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WHAT THE HELL IS DOUBLE COBRA MILLING ANYWAY?

In 2014 David Barmon and Daniel Baca started milling urban trees into lumber which means they bought a small sawmill and started milling discarded logs from trees in and around Portland Oregon. They didn't have a name and came up with Double Cobra Milling which they thought was hilarious. Eventually, they hired a graphic designer to create a logo and made some shirts. People loved them so David and Daniel started an apparel brand called Double Cobra Milling. Double Cobra Milling currently offers shirts and hoodies which are sweatshop free and sustainably sourced. Five percent of profits will go to support Cobra research in Western Ghats India through a non-profit run by Romulus Whitaker (He has a TED talk that's pretty good). Basically, Daniel and David-now ALWAYS to be addressed as Cobra 1 and Cobra 2 have a bunch of kick-ass shirts for you to buy and put on your body! And if Double Cobra Milling gets a lot of sales there will be more things to buy so save your money!

BTW, Daniel…sorry Cobra 1, came up with the name Double Cobra Milling-important to get the historical record straight.

What is Urban Lumber?

David Barmon Urban Lumber TEDx

OUR CAUSE

We stand for cobras! So does Romulus Whitaker and his team with the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai India. They are all about herpetology-the study of reptiles and amphibians. We are sending 5% of our profits to support their efforts in India.

If we get all rich and turn into big wigs then we will support more causes like sustainable forestry but its gotta start with the cobras! That’s the deal people! Oh and feel free to send them money directly if you are so moved!

Here is some more stuff about Romulus and his crew:

www.madrascrocodilebank.org

Romulus Whitaker TEDx

https://www.ted.com/talks/romulus_whitaker_the_real_danger_lurking_in_the_water

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RESPONSIBILITY

Around 2003 Cobra 2 (David Barmon) visited the Cavite Economic Zone in the Philippines, which he read about in the book No Logo by Naomi Klein (An economic zone is pretty much the industrial term for giant sweatshops). It was a transformative experience that left him feeling guilty and disappointed about clothing options. At the time, sustainability and human rights weren’t common ideals in the fashion industry. In fact, it is still hard to decipher what apparel companies are saying is the truth. Or a half truth.

Part of the goal in starting Double Cobra Milling is to do hands on research in the truest sense; to find ways to make clothing that comes from responsibly sourced raw materials while treating garment workers fairly.

Oh, and make cool things that people want to wear. Is this possible? Kinda. Sure…Yes?

Here is what we can say about our clothing and company to date:

  1. Our clothes are made in WRAP certified factories which is essentially saying that our clothes are sweatshop free.

  2. We are trying to use recycled polyester blends and organic cotton when possible.

  3. We use water based ink for our screen printing instead of plastisol which is made of PVC.

  4. We are attempting to use recycled paper when possible for printing.

  5. We support the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust and Centre for Herpetology, which does basic research and conservation work to protect king cobras in India.

Honestly, it’s hard to source everything with an eye towards sustainability when you’re a small company. As we grow and have a larger purchasing capacity, better opportunities will open up to be a more ethical company.

Is it possible to be an ethical company? We think so. We understand if you disagree. Not everyone believes in a market based economy, after all.

We are always open to feedback, questions, and opportunities to improve our products. Please reach out anytime if you are wondering about something or want to share a tip with us.