2024-12-03 ... Import Duty Vagaries
A few years ago, a customer asked about import duties to UK, and I spent an unhappy time trying to figure out what customs authorities would charge for an Anorak.  My main take-away was that the tariffs are mind-numbingly boring and complex.  I even corresponded with a polite customs official whose named rhymed with BORE (appropriately (sorry!!)).

It seems the complexity of the regulations and the application, in our situation, of those regulations on individual items by, probably, the lowest-level employees, leads to irregular assessment.  In October and November of 2024 a couple of UK customers sent some numbers:

• A Chore Coat (USD 495 ... about GBP 400 pounds) incurred VAT of 48 pounds, Customs Duty of about 5 pounds and Handling Fee of 8 Pounds.  The total of all import fees was 60.55 pounds.  Less than expected.  Thanks to Liam for this info!!  But in November, 2024, a Chore Coat attracted total fees of GBP 83.19.
• Also in November of 2024, same customer purchased a Basic Vest (USD 395) and was assessed customs charges of GBP 131.76.   In this case, the lower-priced Vest was much more expensive to import than the Chore Coat.

The tariffs are long and complex and I would be willing to bet are subject to wide interpretation at the level of the individual customs officer.

2024-12-02 ... Bigger Picture
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com, advises investments that change lives.  Interesting.   WeatherWool has certainly changed the lives of my immediate family.  But (sorry to repeat somewhat) my perspective has grown since starting this company.

• We are hoping that people will wear clothing that does a better job of being "our primary shelter", as Advisor Bill McConnell put it to me years ago
• We are hoping that people will wear clothing that will not expose them to harmful/toxic substances (touched on in this space yesterday)
• We are hoping that people will choose clothing that is less harmful to the environment ...
• And this is a shocker to me, but ... I just received a text from a gent who said he has wanted WeatherWool for years, but could not afford it.  And so three years ago he changed his life, and now he can afford some of our wool.  WOW, I HOPE WE DON'T DISAPPOINT HIM!!!

2024-12-01 ... Big Synthetics
I've been on about this for a while.  My convictions and suspicions continue to grow.

There are very large companies making performance clothing, athletic clothing, "athleisure" apparel.  Companies with sales over US $1 billion.  And these companies spend enormous sums on advertising, endorsements and promotions.  But I don't recall ever seeing them put forth any material about their products being healthy to wear.  I think that is very indicative.  I think a tidal wave is coming.

We're going to see what we can do to make our products healthier.  And we're going to find out how our products compare to the products from the big boys.

2024-11-30 ... Wool and Fire Video
Cody's putting together some ideas for a video on WOOL AND FIRE.  People who are potentially exposed to fire, high heat or incendiary devices have long known that wool is non-flammable.  Most of us don't think about that until it's important.  But then it's REALLY important.  If you have any ideas or stories or materials, please forward to Cody@WeatherWool.com

Here is a link to our original Fire and Heat page, which I have not updated in almost three years.  On this page is a link to an intense old house-fire video made by the government of New Zealand.

THANK YOU! -- Ralph

2024-11-29 ... Buffett Quote
I just saw a 5-second video of Warren Buffett from many years ago:  "Lose money for the firm and I will be understanding.  Lose a shred of reputation for the firm and I will be ruthless."

Indeed.  We are going to make mistakes.   Maybe more than our share of mistakes.  But so long as we always strive to do what we have set out to do, I think we'll be OK.

2024-11-26 ... Al's Anorak Video from Cody
Cody just posted on YouTube a new video on Al's Anorak.  We will eventually have a video on every one of our products.  THANKS FOR GREAT WORK, CODY!!

