Just a few months ago, we had the great pleasure of meeting the founder of STATIC, Taylor Carpenter, and couldn’t be more excited to now welcome her one-of-a-king chalk bags to the Moja Gear marketplace! Get to know about her, the STATIC team, and why their bags are second to none:
How was the idea of STATIC born and where did the name come from?
STATIC was born out of my love for climbing and I wanted to add my personal touch, so I began making my own bags. I kept getting a lot of compliments and requests for custom chalk bags and it eventually led me to designing my first series that was influenced by all the places and cultures I have traveled to over the years.
I chose the name STATIC because it is my favorite style of climbing not only to do, but also to watch. The moves are so delicate and balanced, and yet strong, it is truly an art form, and from that I was inspired to design a chalk bag that is both durable and aesthetically unique.
Who are the stars that comprise the STATIC team?
We currently have an epic team here at STATIC, who have such unique and amazing skill sets that they are constantly bringing on fresh ideas. Duncan, our in-house designer, created everything to be one of a kind and has given STATIC its personality. Elise and Kate are my amazing seamstresses, Tammy runs our social media, and Tucker is our marketing manager. I am so stoked on the amazing team that has come together, because we have created something to really be proud of.
What inspires the designs and materials that STATIC uses?
New adventures and traveling to different places constantly inspire me to design new and different chalk bags. We are lucky to be located in Southern California where we are surrounded by the desert, ocean, and mountains. Every new destination brings on new ideas for styles and patterns.
The MEXI Blanket series was inspired by our hispanic influence and culture in San Diego, and a way for me to design something new and original out of a fabric that had not been seen before in a chalk bag. I try and source our materials from local shops whenever possible, like our lavender, which we buy directly from a local family-owned USDA Organic farm.
What are the biggest differentiators between your chalk bags and any others?
The biggest difference with our chalk bags is the attention to every detail that goes into making them. We have over 100 5-star reviews on our Etsy store detailing how well our chalk bags have held up since we started as well as our attention to giving the best customer service out there. They are also slightly larger and wider than the average chalk bag out there, giving climbers an easier time chalking up.
We also offer a Little Climber series, which is a much smaller design for our tiny climbers. This series is very special because it focuses on giving our youth their own line of designs and promotes kids to be outdoors more.
What lessons have you learned in the development process that make your chalk bags special?
When I first started designing, I would help set at our local gym and give the bags to each of the setters to take climbing to help me make the design and durability better. I was able to understand exactly what people liked and didn’t like and from all of that data I was able to fix typical problems with your everyday chalk bags. My goal is to always be open to new ideas and from that I have been able to stay inspired and am constantly learning how to make even better products.
Which STATIC chalk bags are most popular, and which one is your favorite?
The Original MEXI series was introduced with the first line of chalk bags and has proven to be the most popular by far because of its uniqueness and bold personality. My personal favorite is the Navajo series because of its timeless bold look and durability—plus all of their wool is sourced and produced in the USA.
Original MEXI Series chalk bags
Navajo Collection chalk bags
What can we expect to see from STATIC in the future?
There are so many new adventures that we have planned for STATIC over the next few years! You can plan to see us at more events, pop-up shops, and climbing festivals.
My favorite part about owning a climbing company is having the chance to interact with so many amazing people all over the world, and every time I meet someone new I feel inspired to design something with their culture or personality in mind. We are currently working on creating a completely new series of chalk bags, new collaborations—the sky is the limit.