Fox Creek Blog

ROLLING LOVE ~ MEMORALIZING OUR CITIZENS WHO SERVED FOR US

By LaDonna Hale Curzon

~Rolling Thunder roared into town, once more for the 19th time, during the Memorial Day weekend…all 450,000 plus motorcyclists from across the country, to pay tribute to the soldiers who are Prisoners of War (POWs) and/or Missing in Action (MIAs) from WW I, WW II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, War Against Terrorism and Iraqi Freedom and I was there.
 
Since I live only four miles from the Pentagon, the staging area for this massive pro-American love-fest, I had no excuse to shy away from it especially when thousands of other Americans biked in from all corners of the country…There was no reason at all to avoid participating in what perhaps has developed into the largest gathering of Americans supporting our troops and military ever…in American history. And what a trip it was.
 
As an almost fifty-something, stay-at-home mom, dare I say, desperate housewife, I felt just a tad bit out of my element as a participant in Rolling Thunder XIX but only for a brief time. As I heard numerous times while I waited patiently among the throng of chrome and leather in 90-degree weather on the hot, asphalt parking lot…This was an act of love; an act of love for our country and the soldiers who have and are sacrificing to protect American freedom. The whole concept of a motorcycle is basically about freedom and so I found the idea of a huge mass, motorcycle ride through the avenues of our nation’s capital most fitting and appropriate. It was time to let our freak flags fly and fly they did.
 
As I left my safe, suburban home in Alexandria with my husband and two, teenage daughters sound asleep, early on that Sunday morning…it was just me and my Shadow…my 23-year-old Honda 500 cc Shadow. Before I knew it, I was rumbling through Old Town and the leader of the pack of some serious Harley riders complete with a mammoth American flag flying off the back of a Fat Boy (Harley motorcycle). It was completely ridiculous-looking that I was the point for this group of unlikely compadres, but a fact of circumstance nevertheless. I relished my moment of power.
 
However, before too long, the pack parted ways with me probably due to sheer embarrassment and I found myself in line at the Pentagon’s north parking lot. Within 15 minutes, I was parked among the thousands of other bikers with several hours to kill. There was no escaping now. I was committed.
 
Surprisingly, the time flew by due to the sheer spectacle of the event. Every kind of motorcycle and then some were represented in that huge parking lot. I saw vintage WW I Indian motorcycles, custom-built works of art (no kidding), hybrid bikes that were half car/half motorcycle…If you can imagine it, you’ll see it at this event. It is really unbelievable what people can dream up and actually build.
 
And the people-watching was the best part. It definitely looked like an outdoor, biker bar except there was no alcohol or bar-room brawls. I never heard one obscenity although some of the messages on some peoples’ t-shirts were outlandish. Everyone was completely cool and mindful of their manners. This gathering was the most organized event of that size that I’ve ever seen or heard about. The participants were respectful due to the events’ purpose and mission.
 
I went to Rolling Thunder this year to honor my Dad who died five months ago at Christmastime. He was a decorated WW II veteran who served as an Army Combat Engineer (they blew up bridges with explosives) and he landed on Utah Beach on D-Day on June 6, 1944. He earned four Purple Hearts and was awarded numerous citations and medals including the Silver Star. For this occasion, I wore his formal, Army jacket (now 61-years-old) complete with his ribbons and pins. I got lots of comments and compliments from other riders about that jacket. A lot of riders recognized it for what it is and what it stands for and I felt honored, as a daughter, to wear my Dad’s Army  jacket especially on that day and on that motorcycle ride.
 
The ride itself is almost indescribable…it was so surreal to be riding down Independence Avenue toward the US Capitol non-stop with thousands of people on the sidelines cheering, clapping, high-fiving my hand as I drove by. The streets were shut down for the parade as almost half a million bikers roared over Memorial Bridge, down Independence Avenue and up Constitution Avenue. The sound alone was deafening. It did, in fact sound like Rolling Thunder. It also sounded like a jet taking off for five, solid hours. After a while, I got used to it and it became background noise. A lot of bikers wore ear plugs. I figured if I could take a ZZ Top concert without ear plugs, I could handle the sound of Rolling Thunder.
 
