he sought advice from a milliner, sailmaker and hat maker, and, as he says, “got it right”. Only afterwards, when he saw that he had an outstanding hat, did he decide to sell it through stores.
There are two summer hats from Tilley that you can enjoy. Both are light and comfortable, pack easily and provide good sun protection.
The Airflo is vented. It is made from Nylamtium® fabric, a strong water-and-mildew resistant nylon that provides lightweight protection from the sun. The polyester mesh incorporated in the crown is a distinctive feature and allows air circulation.
Tilley’s Hemp Hat is more rugged, but will also provide proper sun protection.
Our Ivy Cap from Tilley is a popular hat for fall and winter. Soft and snug, it nestles just right on the top of the head. Now it’s even better: Tilley makes it with c-change technology.
C-change Technology uses a bionic membrane that is bonded to the fabric. Imitating nature, the waterproof and windproof polymer membrane reacts in the same way fir cones react to changing weather. The polymer expands when moisture is present or the temperature is high, permitting water vapor to escape. When the temperature drops, the polymer contracts and does not allow moisture or heat to escape. Hats and caps which incorporate this technology provide constant comfort in changing conditions.
