The very good relationship between the cold weather craftsman and the sorrel.
In winter, even during the daytime, it is below freezing in the extremely cold region of Tokachi. Here, there is a man named Hidetoshi Morii, who assembles Ezo deer antlers (horns) one by one to create "Deer Horn Chandeliers," which are full of craftsmanship. Morii, who is forced to work outdoors even in winter, is a longtime user of SOREL, a leading Canadian shoe brand. How does the new "caribou" look in the eyes of a craftsman who lives with the snow and says, "I wanted to make money with something interesting.
The studio is cluttered but cozy. The bookshelves were filled with books on Indians and cowboys.
It took about four hours by car from Sapporo. The speed limit was imposed on the highway, which was icy due to the snowfall for the second time, and the car slowly reached its destination. The season was mid-December, when the bitter cold began to set in. The area around the home and studio of Hidetoshi Morii, the head of DEER HORN SMITH'S, which stands on a small hill in Tokachi, Hokkaido, was covered with several inches of snow, and the only sounds in the area were the crunching of snow and the faint whirring of machinery.
The "Deerhorn Chandelier," made from antlers of Yezo deer, is made entirely by hand in a harsh environment where the ground is buried in snow for four months of the year and temperatures sometimes reach minus 20 degrees Celsius. Mr. Morii, who heads the project, is a long-time Sorel loyalist.
We asked him to look back on his thoughts and journey from the launch of "Deerhorn Chandelier" to the present day, and to tell us why he continues to wear "Sorelle" shoes.
Mr. Morii has been pursuing something irreplaceable throughout his life. The dots that were connected to each other eventually formed a line, which gave birth to the "Deerhorn Chandelier". The footprints of "Sorrel" left on the white snow are also dots that connect the trajectory of the chandelier.
Walking on the snow, Mr. Morii wears shoes by "Sorel," which are quite old. He buys antlers of Ezo sika deer, ties them up, and sorts them. He does more outdoor work in winter.
-(Looking at the signboard in the atelier) "Deerhorn Smith" says "since2003", doesn't it?
shrine grove: Thirteen years ago, it was in the conception stage. I started with small items such as buttons, and the idea for the chandelier had been in the works for about seven years. At the time, we were dealing in imitation chandeliers imported from Mexico, and we sold three of them for just over 200,000 yen. I thought there was a demand for these and that I could reproduce them with ezo-deer, so I studied them on the sales floor every day.
-I was not taught by anyone, but I was inspired by an imitation and made it up as I went along. Why did you decide to recreate it with Ezo deer?
shrine grove: This may sound outlandish, but I had a desire to get close to the "Arab oil barons. Because when I thought about why they are so rich, I realized that they deal in natural resources. Here I realized that "Ezo deer antlers" are a natural resource. There are a lot of hunters around, and antlers are expensive to dispose of in the non-burnable trash. I looked in my shed and found a lot of antlers that I had trouble disposing of.
The hunt peaks from November to the end of December. Horns are purchased from 10 contract hunters for about 1,000 per year.
-For those of us from Tokyo, the Ezo sika deer is an overwhelmingly distant presence, and we would never think of making something with them. It is because you were born and live in this area that you have such an idea.
shrine groveI had been running an apparel store before that, but I had also been dealing not only with vintage clothing, but also with Western and Indian clothing. I mainly bought vintage clothing in Los Angeles, but I also traveled to Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. The Indian culture that I found there includes accessories made from natural resources, such as bone beads.
I was looking not only at the glamorous side of Los Angeles, but also at the broader American culture, and I happened to be in an environment where I could link that culture to the Ezo deer....
-When I look back on it now, that's how the dots were connected.
shrine grove: I just don't have the extra money or time to be in business. The kicker here was that we were able to receive a manufacturing subsidy from the city. It cost 2.7 million yen to make the prototype, and we were able to cover half of that with the subsidy. That allowed us to take the plunge and spend the time to build it.
But when customers and friends saw the finished chandelier, they all said, "That's wonderful. But at that price, who would buy it? There aren't many people who can build a house that can display this! I said.
The cut parts of the antlers were carefully prepared with a sander, a process that took time and patience. The area was filled with the sweet smell of burning hairs left on the horns.
-Did you still decide to make it a business because you were sure that you could sell it?
shrine grove: No, maybe I wasn't thinking in terms of business. What do I want to do from here on out? Again, I faced myself and what I had done and thought about it with a straight mind.
Many people around me were skeptical, but I faced up to my true self and came up with the answer, so I have no hesitation. When the money ran out, I would just stop for a while and then move on again. I had already decided that I was going to do it.
