Father’s Day means a lot to us here at David Morgan. For today’s blogpost, we wanted to celebrate the life of David Morgan and share some of the story of how we got to where we are today.

During the family trip to Australia in 1962, David Morgan discovered a whip making enterprise still operating as it had been during Victorian times. An engineer by training and vocation, and with a long interest in craftwork, he carried this interest back home to the United States. He and his wife, Dorothy, imported a few whips for sale initially under the company name of Austral Enterprises, with the company name being changed to David Morgan in 1978.

As David and Dorothy’s young family grew, so did his interest in braiding and leatherwork. Always a problem solver, David had each child contributing to the craft at an early age, first lacing dog boot sets at $.02 per set. David reflected on the several trips to Australia in the 1960’s, where he learned the inner details of the leather and braiding trade from some of Australia’s top whipmakers. Along with the details of whipmaking, they taught him the history behind whips and their uses and the teachings connected with David. By the early 1970s the business had expanded to include braiding supplies and braided goods manufactured in David Morgan’s own leather workshop.

Eddie Bauer, creator of the famous Eddie Bauer clothing company, opened a store in the Seattle area in the early 70’s. Eddie Bauer himself strolled into our store, then located in the Ballard area of Seattle, and was enamored by the authentic Australian products. Eddie Bauer took a particular liking to the Slouch Hat made by Akubra, the same hats worn by the Australian military. Soon after a collaboration between David Morgan, Akubra, and Eddie Bauer was made. Eddie Bauer called the iconic Aussie accessory the “Digger Hat” and the hat’s success was vital to the Eddie Bauer brand at the time. At home it was all hands on deck for the David Morgan family, unpacking the boxes shipped by sea from Australia, brushing each hat, adding the puggaree and chin strap before shipping out.

In 1973, the US placed an embargo on kangaroo skins and products, effectively stopping the supply of Australian whips and braided goods to the US. Throughout this, David decided to keep the trade going, producing an American style bull whip using an Australian braided belly construction. This whip style, the 450 Series, proved popular among stuntmen and performers, most notably Glenn Randall Jr who used them in a small film (at the time) called Raiders of the Lost Ark. Once the embargo on kangaroo products was lifted in 1981, David switched to crafting these whips from the stronger kangaroo leather and the company renewed the importation of Australian leather goods.

Once reaching mainstream popularity, The Indiana Jones movies were the catalyst for revitalizing an interest in whips. David’s No. 455 10 ft Bullwhip became an icon when it was so skillfully woven into the story by Glenn Randall Jr, the stunt director for the first movie. We supplied over 30 whips to the studio for the four Indiana Jones movies. The resulting publicity brought in more orders than we could easily handle.

Even when we had a two-to-three year backlog of orders, David was adamant that we not increase the price unduly as he wanted those customers who appreciated the craftsmanship to enjoy the whips, not just the rich. Instead, he focused on continuing to produce quality whips and training the next generation of braiders. We are still producing these whips to David’s specifications and quality, with grandson Alex Morgan and son Will Morgan contributing to the effort.

David Morgan died on July 8, 2015.

In the last few years of his life, David was challenged first by Alzheimer’s disease and later by a stroke. Through determination and hard work, David regained enough strength after his stroke to still enjoy his walks through the neighborhood. David was kind, helpful, gregarious, generous, and an excellent problem-solver.

Almost 10 years later, we try every day to hold the lessons that David taught us close to our hearts.

Father’s Day is almost here. If you order between now and June 7th we can confirm your delivery in time for June 16th. Here’s a few gift suggestions for those caring father figures in our lives.

Adori Leathergoods

Adori Leathergoods is an Australian manufacturer that has deserved reputation for outstanding quality in the top of the line wallets they produce. From the fine leathers used to the careful stitching and turned edges, these wallets will provide years of use and enjoyment.

Geier Glove

For over 90 years, the Geir Glove company has been producing some of the world’s finest leather gloves for men and women — for work, dress, driving, and riding. Geir is known throughout the West for their quality materials. Made from full-grain deer, goat, kangaroo, bison and elkskins – Geir has made a glove that fits any use case you made need.

Celtic Jewelry

The Celts were skilled metal workers, with a strong interest in gold, silver and bronze ornaments for themselves and for their horse trappings. Our authentic Celtic jewelry is drawn from both modern Welsh and older Celtic sources, with design as timely today as it was two thousand years ago. Most of our Celtic jewelry collection is exclusive and only sold at David Morgan.

We at David Morgan send our appreciate to all of the fathers who have been the mentors, friends, and life-long partners in our lives. We hope that we can help find that special something to help send your gratitude to those people who matter the most.

Best wishes for the roll out of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny! Over the years our company has enjoyed many visits ( and purchases ) from fans of the Raider’s franchise. We hope that this the fifth installation in the series satisfies the old fans and recruits some new ones.

Since the 12th Century, Saint David (Dewi Sant) has been celebrated as the Patron Saint of Wales. Today the celebrations usually involve the singing of traditional songs followed by a Te Bach, a tea with bara brith (famous welsh fruited bread) and teisen bach (welsh cake). Young girls are encouraged to wear the national costume and leeks or daffodils, the national symbols of Wales, are worn.

