Geronimo by War Path.

One of the lasting influences of my life has been a facination with Native American Indians, Ive read and absorbed much about them, their culture and art especially being a wealth of reference points for anyone interested in design and style. When Matt of War Path leathers posed the question to me, was I ready for another belt?, I immediately knew where my inspiration would be drawn from.
Referencing a great book I have on Geronimo I adopted a design practice used by the Apache. Indian artisans adorned their leather belts, bridle bits and implements of war with brass tacking studs in patterns akin to the Navajo conchos. I sent Matt my ideas for him to interpret and this week in the mail the most magnificent belt arrived exceeding my expectations with its weathered and battered patina reminiscent of the very harshness of the desert badlands that sheltered the great Apache leader Geronimo.
With the help of 'Giggles'and her camera we captured these shots today to help Matt in hawking his wares.

Lofgren Denims and the Sailor Mokus.

Years ago John Lofgren and I were in discussions over the collaboration to produce the Papa Nui Marines T-shirt and our conversation eventually turned to all the wonderful possibilities there were to produce great products once you had the right connections and contacts in place. Since then the Lofgren brand has expanded, each time with a new and inspiring take on vintage reproductions. At the time of this dialog John and I talked about the golden years in Hawaii and about the period styling of wearing Sailor Mokus with Aloha shirts. Downtown Honolulu was awash with bright bolts of Japanese fabrics or traditional Hawaiian palaka patterns and the resident genius of a few reknown tailors created a casual shirt that reflected the essence of islands and their relaxed lifestyle. Worn with these shirts was the local flavour of the Sailor Mokus. The nautical trend was the hottest thing in Honolulu in the 1930s and '40s. These nautical-inspired denims were called Mokus a term derived from the Hawaiian word meaning a ship or schooner.
To the market then comes John Lofgrens' denim chino. Unlike most workwear which utilises a midweight 9-10 oz fabric, Lofgren uses a premium 14oz selvege denim in a full cut World War II chino style. In a time of hipster vintage and heritage branding which has sent many companies scrambling to re-invent themselves as the lastest thing unfortunately at the cost of integrity, quality and authenticity, Lofgren has remained stoic and solid, producing garments that are the 'bomb'. This attentiveness to detail and a deep appreciation of the importance of fabrication and manufacture has established John Lofgren at the forefront of the market and way ahead of the pack. John is in for the long haul, so Mokus or Chinos, call them what you will, support John in his efforts and make a purchase through his ebay site or contact him with his seller ID 'shopatspeedway'.

The Burning House.com

I was partially inspired by Foster Huntington's photo blog and his concept of the Burning House. It's a collective of photos based on what you would take out the door should a fire threaten your property. I've pondered this for several weeks and came to the conclusion that it would be a very very difficult choice as you wouldn't have the time to contemplate a rational decision. However It did take me off onto the tangent of a group of themed items that's partially a product shoot and what might be essential to starting out again.
(click on images for enlarged detail)

The Pacific.


Palm Frond Hat, USMC utility jacket, USMC frog camo headcover, my favourite Hanes t-shirt worn so much its tissue thin, my father's swim trunks purchased in 1949, italian leather sandals, PT Boat Captains lid, Canteen watch, GI collapsible water bucket, Island maiden morale booster photograph, USMC issue blanket, tapa throw and Japanese glass fishing bouys representing the flotsam, jetsam and tides of our lives.

Upstate.



Flea Market finds for Upstate or the Pacific Northwest, Indian Camp Blanket, Pendleton Blanket, Pack Basket, Deer altlers. Early LL Bean plaid mackinaw jacket, 1930's CC Filson hunting vest in duck canvas, 40's Bob Allen double faced hunting pants, 1940's Deer Skin jacket by Gerry's leathergoods Colorado, 1940's buckskin jacket by Sportsclad California, Warehouse Japan plaid hooded athletic jacket, Wesco lace to toe smoke jumpers, Stormy Kramer wool cap with 1940's hunting licence, plains indian beaded possibles bag.

Papa's USMC pleat front 506xx HBT jacket.

