SECRETFORTS

With a Little Help from my Friends : We've Moved.

2011-09-12T00:05:00.002-04:00

After much ado, SECRET FORTS has a new address. We've re-built the fort, bigger and better, but tried to keep it the same old Secret Forts you've come to know and love. This site will remain as an archive but new posts from here on out will be made from the new HQ.
Make sure to update your bookmarks and links and check out the new site often as we're working on new features as well as continuing the old ones.
A huge thanks to good friends Sandy and Emil Corsillo for all their help and to you for following along here for the past three years. See you over at the new fort.

Transit Issue : Apolis + Sierra Designs, Oakland, CA.

2011-08-25T11:55:00.010-04:00

My good friends over at Apolis have just today released the latest additions to their Transit Issue collection, the stand out being(though very stoked to see the re-stock of the tough-as-nails waxed canvas USMC jacket and the release of the reversible anorak) the classic Oakland,CA-made Sierra Designs 60/40 Mountain Parka.

A little while back, I gave you a little preview of Sierra Designs' US Made gear being made available in the states(previously, only Japan was privy to the goodness of the US made outdoor gear). As they have in the past, Apolis has released a short film highlighting the partnership with a tour of the Mt. Everest factory where this iconic outdoor gear is produced. Now click over to the Apolis site for the latest in Transit Issue and be sure to check out the classic-ness of the Sierra Designs US made 60/40 Mountain Parka. I'm told there are further styles being resurrected in the near future so stay tuned. With Irene bearing down on the east coast, this might come in handy.

Thirty Minutes or Less : Warhol's BMW M1.

2011-08-17T20:03:00.004-04:00

BMW's art car project. Started by French race car driver Hervé Poulain in 1975, Warhol spent all of 23 minutes painting the M1 in 1977.

It raced only once in the 24 Hours Le Mans endurance race in 1979, driven by Manfred Winkelhock, Poulain and Marcel Mignot. It placed sixth overall.
Since '75, 17 BMWs have acted as canvas for artists including; Calder(who created the first), Stella, Rauschenberg, Hockney, Holzer, Koons and Lichtenstein.

Articles & Effects : Hemingway's Bean Boots.

2011-08-16T13:39:00.005-04:00

Photo x Jonathan Becker for Town&Country

Summer Blues : Oak Street Navy Suede Trail Oxford.

2011-08-10T09:17:00.010-04:00

A while back, I introduced you to Oak Street Bootmakers and have since been wearing the heck out of their Trail Oxfords. Just today, available in limited numbers, a navy Horween suede Trail Oxford with a handsome red brick camp sole(both Oak Street firsts) goes up on their site.

If you're familiar with Oak Street, you know that each pair is made here in the US and with these navy suede Trail Oxfords, you'll be set to make the transition from Summer into Fall and beyond. Quantities are limited so get em while the gettin's good.

Summer Listening : Dirty Gold's 'California Sunrise'.

2011-08-05T14:09:00.003-04:00

Thanks to GT, haven't stopped listening to this jam in weeks.

Kerouac in Shorts : Miki "Da Cat" Dora.

2011-07-28T15:06:00.018-04:00

“Real secrets will get you dead. I always forget to remember anything. I am a waterlogged, sun-baked old surf bum and that act always ends the inquisition. I wanted to be left alone. So I left alone. Now I don’t want anything.” -The Black Knight of Malibu. Badass. Legend. Miki Dora. Respect.

(Most, though not all, photos above by Leroy Grannis)
For further reading, get "DORA LIVES : The Authorized Story of Miki Dora" by C.R. Stecyk III and Drew Kampion or "All For a Few Perfect Waves" by David Rensin.

It's Back : The Rig Out, #IV.

2011-07-26T13:23:00.006-04:00

Hot off the presses, the fine fellows of the Rig Out(them being Glenn Kitson, Andy Bird and Antony Crook) have done it yet again and as usual, in a big way.

