It is more than a piece of loden: The Schladming Janker is a piece of tradition, a piece of their homeland, a piece of clothing culture. What makes it so special, where it is available and what material has distinguished the Ennstal in Styria for hundreds of years, is explained FOR YOU by two traditional entrepreneurs in the lines below!
The chime of the church bell echoes across the town square. Delicate snowflakes conjure up a magic scene. A number of parishioners have gathered in front of the church. In their outfits, the men are more than a match for this grey winter’s day. “Well now, didn’t you pull the snazziest Janker out of your closet!”, rumbles a man’s deep voice. The older gentleman tugs at the sleeve of the young lad standing next to him, who nods proudly. By “Janker”, in the Schladming-Dachstein Region they mean the straight-cut, hip-long jacket made of fulled sheep’s wool, the trim of which generally stands out in a different color. The original Schladminger Janker is often simply referred to as a “Schladminger” and is a valuable garment in this part of the world. “To make it, they use Schladming Loden, a fabric which is still produced using traditional methods”, explains Jörg Steiner, owner of the Ramsau Loden Mill. In the area surrounding Schladming, loden manufacturing looks back on a centuries-long tradition. At the same time, the Schladminger Janker represents the old dress attire of people in the Ennstal valley of Styria. “Without it, a true local would never even step out the front door on a Sunday or church holiday. Meanwhile, there is even a special cut for the ladies”, adds Jörg, whilst opening the door to the shopfloor. The “Lodenwalke” in Ramsau am Dachstein is an Austrian company that has produced loden since 1434. “We dug into the archives a little and found out that our business is actually the oldest commercial enterprise in Styria”, says Jörg, who also offers tours of the loden mill’s production facilities to groups in order to show them the craftsmanship and values that go into making their fabrics.
Quality meets fashion
After we have walked a few meters through the shopfloor and Jörg has explained things in detail, we come to the warehouse. There, the expert takes an original Schladminger Janker in his hand and points out: “The upper fabric is Perlloden, the lining is Tuchloden – though both are 100 % virgin wool. For the lining of the sleeves, however, we use 100 % cotton. We also attach buttons made of genuine deer antler”. Faced with the high-quality materials, it quickly becomes clear, even as a layperson, why there is a price to pay for these garments. That said, anyone who has ever worn a Schladminger has a real appreciation for the quality, able to feel on their own body the kind of wearability and comfort guaranteed by this incomparable loden.
Steiner1888
A second local business producing the Original Schladminger Janker is Steiner1888. During a guided tour of their “World of Wool”, you can experience loden production up close, supplemented by beautiful impressions delivered in the 3-D cinema, informative short films and many “Touch Stations”. “At our plant in Mandling, we have been manufacturing high-quality lodens for over 130 years. With boundless love, skill and time-proven craftsmanship, we manufacture products of enduring character. Our factory creates the fabric for the Original Schladminger Janker on what is presumably one of the very last hammer fulling machines. Furthermore, we sell fabrics to dealers from around the world or to famous designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Jil Sander as well as Dolce & Gabbana“, explains CEO Johannes Steiner. Despite enormous technological progress, not much has changed in the manufacturing methods for loden over the past 500 years. Naturally, a number of manual production steps have been replaced by machines, though without the busy hands of their employees none of this would happen. Johannes Steiner explains: “The core element of loden production is fulling. Without the fulling process, loden simply wouldn’t be loden. At least as important is the raw product wool, which gives the loden its natural character. Those who later get to wear a Schladminger Janker are delighted by the natural materials, breathable yet providing protection from the wind and cold". The loden experts also point out that a special binding and weave are essential for the original appearance of the Schladminger. The traditional look is only achieved through the original production method. Of course, there are now various interpretations of the Schladminger that show how this garment has moved with the times and adapted to current fashion trends. Of one thing Jörg and Johannes are quite certain: “With the original version, you can never do anything wrong.”
Wool requires patience
During a guided tour of the Lodenwalke or Steiner1888, you learn a lot about the history of the two businesses. At the Lodenwalke, the fabrics were manufactured until well into the 19th century completely by hand. Only in 1860 did they purchase carding machines from Leoben and equip the first mechanized spinning mill. This was followed a little later by mechanical weaving looms and knitting machines. At Steiner1888, the business structures changed on a similar timescale. Yet the manufacturing process has remained the same ever since: “Depending on the quality and color we wish to achieve, the raw wool is blended in the carding machine. The wool fibers are fed through rollers, transforming them into a fine fibrous fleece, which is then divided into strips and rounded in a so-called ‘rubbing leather’ to create a roving yarn. The roving is not yet tear-resistant. On the ring-spinning frame, continuous rotation and simultaneous stretching of the roving produces the tear-resistant woolen yarn. A yarn that we recognize from our daily lives”, explains Johannes. Yet another unique part of the process is the weaving, also an essential step in loden production. Johannes goes on: “Then we come to the ultimate discipline, known as fulling. Here, we exploit the characteristic of wool – when combined with moisture, soap, heat and friction – to turn into felt”. You can imagine the fulling process like a big washing machine.
In addition, the fabric is kneaded and hammered. On the over 130-year-old hammer fulling machine in Mandling, you can watch the process closely.” The process results in the beautifully manufactured Original Schladminger Loden. Only in this way can we attain the typical beading effect”, stresses Johannes. As the last step, the loden goes through finishing. Aside from local sheep’s wool, they have now added high-quality wools from other species of sheep. Both businessmen are very proud to have continued the centuries-long history of their companies, very much dedicated to manufacturing loden true to tradition and in ways that are as gentle as possible. “Wool requires patience”, says Jörg, explaining the company motto, adding: “Our entire collection is designed and sewn at our own tailoring shops in Haus and Wildon, Styria. In other words, the whole production process happens within a radius of 250 km, making us a regional employer. At the same time, our products are extremely sustainable since we are dealing only with natural materials”. The products are sold exclusively in their own shop, on site at fair factory-direct prices, or through their online shop. Steiner1888 is also one of the most important regional employers and sustainable producers in the region, with locations in Mandling and Schladming along with an online shop. One thing is crystal-clear after touring their production facilities: These traditional businesses are always well worth a visit.
