We've always thought of Portland as a home away from home. 

Nestled away in the Pacific Northwest, Portland has been a safe haven for artists and makers. Their inclination towards weirdness has made the town a favorite of ours, whether it be their stable of delicious breweries or blossoming scene of bikers. 

Red Clouds Collective, a staple of the Portland makers scene, has been an inspiration and aspiration for the Iron and Resin team. Their dedication to their craft is something we truly admire, making them an obvious choice for our latest Makers Series installment. And thus, here we are:

Backstory

Seth and Casey Neefus are brothers and they grew up in Upstate, NY. They were taught the importants of using their hands and learned as many crafts as possible from a very young age.  They spent their spare time skateboard, snowboarding, making films and building ramps while growing up. As the years went on their skills have been refined and the many adventures in their lives have brought them together to create a collection of products made in Portland, Oregon. Red Clouds Collective is their livelihood and all of their energy is put into making timeless products that will help you in your daily lives.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Red Clouds Collective makes everything in their shop on vintage sewing machines and traditional leather working tools with the best possible materials. When they are not at their shop the team can be found riding dirt bikes, working on old Triumph Motorcycles or playing in the woods.

Always Better With Time

The goal since the beginning has been to make useful products that will stand the test of time. We consider the functions and materials as much as the look and design.  We want the products that we make to become part of someone’s life and be something they are proud to own. Everything we make is inspired from necessity and when the idea turns into something we can hold and use it immediately takes on a life of its own. Leather and Waxed Canvas are two materials that become better with time; they gain character and begin to develop an individual personality based on how they are used.  We love it!

From fires to rainfall, 

Southern California has had a historically rough few months. We've laid our roots in the coastal sweet spot of Ventura, nestled amongst the ocean and the trees, so the past events have hit particularly close to home—literally and figuratively.

There's a lot to be done when it comes to assisting in the relief efforts for the communities affected. Last week we teamed up with Allswell for a surf film screening to raise money for Help California, a non-profit dedicated to relieving, rebuilding, and restoring parts of California after natural disasters. 

You can read about a few details of the event here, but check out photos from the screenings below taken by our good friend @briananselmo.

Event Photos

The Maker

Sean Woolsey, the man, myth and legend behind the aptly named Sean Woolsey Studio, is an enigma of the furniture craftsman community. The Costa Mesa-based artist has left himself to his own devices to create some of our favorite furniture and art on the market. 

At Iron and Resin, we focus on building apparel that lasts, so Sean's ethos around creating fine art "made to last generations" made him a obvious choice for our latest installment of the Makers Series. The attention to quality and detail that rings through each of Sean's pieces is a breath of fresh air in a world of rubber-stamped, mass produced products. 

"I create pieces of meaning, that will last years, and hope the owners are as proud to own it as we were to make it." —Sean Woolsey

Our latest installment of the Makers series has us asking Sean about some of his influences and the concepts behind the furniture he's making today. 

How did you find yourself making furniture? I have been influenced by my father, who was a stained glass artist and film photographer. I gleaned as much as I could from him while growing up, and we even shared a studio for several years. I grew up skateboarding, building skate ramps, and tearing apart things to see how they were made. I still do that in fact. Things got more formal when I took some classes and had an apprenticeship. I set up my own studio soon after in 2011. We are proud to make everything within a 35 mile radius of our Costa Mesa studio, and ship worldwide. 

We heard you're a fan of Japanese Philosophy. How does that relate to your work? Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese philosophy, is a large influence on my work and life. It recognizes the beauty in imperfect things which bear the imprint of time. Wabi Sabi is about the minor and the hidden, the tentative and the ephemeral. It finds true beauty in the organic. 

My art is episodic and experimental, and largely inspired by the outdoors and my travels. Whether on copper, sheet metal, or canvas, my work is all original and collected worldwide.

