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Collateral Concepts 4th Iteration

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  • Chinorlz
    Senior Member
    • Sep 2006
    • 6422

    #31
    A personal piece:















    I constructed a narrower version of the East West weekender for my personal use at the hospital. Constructed to carry my macbook, ipad mini, and a few documents easily. Like the weekender version, the bag can be carried via the handles or the strap can be unclipped and reversed to carry cross body or over the shoulder securely.

    Silver hardware is hand bent after faceting/texturizing with hand tools and then polished.

    As this is my personal bag, instead of the standard stitch for the upper part of the strap, one of the 4 points is stitched with my chinese family name Huang



    Lined in a thin English dark gray wool fabric.
    www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

    Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

    Comment

    • twmllr
      Senior Member
      • Sep 2013
      • 109

      #32
      some solid work here Mr. Huang

      Comment

      • moyamoya
        Junior Member
        • Mar 2012
        • 10

        #33
        Having just got the leather jacket today I can already say that this is some excellent work. The leather is some of the best I have felt, I prefer it over guidi calf, oiled calf and horse. I cannot say enough how awesome it is.

        Very impressive indeed.

        Comment

        • Chinorlz
          Senior Member
          • Sep 2006
          • 6422

          #34
          ^ thank you gents for the kind words!

          Working on a few more pieces as well as orders for a client store. Will be posting up some one-off pieces here in the next two weeks as they get finished.
          www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

          Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

          Comment

          • Chinorlz
            Senior Member
            • Sep 2006
            • 6422

            #35
            Vintage Elephant Leather East West Weekender Bag






















            Took quite a while to finish the construction of this piece.

            The leather is several decades old elephant leather acquired from the family of a man named Eric Wagner who was a big game hunter and also a well-known conservationist in Zambia. He had a safari outfit out there called Nugmu Safaries out by Victoria Falls.

            He has been written about in a number of books including a 1984 memoir by Peter Capstick about his time in Africa with Wagner and others.

            The hide was taken from a culled elephant from one of the Zambian preserves and is similar to how elephant hides are made available for bootmakers etc. these days, except this was was shot by Wagner.

            The hide was prepared on-site and natural tanning and dye techniques were used in the processing of the hide resulting in a unique gray tone with hints of greens and natural colors. As this was a hide processed outdoors by locals, there are sections of dye irregularity which are to be found on the bag. To me, this serves as a reminder of the story behind the material.

            The leather itself has incredible deep graining that changes throughout the bag and there are grain transitions and changes even through the straps as they wrap around the bag.

            Each strap required construction (versus the heavier weight water buffalo strapping on the standard East West Weekender) over the course of several days given the tenacity of the elephant hide. Each strap was cut by hand and then clamped sequentially down the length of each and left to "conform" to the shape. The leather was then able to be sewn on an industrial walking foot machine to create each strap.

            The straps were each sewn onto the body of the bag by hand using 1.5mm waxed gray thread. Before this step, the straps were joined to each other with hand cut and filed sterling silver "staples."

            The silver hardware used to create the wide, shoulder strap was first faceted by hand using a chasing hammer over an anvil. This was then bent and hammered into shape before attachment onto the strap as well as the body of the bag. Many handsewn details are present throughout the bag and an overlapping handsewn stitch was used to join the custom cut heavy duty locking Super Lampo zipper to the bag.

            The bag is fully lined with a beautiful 100% black/gray Italian wool and the Collateral tag is attached on the inside. Each letter on the tag was also hand stamped.

            Only one bag made, and there is not enough of the elephant leather remaining to create any more.
            www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

            Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

            Comment

            • DamageX
              Senior Member
              • Dec 2008
              • 495

              #36
              Your work never ceases to amaze! It keeps getting better and better with each iteration.

              The jacket is beautiful in its economy of design. Nice job modeling it too!

              I love the texture of the elephant leather, it compliments the design of the bag perfectly.

              Keep up the great work!