Lots of my comrades complained about the lack of media coverage about Rolling Thunder and I noticed, after the fact, that they were completely justified. Never mind the lack of national broadcast coverage….that’s to be expected but the slight coverage provided by the local newspapers was just pathetic especially The Washington Post. The people with passion who bothered to make this trek to honor American soldiers are from outside the Beltway and they most decidedly have an outside the Beltway mentality and I thank them and God for that.
 
Next year, Rolling Thunder will celebrate it’s 20th year in operation. Each year, this event gets bigger and better. I witnessed a bringing together of Americans that made me especially proud to be an American. It’s a shame that it isn’t embraced more boldly by the media but that hasn’t appeared to be a hindrance…perhaps it’s a badge of honor. I highly recommend to anyone to participate as a biker or as a supporter along the parade route next year for Rolling Thunder XX.

Thousands of bikers congregate near the Pentagon in preparation for Rolling Thunder XIX.

A couple of biker dudes waiting for the start of Rolling Thunder.

LaDonna Hale Curzon at the start of Rolling Thunder XIX.

Deerskin is one of the most difficult leathers to work with, both in it’s tanning process, and in the making of leather goods. This, and limited availability, prevents it from being a leather that can be stamped out and sewn into products by the millions using inexperienced labor and many common mass production methods. When done properly however, it produces one of the strongest, softest, most durable, and comfortable gloves you can wear.

A properly cut deerskin glove has stretch width-wise and very little stretch lengthwise. This means a snug fitting glove that will expand with your hand when you make a fist or grip something, but the fingers won’t stretch or become floppy.

The physical structure of deerskin leather is different than other types of skins. It’s elongated interwoven fibers give it an extremely high shear strength and abrasion resistance. The spaces between the fibers make the leather soft and comfortable over a wider range of temperatures than others. In other words: cooler in the warm weather and warmer in the cold weather.

The combination of a naturally superior leather, tanner, cut, and sewn by experienced crafts people using age old processes, results in a product that truly “fits like a glove”.

Unlike man-made materials that appear flawless, any skin has surface scratches and scars, etc., and contain subtle variations in color and texture resulting in natural markings which add to the uniqueness of each item. These variations in no way affect the durability or performance of the glove. Normal use will enhance the character of this leather.

Fox Creek Leather Saddlebags

Our beautifully crafted, American made leather saddlebags are of thick (4-6 oz), top grain leather, with nylon stitching, and YKK hardware. The saddlebags hold their shape with a soft, natural look. Features and inside pocket and weather flaps over the zippered closure. The backs of the saddlebags are made of a sturdy, heavy-duty rubber and is constructed to guarantee the highest quality leather saddlebags for your motorcycle. Remember that you can always return or exchange your saddlebags if you are not completely satisfied with their fit.

Several Designs
Whether you own a Harley Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Indian or other type of motorcycle, we have saddlebags, ghostbracket mounts, and motorcycle accessories to fit your bike. Our saddlebags come in classic (or plain) style, studded, or full dressed (which includes fringe and conchos). Any style is available with or without the leather yoke. We also have a zip off option for our yoked bags.

GhostBracket Mounting Combinations

To mount your Fox Creek Leather Saddlebags to your motorcycle, we recommend and carry the GhostBracket mounting systems. The GhostBrackets gives you a convenient quick-release bracket and also the security of their patented key locking design. You can hardly see the mounting pegs when your saddlebags are off your motorcycle. The ghostbrackets are mounted to the rubber backing of the saddlebags. With the key lock system, you simply turn your key to lock the ghostbrackets to your bike and you are on your way. The ghostbrackets have an amazing design, amazing price, and are simply an amazing product.

We save you time by providing specific GhostBracket fitting information, not just measurements. Simply choose your motorcycle from the menu to see what ghostbrackets you need for your bike. This page also gives you additional needed information, such as if you will need to relocate your lights or if an adapter kit is needed for your bike due to removable backrests.

As always, feel free to e-mail us or call us with questions or concerns.

A couple of customers have asked us about their gloves “bleeding” dye. This usually happens when the gloves are new and have been worn in a down pour of rain.

