Essential Repairs
We submit two projects to two local repairers and take a look at their experience being essential under a pandemic, including how they’ve pivoted business practices to stay safe and stay afloat.
Stories
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Investing in What Comes Next
Ethical consumption under COVID-19.
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Slow and Steady: Sashiko Repair Stitching with KnarlyKnart
Open for business, covid or no: Kyndall Nelson of KnarlyKnart will mend your jeans for “cash, trade, or bourbon.”
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COVID, Community, and Repair
Local businesses closing their doors, cutting hours and laying off workers has the potential to disrupt the fabric of our community in a way that can’t be easily repaired. Let’s look out for each other in these strange times.
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2020: Making “Someday” Today
January is naturally a month spent turning our thoughts toward what’s to come in the year ahead, but 2020 is a different kind of beginning altogether. It stretches our gaze longer, wondering what the next ten years will bring.
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Recently in Repair: Data Security! Politics! Fun!
Your car emits tons of data and there’s a fight over who gets it! Phones remain challenging to repair for a variety of software and hardware reasons! The Green Party presents an idea that is both visionary and rooted in precedent! Exclamation points!!!
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Recently in Repair: Monopoly, Military, Recycling, Design
In recent weeks, Right to Repair has carved a winding path from Washington, D.C., to the literal other side of the earth, to the bins at our collective curb.
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Recently in Repair: Doom? Optimism? Honestly, Both
This week(ish) in repair: iFixit teardowns caused waves, governments had mixed thoughts about repair legislation, and car repair got a fancy facelift.
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Jeans Worth Fixing
Repair Reflections: PRF’s Sara Quinn wants a repairable wardrobe.
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Save the World, Fix Your Phone
In a world where phone upgrades are abundantly available, choosing instead to service your device can be a quiet revolution.
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Repair Events Preview: October 2019
Upcoming repair-related events for the month of October 2019.
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Repair Media Cliffnotes: September 2019
From corporate to community scale, here are the repair stories we read in September.
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Why hasn’t the “sharing economy” saved us yet?
Repair Reflections: PRF’s Joel Newman takes a closer look at where a promising concept fell short.
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Know Before You Go: Library Makerspaces
Libraries: the coolest places to spend time since the dawn of civilization.
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Repair Media Cliffnotes: August 2019
What’s the recent word in repair? Here’s snapshots of what we’ve been reading over the past month.
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Repair Events Preview: September 2019
Upcoming repair-related events for the month of September 2019.
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Indigo Proof Q&A: Rain Delisle
Rain Delisle, founder of Indigo Proof Denim Repair, shares her thoughts on magic and labor.
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Repair Events Preview: August 2019
Upcoming repair-related events for the month of August 2019.
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Being Bigger
Repair Reflections: PRF’s Molly Simas considers the pitfalls of striving for less and the opportunity in reaching for more.
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Know Before You Go: Drop-off Gear Repair
Three chain stores in the Portland area collaborate with a local business to offer their customers convenient and trustworthy repairs.
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Lessons Learned with Mountain Soles and Outdoor Threads
Over the years, Mountain Soles and Outdoor Threads has fine-tuned their structure and practices in response to the needs of an ever-changing industry. Here are some insights into how these repairers continue to thrive.
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Know Before You Go: Tool Repair Work Party
“You do not need any prior knowledge about tools,” they said. “Just come on in if you want to help out,” they said.
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Hidden Opulence Q&A: Drea Johnson
Drea Johnson, founder of Hidden Opulence Design House, uses her repair skills to help garments live their longest and best lives.
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How Many R’s is Enough?
Repair Reflections: PRF’s Joel Newman doesn’t think the recycle symbol is always helpful.