A new specialty boutique has joined Portland’s ranks, but instead of curating lines of hard-to-find European scarves and toiletries, this venture focuses on the tools we need for making things. Founded by Core77, the longstanding online resource for industrial designers, Hand-Eye Supply offers what co-founder Eric Ludlum (with partners Stuart Constantine and Allan Chochinov) describes as an almost retro selection of supplies for making things with your hands rather than on a computer—everything from wrenches to pushpins to eye protection to sketchpads are available, although perhaps the most impressive category of their merchandise is the workwear department.
With an emphasis on the esoteric and locally unrepresented, Hand-Eye features streetwear-worthy shopcoats, coveralls, work pants, and aprons from Ben Davis and Dunderdon as well as European lines like Sweden’s Blåkläder and Gedore, a company that’s been operating out of Germany’s “tool city,” Remscheid, since 1919 (their tools are carried here, too). While selected with a designer’s needs (both practical and aesthetic) in mind, the color-blocked separates and sturdy vests are great for anyone who gardens or works on vehicles, or just wants clothing with durability and plenty of pockets. Just opened on the first Tuesday of this month, Hand-Eye has been something that Ludlum and Chochinov have been interested in since before they swapped New York for Portland as Core77’s headquarters. The website was originally started in 1995 as a joint thesis for the Pratt Institute, with Constantine coming onboard around 2000, but the cheaper rents and fact that Ludlum says Portland “is a really good place to make things” won out. It’s also no small coincidence that Ludlum’s wife was pregnant when they made their permanent move last year.
Core77 has been producing its own T-shirt designs for years, and in the past have collaborated with bicycle manufacturers and even produced the “Blu Föm” sneaker with Fila, designed to look like it was made out of modeling foam. Hopefully the retail space will inspire more in-house designs, and Ludlum is interested in restoring more of a gallery aspect to the space, which currently boasts a cardboard prototype of a jet engine that he says is “an example of the point of our inventory in the process of designing: the phase of making things, and preserving physical artifacts.” For now they’ll stay open late on First Thursdays to take advantage of the tipsy creative types who swarm the store’s Chinatown neighborhood with religious regularity. Stop in, and get inspired. (Hand-Eye Supply, 23 NW 4th, handeyesupply.com)
Work wear for hipsters who do little hands on or physical work (but for some reason want to play at such). How droll. Or perhaps a better analogy would be-what the fuck? Do you seriously believe any actual working class person will shop here? Maybe the art project person or the “do it yourselfer” (we love you guys)…..oh but wait, that’s the whole point. No one on a construction crew will be caught dead here, leaving it open for hipster wankers who want to look like they are “involved in a project”. How Portland
Wow, you’re a presumptuous, bitter asshole. Maybe you should move to country where you don’t have to be bothered by what other people are doing.
I agree with you, Moi. If you click on “The Showstopper” you will notice his profile is filled with posts that he has made and they all resolve to him/her being a presumptuous, bitter asshole. No credibility whatsoever. Props to Hand-Eye Supply and props to this article, I think this is a great thing for Portland creatives!
I checked out hand eye’s website and as much as i hate to agree with ss, this boutique is a joke to the working man. To qualify, I am a professional carpenter and not only would I not be caught dead in this store, I wouldn’t waste my money on this overpriced shit. Then again, I am not exactly fashion conscious when I get ready for work. I dress for comfort and as the weather dictates. As for the few tools I saw on the site…wtf am I supposed to build with this bullshit?
@snickerdoodle, thank you from another working man. As for you two other hipster fuckwads, blow me. You know me at all? Who’s being presumptuous now asshat? Anyone who does not fit your little bullshit hipster “Portland creative BS” is bitter and an asshole? Nice screen name “Moi” how cute. However, I don’t want to kill anyone’s dreams, so have fun playing pretend artsy and construction. Hell, you can be the cop, the biker and the Indian while your at it, you hipster tools
Showstopper, this obsession with your hipster radar has put it way out of calibration. For starters, announcing that you and everyone like you would never be caught dead in this store probably should have set it off. I’m sure you can be so pompous knowing you are the REAL deal on the scene, unlike those total poseur “do-it-yourselfers.”
The hate is strong in this one.
The Blåkläder “Utility Kilt” is most amusing.
Also, since Hipster™ has gone from mildly interesting/pretentious to full-on mainstream market/media saturation, making fun of it sort of redundant.
Meet the hardest working man in Portland, everyone! Funny how people who aren’t creative think that no one has the ability to be both creative and skilled; like there’s two kinds of people. There are people who “actually work for a living”, and assholes who get to be creative for a living. Hm, might want to get some counseling, Showstopper. And get that complex in check.
BTW, ow. You have crushed my dreams. I no longer have the ability to go on with my simple, precious, hipster life.
And what precisely convinced any of you that I lack creative ability?. I am a published writer FYI(not in a free publication either, actual revenue was involved). Nor did I claim to worker harder than anyone else, and for that matter I gladly support the Arts. The people getting butthurt on this sound suspiciously like Emo tools. If you make a good living being creative and working with your hands, etc than hats off to you. On the other hand if you simply want to wear work apparel to “look in or cool”, than not so much.
“Moi”. Pray tell what me what it is you do that is creative and skilled, I am honestly curious.