If you've been charting the progress of the rag, it's both grown in scope and size with each printing and issue #4 is no exception. As you can see above, it's both biggerer and, knowing the chaps involved, better. As Glenn Kitson puts it, "For this issue we minced over to Milan, New York, London, Nairobi, and then popped over to Morocco to take in a spot of social uprising, well, we hid in a van for 5 days to be honest. We have the usual flannel on flannel by esteemed writers such as, Gary Warnett, Jason Dike and (Oi Polloi Deck Out waffle merchant) Mark Smith. Along with contributions from James Bowthorpe, Photography from Neil Bedford and styling by Angelo Urrutia of Engineered Garments. Front and back cover designed by artist (and former Stone Roses Guitarist) John Squire. With the usual mix of top clobber from brands including: Stone Island, CP Company, Woolrich Woolen Mills, Clarks Originals, Engineered Garments and the much more." Below, a few selected photographs by my man and perpetual globe trotter, Antony Crook. Styling by Glenn Kitson.

Once again, The Rig OUt #IV will be available in the coming weeks through this here online outlet. The price will be $10. Shipping only to US and Canada.

Pre-Order Instructions: The process, for those who've ordered in the past, will be the same. There will be a limited number available(between 50-65, TBD.) It will be first come, first serve. Email me at secretforts@gmail.com with 'RIGOUT#4' in the subject line. PLEASE INCLUDE your mailing address AND email to which I'll email you a Paypal invoice for $10. Once you pay and it's confirmed, I'll send it out to you. That's it.

A personal thanks to the Rig Out team for again making their fine publication available through this secret fort.

Studio Visit : Stanley & Sons, BK/NY.

2011-07-14T21:49:00.025-04:00

The other day I paid a long overdue visit to Stanley & Sons. Just down the street from my apartment in Brooklyn, each bag and apron is handmade, start to finish, in a 350 sg/ft studio space on Grand street a stones throw from the East River. Having long admired the nearly bomb-proof construction and straight forward utilitarian aesthetic of S&S goods, I thought it was about time I stop in and see where it all comes from.
Stanley & Sons, in a way, just kind of happened. Chris' grandfather Stanley(hence the name)opened The Apron and Bag Supply Company years ago on 2nd Avenue in the city. Prior, he'd worked for years at a company making the same goods until its closing. As the story goes, Stanley eventually bought all the machines, hired everyone back and opened up shop in the same space. Years later, before Chris had any ideas of reviving what his grandfather had started two generations prior, he'd been making bags and aprons mostly for himself and friends. Aprons to wipe bike grease covered hands on. Bags to ride with or head out to the beach with. Space was limited; bags were cut and sewn on his bedroom floor. Rivets were hammered late at night on the sidewalk. Chris would take a few to his buddy's shop in Brooklyn, Luddite, to sell. Around that time, while at Eleven on Elizabeth street(now Quality Mending Co.)buying a roll of fabric, he had an offer from owner Oliver Harkness to sell them there. And, as they say, the rest is history. It was with a little encouragement and a lot of undeniable quality that Stanley & Sons came to be. The quality of his bags and aprons speaks for itself. The bags I first caught sight of(and for now, the same one's still on the S&S site) were sewn mostly from repurposed military tent and duffel fabric with hand cut, hand riveted 12 oz leather drop handles. Always on the hunt for old machines(and with a damn near encyclopedic knowledge of them), Chris recently got his hands on a beast of a leather cutter able to cut multiple handle straps at once and he's moved to working mostly with either deadstock or new fabrics. There's also the recent addition of an old Singer able to stitch through nearly a half inch of doubled up 12 oz leather which Chris demonstrated. And there's the chainstitch embroiderer that's got Chris thinking of a thousand ways to use. But for all the new/old machines, the bags and aprons have not only retained, stitch for stitch, their original handmade craftsmanship and superior quality but are constantly evolving design-wise. They've just gone next level. The bank bag Chris converted into a hell of a nice rucksack was a standout as was the murdered out black canvas and leather messenger bag. While updating the Stanley & Sons site is on the shortlist of things to do, you can keep up with new S&S stuff on their blog. Chris is constantly banging out new bag designs, generally start to finish in the space of an afternoon. Custom orders are taken and two styles of tote bags are available through Hickorees.
It's Chris' very particular attention to detail, a deeply engrained knowledge and deftly skilled hand that's made S&S just kind of happen the way it has.
Stanley & Sons has had the kind of organic, quality-based word of mouth growth that's allowed Chris to keep production steady and stay as busy as he wants to be. There's a few more employees, some interesting side and custom projects and always the next order to fill. And in the coming months, and at an important phase of growing the operation, they'll be moving down the hall to a space three times the size of the current one. And for Chris, that undoubtedly means he'll be once again on the hunt for more machines.