2024-11-25 ... Small Items
We spent Saturday afternoon at the home of Melanie and Adrian, proprietors of Fernhall Estate and Sheep Farm.  Fernhall is an historic property, available for accommodations and private events and originally built in 1916 by the Johnson (& Johnson) family.  Melanie and Adrian have run a long way in the "sheep world", and so we had a lot of common ground to discuss and laugh about and explore together.  The day was a little crazy because they were digging out from 18 inches (45 cm) of snow and a power outage.  I'm sure we'll be back to see much more of the place and learn a lot more about the sheep operations.  THANKS to Melanie, Adrian, Scott, JP and Adrian Jr for a really nice afternoon/evening!!

Yesterday we had an Open House, which was interesting and fun as usual.  One of our guests is an owner of Bali Mandala, a resort and retreat on the spectacular Indonesian Island of Bali.  Every stay "is tailored to the different needs of the guests."  WOW, I want to visit!!

I did a little deer hunting this morning at The Swamp.  I always love to be in the woods as night turns to day.  No shots taken, although a deer or two did offer.  Plenty of Mallards, Wood Ducks and Canada Geese about, and even a Great Horned Owl.  Owl calls are frequently heard there -- mostly the WHO COOKS FOR YOU of the Barred Owl -- but I don't see them much.  They do not tolerate human presence.  The Great Horned is an extremely aggressive hunter that will kill even other owls and raptors.  A few years ago, I found a spot where a Coopers Hawk was eaten.  After doing a little research just now, and seeing some videos of owls preying on roosted raptors at night, I am guessing the Coopers was taken by a Great Horned.

This morning also offered an interesting experiment on the effect of the sun on our products.  The temp was only slightly below freezing before sunup, and a clear sunny day was correctly predicted, meaning quickly rising temperature.  I wore my old (2012) original All-Around Jacket over a short-sleeve wool base.  And to conceal my pale skin, white hair and white beard, I wore a Drab Green Neck Gaiter as a balaclava.  Waiting for first light, the Gaiter made my face and head feel absolutely toasty.  Later, with the sun on my right side, I could feel the Gaiter warming substantially as it picked up the energy of the sun.  The Lynx Pattern All-Around Jacket didn't seem to warm at all from the sun, although the Jacket was not snugged to my skin the way the Gaiter was.

2024-11-23 ... Doesn't Get Better!
Thanks for this wonderful message, Chris!!!!

Hey Ralph, this is Chris. This is where I come to pray and last night I was up here for four hours in the rain and I never got cold.  If you want to use this for whatever you can.  Ralph but I never got cold last night thank you brother.

2024-11-21 ... At The Swamp
It was really nice to see a Bald Eagle at The Swamp on Tuesday!  They are not common in New Jersey, but numbers are growing.  It was perched high up in a tree overlooking the Rockaway River, and I didn't notice it until it flew off at my approach.

Beavers are back again this year and this morning I noticed this tree that was girdled in the last day or two by beaver:

I didn't realize that beaver would eat so much bark off a tree with no attempt to cut it down.  This tree was about 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter, but the beaver take down bigger trees than that.  This tree was completely girdled and so it will die.  It will be interesting to see if the beaver returns to drop the tree.   I'm guessing if the beaver was going to do that, it would have done so right off, tho.  I would have thought the bark down low on a tree would be thicker and tougher and less nutritious than the bark on the young branches up high.  I don't know beaver, and haven't thought about them, but assumed (you know what they say about ASSUME!!) the best eating would be on the thinner branches, and that was the reason they cut down trees in the first place.

Below is another photo taken today of a different tree the beavers have been hammering.  Also in this photo is the jawbone of a deer (lower right corner), Toward the left-middle of the photo are some small, white-gray clam shells.  What critter digs these clams out of the riverbed and deposits the clam shells on the bank is a mystery that nobody has explained to my satisfaction.  Sometimes there are hundreds of clam shells in one small area.  At this spot are a couple piles of otter droppings (identification based on photos on websites) which don't really show in the photo but strengthen my suspicion that the shells were left by otter, which are very common here.  BUT ... the shells show no sign of breakage or teeth marks.  They never do.  I wonder if the otter deposit the shells on the bank and then wait for the clams to open on their own?  Just thought of that!

