This Old Hippie

Not everyone remembers the sixties. Others may prefer not to, but Barry Schacht traveled most of the world before the back-to-the-land movement helped facilitate the way to his future.

Story and Photos by Linda Cortright

Barry Schacht is nothing short of outrageous. At any moment he might have the persona of a Catskill comedian or an impassioned environmentalist. He has traveled through Europe and parts of North Africa, spent time in Thailand, and a year teaching English in Japan. He has also spent more time than he would probably care to remember living in the back of his van.

Jane and Barry still go on bicycle dates. Every other year they take a major pedal through Europe and sometimes they take a ride to a nearby wedding.

In addition to being a tireless globetrotter he is also president and cofounder of Schacht Spindle Company, one of the leading manufacturers of handweaving looms and spinning wheels, with more than 450 distributors throughout the world.

If you ask Barry how he got to where he is today he will probably tell you it has something to do with “Jesus”—an orphaned ram lamb that unwittingly came under his care one Christmas holiday way back when. If the vision of a Jewish kid from upstate New York bottle feeding the baby “Jesus” nestled in the Colorado Rockies seems a bit incongruous, don’t be alarmed. Barry has never been in lock step with the norm.

Barry Schact with Filip Sokol.