Request- which gearmakers create gear so good/cool it can almost be art?

Laufbursche … https://www.laufbursche-gear.de/products/packs/

The owner is ill (cancer I believe, the website gives some update) and he hasn’t resumed production yet to my knowledge.

Yama Mountain Gear made a custom 1p Cirriform with ripstopbytheroll customink fabric in the Van Gogh Starry Night pattern.  https://www.facebook.com/ripstopbytheroll/photos/pb.373446706157928.-2207520000.1499801971./875224325980161/?type=3

https://www.facebook.com/yamamountaingear/posts/10159355885260144

or search google for yama mounatingear and ripstop customink starry night

Pretty cool looking.

Dirtygirl gaiters – strong focus on art for such a simple piece of gear. Same for Buff headwear, which have a sale today too.

May I clarify… I’m not meaning that they are artists and design with a flair for tradiiinally artistic. I’m saying which custom makers are so good at what they do the pieces of equipment are almost art they are so well created!! Thx!

Hanchor does the highest quality sewing I’ve seen from a small UL company.

A pack like their Ash 39 feels like an art piece:

Anything by Black Diamond prior to 2016. Just wonderfully crafted gear.

Katabatic quilts.

Pretty obvious, but HMG have a definite aesthetic that permeates most all of their gear; a concern with sparsity not dissimilar to Apple/Ives. From a distance, quite American in its tad too generous scale, and almost an alienation from nature that paradoxically fits.

I find older Millet gear, especially Sacs Millet packs, to be almost works of art, though not in a precious sense, more in their rightness of human fit, subtle molding of space, and workmanlike serviceability. They improve with age. Tres bon!

Also, naturally, earlier Chouinard gear. Rightness, that has continued thru to Patagonia.

“Pretty obvious, but HMG have a definite aesthetic that permeates most all of their gear”

+1 to that. Same with Yama, inmho.

But with respect to Yvon, he was certainly a climber first and foremost, and truly balanced function with form. In the history of gear, it was pretty clear that some early gear makers developed their designs from more of an engineering perspective, yet some leaned on their artistic senses to solve the same problems. Thanks to Buckminster Fuller & Bill Moss, there are numerous freestanding tent designs out there which are “light’ (for their time), strong, and delightful to reside in.

(Early 80’s Moss Stargazer II – at the MoMa)

I would have to add Western Mountaineering bags to the list, beautifully sewn and designed.  Matthew at Elemental Horizons sews beautiful packs and the Kalais has very fine lines too.

Totally forgot (until a recent bump of an old post) about ZimmerBuilt packs! Stunning craftsmanship.

MLD Mids and of course the Trailstar have an undeniable aesthetic appeal to me.

Agreed on Elemental Horizons – my dyneema Aquilo was indeed a work of art.

Valandre. The craftsmanship, overall quality, and attention to detail is exceptional.

Dan McHale’s packs

If Tarptent’s products ain’t art then I don’t know what gear would be.

Locus Gear, especially Khufu cuben mid.

Trailstar!!

Locus Gear cuben Apollo

My ZPacks Arc Blast backpack is definitely a work of art.

Kendall, Nice to see you back on the forums :)

Thanks, Anna! Nice to see you too! 😀

Interesting.  I do think both ZPacks and Tarptent are wonderful designers and in that since I think their gear is a work of art. I wouldn’t say their construction is though, as both can be a little rough around the edges.

+1 on Locus Gear

+2 on Locus Gear. Those bonded DCF mids are drool inducing…

As mentioned, Katabatic quilts, MLD packs, and Darn Tough Socks – they are the Rodney Dangerfields of my gear.