“ role became less and less involved the more that Bolt became more involved,” the Best Made employee explained. “I was very excited at the time because they were on the forefront of fiber technology,” he said, “and we were really starting to get into apparel and it just seemed like a perfect match.”Īs time went on, it became clear that it wasn’t. Best Made was looking for investors, not a buyer, but after the “chance” encounter they made a deal, and Buchanan-Smith was hopeful. That was when Bolt Threads, a Bay Area bio-materials startup, bought Best Made with the goal of using the outfitter as a proving ground for its sustainable fibers, like Microsilk which replicates the threads produced by spiders. In 2017, however, the company made the leap from peddler of “wonder” to one part of what was to become “a fully vertical apparel empire,” as Buchanan-Smith tells it. And coming out of the recession, people were anxious and unmoored, looking to reconnect with a simpler time - even if you couldn’t actually move to a cabin or live out of a van, you could buy a handcrafted axe and hold it for comfort every time the news announced a new apocalypse. The acceptance of the humble tool in cultural circles made sense despite growing up on a farm in Canada, Buchanan-Smith was a graphic designer by trade, working for fashion heavyweight Isaac Mizrahi and winning a Grammy for designing the cover for Wilco’s album A Ghost Is Born. The founder scored a couple buzzy profiles and the axes soon found themselves adorning fireplace mantles and gallery walls from Manhattan to London. It quickly gained recognition as “the fancy axe company” thanks to its first product, a USA-made cleaver with colorful yet clean-cut “high-quality graffiti paint” designs on the hickory handles.
Screenshot via The Origins of Best Made Co.īest Made was founded in 2009 by Peter Buchanan-Smith.
“We remain committed to our values: steadfastness, curiosity, and optimism, the ultimate survival tools.” (A similar proclamation was posted to Facebook and Instagram.) But it ended with a glimmer of hope: “Expect to hear from us in the fall, and in the meantime, have courage.” “While the world goes through this unprecedented turmoil, we’ve elected to quiet down and return to the workshop, where we find meaning in making,” it read. It wasn’t just the stores the company replaced its online webstore with a single page bearing a cryptic four-sentence message. Just 10 days after New York, where Best Made had been based since 2009, declared a state of emergency, Best Made went dark.
After being told for weeks to stay at home, Americans responded to initial COVID restrictions with a renewed fervor for the wilderness, buying up bikes, RVs and everything at REI.įor fans of Best Made Co., however, procuring the brand’s signature painted axes, enamel camp cups and handsome chore coats wasn’t just difficult - it was impossible. It’s been hard to get your hands on outdoor equipment during the pandemic.
0 kommentar(er)
