Scotland Distilled, The Birth Of The Iconic Endura Whisky Jersey
They say that in wine there is wisdom, in beer there is a strength but in whisky there is the water of life. Perhaps it was no surprise that when seeking design inspiration, iconic Scottish cycle clothing company Endura looked to the heritage and classic style of Scotland’s most traditional of industries, partnering with some of the highlands most prestigious Whisky distilleries.
While most of their clothing lines are now produced overseas the iconic whisky jersey is still manufactured completely in house in Scotland. Like its namesake, we follow an Isle of Skye Jersey from conception to its final bottling for export.
Endura was a company born in Scotland and over the years was forged on hard winters and bad weather. Their mountain bike and road range has spread worldwide, and the warehouse has been expanded to meet demand from Australia, the US and all across Europe while maintaining their own custom jersey production line just outside Edinburgh.
What do you think of when you think of Scotland, apart from the glorious sunshine? The answer to that question probably says a lot about you, but one popular option is Whisky. The eau de vie of Scotland, the fire water of the Highlands, the aqua vitae of the Gaelic. Endura have partnered with the Bowmore, Glengoyne, Isle of Skye, Jura and Tobermory distilleries, replicating their iconic logos on their road jerseys.
It was not an easy partnership to make, Marketing Manager Katrin, joined the Endura team straight from her homeland of Germany and found that talks with Whisky companies had their own challenges. “In the beginning, I hardly understood them at all because I had just come from Germany and I didn’t understand the Scottish accent”. Now a married member of the great clan of Macdonald, she is fully qualified to take on any dialect we can throw at her.
Because Endura have maintained the ability to produce custom race kits and jerseys in house at their Edinburgh facility, the journey from computer screen to finished product takes significantly less time to mature than the whisky it personifies. The fast production cycles allow the team to use and abuse the clothing before release, banks of test washing machines and a very active cycling staff see to some thorough testing.
As our jersey moves onwards and downwards through the process the layouts are sent downstairs to the print room where four behemoth printers await instructions. In the most time consuming process in the production chain, the design of each jersey is printed with sublimation inks onto giant sheets of paper, created in association with a local paper company. This creates a very large, high quality transfer ready for application. The process of printing the ‘transfer’ is the most expensive part of the jersey making process so the team work carefully to avoid errors and to use the optimum ink and paper.
With the design and colours ready to go, the next step in the process requires that the high-tech performance fabric of the jersey is cut to the right size. In the not so distant past, each section of fabric was cut out individually by hand and knife – but now in a hint to the modern world a robot cutting machine tirelessly cuts and shapes each panel with laser accuracy. Despite imaginings of a Orwell inspired robot takeover, the lasers are only used for locating the cuts which are carried out by a sharp disc.
The hot, pungent aroma signifies that our jersey has arrived at the pressing room, where the magic really happens and the jersey is born! The giant trouser press of Endura creates something special from these humble beginnings. The fabric is carefully lined up with the sublimation printed paper, the experienced eye of the technician identifies any misalignment of the design features would mean starting over. The pressing machine heats the fabric to a toasty 200oC for 60 seconds to make sure the printing is intense and holds firm. Peeling back the sublimation transfer our jersey is now taking shape, each panel rich in colour and sharp detail.
Like the final bottling of a fine single malt, the jersey reaches its final stage in the whir and chatter of the Endura sewing room. This is an industrious place with the constant rhythmic clatter of machinery and gentle gossip provide a timeless atmosphere. Representing the hard graft of industry throughout the ages it’s a comforting place to be. The room is filled with skills that are unfathomable to most, millions of stitches laid down with pinpoint accuracy, a career of meticulous attention to detail.
And so our jersey is ready for a short rest on the shelves of the warehouse before making its way across Scotland and possibly the world to take pride of place in someone’s wardrobe. Wearing kit that represents you as a person means a lot to some, you can express yourself without words to fellow cyclists and road users alike. Long live the Whisky jersey. We’ll drink to that.
Find out more about the collection on the Endura Website.
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