從PATAGONIA聊化纖 - 戶外用品

我想聊化學合成纖維，可是不想死板板地談這個主題；所以我決定先岔題到「Let My
People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman」（台譯：任性創業
法則）。

http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/booksfile.php?item=0010394598

我做了50年的商人，承認這點，就像承認自己酗酒一樣羞愧。
～伊方．修納 PATAGONIA公司創辦人
　

基本上，這本書就是一路看修納如何從小玩到大。用最少的錢發揮最大的樂趣是他年少的
目標，他的生意從製作自己的攀岩裝備開始。1957年，他買了一台二手燃煤爐、一個138
磅重的鐵鉆和鉗子、鐵鎚，開始自學打鐵。他當時著迷於優勝美地多處未曾被人攀過的岩
壁，因此量身訂做適合的岩釘，並可以回收再用；意外吸引許多也想加入攀岩先鋒的人兒
，開始跟他訂購岩釘。

我非常喜歡這個故事，結合天真衝動、理想與實踐，一旦認真投注熱情，興趣跟事業將不
再是平行線。修納的這本自傳，非常真誠地表達出他經營Patagonia的思緒，也難怪連商
業類的書評，也要來錦上添花一下。

回到這本書與化纖，第38-43頁講述Capilene®是如何誕生的，若手邊沒有書，也可以在
官網的Company Info: Our History找到這段。摘錄原文與隨性翻譯（僅翻譯有標注底線
的內容）如下：

http://www.patagonia.com/us/patagonia.go?assetid=3351&ln=79

http://outdoorgearfun.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/


Polypropylene, like pile, had some problems. It had a very low melting
temperature – and customers were melting their underwear in commercial
dryers, which run hotter than home dryers. Also, polypropylene is hydrophobic
and repels water, so it was difficult to get thoroughly clean; it retained
odors. And its wicking properties were not inherent in the fabric but a
product of oils applied in the process of spinning and knitting that, after
twenty washings or so, would wear off.

聚丙烯與絨布一樣，也是有些問題。它的熔點很低，總是被商用烘乾機給烘融，因為這種
烘乾機的溫度比家用烘乾機高出許多。此外，聚丙烯是厭水、與水相斥的；因此很難完全
清洗它，以至於會有臭味殘留。且它吸濕的特性主要來自於抽紗與紡織時所添加的油劑，
大約20次清洗後，就會消失殆盡。

Improving pile was a gradual process. We worked closely with Malden to
develop first a softer Bunting fabric, a synthetic boiled wool that pilled
less, and eventually Synchilla®, an even softer, double-faced fabric that
did not pill at all.

改善絨布是循序漸進的，我們與Malden密切合作，開發出一種較柔軟的旗布，一種合成且
較少毛球的仿毛布。接者開發出Synchilla這種更加柔軟的雙面布料，且它完全不會起毛
球。

But our replacement for polypropylene did not come from such a mutual
development process with a mill; it came from out of the blue. In 1984, while
walking around the Sporting Goods show in Chicago, Chouinard saw a
demonstration of polyester football jerseys being cleaned of grass stains.
Polyester, like polypropylene, is made from melted plastic resins extruded
through a die to create a thin, thread-like fiber. These plastic fibers are
very smooth; clothing woven from them is difficult to clean because the slick
fibers repel the soap and water of normal washing.

但聚丙烯的替代方案，則不是來自於這樣的共同開發，而是從天而降的靈感。1984年，當
修納在逛芝加哥運動用品展時，看到有人在示範如何清理聚酯橄欖球衣上的草漬。聚酯，
就像聚丙烯，是從熔融的塑膠樹脂製成，壓擠過模具後，成為細紗。這些塑膠纖維非常光
滑，因為這種滑溜的纖維與肥皂和水相斥，縫製出的衣服非常難以清洗。

Milliken, the company that made the football jerseys, had developed a process
that permanently etched the surface of the fiber as it was extruded, so that
the surface became hydrophilic – water loving. It wicked moisture to the
outside and the treatment was permanent. Chouinard saw the fabric as perfect
for underwear. And polyester had a much higher melting temperature than
polypro, so it wouldn’t melt in a commercial dryer.

Milliken這家製作橄欖球衣的公司，已經開發出一種製程，可以永久性地刻蝕纖維表面，
讓纖維的表面產生親水的特性，讓它可以吸濕，且這種處理是永久性的。修納認為聚酯是
縫製內衣的完美纖維，且它的熔點高於聚丙烯，不會被商用烘乾機給烘融。

In fall 1985 we shifted our entire line of polypropylene underwear to the new
Capilene® polyester. It was a big risk, similar to our introduction of
chocks in 1972. During the same season we also introduced the new Synchilla
fleece: between them, the older products made of polypropylene and bunting
had represented 70% of our sales. But our loyal core customers quickly
realized the advantages of Capilene and Synchilla, and sales soared.

即使聚丙烯與絨毛布兩項產品，占當時銷售額的70%，1985的秋天，我們仍將整個聚丙烯
產線轉換成聚酯Capilene；同時也推出新的Synchilla刷毛布。這是一個大冒險，就像
1972年首次導入新岩楔一般。但我們仍然採取行動，而核心客戶也很快地瞭解到Capilene
和Synchilla的優點，讓銷量爆增。

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回到寫這個blog的初衷，我並不想告訴大家要買什麼特定的產品，我只想分享基礎知識，
讓大家可以選擇價格合適、符合需求的戶外產品；重要的是，最大的樂趣是在於親自投入
戶外，而非身上穿了什麼。

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生活娛樂館 生活, 娛樂, 心情
Traveling 旅遊 Σ旅遊玩樂風 → 旅遊/留學 [Grosjean]
bicycle-tour 旅遊 ◎＊兩輪下的美麗世界＊ cozzi

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