This is what I have learned about bleeding leather:

It is not uncommon for leather dye to “bleed” especially if the item is not dyed with the drum-dye process. Leather dyes will bleed from the material if the garment gets wet. This bleeding is normal and will occur only for a short period of time.

The dye will not hurt the garment, and usually washes off the skin with soap and water. Wiping the garment down with a leather oil soap and then a dry rag may help extract some of the dye.

We have had a couple of pair of Lee Park’s Gloves bleed. What Lee recommends is for you to hand wash his gloves with Woolite. Then (like any leather) you want to let them air dry away from a heat source (and out of direct sunlight).

If you have any questions regarding your leathers, we recommend contacting the manufacturer for their specific bleeding leather treatments and recommendations.

There is nothing better than the feel of a broken in leather jacket (or chaps, or vest, or…). This is the fit and feel we work hard to achieve her at Fox Creek Leather.

On occasion the standard jacket doesn’t fit a customer. In this instance we can look into special ordering a jacket for that customized fit. We can alter the length of the body and/or sleeves, delete or add common features, or make a combination sized jacket. As long as we don’t have to alter the pattern, we can attempt to accommodate just about any request.

To order, we have developed a trial size policy to help ensure that our customers get the best possible fit when ordering custom items. We started this process due to the fact that custom orders cannot be exchanged or returned. Instead, we like to send you an item that we regularly keep in stock for “trial sizing.”

We like to get a good fit the first time, and to do this we ask for specific measurements. Once we have those measurements, we would recommend a size. We would charge for the stock item and get it shipped right out to you.

Once you get the item, give us a call. We can then talk about the fit and you can determine what alterations you would need. (Any measurement given needs to be exact.) If you are not sure of the fit, try sitting on your bike to get a sense of how the item feels and the extent of the alterations needed. While on the telephone with you, we will place your special order. It generally takes 3-6 weeks to make and get shipped out to you.

Last, but not least, you just return the trial size item with the prepaid return label. We keep the original charge on your credit card and will on the box and ship your trial item back to us. Once your special order item is ready, we only charge you for the additional alteration fees. If you provided us with an e-mail address, you will receive the tracking number from UPS when it is shipped.

One of the things that people really seem to like is having photos of us on the website. I’ve had customers say, “I’m looking at you right now! You are in the red, right?!” I want to say no because it is such a terrible photo.

Okay, quick funny story: A customer e-mailed once asking me which one I was. I told him that I was the one laying down in the front. (With much humor intended, we got a laugh out of that.)

Seriously, I really don’t look like I did before. Hopefully next year I will look even better (keep wishing in one hand).

We are working on getting an updated photo posted on the website itself, so bear with us. Until then, Tammy was nice enough to take some photos when she was photographing us for the upcoming contest.

So, for my Texan friend Gary, these are for you. Enjoy.

This was us then:

(Back left to right: Paul, Chippy, Scarlett, Melinda, Bernie, Lisa. Front: Eddie with Cleo)

This is us now:

(Back left to right: Tammy, Ashley, Melinda, Paul, Chippy, Kevin. Front: Scarlett)

Imagine this, it’s December 19th…cold and wintery…pond frozen over (yep, this is the view out my window - I do love my job)…

‘Tis the Monday before Christmas and all through the shop,

All of Paul’s employees were shipping a lot.

The boxes were stacked to the ceiling with care,

Hoping that Fedex or UPS would soon be there.

Okay, okay. I’ll stop. Seriously, to the ceiling! We were proud to have our largest shipping day ever! The proof is in the photos.

(Melinda, Paul, Eddie, Scarlett, & Ashley with boxes.)

Thank you for your business and continuing support.

A lot of times people call just wanting to know which items are the most popular. It sometimes helps them make a decision when they are torn between two styles. For those of you who are curious, here is a quick list:

• Men’s Jacket – Vented Racing Jacket
• Men’s Vests – Braided Buffalo Nickel Vest
• Women’s Jacket – Vented Racing Jacket
• Women’s Vests – Braided Dime Vest
• Men’s Gloves – Lined Deerskin Gauntlets

We know you have a choice when buying leather especially being tempted by local Harley shops and cheaper imported goods. We appreciate your business – it is our bread and butter.

