Intensities in Hues

A smidgen darker and a bit muted. It’s still red.

Oxblood.

Oxblood, with its hints of brown and cranberry, complements the more traditional tone of the leather. This waxed cotton bag was made in Portland, Or. The base and handles of this handbag are made from a buffalo leather. Buffalo leather is tanned using traditional methods and does not require the use of highly toxic chemicals.

 

This bag is 3" wide, 13" across, and 14" tall (not including the roll down top).

The top rolls down 9.5" in order to complement the waterproof nature of the fabric used. Waxed cotton is cotton impregnated with a paraffin based wax and then woven into cloth fabric.

The handles measure 28" long and are secured with small rivets. 

This bag was stitched on an old cast-iron Singer sewing machine with a thick contrasting tan thread.

All of the waxed cotton bags are available by special request.

Die at the Helm in Echo Park

Die at the Helm's collaboration with Zack Barbery was spotted in Los Angeles. 

Husband and wife design partners Steve Nasker and Charlotte Stone were featured in kneelandmercado.com for their Macramé Palapa Lounge Chairs. 

These amazing plywood chairs with macramé rope are made in Echo Park, LA.

Die at the Helm's classic Cruiser shirt fits right in at the studio of Pacific Wonderland, Inc.

A Darker Shade. Unfurled.

A Darker Shade of Waxed Cotton.

Each of the leather and waxed cotton handbags has emerged with a distinct personality.

This particular bag has been stitched with a strikingly darker shade of olive and contrasting tan thread.

The leather from this section of the buffalo hide has a lot of ridges and texture. It compliments well the darker forest-inspired shades of this batch of waxed cotton.

The height of this bag is 15" with a full 9" fabric to roll down and securely protect the contents inside.

Custom orders for Die at the Helm handbags are available.

"Van Off!" the Eighties VS the Seventies

Love.

Will Tear Us Apart.

...we're changing our ways,
Taking different roads...

The 2012 Die at the Helm's collaboration with Portland based musician and illustrator Zack Barbery.

In the left corner: 2.0 liter air-cooled horizontally opposed, 4 cylinder engine

Vanagon (a contraction of "van" & "station wagon").

The one grill at the front of the van is not for cooling the air intake but instead functions as an interior ventilation system. A pair of single round headlights are on opposite sides of the grill. This one-grill look distinguishes all of the air cooled Vanagons from 1980 till 1983, when the air cooled Vanagons were discontinued.

In the right corner: Type 2 "Splitie" bus.

The most noticeable difference in the body styles is a shift from a round vehicle to a very square, sharp edged look of the Vanagon body. These changes mimicked the cultural changes happening in the society.

The social experiments and burgeoning environmental movement of the seventies gave way to the rise of corporate hostile takeovers and leverage buyouts of the eighties.

Waxed Cotton and Buffalo Leather Handbag

Waxed Cotton and Buffalo Leather Handbag

Die at the Helm has created a new waxed cotton and leather handbag using an environmentally friendly leather. Buffalo leather is typically tanned using traditional methods. It does not use the highly toxic chemicals found in modern tanning practices.

Smoking the hide at the end of the tanning practice keeps the leather resistant to moths, preserves the fibers and allows the leather to stay soft and pliable even if it becomes wet.

The top of this bag fold downs and is 7 inches in height when unrolled. The inside is lined with a brown Cordura to increase the bag's durability and weather-proofing.

 Four rivets on each handle securely attach the leather strap to the body of the bag. The inside seam is lined with a Nylon trimming.


Buffalo leather "grain" is more pronounced, and the fibers are thicker and more widely-spaced which results in a softer, more durable leather.

Don't Be Empty Handed!

little BIKEASAURUS gets new (proper sized) digs!

SE Hawthorne & 17th

Bikesaurus will reopen June 13th with a fresh stock of Die at the Helm messenger bags.

Baby's in blue!

This small shoulder bag has 2 front pockets to help you stay organized.

A lovely vintage fabric lines the inside of the bag.

 "...whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fast..."

This brown small messenger bag screen-printed with a gold track bike is now also in stock.

The front flap is held shut by Velcro to best adjust to how much or little you want to carry with you.

Baby's in black!

This small shoulder bag is made from black and gray Vinyl. It is lined with a vintage fabric and has a seat-belt strap. A white track bike has been embroidered on the front.

"All your seasick sailors, they are rowing home
Your empty handed armies, are all going home."

Die at the Helm makes Outdoors NW's top ten

"We love the detail stitching and the old school snaps on this bag." -Outdoors NW

The magazine Outdoors NW recently release their list of the top ten bags to haul around your goods with you. They included Die at the Helm! You can read the full review here.

Outdoors NW is a small-press magazine written for outdoors enthusiast. The parent company is a Seattle-based family-owned business specializing in publishing outdoor recreational magazines and guidebooks.

They are also having a pinterest contest called "Pin It to Win It". The idea is to repin the bag that you fancy and then which ever bag is repinned the most will be awarded to one random follower.

The review will be released in print in the July/August edition of Outdoors NW.