              Comment

              • old
                Senior Member
                • Jul 2009
                • 132

                #37
                The color, the grain, the stitching, this is amazing.
                Tradition ist Bewahrung des Feuers und nicht Anbetung der Asche.

                Comment

                • Chinorlz
                  Senior Member
                  • Sep 2006
                  • 6422

                  #38
                  Thank you all for your kind words! Had a number of inquiries regarding the elephant bag. Only one made and no more can be made. If interested, you may PM me regarding it.
                  www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                  Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                  Comment

                  • Chinorlz
                    Senior Member
                    • Sep 2006
                    • 6422

                    #39
                    Simplicity









                    A small project completed in the studio.

                    0.925 silver, faceted by hand using a chasing hammer over an anvil and then shaped. Edges also filed and smoothed by hand.

                    Inner band is stamped with the Collateral logo as well as a small .925 stamp.

                    Chemically tarnished and then repolished for a dark luster.

                    Able to be reshaped if desired. Hammering and working silver actually hardens the material so the faceting ultimately gives the metal some "memory" thus allowing it to be expanded to slide onto the wrist and it will return to its original dimensions.

                    Dimensions:

                    Width of Band- 0.5cm
                    Widest Diameter- 6.5cm
                    Narrowest Diameter- 5cm
                    Opening- 2.5cm
                    www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                    Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                    Comment

                    • flashoflight
                      Senior Member
                      • Sep 2013
                      • 140

                      #40
                      Wanted to share some pictures of these amazing gloves that recently came back from Albert after a small adjustment. (Thanks for that btw!)

                      I really fell in love with this design when I initially saw it and lusted after them for quite some time. Finally got my hands on this pair! Albert also tells me that they were made about five years ago and might have been the only pair that was made in pigskin. That would make these unique, and makes it a little more special to me . It fits me like a glove haha!

                      Anyway, I don't think these pictures do them justice, but since that's the only option, here they are! (Click for slightly higher res.)







                      Last edited by flashoflight; 12-13-2013, 09:31 PM.

                      Comment

                      • Chinorlz
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2006
                        • 6422

                        #41
                        It was really great to see/handle this pair again. I honestly had forgotten I had constructed a pair in black pigskin all those years ago!

                        Glad that I could adjust them for you and they look great!


                        Full-time working on an epic custom project for a client. Did some leather treatment/damage experimentation for it today and shot some photos from a 1st person perspective thanks to Google Glass:






                        Once the project is complete, I'll post the whole process from sketches to R&D to final product.

                        Definitely THE most intense project I've undertaken yet!
                        www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                        Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                        Comment

                        • kuugaia
                          Senior Member
                          • Feb 2010
                          • 1007

                          #42
                          Originally posted by Chinorlz View Post
                          I'll write more as the project evolves, but I'm working on an alternative to the ugly, chunky padded jackets worn as safety gear. The only other existing alternative right now would just be thin kevlar sewn into jackets or into jeans and then charges a huge premium.

                          Using readily available technology, you can keep the thickness down and actually increase its functional capability.
                          Don't want to repeat too much of what everybody else has already been saying but congratulations on releasing the 4th iteration! Also glad to see your signature gloves still being produced - awesome stuff.

                          But the more important thing is what you're talking about here...motorcycle use? Aesthetically pleasing leather jacket made for motorcycle use? Yes fucking please!! I'm very excited about this.

                          Comment

                          • Chinorlz
                            Senior Member
                            • Sep 2006
                            • 6422

                            #43
                            Originally posted by kuugaia View Post
                            Don't want to repeat too much of what everybody else has already been saying but congratulations on releasing the 4th iteration! Also glad to see your signature gloves still being produced - awesome stuff.

                            But the more important thing is what you're talking about here...motorcycle use? Aesthetically pleasing leather jacket made for motorcycle use? Yes fucking please!! I'm very excited about this.
                            Thanks for the kind words!

                            Had to back-burner the bike jacket for a bit due to a client-driven project, but the jacket I'm doing for the client actually in some ways parallels the bike jacket design and concept.