I once read an article with Mr Freedom who stated that often he had imagined garments that 'could have been'. This struck a chord with me as Ive always thought this way too. My inspiration is always WWII. From the hundreds of movies Ive watched and books I've read, Ive been able to ascertain that your average GI was anything but General Issue. Sometimes its subtle, like John Wayne wearing Sperry's in Operation Pacific or more obvious like Henry Blake in MASH with his college sweater and flyvest. Sometimes its a Brooklyn ball cap on an Aviator or a pair of Bass Weejuns on a Naval Lieutenant that personalizes the whole look. I have also been facinated by the way WWII US uniforms drew much of their inspiration from the established outdoor and sporting equipment companies and workwear manufacturers of the era, the likes of Eddie Bauer and LL Bean, it all came down to functional and practical design.
With this in mind I took a logical step from USMC and US Army working utilities and had my tailor make up a pleated blouse based on the late 1930's Levi's 506xx jacket. The HBT came from an after production sale of the film 'the Great Raid', the USMC donut buttons were off eBay and the fantastic double pronged brass cinch buckle came from my good friend Adachi- San in the Levis quality control office in Tokyo.
The single front pocket design I pulled from the P44 USMC ulitily jacket. To me the whole garment makes sense and could quite easily have been Gyrine had the War Production Board contracted Levi Strauss to provide the Corp with a shorter length work jacket, part blouse, part utility, part Vandergrift jacket. For now however it's a Papa exclusive to be worn on early morning recons along the coast searching out the best beach breaks for next weekends surf mission.
(click on photos for enlarged image and detail)

eBay Arghhhhh!

Have my Buzz Rickson Style Eyes cardigan on eBay. Seller ID hollyrock47. 974 views, 19 watching but no bids! WTF?

Ray Barbee meets the Mattson 2.

My favourite album of the past few years has been the soundtrack to the surf movie Sprout. The individual tracks laid down here are a perfect mix of contemporary sounds well suited to Saturday afternoons on a balmy summers day. In a effort to find more of the same I traced the some of the liner notes and came up with Ray Barbee meets the Mattson 2. It can only really be described as an eclectic mix of garage surf and 60's jazz. If this is your gig then take the time to have a listen. I got my copy via the Thalia street surfshop on line. Enjoy.

Vintage engineer boots custom belt give away.

Follow this link to my friend John's blog spot, beside the obvious give away promo John's blog is an amazing passionate look into owning great boots. Check it out.
http://vintageengineerboots.blogspot.com/2011/05/giveaway-studded-and-jeweled-biker-belt.html

Papa's world of living colour.

My world can be insanely beautiful. Even if the surf is blown out, an hour or two walking along the beach can bring a world of enjoyment. Last Sunday the colour of the water and the light was truly amazing. Giggles captured these few snaps for me to share.

BUZZ RICKSON/ TOYO ENTERPRISES/ STYLE EYES VINTAGE SHOOTING CARDIGAN

Back in the 90's, Sato-san from Toyoshima denim walked into our Levis Ebisu offices wearing this cardigan. An hour later he walked out in my loggers boots after a successful trading arrangement.
This morning I say good bye to this beautiful garment. The reality is after 12 or 13 years I could probably count the times Ive worn it on a bunch of fingers.
To me it looks like the most perfect replica of an early Bob Allen garment most likely from the 40's. Wool is solid and heavy with a tight gauge. the leather is also top notch. As usual with garments from the Buzz Rickson crew this cardigan is a really beautiful piece and worthy of cooler climes than I can provide. It is virtually brand new and could be considered a minty. Size is a generous 38, but actuals are as follows:
Shoulders 17" chest 42" sleeve 26".
Im putting it out there for my blog friends first on sale at $150 plus postage of $38I'll give it a few days and if no one responds it'll end up on ebay for the masses to fight it out.

Surfing on Ebay with the Papa.

On behalf on my good friend Mr Big Fish, the Papa is selling a selection of surfboards on Ebay under the seller name Hollyrock47. Something here for all, be it beginner or pro, all shaped by the Big Fish himself, just check out this leviathan sized 10' Quadzilla the ultimate in point break cruisers.