FEATURING A SELECTION OF SHORT FILMS INCLUDING THE GLORY OF THE GLIDE

GLORY OF THE GLIDE

THROUGH CANDID INTERVIEWS AND HIGH-ACTION SURF FOOTAGE, "THE GLORY OF THE GLIDE" EXPLORES THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF THE SAN DIEGO BIG BOARD MOVEMENT, FEATURING LEGENDARY SHAPER, SKIP FRYE, AND HIS PROTEGÉ, JOSH HALL, DEVON HOWARD, JEN SMITH AND ERIN ASHLEY.

WRITTEN, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY BETH O'ROURKE / SEALEVELTV
FILMED IN PACIFIC BEACH, SAN DIEGO

LIKE WATER

LIKE WATER, A SHORT FILM PRODUCED BY THE INERTIA AND OLUKAI THAT STARS MARK HEALEY, BRIAN KEAULANA, MARK CUNNINGHAM, ARCHIE KALEPA, BRIAN PHILLIPS, KAMU DAVIS, AND MANY OF THE NORTH SHORE'S ELITE WATERMEN.

DEVIL WIND AND FIRE + WATER

TWO THOMAS FIRE SURF FILMS SHOT FROM THE WATER BY BETH O'ROURKE / SEALEVELTV

EVENT BEGINS 5 PM

SCREENING AT 5:45 PM

TICKETS NECESSARY, SPACE IS LIMITED. WE RECOMMEND PRE-PURCHASING TICKETS.

$20 (OR MORE)

ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT HELP CALIFORNIA / @HELPCALIFORNIA

Buy tickets for the event here!

We strive to provide quality and durability in every stitch of our clothing—and that might be the truest when it comes to our bottoms collection. Whether you're out riding for the weekend, working in an office, or relaxing at home, we want you outfitted in top tier gear. Here's a breakdown of some of our more notable styles.

Enduro Denim

Our Enduro Denim jeans are named for the cross-country motorcycle races for a reason—they’re meant to endure. The Dyneema thread woven into our favorite pair of dungarees is a type of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) and offers maximum strength with minimum weight - not the sacrifice of one for the other.

For example, Atlantic Braids conducted a strength comparison test using Dyneema Rope, and steel cable. The steel cable snapped at 14,478 lbs, sending spindles of sharp steel around in a flurry. The Dyneema Rope, weighing a fraction compared to the steel cable, snapped cleanly in two at 18,857 lbs.

That’s unreal. Imagine having steel woven through your jeans. Except… This is 4,400 lbs stronger and lighter. The Dyneema thread is also corrosive resistant. Including 5 -10% Dyneema® increases the abrasion resistance of denim by 250-600%, tear resistance by 50-100%, and tensile strength by 25-100%.

Know what we thought when we first read that? These would make for damn good pants.

Union Work Pant

We’re all familiar with a hard day’s work. Getting your hands dirty, working outside—when you’re putting in the sweat to get a job done, it helps to be wearing a reliable pair of pants. The 100% 12 oz cotton ensures you’ll be feeling limber and ready for whatever the day throws at you.

But even a simple man can appreciate a few bells and whistles sometimes, which is why we doubled down on the layering of the knee panels and rear cuffs on these badass britches. Throw in a utility pocket for extra storage and you’ve got the new undisputed workhorse of your wardrobe that will fit better and better as you break them in.

With Slate, Olive, Khaki, Brown, Railroad Denim—we’ve got a different style for everyday of the work week.

Tradesman Pants

The Tradesman is a dynamic pair of pants. Consider these our take on the classic chino for the not-so-pretty boy. They might be most at home on the trail, but won’t look out of place either when you’re out painting the town red with a ladyfriend. So go ahead and clothe your lower half with pants that can do both—rock the tradesman.

Made from breathable cotton and selvedge twill to provide denim-like durability, these guys look sharp but act tough. They’re all bark and plenty of bite. But enough with the idioms and check out the pants.

We’ve got nothing against cotton, we just decided to get scientific and see what happens when you blend it with rayon and polyester French terry. Using said fabric, we designed our fleece sweaters to give you a cold weather go-to that works hard when you’re hiking to the crag, curled up on the couch nursing a hangover, and everything in between

Real recognizes real.