 

 This is a nice photo of the pulse of life The Swamp. 

2024-11-20 ... Communications Limits/Triage
Half my life ago, I was hired by a guy who became a big deal in Wall Street technology.  My hire was really overdue, and pretty soon I was overwhelmed with requests for whatever.  My boss told me this was good, and if the phone stops ringing, that's when you have a problem.  He also told me just because someone asks for something, doesn't mean you have to do it.  He explained that people will ask again, follow up, if it's important.  He was right.

I've been trying hard to respond to every email, phone call, text message, Facebook message, YouTube comment, Instagram message, Instagram comment, WhatsApp message, snail mail (yes, still!).  Every single contact comes direct from a person who had something to tell me or ask me.  But if I'm away from things for any length of time, meaning a matter of hours, not days, a lot of contacts will build up and I'll need to devote a lot of time, which I don't really have, to get current.

Right now, I've got about 300 unread emails.  I'm going to have to mark about 250 of them as READ, and just hope that anyone who doesn't get a response either tries again or lets it go, without being offended!!  Probably I need to re-arrange my workload, and maybe get an assistant, but that's not in the cards at present.

This is routine business stuff, not really interesting, I know.  I'm putting it here in hopes that some of the people who didn't get their deserved response will see this post.

-------- An email just arrived from the gent in the photo from the blog of the 18th:  "the Capercaillie can go up to 5kg so even 10 times the weight of the ruffed grouse and can live for more than 10 years."

2024-11-19 ... Lending Library
We established the Lending Library about three years ago.  The Library has been more popular than we anticipated.  It's a convenient way for people to sell back to us garments that are too big, too small, too warm, etc., and it's an inexpensive way for people to try/test/borrow a garment.

For $30, people can borrow an item for a couple of weeks, and either buy it outright or return it.  We don't ask for a deposit or any other type of security.  We send valuable garments with nothing more than an understanding the wool will be purchased or returned in a short time.  Out of hundreds of transactions, we've never been stiffed.  The closest we came to a bad apple was one guy we had to chase for months.  He repeatedly mailed us that he'd return the item, but a lot of time was going by.  I told him we'd pursue legal action -- and I would have, even though it would have been a ridiculous waste of money -- but then I thought of embarrassment.  A little web-searching showed me where the guy worked.  I phoned him at the office, and told his assistant that we were ready to take legal action if he didn't honor his given word and return the wool.  That quickly provoked a return phone call.  The borrower felt I'd GONE OVER THE LINE, leaving such a message at his office.  This was probably six months into his borrow, so I didn't at all feel I'd gone over the line, and told him I'd call his office again, and take legal action, if the wool didn't get back.  He quickly returned.

This was a trivial episode with an important lesson for me.  What mattered to that guy was being portrayed in a bad light at his place of business.  Embarrassment, humiliation, shame ... powerful motivators.  Fast, easy, simple.

And HATS OFF to the hundreds of other people who've handled themselves with integrity.

2024-11-18 ... Capercaillie
In the USA, quite a few upland (non-waterfowl) bird hunters refer to the Ruffed Grouse as THE KING OF GAME BIRDS.  For those not familiar, the Ruffed Grouse is an immensely energetic and somewhat crazy bird that reminds of an undersized chicken.  Their drumming sounds during spring mating season and in particular their habit of sitting very still and then suddenly flushing with a LOUD explosion of wings will be remembered by everyone who has spent time in grouse habitat.  Wonderful as the Ruffed is, it weighs only a little over a pound (500 grams).

In various parts of Europe and Asia is the closely-related but MUCH bigger Capercaillie, about FIVE TIMES the size of the Ruffed.  One of our customers is a very serious student and researcher of the Capercaillie, and acquired some of our wool for his work in snowy woods.  We'll probably have more about this in the months to come, but here's a nice photo:

Anorak, Watch Cap, Neck Gaiter.  All in Natural White (undyed and unbleached) Wool.  And a little more info from the fellow in the photo:  "The Capercaillie can go up to 5kg so even 10 times the weight of the ruffed grouse and can live for more than 10 years."

