This page pairs WeatherWool "with the best" ... 

One reason I decided to put up this page is because we have found that many -- even most -- people think "wool is wool", that all wool is the same, whereas everyone understands, for example, that there are "cars", but also Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls and Bentley ... automobiles that marry world-class luxury and craftsmanship with extreme, hardcore performance ... "Hardcore Luxury" is our registered trademark.

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Chalk? ... I'd never really thought about chalk. It's kind of scratchy and makes a nasty sound on the chalkboard. It's dusty and not pleasant to handle. WRONG! It turns out (well, DUH!) that "chalk is not chalk". A friend stopped by with a pack of Hagoromo Chalk. This chalk is not dusty, not coarse to handle and glides onto a blackboard. BUT ... It turns out the company ceased operations in 2015, and our friend PAID UP quite a bit to get some of remaining Hagoromo chalk. According to this article, the business was shrinking due to a switch to whiteboards, loss of sales to less costly, lower quality chalk, and the poor health of the owner. Hagoromo developed their own formulas for chalk and their own machines to make it. I hope someone picks up the torch. Anyone who writes a blackboard will appreciate the upgrade from typical chalk.

 

This is something else. In December of 2018, we were contacted by Jerry Fisk (@fisk_knives on Instagram), the man behind Fisk Knives. Jerry is one of America's most renowned (if not The Most renowned) knifemakers, and there is material about him all over the web. Funny story ... When I read that first note from Jerry, I thought it came from "Fish Knives". I don't know knives at all, but I did know who Jerry is, and luckily after a couple of days, something clicked in my head, and I went back and took another look at that message!! Jerry has a ShirtJac in Lynx Pattern, and he wears it a lot, including to work in his shop, where it helps protect him from extreme heat and sparks. And he likes to use it as a backdrop for photos of his work, such as this Camp Knife:

Normally, Jerry's work is far out of my price range. But once in a while he makes something for fun, such as this throwing Hatchet. Also in the photo is a Magdalenian Hand Ax ... made in England perhaps 15,000 years ago.

This was actually the first pairing ... and it is kind of funny ... I had just come up with the idea for this page when our refrigerator needed service. New Jersey, where we live, is an often-surprising place. It turns out that our refrigerator repairmen are brothers, and both very serious outdoorsmen. They even have friends who are sponsored outdoor professionals. So they were extremely interested in WeatherWool. When I mentioned that I was planning to put up this page, they said something like "Well, your Sub-Zero Refrigerator is the best there is ...". So, here's a pic of me in my SkiJac, the fridge, and brothers Eric and Kevin of Authorized Refrigeration LLC. They handle Sub-Zero, and nothing else. And they did a great job!

 

OK ... and here is the first of the great cars ... this from Kyle Kretzloff in Washington State.  Thanks, Kyle!  Enzo Ferrari was working at Alfa Romeo, but their cars weren't good enough ... so he made his own.  No commercially available fabrics came close to meeting WeatherWool specs, so we designed and developed WeatherWool Fabric, starting with the best sheep and the top ranchers.

 

Thanks to Rob Miller for sending a photo of his All-Around Jacket in the cockpit of a Cirrus Aircraft. Cirrus is one of the most respected names in General Aviation.

Above and below, WeatherWool Advisor Dick Scorzafava with Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon. Dick tells me Pappy is the absolute best bourbon ... and I am definitely a bourbon fan ... I look forward to trying some Pappy!! Dick is one of America's foremost authors and lecturers on hunting, and Mrs Scorzafava is a chef who has published books on game cookery.

 

 

Macadamia Nuts are about the best there is -- definitely my favorite nuts -- and the WeatherWool Friends at Costi Farms in Australia are world leaders. Robinson Choppers are pretty serious craft as well. The guys at Costi Farms wear Anoraks for flying and farm work.

 

Wild Turkey and Wild Turkey. When this gobbler strutted in, I was wearing the Lynx Pattern All-Around Jacket that is the backdrop of the photo.

 

 

30 January 2021 --- Ralph