That's where the miracle happens when we placed an expensive ad in a national newspaper!
A stuffed deer on the outside wall of the atelier watches over the daily work.
shrine groveEven the 40,000 yen advertisement for our own apparel store, which we had been running occasionally until then, we all talked about it and said it wasn't cost-effective, so we decided not to do it. But then, there were voices from close to home saying, "We don't want to advertise something we don't know how it will turn out....
However, the fashion industry was cooling down at the time, and as a business owner, I did not expect to see that amount of money returned in the form of sales. If that was the case, wouldn't it be better to invest in new challenges? I thought that if things turned out well, we might be able to open up a new frontier.
-The results are not visible, but what you have created is at hand. It's quite a gamble.
shrine groveI was so impressed with the quality of the product that I placed an advertisement in a national newspaper and received my first order. When I asked him why, he said, "I've never seen craftsmen in the U.S. who incorporate them so beautifully. There are restrictions on importing them, and it would probably cost more than that amount of money, and the workmanship would be even worse.
From there, new orders started coming in little by little, and we were approached by clients one after another, even those with whom we could not make appointments.
After completion, the lights are turned on. This is the most moving moment," says Morii.
shrine grove: Actually, I had seen cultures like the Deerhorn Chandelier in Wyoming as well. It was a snowy area, and the atmosphere of the town felt very close to Tokachi. That is one thing, isn't it?
Seek the moment when it is completed and light is turned on.
Caribou" ￥20,000+TAX
The chandelier is hung in a plastic greenhouse for final adjustments. The soft leather up to the ankle makes this kind of work easy, a feature of SOREL.
-I understand that snow remains from December to April, but when I look at the work up close, I see that it can only be done outdoors. We, the interview team, were only there for a few hours from noon to evening, but it will get even colder as the night deepens. Working in such an environment, the cold feet must have an impact on the work.
shrine grove: It's already cold. With boots, it gets very wet very quickly, so if I am outside for a long time, my toes get very cold. But you know, sometimes I get so absorbed in my work that I find myself working until 2 a.m. (laughs).
A pair that has been oiled and nurtured over the years. There is a beauty that can only be created by a craftsman wearing them.
-Mr. Morii, you are using the previous model, aren't you? How did you feel when you compared them?
shrine grove: The specifications of the lining have evolved, haven't they? The aluminum film between the felt and wool in the inner boot has increased warmth and waterproofing. I was impressed by the evolution of these features.
After the corners are cut several centimeters wide, they are sanded and drilled. The buttons are then delivered as moccasin buttons.
shrine grove: Since this chandelier is handmade to any extent, it inevitably takes a month to a month and a half to complete. I think this is also a charm that goes against the times. I also feel that SOREL has an analog quality. The functions are high-tech, but there is an overall low-tech smell. I think this smell is important in fashion.
-I have just experienced some of your work, and I felt that ankle mobility and grip are also important, for example, when pressing a corner with the leg. How about from a work point of view, such as the part where the leather meets the rubber?
shrine grove: Nice. The use of leather around the ankle makes them softer as they are used, and they match well with crouching movements. The fact that I can work comfortably is another reason why I love them. The sole grips well and doesn't slip in the snow, and I think they are quite excellent as snow boots.
-I was somewhat surprised to see some women in Sapporo wearing sneakers and heeled shoes. Do most people around here wear snow boots?
shrine groveThey are used by a lot of people. While we are a bit of a fanatic for our kind of use, ordinary people wear them for protection from the cold, and they look stylish at the same time. I think "Sorel" is very popular in this aspect as well. When people come from the city to snowboard, they can wear them as footwear other than board shoes. I think the fur and the weight of the shoes would be very suitable for girls as well.
In order to match the color of the horns, the LED bulbs are custom-made with gold painted metal tips. This attention to detail extends to the visual effect when the lights are off.
-Leather boots are also fun to wear. The boots that Mr. Morii is wearing have been used for quite a long time, and I can feel the love for them. In terms of the enjoyment of taking time, I think it is similar to chandeliers, which are made with a great deal of care and attention.
shrine groveI started to fall in love with jeans and leather goods, which became more and more durable as I used them more and more. It has been 28 years since I started the store. I have been conveying American culture to the world for a long time.
The chandelier, too, connects the dots of the Tokachi environment, the existence of hunters, and the culture we have been dealing with, and the most moving moment is when it is completed and the light comes on. Well, I guess I am simply a person who likes that kind of culture.