2024-11-17 ... Struggles
Yesterday, JR told me some of the best production shops in the Garment District are really hurting for business now.  Last week, three customers asked us for hardship refunds.  (We refund anyone who needs the money.)   I don't think we've ever had more than one such refund in any given previous week. 

2024-11-16 ... Garment District
Nice delivery this morning to Factory8 in NYC's Garment District.  It's surprising to me how quiet the city is on Saturday morning, compared to a weekday.  It seems like more companies should do their deliveries on Saturday.

Our little trailer was holding 2500 pounds (1150 kg), which is 100% of reco'd load.  If necessary, the truck could have handled an additional 50% of that weight.  We were carrying FullWeight Black Fabric for All-Around Jackets, Double Hoods, Hooded Jackets and Blankets.  We also had some Natural White for Blankets.

We found out a week or so ago that what we had thought were Medium Blankets were instead off-size, 52 x 58 inches (132 cm x 147 cm).  Not sure how that happened, but ... these Blankets in FullWeight and MidWeight Natural White, are offered in the LENDING LIBRARY PLUS section.  So, Advisor JR Morrissey's Factory8 will soon complete the Medium Blankets that I owe to several people and expected to ship a while ago already.  SORRY FOLKS!!  Mea culpa!!!

One of the things I really like about working with Factory8 is that almost everything needed to turn our Fabrics into garments happens in one building.  And now, the owners of some of the other companies that work under JR's direction know me a little.  Before JR came outside, the owner of the Cutting Room (yes, a company devoted to cutting) greeted me, and shortly thereafter the owner of the sewing company also said HELLO.  It's a very good thing to have such a tight-knit team.

JR was working in one of our Hoodies made way back in 2014, maybe the first piece we did with him.  He still wears it very frequently.  We haven't made the Hoodie in a long time.  Maybe we will again.  A more-casual version of the Hooded Jacket.

Before we unloaded, JR showed me a ShirtJac he's been working on.  Audio not great, but the ShirtJac is.  We have these sidewalk meetings frequently, and it seems appropriate to the Garment District!

Debby has inspected the ShirtJac, and has some ideas she'll hash out with JR.  It's a great piece and I hope we can put this into production in FullWeight Brown Fabric around the end of 2024.  The Heritage Fabric JR is talking about is our own stuff ... 100% worsted wool made from Batch 9 fiber.  We will probably be switching over to  our own Whipcord, tho ... also 100% worsted Batch 9 fiber.

2024-11-15 ... EASY!! ... Black Fabric
American Woolen Company finished up some Batch 9, FullWeight Black Fabric on Tuesday, and Factory8 told me they'd be ready to receive it on Saturday (tomorrow).  Alex suggested we get a commercial trucking quote, rather than make the 7-hour round trip pickup ourselves.  Wendy, who handles shipping at AWC, said Old Dominion would have the Fabric here by Friday, for $350.  No-brainer.  

This morning at 9:30AM, right on time, the OD truck pulled up.  Alex and I started transferring the rolls of Fabric from the 18-wheeler into the little WeatherWool trailer.  A few minutes later, my nephew arrived, and so I stood by with my clipboard, checking off the piece numbers and jawboning with the trucker while the boys did the lifting.  Old-man style ... not too bad!

I'll be on the road about 6:30AM, headed for NYC's Garment District.  Black All-Around Jackets, Double Hoods, Hooded Jackets and Blankets coming up.  I did make the Black AAJs and Double Hoods available for pre-order on the website, partly because Lynx Pattern and Natural White were already there (already being made).  If you want a True Black Blanket or Hooded Jacket, please get in touch with me directly.

