workwear

Wide angle shot of building interior with lots of chainsaws and logging materials.
Profiles

New York’s Largest Chainsaw Collection: Hud-son Chainsaw Museum

An early morning fog rolls through the town of Barneveld just outside the Adirondacks in New York as a worker flips on the showroom lights at Hud-Son Forest Equipment. As sales start amidst the smell of gasoline and chainsaws rev to life as employees set to work on customer repairs, the history of the tools of the forestry trade hangs in the front window. These tools, some over 90 years old, represent central New York’s Chainsaw Museum, a testament to passion and a long family history in forestry that runs in Dan Hudon Jr.’s family.

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3 Min
History of Denim in North America_1200x628
Field Notes

A Brief Look at the Origin of Denim in North America

The history of denim in America dates back to the 1840s, when the durability of the warp-faced, twill textile was a proven choice for workwear clothing, with pants and overalls much in demand. The blue threads of woven cotton were dyed with indigo through a process known as “rope dying” or “chain dying,” while the weft threads were left white and visible only on the reverse side. Over time, other weights of denim were made available, along with different colors: tan, black, and gray. For laborers in the fields, coal mines, forests, and mills, denim was an inexpensive clothing option that was widely available and came in all sizes. During the California Gold Rush of 1848 to 1855, the prospector dressed in his denim work clothing, field jacket, and hip waders was a common sight.

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3 Min
person in a red and black plaid shirt using a hand saw to cut a piece of wood in a forest
How-To's

How to Build a Backyard Sawmill

My family comes from a proud tradition of loggers and woodworkers. My great-grandfather left his home in Norway and emigrated to Washington to work as a logger. My grandfather followed in his footsteps to work in the lumber industry, and my father has worked with wood for as long as I can remember. When my wife asked me to make some raised garden beds with her, I saw this season of quarantine as an opportunity to tap into my roots, expand my DIY skillset, and explore milling my own lumber with my chainsaw. If you have your own saw and a few standard tools, you can get started for a few hundred bucks.

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10 Min