                            The tricky part with making a nice looking/wearable bike jacket that doesn't look like a Bike Jacket is the padding for impact/shock protection. There are a number materials available that work well for this but are at least somewhat thick. I'm planning on getting some in to handle it and see if it can be pared down whilst still retaining its function. Also the kevlar components (if I can make it reliable) I plan on impregnating with a non-Newtonian fluid so that it will actually increase the impenetrability of it while at the same time giving it shock absorption/energy dissipation capability and actually require fewer kevlar layers.

                            So its slow but steady progress....

                            speaking of bikes, I'm working on my '72 CB450 that I'm going to cafe. My bespoke seat (shaped to match the lines of the '68 CB450 K1 tank I'm restoring) and custom stainless steel rearsets arrived yesterday after a months-long wait:

                            www.AlbertHuangMD.com - Digital Portfolio Of Projects & Designs

                            Merz (5/22/09):"i'm a firm believer that the ultimate prevailing logic in design is 'does shit look sick as fuck' "

                            Comment

                            • kuugaia
                              Senior Member
                              • Feb 2010
                              • 1007

                              #44
                              Dude...are you human? Like seriously how are you a surgeon while also doing all of this other stuff that requires a lot of technical expertise/time. Hats off to you man, you're an inspiration. For real.

                              I've thought about it a lot before and figured aesthetically pleasing motorcycle apparel could swing in either one of two ways. One, try to cleverly conceal the padding and substitute in more subtle protection in the design without losing any protective function. Or two, not trying to conceal the padding at all and actually dive in head first to it with the design to make it look badass. You're going for the former I presume, so good luck! It's a tough problem but it sounds like you've already got the steam going.

                              Comment

                              • ironman
                                Senior Member
                                • Apr 2008
                                • 829

                                #45
                                i'm all for the project and excited to see Albert's design, but i am of the opinion that (the track-oriented) motorcycle apparel if perfectly aesthetically pleasing. i have this one here (Dainese New Delmar):





                                curved arms, ribbing at armpits, hi-vis strips, jointed neck protection, slot for back protection, shoulder + forearm armor, optional in perforated leather for breathability, closable vents at side and chest, longer rear hem, etc.

                                obviously this is not a blanket statement for all models, but if you removed all the obnoxious branding it looks fine. even the hi-vis reflective strips for safety are placed well

                                if you go cheap(er) the casual looking models generally look worse, and have fewer design features. also a huge problem is people not getting the right size, sizing up like crazy

                                Albert, i have a full kevlar Undercoverism blazer with perforated lining that I ride in when it's really hot, but i haven't had a fall yet so i can't say much on shock absorption or abrasion resistance

                                to be honest, a lot of stories of people falling in jeans and ruining their skin has to do with garbage clothes in my opinion. i've been down twice in regular fashiony clothes and i came out fine (clothes too, still wear them today):

                                - once in raw Balenciaga jeans (nowhere near as hefty as those Japanese heritage brands) and there was literally no visible damage on me or the jeans. running about 75 kph (~47 mph) highside, kids in the middle of the road deer in headlights

                                - second time in plain medium weight Balenciaga cotton cargo pants, one button half-sheared, one button broke off from the thread, and some of the fabric turned blue-ish from black. running about 85 kph (~53 mph) in the rain, someone right turning in front of me didn't look first, made me fishtail and lowside and roll a couple of times. no bruising, no fabric torn through on the bottoms. my jacket was a thin YSL wool blend, and there are like 2 small holes roughly 1 square centimeter. did not tear through lining, again no bruises or scuffs

                                whatever you end of making yours out of, i am sure it will be more than sufficient for everyday riding and average speed crashes (not to mention fantastic lookin)

                                if you are trying to make one for high impact T-bone left turner crashes or track riding, i would probably leave it to the professionals. the companies throw around a lot of money developing safety and design features for their highly paid MotoGP riders. features which then eventually get watered down to production models. they even have air bag systems:



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