Buttermilk Mountain Works

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johntp

Trad climber

Little Rock and Loving It

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 11, 2018 - 01:30pm PT

I bought one of their laptop carrying cases for our PowerBook170 - in 1991

Hmm... Thought I bought my chalk bag around 1984. Capt.; what period was BMW in business?

Don Lauria

Trad climber

Bishop, CA

Nov 12, 2018 - 12:14am PT

Yeah, AP was still making stuff in the early 80s.

Tarbuster

climber

right here, right now

Nov 12, 2018 - 09:01am PT

Look at the fourth post in this thread.
You can click through to Allan's LinkedIn page.

It says this about him:

Owner
ABCOM-Buttermilk Mountain Works
October 1983 – August 2003 19 years 11 months

That's a good run!

Also, we know he was doing it even earlier than that. The anecdote I mentioned about his haul bag dates to 1982 and from what Lauria just said, we can infer he was at it earlier than that?

Somebody ought to invite him to post up and share some photos and history!

Capt.

climber

some eastside hovel

Nov 12, 2018 - 09:53am PT

Yes, we were pretty much just ABCOM towards the end. And yes, our bread and butter was pretty much custom computer cases and covers as well as a bit of side work/piece work for other manufacturers and some just plain funky side projects (I got to spend a day with Tom Frost building a cover for his wife's chair, etc.)
I have a hard time believing AP isn't reading this. I'll ask him the next time I see him. I'm sure others will give him the heads up as well if he's not already lurking.

johntp

Trad climber

Little Rock and Loving It

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 12, 2018 - 04:02pm PT

That's a good run!

Dayum! So I had an early BMW product. The thing that made it great was that it had a "foldable" soft section between the fleece lined bottom chalk holding area and the upper stiffening wire. That design was beautiful.

Russ Walling

Social climber

from Poofters Froth, Wyoming

Nov 12, 2018 - 06:01pm PT

Allan is a great guy! BMW or Abcom or whatever used to do some contract sewing for FISH when I lived in Bishop... I bought a bunch of material from him when they folded up shop... and for a short time I think he went to work with Rousek at the trinket and toy business that supplied Dentists with toys for crying kids?? That place was over by the old Vons I think.

I remember Cappy and maybe Trina working on our stuff at one point at Abcom? Trina also got her own gig going at some point and did more contract work for us back then, after Abcom.

Capt.

climber

some eastside hovel

Nov 12, 2018 - 06:38pm PT

^^ That was I. I'm still using the chili pepper chalk bag I sewed for you in Trina's garage. No furry hand cuffs though. Trina's got her own machine now and is threatening to start working in some capacity on her own again. God help us. ;-)

Russ Walling

Social climber

from Poofters Froth, Wyoming

Nov 12, 2018 - 06:48pm PT

Hahaha on the hancuffs... that was a good gig that Allan sent my way. I guess the ladies at Abcom were not exactly up for the adult oriented nature of the restraint business. I made those things for years... probably thousands of sets. Even had to sign a morals clause on the production contract. I remember telling the lady that ordered the things that I not only didn't care what consenting adults did in their homes, but they could put them around each others necks if they wanted! Let production begin!