St David descended from royalty. As a missionary, he travelled throughout Wales and Britain and even made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he was consecrated bishop. He founded 12 monasteries including Glastonbury and one at Minevia (St. Davids) which he made his bishops seat. The monastery he founded at Menevia in Southwestern Wales was noted for extreme asceticism. David and his monks drank neither wine nor beer – only water – while putting in a full day of heavy manual labor and intense study.

Monastery life was very strict, the brothers having to work very hard, cultivating the land and pulling the plough. Many crafts were followed – beekeeping, in particular, was very important. The monks had to keep themselves fed as well as provide food and lodging for travellers. They also looked after the poor.

St David died on 1 March 589 A.D., at Minevia, allegedly over 100 years old. His remains were buried in a shrine in the 6th century cathedral which was ransacked in the 11th century by Viking invaders, who plundered the site and murdered two Welsh bishops.

In 1120, Pope Callactus II canonised David as a Saint. Following this he was declared Patron Saint of Wales.

Source: St David – Patron Saint of Wales — by Ben Johnson, Catholic Online

Learn more about Celtic Jewelry here:

Celtic Jewelry from David Morgan — Celtic bracelets, earrings, pendants, Celtic rings and more : from David Morgan

With Valentine’s Day approaching, David Morgan has you covered. We have a wide selection of heart-shaped jewelry. Whether you want silver, bronze or even something totally unique, you can find it here.

The Hummingbird Heart bronze jewelry is made by Cavin Richie. Cavin Richie grew up in Colorado surrounded by the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains. He moved to Washington State in 1970 and has lived near the sea ever since. Cavin’s designs are a reflection of his surroundings. His line includes birds, mammals and amphibians, all accurately detailed. For the past thirty years he has carved with shed elk antler and woolly mammoth ivory. These carvings became the basis for his lost wax casting jewelry.

“Carving,” says Cavin “is like touching antiquity. I feel a kinship with a long lineage of carvers dating back to the Pleistocene.”

Heathergems are handmade from the stems of heather, a common Scottish plant renowned for its purple bloom. The heather used is too old to provide any nutrition for wildlife and is pulled in a manner which promotes the growth of new heather.

The stems are dried, shotblasted to remove the bark and dyed various colors using natural dyes. Stems of different colors are then mixed together and compressed into a block. Eighty tons of pressure is required to press the block of stems together. The block is then cut into slices and individual pieces are cut, shaped and filed by skilled craftworkers before being lacquered to give the final finish. The Heathergem jewelry we offer are set into sterling silver fittings. Each piece comes gift boxed, with a card explaining the process used to create Heathergems.

We are happy to announce that our David Morgan store is now open on Saturdays through Christmas Eve. Our hours are 9 to 5. For many people, weekends are the only free time to go shopping, so stop by and have a look around. As we are in an office park, there is no problem with parking. We have an impressive selection of jewelry and hats. Shopping for a hat is much better when you have an opportunity to try on several sizes.

As an added bonus, we are situated along North Creek, with several miles of hiking. You can make it a day of shopping and hiking.

We have four additional jewelry items by BOMA. Both the Orca and the Raven Clamshell pendants are designed by Bill Helin and the two Octopus pieces are designed by Andrew Williams.

Bill Helin is a Tsimshian native artist and enjoys a very rewarding career as a creative gold engraver, painter, woodcarver, and book illustrator. His ancestry is from the Gits’iis tribe in the village of Lax Kw’alaams, British Columbia.

The Raven Clamshell Pendant shows Raven perched on a clamshell with humanity inside.

The Orca Pendant depicts a legendary aquatic animal. Orcas, or Killer Whales, are a common motif in the art of the Northwest Coast peoples.

Born in 1964 in Haida Gwaii, Andrew Williams is a carver and graphic designer. He is part of the Raven clan in the Old Masset on Haida Gwaii. His work is a blend of traditional and contemporary art and shows his passion for his Haida Ancestry and the “old stories”.

The Octopus Pendant and The Octopus Bracelet is inspired by an animal considered auspicious and a symbol of great wealth among the Northwest Coast peoples.

Our popular Trucker Suspenders, which we have sold for many decades, are now available with leather ends. These suspenders are popular for anyone who doesn’t like the feeling of fasteners in the back. If you find yourself sitting for long periods of time, these suspenders might be right for you. The suspenders fasten in the front and wrap around at the upper back, leaving your belt line free from discomfort. We’ve also added several colors. Our line-up includes Red, Black, Green, Tan, Navy and Gray. Made by Welch Suspenders, in Hillsboro, Oregon, USA.

Trucker Suspenders, Leather Ends (davidmorgan.com)

 

 

Why do you need a brim brush?

If you wear a hat, you’ll find that over time, the fur felt will attract dust and dirt from general wear. This will make your hat look dingy. The dirt and dust will get into the nap of the hat and give it a flat look.

Continuous use of a brim brush will work to keep the felt clean. It will also lift the nap to give it a brighter look. It’s important to use a brush with stiff bristles. However, too tough of a brush will cause abrasion. We recommend a horsehair brush that is stiff enough to lift the nap.

When brushing a hat, brush in a counter-clockwise direction. That will lift the nap while removing the dirt. People often rest it on their thigh, opposite of the hand with the brush. Work on the crown, then on the brim. Don’t forget to turn the hat over and brush the underside of the brim.

A good brush should be found in any hat store. Ours are available here.