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Sword & Plough works with veterans to repurpose thousands of pounds of military surplus into fashionable bags for men and women. The company recycles military surplus, incorporates that fabric into stylish bag designs and donates 10 percent of profits back to veteran organizations. The fabric used to construct this navy blue Weekender Bag is sourced from surplus bunting material, which is typically used to make American flags.
Sword & Plough’s name comes from the phrase “to turn swords into plough shares,” which means to take military materials and apply them to a peaceful civilian application - and that’s exactly what Sword & Plough is doing! Born into a military family, sisters and founders Betsy and Emily grew up on military posts, hearing about their dad’s deployments and research as a West Point and U.S. Army War College professor, and watching their uncle, a Marine NASA astronaut pilot, launch his space shuttle.
“We focus on made in USA manufacturing,” co-founder Betsy says. “We focus on empowering veteran employment, repurposing waste, being a sustainable company, and creating a fashionable, durable, and high quality product.”
As a student at Middlebury College, Emily was the only ROTC cadet on a campus of 2,450 for several years — most of her friends had never met someone in the military. After her sophomore year, Emily attended the U.S. Army Airborne School where she met soldiers who spoke of the struggles some of their veteran friends faced while attempting to gain employment after military service. Through its unique business model, Sword & Plough seeks to empower veteran employment, reduce waste, and strengthen civil-military understanding.
www.swordandplough.com // Weekender Bag $359.00
