Dec 24, 2013 Chad Tim Tim on Truman
You might recall Chad Tim Tim from April’s Long Beach: Work in Progress event, where he and some of his friends discussed the heritage and future of skateboarding in his hometown. I met up with the pro skater last week to find out about his latest project, which he has started in conjunction with his pal Teppei Teranishi. It turns out Chad was a big fan of the Thrice guitarist’s Teranishi Handcrafted line, and jumped on the chance to introduce a line of leather goods with him.
Since the post-hardcore band from Orange County went on hiatus, Teppei has holed up on the rural island of Vachon, which is only a 15-minute ferry from Seattle but worlds away in terms of noise, traffic, crowds, and other distractions. There, he designs, cuts, sews, and takes photos of each item by hand: wallets, belts, luggage, iPhone cases, iPad and laptop covers. In contrast to his all-ages, high-volume, in-your-face musical output, Teppei’s leather work is absolutely understated and rather upscale.
It was during a conversation with Teppei about Teranishi Handcrafted that Chad thought, “I’d like to do something like that.” So the two are launching a separate brand aimed at a younger, action-sports-oriented audience that will be distributed through Chad’s sponsor, Active Ride Shops.
While Truman items will be more basic and less finished than Taranishi Handcrafted, they will share the same craftsmanship that makes the latter a coveted item by collectors in Japan and the U.S. This will be enhanced by Chad’s skate crew including Long Beach-based photographer Ricki Bedenbaugh and brand expert Paul Kwon (both happened to contribute to the Imprint conference, and we’re hanging out with Paul at his pad).
Chad pulls a prototype wallet out of his pocket, puts it on Paul’s dining table, and tells me that the brand has been moved from the bottom center to the bottom right. The he explains that the premium leather is sourced in the U.S. and that it actually becomes better with age, pointing out how the color is beginning to darken in spots and the shape is molding to the cards he carries and the shape of his rear end.
The piece isn’t fancy but it is made masterfully and will last. Truman items aren’t cheap, but the Long Beach skater hopes to turn on young shredders to the notions of quality and value. The idea of promoting simple, handmade pieces is in line with Chad’s role in skateboarding. In a culture populated by heshers, rappers, hedonists, and freaks (all great guys), he is an unapologetic family man. He also rips. So he is a perfect spokesperson for leather accessories that are simple but sturdy, basic but timeless, unassuming but cool. The logo reads, “Master your craft.”
There are a lot of skilled hands crafting nice work out there, Paul says, but few of them tell a story. Coming from the unlikely worlds of skating and punk, Chad and Teppei are creating a compelling one. The first lines are tentatively named after old Volvo models such as the P1800–one of which recently clocked 3 million miles on the odometer.
Not much information has been leaked about Truman yet, which is why I sent Chad a text to find out more about the line immediately after he posted a photo of a piece on Instagram last week. Expect the brand’s story to be told by the time it is officially launched in April. Until them, keep an eye on the Truman website or even better check out the brand’s soft launch at Active locations in Brea, El Segundo, and Irvine.
In October, Chad broke down his gear (including Truman) for a My Ride segment by TWS. The short video may not enable you to roll like he does but it can improve your accessorizing.