2024-11-14 ... Vision/Strategy ... Batches 10 and Innes-1 (Batch 11)
I just heard from Chargeurs that Batch 10 and Batch Innes-1 will be ready to ship next week.  That's a big jump!!  Taken together, these two Batches are far larger than anything we have previously processed at one time.  All of Batch 10 will become Denim.  Batch Innes-1 will be FullWeight, MidWeight and Whipcord Fabrics.  Except for the Blog, we haven't even mentioned Whipcord on this website.  But we'll be using Whipcord for pockets and some other components, AND we are testing Whipcord shirts.  More on that to come!

Further on the Denim ... The Denim Fabric is a little bit of a departure from our usual Hardcore Luxury in that it is not as weather-resistant as our FullWeight and MidWeight Fabrics.  On the other hand, it is probably more durable, although Denim is our only Fabric we've tested with an orbital sander.  Denim is expanding our Vision/Strategy, though, and this is really important.  Most of the people who have purchased our Denim Chore Coat are new to WeatherWool.  Of course every business loves new customers.  But I particularly love new Denim customers because these folks seem largely distinct from our usual customers.  As we've become more and more involved with wool and the wool industry, we've become real advocates.  And we hope the Denim can bring more people around to the wonders of wool, helping to support the Ranchers and everyone downstream.

 

2024-11-12 ... Couple of Things
Yesterday we had a long, wonderful visit from a customer.  But it turned ugly when he left, and his car had been stolen from in front of our house.  This was a professional job.  In broad daylight, in a very residential, suburban neighborhood, the thief/thieves were able to break into his car and get it started without any commotion, bypassing the alarm.  The car had been gone for an hour or so before our customer discovered the theft.  By that time, the thieves had made a bunch of attempts to use his credit cards (he'd left his wallet in a valise on the back seat).  The car was equipped with a locator, which was signaling from only a few miles away.  The policeman said most likely the locator was removed from the car and just sitting on the side of the road, and strongly advised us to NOT go there.  But we went anyway, and the officer was correct ... the car was not there.  This was a 2024 BMW, and I am guessing the car is already on a ship for export.  This is very distressing, and we feel we somehow let our customer down.

REDDIT is a very popular discussion forum on the web.  I only went there once when it seemed necessary for me to respond to something.  Cody just sent me a couple of links with some discussion about WeatherWool:

https://www.reddit.com/r/madeinusa/comments/1ez9e4j/south_shore_chore_coat_weatherwool/

https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/comments/16kmbgz/weatherwool_vs_filson/

It throws me off balance a little bit that people are bandying WeatherWool.  Whenever I come across discussions of WeatherWool, the negatives are cost and availability.  Those would be my own negatives, too.  We'll never be low-priced, but we are working hard to increase availability!!

2024-11-10 ... Mountain Jacket/SkiJac
We're making a small number of Mountain Jackets/SkiJacs in Drab Green and Classic Brown.  If you want one, please mail me your color and size.  I don't think I'll offer these through the usual dedicated website page because this run is so small and there are already a lot of people interested.  I mailed the people on the "brown-list" yesterday and will mail the people on the "drab green list" shortly.

2024-11-08 ... MOUNTAIN MEN TRAPPING IN WOOL
(Following from yesterday’s entry, below.)  Our Lynx Pattern did get considerable airtime last night on TV's Mountain Men.  We are definitely happy about this because it’s purely merit-based, because the show is seen by about a million people weekly, and because we really like Ivy, Bret, Mike (all wore WeatherWool last night) and others involved with the show.

One of the things we frequently wonder about is how to present ourselves.   We’ve always been in something of a no-man’s-land because our Hardcore Luxury approach is unusual.  Our products are definitely compatible with city, restaurant, church, professional settings.   But especially before the introduction of our 100% Wool Denim, our Fabrics offered weather-resistance that would seldom be appreciated by the typical person who mostly shuttles from modern shelter to modern shelter, and rarely experiences significant exposure to severe weather.

