With affection for everything that is so fundamental to us,
that shaped who we are as a whole, passion arises.
And only this can be the basis of what will come:
an alchemy of knowledge, talents and erudition that time has not erased.
A computer sleeve and a multipurpose bag are born from the tradition of the Minde Looms. Inspired by grandma's blankets and keep-alive the tradition of pure sheepskin weaving and with an original standard for this edition.
Loom | Atelier | Factory | Laboratory | Story
Loom
To weave the web. There are 480 threads of wool that are rolled up in the loom and then tied two by two on the loin.
These are pulled forward by going through the comb.
Now that the loom is ready, the bobbins are filled with the wires to be used, using the broom wheel and to the spindle, and are ready to be placed in the shuttle.
Then it’s the weaver’s art.
Atelier
We start with the careful selection of Camellia japonica, a noble wood, compact and lustrous. Carlos Batalha then exercises his craftsmanship. In the wood lathe, the desired diameter is defined. The cross-section is made in a band saw, with the appropriate thickness. Following is the column drill where the drill holes are made. The final touch is given using sandpaper and polishing with beeswax.
The button is thus born.
Factory
Somewhere, in time, the imbalance occurred. It happened when we began to resort to the most primordial matters with recourse to processes that wound, to death, the very basic principles that, for millennia, were respected. It is a futile exercise to try to identify that moment in time. On the other hand, it is urgent that this balance is restored. With humility, which should guide each of our actions, the ascension, which we commonly call progress, bestows much more.
Laboratory
A laptop sleeve with 3 sizes out of Subtil Loom looms. A small portion in tanned sheepskin with mimosa extract. From the making, exceeds a portion of fabric that is reused to make a multi-purpose bulk, with a unique and special pattern O Benefício. The personalization with your Benefício is done, in laser, by FAB LAB of ISCTE.
Story
This is The Alchemical Benefit.
There is an inescapable appeal to nomadism, even if occasional, which affects everyone. This is the definition. There is no other. Unless we want to get rid of all the poetry which, here and there, it’s painting the days. We call it “Travel Inside”, that is way less than an institutional clout It’s just reducer. It Compress us all sense to the contiguous space. of a box which neither of us, cathartic by nature (let’s assume it), belong. Get out of the box is not so Out Of The Box, like that. It’s inborn. Spontaneous. Pure and simple. And it was so, in an absolutely normal day, without any bizarre or eccentric act, that we chose to get to know Parque Natural da Serra de Aire e Candeeiros. We could be passionate about history and discovery all that castles of Alcanede and Porto de Mós. Or move to geology and walk about two kilometres starting in Aldeia de Alcaria, passing through the Cova da Velha caves, to finally greet us in Fórnea, this impressive natural amphitheatre. The Mina de Aire and Algar do Pena caves would not pass over either. Or the Vale de Meios dinosaur footprints. But is the passion that keeps us moving. And this is an uncontrollably human feeling. People. It’s the core for what we do. And if people are the foundation, it’s their passion for the surroundings that move among them. Those that operate, who do alchemy. It’s good to know. For the Benefit (“O Benefício”) of all.
The Starting Point
We know, by a spark, that shepherd is almost as old as our own species. Or, at least, as discernment, which came after the most primordial survival instinct. The exact same discernment did not make possible the progress of an economic activity so crucial as millenarian. We domesticated beasts that we feared to keep our herds. Nowadays, they are companionship animals. We fed on frugality until the days of celebrations, pagan or religious, without resorting to hunting. We cover ourselves with warm clothes. It was not enough. As creative beings, we conceive. We made it. We consumed. Art. The remnants of Minde’s Mantles we had a little memory left. Until Ângela Subtil, a therapist dedicated to taking care of her neighbour (co-founder of Assossiação Portuguesa de Massagem Infantil), decided to go into the heart of the Serra d’Aire in search of the patterns of the blankets that she remembered were decorating her grandparents’ house. The more than 200 looms of the village had been replaced by industrial machinery. There were two left. I can testify to a time when, in the streets of Minde, the deafening sound of the looms beating was mixed with the songs of the weavers. Were those two copies, the few artisans who still knew the secrets, the wiles, the precepts, and the passion of Ângela for an art whose death refused to be a witness, which gave birth to Subtil Loom, the assumption of a love for the most primordial attachment to the earth and the hand that transforms it with art. That is the tradition. To war the web. There are 1000 threads of wool that are rolled up in the loom and then tied, two by two, on the loin. These are pulled to the front, past the comb. Now that the loom has been prepared, the bobbins are filled with the wires to be used, using the bending wheel and the spindle, and are ready to be placed in the shuttle. Then it’s the weaver’s art. Making use of the design that he holds only in his head (which makes each one of the pieces truly and unquestionably unique), his feet go through the tips. These open the threads of the web over the loom. Both hands pass the shuttle. But only the left makes the comb tighten the wire. It seems difficult? It is. It is a true ballet where the millenarian knowledge enters, the threads with history and their histories.
The Middle
Rice powder. It could make perfect sense for this product if it had to make sense for this product. And does. It is the name of a locality. In Serra de Sintra. It is in Rice Powder that the “Oficina Poder Ser” is, where Carlos Batalha, an unusually skilled carpenter, carries out what was once an art as common as prized. Today it is only recognized because is rare. Respected because is singular. Fortunately, when the number diminishes, it overflows the flame in what remains. The passion for the raw material itself lies in the zeal of its transformation. Alchemy is also this. In the creative process, coupled with our attempts, we began with the careful selection of Camellia japonica, noble wood, compact and lustrous. Carlos Batalha then exercises his knowledge… In the wood lathe, the desired diameter is defined. The cross-section is made in a band saw, with the desired thickness. Following is the column drill where the drill holes are made. The final touch is given using sandpaper and polishing with beeswax. The button is thus born.
The End
Somewhere, in time, the imbalance occurred. It happened when we began to resort to the most primordial matters with recourse to processes that wound, to death, the very basic principles that, for millennia, were respected. It is a futile exercise to try to identify that moment in time. On the other hand, it is urgent that this balance is restored. With humility, which should guide each of our actions, the ascension, which we commonly call progress, bestows much more. Much more. With affection for everything that is so fundamental to us, that shaped who we are as a whole, passion arises. And only this can be the basis of what will come: an alchemy of knowledge, talents, and erudition that time has not erased. “O Benefício” rewrites them. A laptop sleeve, with 3 sizes from “Subtil Loom” looms. A small portion in tanned sheepskin with mimosa extract. From the making of this, exceeds a portion of fabric that is reused to make a multipurpose bag, with unique pattern and specially made by O Benefício. Both will feature buttons from the tillage of the Oficina Poder Ser, in Camellia japonica wood polished with beeswax. The personalization with your Benefit (“O Benefício”) is done, in laser, by FAB LAB of ISCTE.
