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Foam might not be the flashiest material in gear making, but it’s responsible for some of the biggest performance upgrades in your packs and bags. In this episode, we break down how experienced makers actually use foam. Covering real techniques, hard-earned lessons, and the small tricks that make projects come out better. 

In This Episode, We Cover:
When and why to add foam to a project—from shoulder straps and back panels to laptop sleeves and structured bags 
How thickness, density, and foam type change comfort, structure, and sewability in real builds 
Practical techniques for cutting, shaping, ventilating, and installing foam cleanly in your projects 
Maker-tested tips for working with foam on home machines, avoiding common mistakes, and getting better results the first time 
If you’ve ever struggled with straps, structure, or padding in your projects, this episode will change the way you do your next build.
Guests: 
Ryan Campbell from the Wandering Goat
Matt Evans from Red Paw Packs 
Products: 
New X-Pac® Fabrics 
New Challenge ULTRA 200X Colors
XLPE Foam
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If you're still using the closest scissors to your machine - you need this episode. We sit down with Kai Scissors for a deep, no-fluff breakdown of what serious makers actually need to know about cutting tools. From steel and geometry to maintenance habits that pros swear by.
Listen to the episode to get a 20% off discount for ROTR listeners. 

In This Episode, We Cover:
Why premium scissors will radicalize your cutting experience
How to choose the right size, style, or serration for technical fabrics, tight work, or heavy-duty materials 
The secret maintenance tips you won't find on reddit 
When rotary cutters, specialty blades, or niche tools outperform traditional scissors
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@RipstopbytheRoll
www.ripstopbytheroll.com

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Ever wonder what actually happens before a fabric hits the shop? In this episode, we sit down with RBTR's own Carter Holland to pull back the curtain on product decisions, failures, tradeoffs, and future releases you won’t hear about anywhere else.
How fabric ideas really get approved or quietly killed before they ever reach your sewing table
What goes wrong during development and testing and why some “almost launched” materials never see the light of day
The unspoken constraints of cost, MOQ, timing, and quality that shape every product we release
Early insight into upcoming fabrics and categories that will define what makers are building next

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Traditional tailoring might seem worlds away from technical gear—but the principles are the same. In this episode, Alasdair Leighton-Crawford of Cimoro shares how skills learned on Savile Row translate directly into better-fitting apparel, smarter pack design, and more intentional making.
We talk about:
Why tailoring is one of the fastest ways to truly understand fit
How athletic thinking and craft obsession shape better gear
What most makers overlook when designing packs and apparel
Balancing bespoke work, scalability, and running a small business
Why making by hand still matters in an age of automation and AI
Cimoro
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@RipstopbytheRoll
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Factories aren’t just about scale—they’re classrooms for better design, smarter workflows, and more durable products. In this episode, Douglas Davidson shares lessons from global manufacturing floors and explains how makers at any level can apply factory thinking to make better gear, whether sewing at home or building for production.
Announcements: 
Maker Meet-Up Spring 2026
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Guest Links:
Douglas Davidson | Canvas Worker & The Brown Buffalo
Holubar Mountaineering backpack 
Bruce Johnson - History of Gear
Hiroshi fujiwara (Goodenough)
Dan Green, Arcteryx VP of Design
Wilson bag factory 

Clarification: Douglas mentions Pungkook as having 100,000 employees in the episode. In the flow of the conversation, that number got mixed up. He meant to say 10,000 employees.
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www.ripstopbytheroll.com