Thank you.

Not to say that there is a right or a wrong way to put on your chaps. If you have a system that works, then keep on keeping on. For newbies, we put together a quick “How To” piece on putting your chaps on and included some great fitting tips.

The first main tip is: Do not worry about the chaps touching the floor during any part of this procedure. They more than likely will end up there and should if you are doing this correctly.

• Unzip and unsnap both legs of the chaps.
• Grab the top of the chaps between the lacing and the back of the right leg with your right hand. Make sure the inside of the right leg is facing you.
• Use your left hand to pass the male part of the zipper between your legs from front to back passing it to your right hand and you let go of the top.
• Grab the female part of the zipper in your left hand.
• Move the zippers to the front of your thigh well below the thickest part of your thigh and zip the right leg.

• Position the zipper towards the outside rear of the leg. Do not pull the chaps up on your leg, yet.
• Pass the belt and the left leg of the chaps straight across behind you to your left leg just above the knee.
• Pass the female part of the zipper from front to back between the legs passing it to your left hand.

• Move the zippers to the front of the thigh and zip the left leg.
• Position the zipper to the outside of the leg towards the rear.

• Pull the chaps up and buckle them. Squat down and stretch them out like you are trying to bust them. Get in a catcher’s position and bounce.

The zipper is on the outside rear of the leg because that is where it is most protected from wind and rain.

A good fit in the thigh would be if you can (just) fit your hand between your thigh and the chaps leg. When your hand is in there, you should not be able to move it around or wiggle your fingers.

You would want the belt to fasten in one of the middle grommet holes. If you are in the very first or last grommet hole, try to adjust the laces to allow for maxium fit and comfort.

Just so that you know, wherever your body puts pressure on the chaps they will stretch (where there is no pressure they will not stretch). After time they will form to you and give you the lived in feel that you desire.

If the chaps are too long, you can trim them to fit. We ask that you make sure that you have a good waist and thigh fit before trimming because once you trim the chaps we cannot take them back. The seams are glued and sewn to keep the thread from unraveling and of course the leather does not fray. Remember that it is better to cut twice than to cut too much.

If you are unsure of the fit, just give us a call.

Thanks to Chippy for the great modeling.

Cancer claimed the life of our beloved co-worker, Bernadene Bennett this past year. In four months we went from having an active young woman to a memory. Even as time passes, it is still hard to believe that she is gone from our lives.

Bernie helped grow Fox Creek Leather into what it is today. An excellent employee, she had a keen business sense and a dedication to continually improve our company. If she didn’t know how to do something or if something was not working as it should, Bernie would not quit until she mastered the situation/program/idea. In one word: Mrs. Efficiency.

Outside of work, she continued to prove how she was a loving mother, a dedicated wife, and a good friend. When I was hired, Bernie trained me at FCL. A little bossy I thought, but great at teaching and even better at laughing. So over the weeks we started talking. Being close to the same age, we shared many common interests and experiences.

As I came to know her, Bernie made an impact on my life. She made me want to be a better employee at work, a better cook at home, and to seriously contemplate joining weight watchers. Through her illness, she made me promise to go to the doctor over ignored symptoms. I finally did. I also want to live a healthier lifestyle and make better choices.

Melinda and I talk about Bernie occasionally, but she comes to mind daily. It amazes me at how fast she was taken. We laugh at good times shared. We cry at times we lost.

Bernie and I both loved NASCAR racing, just not the same drivers. Bernie and Chippy went to Martinsville in April of 2005 (complements of UPS) to watch qualifying in the UPS box. She was so excited even when showing me the photographs. She took this one:

(Melinda and I went this year and agreed that it was so nice that she got to experience this event.)

We really bonded the most over our love of food (although Bernie was way more health conscience than myself). Man, this lady could cook. She enjoyed sharing meals with the office staff. Bernie was so thoughtful; she would never miss baking you a birthday cake.

When going to place an office supply order today, the woman asked if I was Bernie. My heart stopped for a split second, and you know, I’m not Bernie, but I do wish that I was more like her in many ways. She has taken a place in my heart and I will remember and cherish our short time together for always.