That's a saying that can mean a lot in the days of social media facades and un-backed humblebrags. Luckily, our dedication to quality and authenticity has given us a keen eye into identifying who else is remaining a cut above the fray—and no one else is doing it quite like our friends at Prism Supply. Their gearhead love of bikes has become a force in the flourishing east coast motorcycle scene and their garage is one we can all envy! Check out the photos and description below. Photos courtesy of Jonathan Ryan Taylor.

Prism Supply

Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina (Race City, U.S.A.), brothers Zach and Jake Hindes quickly grew an affinity for all things with an engine. From learning to work on their own bikes from an early age, to becoming deeply embedded in motorcycle culture, the Hindes brothers saw a need for a resurgence of quality, handcrafted, American made goods, and their motorcycles would become their subjects. Prism Supply exists to fill that void in modern consumerism, to design and manufacture quality parts and accessories crafted with a passion. From that, a band of brothers has formed internationally. Prism Supply is more than motorcycles. It’s a family.

The Early Years

Early on, the Hindes brothers’ supportive father told them, “If you’re gonna ride it, you better know how to work on it.” He taught them during their impressionable years how to maintain what they rode, giving them the freedom to ride their machines as hard as they wanted knowing if something broke, they knew how to fix it and get back on the trail. That passion never left them and the brothers learned their respective trades through grueling hours of hands-on fabrication for elite race teams and Jake even burnt the midnight oil to earn a degree in engineering and further perfect his craft. From humble beginnings in a personal garage where Waylon could be heard ‘round the neighborhood and ‘shine was passed around a sprawling friendship circle, Prism Supply began to expand, organically, at a time their vision was needed most.   

Present Day

Today, you’ll find the Hindes brothers inside their spacious shop in the heart of Charlotte, a burgeoning area called Camp North End. The site of the very first Congregation Show, the Hindes brothers now call this retired Model A factory home. What hasn’t changed is their passion to design, create and fabricate timeless, quality parts for timeless, quality machines, just like the building’s predecessor.

Prism Supply is a collective of those individuals who’ve the Hindes’ brothers have had the opportunity of creating parts for, building bikes alongside, or going on rides with. Those lasting relationships they build lasting parts for.

Photos by @jonathanryantaylor

We're beginning to close out 2017 and there's really only one way to do that: in style.

That style came in the form of our Maker's Mart, the smorgasbord of our favorite craftsmen alongside our own gear that took place at our Venice location this weekend. We rounded up our favorite whiskey supplier, wallet brand, and just about everyone in-between to enjoy the impeccable Southern California Winter weather. 

Here's a quick recap of some of the happenings of our event. If you're looking to get in on the festivities, the best way to stay up to date is to drop us your email and we'll keep you in the loop. 

Candle Making Tutorial

Whether you identify as a maker or not, we had our friends at Ethics Candles spill some of their trade secrets so that we all had the chance to create our own sweet smelling candles. And after you've run through a few hours of candle burning, you've got our reusable camp mug to enjoy a beverage. Not a bad deal!

A Few of our Favorites

As we said, we assembled some of our favorite makers bring some gear so that our friends could support their local artists and check off all the boxes on their holiday shopping list. Towards the top of the list is a brand crush we've had for some time, Well Worn. Wallets and whiskey? They're covering most of the essentials. 

Check It Out

Maker's Mart or not, we've always got rad stuff for the shop. We've got the goods that make a great gift for someone or might be even better for yourself. Shop now.

Photos by @briananselmo

Haven't had your fill of holiday parties yet? Well we've got the perfect invitation for you. 

We're rallying the troops for an impromptu gathering of friends and family all day this Wednesday in the lovely city of San Francisco. Don't worry—this is far from another awkward holiday dinner where you crowd the local Benihana's with coworkers you're not the fondest of. It's a party with the Iron and Resin team.

So come one, come all! We'll have beverages throughout the day provided by some of our best booze-providing friends: Hotty Totties from Slow & Low and Moscow Mules from Salt Point. To further indulge in the holiday spirit, we'll be wrapping gifts and chowing down on festive snacks. So join us at the InR shop on 7 Columbus Ave this Wednesday. Can't wait to see you there!