In our Meet the Maker series, we're pulling back the curtain and revealing the secret sauce of the Flowfold brand ... our team! Take a seat and read on as we introduce members of our production team—the gifted folks whose hands, hearts, and minds form the foundation of all Flowfold products.  

Kegan has been a maker his entire life. He likes to get lost in projects, especially ones that take some processing. He builds these projects all the way through in his mind before he even gets materials, and he’s been doing this for as long as he can remember. It may have all started when he was five, with a project he worked on with his father: a model boat.

“He got me a little sailboat kit that had a solid wood hull. He did every step with me. He showed me how to use oil paints, and how to varnish and use paint thinner. And he did it in a way that he knew I’d be safe and responsible.” From there Kegan started working solo in his dad’s shop, but with a caveat. “We had an agreement, I wasn’t allowed to use any of the table saws or band saws. But he taught me how to use the drill press.” He smiles and chuckles, “So I figured out how to do a lot of things with that drill press.” 

His skill set leveled up with him, and as he grew so did the boats, and his love of them. To date Kegan has fully restored two sailboats. For the most recent one he even made the sails, doing all the canvas work down to the dodgers and biminis. “I can’t imagine not working with my hands,” he says. From working with canvas at a sail loft, to fine leather at Thomas Moser, Kegan keeps adding to his arsenal of material handling. He joined Flowfold this summer as a production assistant, and in doing so has recently mastered working with Flowfold’s windsurfing sail material and xpak.

"We had an agreement, I wasn’t allowed to use any of the table saws or band saws. But he taught me how to use the drill press.” He smiles and chuckles, “So I figured out how to do a lot of things with that drill press.”

For Kegan, craft and creativity is part of his lineage. His father was an art teacher, his great grandfather a ribbon maker in Germany. “I was lucky to have had a father who got me into building things and being curious about materials at a young age.” He says there’s a need for more craft in school. Art programs operate with the bare minimum, and there is stigma around vocational programs. He adds that there should be less focus on test scores and standardized testing, “It bogs kids down. They don’t get involved in as much stuff as they could.” 

Between going back to school for electrical engineering, spending time with his family, and bringing a wealth of knowledge to Flowfold, there isn’t as much time these days for sailing adventures. But in this winter season Kegan can return to his model boats after his son’s bedtime. He says it fills the void of working on boats, as it's quite similar, just on a smaller scale. 

His son just turned three. There are still a few more years before he’ll be allowed to use a drill press, but when he’s ready Kegan found a special project for him: the exact same model sailboat he did with his father when he was young. “It’s waiting on the shelf for him,” he says. And so the next generation of boat building and sail making in this lineage of craftsmanship continues.

LIGHTNING ROUND! 3 Questions with Kegan

1. Kegan, What is your favorite Flowfold product?  

My favorite is probably the Odyssey bag, in all the sizes, because it is a durable, no nonsense design. 

2. Do you have a favorite bag?

While I do enjoy making the Odyssey, and it is one of my favorites, I also enjoy making Dopp kits because they were the first thing I made when I joined Flowfold. They are simple to make and give you a great sense of satisfaction when you can make a bunch in one day. 

3. What do you love most about Flowfold designs?

I really like Flowfold design because typically they are simple, durable, and always cool looking.