This pencil and graphic utensils brand is both, ancient and modern at the same time. Ok, they do pencils and the basic design has not changed in centuries. If you look at Viarco’s product range, one finds innovative products, next to classics. Sometimes you need a minute to cope what these products actually are when you look at them in their online store. Other products delight by “do-those-still-exist-?” experience. Viarco represents a charming and clever blend of old craft and modern purposes.
When entering the brand through its online-shop one is greeted by innovation. Makers Bible had the chance to enter the ‘analogue’ company. Here the story is different: If you enter the Viarco factory in Sao João da Madeira the vintage feeling is almost tangible.
There is no such position as a technician or mechanic at Viarco – the workers can repair their age-old machines themselves. There would be no mechanic anymore anyway. Improvisation is also an element every crafter has to deal with. For example at Viarco a baker’s dough machine is re-purposed because it’s ideally suited for color mixing. Viarco has found a way to preserve its heritage and pursue new paths because they are passionate about their work.
Viarco is a family owned fourth generation business. It is located in São João da Madeira near Porto and was established in 1907. They produce pencils and sketching materials based on blends of graphite, carbon and binders that are regarded to be the highest quality available to artists today.
Find out more about the graphite from Portugal at viarco.pt
Photography: Daniel Sommer
If you want to have another look behind the scenes join us to see Indigo textile dying at Blaudruckerei Koó.
JOURNAL. What you might want to know…
Doing something by hand can change a lot. Buying something handmade out of conviction can do the same. It changes – or has already changed – the way we think. Especially when it comes to our food. What do we buy? Who made it? What can we perhaps grow ourselves? How do our actions and decisions change, first ourselves, then our purchases, then the landscape?
Every sourdough – that culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast in a mixture of flour and water – is unique, like a fingerprint, because in every region there are individual bacteria in the air that give each loaf its very own flavour. One person who knows more about the infinite variety of sourdough cultures than most – whose culture is culture, so to speak – is the Belgian Karl De Smedt, keeper and archivist of Europe’s only sourdough library.
It’s virtually impossible to miss Julius Brantner Brothandwerk if you’re a fan of baked goods and find yourself in Munich. The charming Swabian baker has recently opened his second location, the first being such a success. With his team working transparently behind large glass windows, Julius strives to make “honest and trustworthy handling of all ingredients and processes accessible,” he says. Unsurprisingly, locals and tourists flock to the shopfront to sample their aromatic bread and delectable treats.
SHOP. Our latest releases….
FINDER. Find your maker…
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Caroma, a South Tyrol coffee roastery founded by Italy’s first certified coffee sommelier, Valentin Hofer, sources green coffee beans worldwide and meticulously roasts them for a rich, flavorful brew. At...
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Caroma, a South Tyrol coffee roastery founded by Italy’s first certified coffee sommelier, Valentin Hofer, sources green coffee beans worldwide and meticulously roasts them for a rich, flavorful brew. At Caroma, education about coffee is as essential as crafting it,
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Preserving 17th-century techniques, Florian creates durable, handcrafted objects from carbon steel, offering both outdoor tools and kitchen essentials, blending tradition with innovative materials like steel composites and slippery elm.
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Preserving 17th-century techniques, Florian creates durable, handcrafted objects from carbon steel, offering both outdoor tools and kitchen essentials, blending tradition with innovative materials like steel composites and slippery elm.
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60Beans, founded by Dijana Dimitrovska, Ferdinand von Kalm, and Roman Smigiel, is an e-commerce store dedicated to curating exquisite coffees that delight the senses. They focus on better-tasting coffee and...
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60Beans, founded by Dijana Dimitrovska, Ferdinand von Kalm, and Roman Smigiel, is an e-commerce store dedicated to curating exquisite coffees that delight the senses. They focus on better-tasting coffee and fair deals with suppliers, supporting sustainability. With a range of
Makers Bible Crafting Cuisine inspires those who love to spend time in the kitchen, cook with hand and heart, try new things and celebrate a
Martin Schönleitner is one of 17 fishermen at Lake Chiemsee. Together with wife Verena Stephan they both run Chiemseefischerei Stephan, a family business for 400 years. Their ancestors had started their venture at Lake Constance. For three generations (at the present site) the Stepahn family lives and fishes at Lake Chiemsee, Prien am Chiemsee to be precise.
The tailor-made suit is still considered the highest-quality and most individual version of the garment. German men’s tailors work in the awareness of covering a particularly wide range of the demands their profession places on them.
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