Pictures of Pictures of : Steve McQueen.

2011-07-12T14:28:00.008-04:00

All photos of Steve McQueen, the undisputed 'King of Cool'(as they say), by William Claxton. Published by Taschen Books. Thanks Junior.

Coming Attractions : Baldwin Men's Shop, KC.

2011-07-11T21:05:00.006-04:00

My buddy Matt & co. just putting the finishing touches on things. Get ready, KC.

Epic Road Trip : Hamilton Dry Goods, Sparta, TN.

2011-07-11T08:51:00.003-04:00

While Sandy was back in Brooklyn, handling the daily operations of both The Hill-Side and Hickoree's, Emil and I made a trip down south to Nashville to do some sight seeing, some honky-tonking and so Emil could do some fabric hunting for the Hill-Side.

A few years back, (before many knew what The Hill-Side was) when Emil and Sandy were making ties one at a time, mostly from vintage and deadstock fabrics, Emil came across Period Fabrics online. Based on verbal descriptions over the phone, Emil ordered some fabric, liked what he got, and made some ties out of them. A few years later, the opportunity presented itself to pay a visit. I decided to tag along.
Located in Sparta, TN, Hamilton Dry Goods' makes period-correct supplies and clothing for historical re-enactors. They make their own tin cups, shape their own slouch hats on site and much of the rest is made locally in Tennessee. Hamilton also warehouses an enormous amount of fabric for manufacturing their clothing. On a particularly hot day a few weeks ago, Emil and I made the two hour drive east from Nashville to Sparta to see just what the Hamilton warehouse had in store for us.
We were greeted with true Southern hospitality and after looking around the shop for a while, (me trying to find a hat to fit my rather large head)we were shown out to the back and, roll after roll, spent a good part of the afternoon digging around. A few hours later, Emil had come up with some pretty promising stuff. With swatches in hand, Emil and I were on our way back to Music City USA for beers and tacos at SatCo., an old favorite of mine since high school. And I think a new favorite of Emil's.

Out/About : Here/There.

2011-07-07T00:47:00.001-04:00

R.I.P. : Cy Twombly, 4/25/28-7/5/11.

2011-07-06T18:12:00.006-04:00

Graphic in Nature : Hatch Show Print.

2011-07-05T21:05:00.015-04:00

On a recent trip back home to Nashville(more on that later), I made a stop in to the legendary Hatch Show Print.
Started in 1879 by the sons of Reverend William T. Hatch, The history of the city has been printed by Hatch. A Hatch poster has that unmistakeable quality that is singular to the southern landmark that's been hand printing "dodgers" and posters for over a hundred and thirty years.
There's something unique to the hand cut Hatch typefaces, wood blocks and metal plates, many of them nearly as old as Hatch itself, that make each sheet printed there a literal page from history.
Watching the amount of work and true craftsmanship involved in the letterpress printing process is truly impressive. Everything is done by hand, from the setting to the inking, the cranking of any of the seven presses to the trimming. It should be at the top of your short list of things to see if you ever find yourself heading down that way. If not, check out the video below for a great look behind the counter at Hatch.

Hatch Show Print
316 Broadway
Nashville, TN
(615)256-2805

2011-07-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

Have a good Fourth of July.

Goin' Back to Cali : US Made Sierra Designs, 60 /40.

