One of the main questions about Metamorphic Gear is, how do we create the bags?
The first step is collecting the sails and truck tarps from our suppliers. This surprisingly is the most complicated and time consuming processes. We’re trying to educate them and simplify their disposal. We must become advocates for the material before it ends up in the trash. We work with all our partners to understand their business. The more we know the more we can assist them in reducing their cost of doing business. In the long run, we allow both companies to get what they need out of the relationship.
The actual gathering of materials is always interesting. It’s always fascinating to see what other work environments are like. Some examples of our suppliers are sail lofts, truck and shipping distributors, truck repair facilities, marinas and individuals. We get to see the material being removed from either the boat or truck and see a new one either created or installed. We know that one day the new sail or tarp will be turned into a Metamorphic Gear product when it’s finished.
Once we have the material at our shop the fun starts! We begin with the truck tarp by removing all the hardware and cutting away heavily damaged areas. The tarp is then cut into the individual bag panels that best fit the areas of the tarp. We then clean each panel by hand removing all the road grime that builds up over thousands of miles. The sail material is worked with in very much the same way. Once all the parts are cut and cleaned we assemble kits that have all the parts of the bags. These are sent to our Seattle manufacturing partner who assembles the bag.
It is so exhilarating to see the final product come off the line. At the beginning of the process, it is hard to imagine the really dirty truck tarp morphing into a very useful and new product. It is so gratifying to see the end result. We hope you love it as much as we do. What was your first impression of the material?
Great story; very well written!!!