Blackwing x Bradley Mountain – The Story Behind the Blackwing Pencil Roll

We met the guys at Bradley Mountain while we were both exhibiting at a tradeshow in Long Beach, CA. I had fallen in love with their bags at a store in my hometown of Sacramento, CA, so I knew I wanted to introduce myself. We hit it off immediately, and I was stoked to learn that Andrew and Tyler were both Blackwing fans. I told them I had been looking for the right partner to make a roll-up for our pencils, a project that I had been working on for over a year. They loved the idea of collaborating, so we exchanged information and decided to touch base after the show.

I reached out once I got back to Blackwing HQ, and we started throwing design ideas back and forth, using their tool roll as a starting point. After a few prototypes, we nailed down the the overall form, the color scheme and the weight of the canvas.

Here’s the thing about Bradley Mountain: these guys love what they do, and you can really see that love in their products. They hand-craft every backpack, roll and duffel at their workshop in San Diego, CA on one of four vintage sewing machines. They use only natural materials, and make sure those materials come from responsible sources.

Next came the really fun part. We flew down to San Diego to meet the full team and see the first production unit. Bradley Mountain HQ is located just outside of downtown San Diego, in a co-op workspace called the Moniker Warehouse. They share their space with another lifestyle brand, a graphic designer, and a surfboard shaper, and we felt inspired from the second we walked in the door.

We were greeted by Andrew and TJ, who were putting the finishing touches on our first Blackwing Pencil Roll.

 

The roll looked awesome, so we gave them the green light to start production.

While we were there, we learned a lot about our new partners. Andrew and TJ told us about how Tyler started Bradley Mountain in his garage. TJ shared how a designer and seamster from the Pacific Northwest found his way to San Diego. Andrew confessed he was actually a Bradley Mountain competitor before being asked to join the team.

We left that day not only excited about our new product, but stoked about the new relationship we had built.

Now that the Blackwing Pencil Roll is finally out in the wild, we can’t wait to see what you do with it. Stuff it in your travel bag, use it to organize your work station, take it to the top of a mountain.

Put it through its paces. Trust us, it can take it.

And, as Bradley Mountain says, use it to “Live Adventurously.”