2011-06-30T19:43:00.025-04:00

I know that it's not even the Fourth of July yet, but let's talk about a particular favorite topic here on SECRET FORTS; parkas. And one in particular, Sierra Designs. Thanks to the diligence of some very good friends, you'll no longer need to try to figure out how you're gonna get your hands on a Sierra Designs US Made 60/40 short parka.

Previously only available in Japan, the made in the US(Oakland, CA) 60/40 Short Parka is true classic Sierra Designs. Founded in 1965 by George Marks and Bob Swanson in Point Richard, CA , Sierra Deisgns was started by two people with a passion fueled by their love for the outdoors. The mission was simple, 'to specialize in the manufacturing of quality, lightweight equipment designed for the climber, backpacker, skier, or any sportsman who demands quality gear.' For Sierra Designs, this is a return to their roots, to where they began, and to how it all started.
Along with the short parka, you can expect five or so additional Sierra Designs heritage styles to be made available this coming Fall. Stay tuned for further dispatches on personal field testing. But for now, expect to see the US made 60/40 short parka this Fall at Hickorees, Context, Unionmade, Sid Mashburn, Steven Alan, at the Fjallraven Shop and from Oi Polloi in the UK. Until then, some looks at Sierra Designs, then and now.

Moving Pictures : The Rig Out IV Film, The Stream.

2011-06-16T10:09:00.007-04:00

With The Rig Out Issue IV at the printers presently, I'm pleased to present the team's accompanying film. According to the press release, 'This time out, the wanderlust of stylist Glenn Kitson and photographer Antony Crook had grown even stronger...
...The centrepiece of Rig Out IV is a photoshoot which took place in the North African wildnerness - Morocco to be precise. Heading to such an exotic location in the middle of a dismal British winter would normally sound like nice work if you can get it. But civil unrest across the region meant they had to be on their guard. Indeed, their model for the trip - himself no stranger to unarmed combat - was the target of some local dissaffected youths. The only fire exchanged came in the form of a few errant stones and numerous cutting remarks, which were returned with interest.
Taking a backseat during the proceedings to document the trip was Antony Crook who captured (yes, captured) some wonderful images and directed yet another stunning video.
With Clarks, Stone Island, Woolrich Woolen Mills, Folk, R6 and LVC all making an uncommon appearance in the North African desert, it's an engaging watch.'
Director, Antony Crook. Styled x Glenn Kitson. Art Director, Andy Bird
Edited x Keith Mottram
*The Rig Out Issue #4 will be, once again, available through Secret Forts. As Antony puts it, 'The mag is just getting printed...apparently it's massive (physically, conceptually and spiritually).' More info to follow as well as an official announcement. Stay tuned.

The Map : Wallabout Bay and The Brooklyn Navy Yard.

2011-06-14T19:08:00.004-04:00

A look back at the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard. Along my bike route between Greenpoint and Red Hook. "At its peak, during World War II, the yard employed 70,000 people, 24 hours a day."

most images from HERE.

The Board : Full Blown Summer.

2011-06-10T01:25:00.006-04:00

Your pictorial guide to a proper, stylish, adventurous and perhaps dangerous summer.

Out & About / Here & There.

2011-06-08T11:30:00.000-04:00

Johnny and the Quest for the Perfect Wave.

2011-06-07T18:26:00.005-04:00

"Religion? You might say I smoke my pot religiously."

Greetings From Old Far Rockaway.

2011-06-07T10:44:00.000-04:00

Images found HERE.

Shelf Life : WORKWEAR 2, MONO.

2011-06-02T15:11:00.009-04:00

Head to Toe : Get Lost.

2011-06-02T13:20:00.017-04:00

-Filson Shelter Cloth cap
-American Optics Sunglasses + MS&Co. Sleeve
-Grandfather's Omega 'Bumper' Constellation + NATO strap
-Case Sod Buster jr.
-Canon S95 + ACL&Co. waxed canvas zipper pouch
-Saturdays tee + J. Crew indigo striped tee + WWM Labrador Anorak
-Epperson Mountaineering day pack
-RRL 'black on black' slim selvedge + THe Hill-side Plum Violet chambray bandana
-Zebra F-701 + Vintage USN web belt
-Vans Authentics w/ leather laces

Flahutes and Roleurs : The Rapha Continental Film.

