MODERN METHODS & OLD SCHOOL GRIT

Writtenby:Stephanie Anderson & Michael Linert

Photographyby:Woods Creek Productions & Henry Elholm

Illustrationsby:Kollath Graphic Design

The Frost River retail workshop is a warm, inviting storefront located at 1910 West Superior Street in Duluth, Minnesota. Situated in an area known as the Lincoln Park Craft District, its origins trace back 150 years as a neighborhood built to house Duluth’s sizeable population who worked to build railroads and labored for the numerous iron ore, grain, and flour mills, along the shores of Lake Superior. It is only fitting that Frost River establishes itself in a neighborhood with a history of hardworking individuals. Other like-minded craft businesses that provide hard and soft goods, food, and brewing, have followed, and the Lincoln Park Craft District has become a destination for tourists and locals alike.

Step inside Frost River, and you are greeted by Northwoods cabin charm with an entire flotilla of vintage and modern canoes suspended from the ceiling, the smell of freshly brewed coffee, and the assorted sounds of manufacturing...what, manufacturing? An ensemble of sounds that signals waxed canvas and leather construction is underway. From the ground-level retail store of this century-plus old brick building, the mechanical hum and tick, tick, tick of industrial sewing machines, metallic ka-chunks of vintage riveting machines, and the hammers of hand-pound riveters can be heard as craftspeople turn layers of leather and waxed canvas into the multitude of packs and bags that Frost River offers. Each day the makers at Frost River are skillfully constructing waxed wares that remain steadfast in the backcountry, reliable in the front country, and consistently stable in the urban wilds.

Handcrafted heritage like Frost River’s has been an outdoor tradition for over 250 years as the skill has moved between generations of crafters. Today, the tradition of hard work and employing quality materials to hand-make reliable soft goods for the modern-day explorer continues every day in the Frost River building. From robust canoe portage packs to leather-clad briefcases, Frost River offers handcrafted gear for anyone to find adventure in their everyday life, all crafted on the floors above and below our retail shop.

Our waxed canvas packs have a distinctly vintage aesthetic and appear as if they are directly out of an 1800s-era historical photograph—but their true beauty is that their construction has become a balance of integrating modern manufacturing methods while maintaining the character-building grit upon which the brand was founded. Computer-aided cutting machines enable us to maximize leather and fabric utilizations --minimizing waste that will end up in a landfill-while also making for more accurate cuts and seams, which ultimately wear better over time.