Although I’ve never surveyed our customers, I do communicate with many of them.  My perception is that our customer base is changing.  We don’t intend to change, at least not significantly.   When I started WeatherWool, I never really thought about being nearly the advocate for wool that I’ve become.   Five years ago, I don’t think I would have chosen to get involved with Denim (ours is 100% Wool Denim), because it does not offer the Hardcore weather-resistance of our FullWeight and MidWeight Jacquard Fabrics.  But I hoped that the many lovers of typical cotton denim would be intrigued, and give wool a try.  And compared to typical denim, our Denim (sorry for high-handed use of capital D) is Hardcore Luxury.  So far, it really does seem that our Chore Coat, our first Denim product, is attracting many first-time customers, and is helping to change thinking about wool.

Until the introduction of Denim, the great majority of our customers have been hunters, campers, backpackers, bushcrafters.  And I think that is still true.  But now, largely because of the Denim, people write/say things like I DON’T GO INTO THE WOODS AT ALL, BUT I’M REALLY INTERESTED IN YOUR PRODUCTS.   And even better, I DON’T GO INTO THE WOODS AT ALL, BUT THE CHORE COAT IS PERFECT FOR MY LIFESTYLE, AND MY FRIENDS ARE VERY INTERESTED.

Since we started the company, we’ve deliberately avoided presenting ourselves as a hunting brand.  Partly because we aren’t specifically a hunting-brand, but also because we did not want to deter prospective non-hunters.   Hunting is definitely more widely accepted now than ten years ago, but at the same time, we still don’t want to present that way because we are certainly not so limited.  And if hunting disturbs some people, that ain’t nothing compared to trapping.  But last night on TV, WeatherWool was seen by a million people in trapping and hunting situations.  I guess the people who are offended by hunting and trapping wouldn’t be watching Mountain Men in the first place.  But, with respect to the way that we’ve tried to present ourselves, it is kind of funny.  And it is maybe ironic, too.  The people offended by hunting and trapping are almost invariably lovers of Nature.  Generally armchair-lovers of Nature, but lovers nevertheless.  (Quick detour into the intersection of outdoor activities.  Most people who fish don’t hunt.  But the great majority of hunters are also anglers.   Most hunters are not trappers.  But the great majority of trappers also hunt and fish.)  The irony is that the Nature-lovers who view hunting and trapping unfavorably don’t realize that (serious) hunters, and trappers in particular, have the deepest understanding and love of animals and Nature in general.

I think it would still be too-heavy a lift for us to feature photos of Bret and Ivy with a “double” of wolverines (two wolverines trapped at once in the same spot), as shown last night on TV.  But in ten years?

THANKS to Ivy and Bret and Mike!!

2024-11-07 ... MOUNTAIN MEN TONIGHT
WeatherWool on tube tonight?  Probably!

Mountain Men … we’ve provided wool to the cast of History Channel’s Mountain Men for several years. We’ve gotten to know some of the people in front of and behind the camera, and it’s been a lot of fun.  I’ve just updated this website’s Mountain Men page with some new info and links to our recently-released video interviews with Mountain Man Josh Kirk and Cameraman Brad Veis.

TV folks can get free clothing and gear from any maker, so it’s a great compliment that our wool has appeared so often on TV.  We have provided free wool to some TV folks, but never paid them.  And some have purchased without us even knowing the wool was headed for TV.  Big brands will pay big bucks to get their products on tube.

A few hours ago Bret Bohn wrote me that he and Ivy O’Guinn, his wife, will be on tonight’s new episode of Mountain Men at 9PM Eastern on History.  I think Mike Horstman will also be featured tonight.  Mike, Bret and Ivy are all Alaskans.  I don’t think Bret would have written me if he and Ivy wouldn’t be seen in WeatherWool – they don’t always wear our stuff.   And I don’t know what Mike will be wearing.

 

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