2011-05-30T18:14:00.003-04:00

“The greater the suffering, the greater the pleasure. That is nature’s payback to riders for the homage they pay her by suffering. Velvet pillows, safari parks, sunglasses; people have become woolly mice. They still have bodies that can walk for five days and four nights through a desert of snow, without food, but they accept praise for having taken a one-hour bicycle ride. ‘Good for you’. Instead of expressing their gratitude for the rain by getting wet, people walk around with umbrellas. Nature is an old lady with few friends these days, and those who wish to make use of her charms, she rewards passionately.” The ethos of glory through suffering from Tim Krabbe's seminal book, "The Rider". Read it then re-read it. Fall asleep it under your pillow. Get up early and go for a ride.

Field Test : Apolis + Katin Surf Trunks.

2011-05-26T09:37:00.008-04:00

The other day, the fellas at Apolis closed up shop for a day spent saying hello to summer, surfing the southern swells off the Malibu coast. The official mission, to field test their Apolis + Katin surf trunk.
Meeting up with friends/photographers Scott Soens and Will Adler and after a morning session and some lunch, the boys headed up to Leo Carillo Beach for an afternoon sesh among the light rollers just below the Ventura County line.
Some early evening fish tacos and Pacificos, some minor scrapes and sunburns. But a day well spent field testing the continuing collaboration between Apolis and the venerable SoCal institution, Katin. Mission accomplished. With Memorial Day around the corner and with it, summer's full swing, it's prime time to grab yourself a pair. Head over to Apolis to get yours(I've got my eye on the striped chambray pair) and check out the rest of the photo set.

photos by Will Adler & Scott Soen

FOBs.

2011-05-26T01:25:00.002-04:00

On the Subject of : Psychomania, 1971.

2011-05-25T13:19:00.003-04:00

"Just ordinary trouble makers..." Cult classic, Psychomania, 1971.
For some reason, had this on VHS years back. Seriously dig The Living Dead's helmets.

Of course, Secret Forts doesn't endorse motorcycle related suicide in hopes of returning as an invincible zombie hell-bent on terrorizing your local community. Not cool.

Riding Dirty : Motorcyle Diaries.

2011-05-25T10:26:00.016-04:00

Mark Buche from the Motorcycle Industry Council is on a mission to get us on bikes. And this past weekend, a group of us got together in a parking lot out at Queensborough College to learn the basics of motorcyling.
When Jou-Yie (head of cool stuff over at The Ace) emailed a few months back asking who was interested, against my better judgement, I was in. Most of us never having been on a bike, we spent the weekend splitting time between classroom and parking lot. And surprisingly, once on the bike, things kinda fall into place. Hands working, both feet working. And that trepidation dissolves bit by bit as you get taken through the course. Granted, there were some stalled bikes, but none dropped and in the end, Kirk, Sandy, Jou-Yie and I all walked away with our MSF completion cards, that much closer to street legal-ness. Next stop, DMV.
Huge thanks to Mark Buche of the Motorcycle Industry Council for putting it together. Check out both MIC and MSF for further info on courses.
I'm hooked.

Head to Toe : None of Your Beeswax.

2011-05-23T12:05:00.002-04:00

*Baldwin KC fitted
*Warby Parker 'Fillmore' Sandalwood matte
*Field Notes + dope pen
*Heritage Leather Co. + Hickoree's #312 waxed canvas Mason's bag
*RL Mellon Mohawk jacket + The Hill-Side dot stripe pocket square + J. Crew indigo tattersall utility shirt
* 3Sixteen SL's (@ 18 months, +/-) + Leather Man Ltd Hoof pick belt + The Hill-Side "WA" handkerchief
*Clark's Beeswax Wallies (w/ no socks, 'course)