AroundHank - Cloud Logo Edition
AroundHank - Cloud Logo Edition
Aroundsquare was early to the EDC hank game with our small sized "minimal viable hank" back in the day. That model is still available, and we still stand by its utility. But with the steadily growing popularity of hanks over the years, and our own fondness for expanding our options and pushing our comfort zone, we decided it was time to add something new to this space.
The AroundHank is square in shape, measuring roughly 19" by 19" (48cm x 48cm). They are very soft, and quite thin, making them easy in the pockets, and very friendly for the standard array of what we might politely call "handkerchief tasks." The material is 50g GSM weight, and made with a double knit construction, using a double set of needles to produce a fabric with interlocking stitches. The material is custom printed in a patterned word mark, with a light blue/ turquoise colour. The visuals are set off by a striking orange embroidered cloud eye logo--one we've come to associate with the idea of an invisible college.
And since there is no space limitation here, here's an excerpt from the October 2022 edition of The Difference Between an Orange, explaining what even that is:
Trivia time: Name a concept that was (i) a seventeenth century precursor for one of the most prestigious learned societies of our times, (2) re-appropriated in the 1970s by UFO researchers, and (c) the underpinning of a pretty darn entertaining 1990s comic book series.
If you answered, “a wheelbarrow full of ripe bananas,” then seriously, you have something wrong. Sorry, we are a pretty inclusive community here, but you’re one step too weird. On the other hand, if you answered, “invisible college,” then you win a wheelbarrow full of ripe bananas.
There is, in fact, a common theme between the three usages mentioned above. The term invisible college has been repeatedly used to refer to a select in-group.. folks in the know on a given topic or field—often, proponents of subversive ideas or those that run against the dominant narrative. The term was first introduced in the 1600s, referring to a small group of natural philosophers—some of the great scientific minds of the day. The college would meet and exchange ideas, at a time scientific thinking was not yet mainstream, and still somewhat dangerous.
With other early usages referenced in Rosicrucian literature and other esoteric documents, it’s picked up the mystique of conspiracy theories along the way, and has found its way woven into all sorts of fictional narratives in need of a secret society.
Keeping it real, Clay Shirky, in his book Cognitive Surplus, used the Invisible College as an example of collaboration around a shared sense of purpose, rather than the quest for individual fame, leading to monumental scientific advances.
Aroundsquare vibes with this. And if you're here and you're reading this, I gotta break it to you, you're part of the in-group. You already know what's what, that's part of what brought you here. We love ya and whether you need a Zircuti Knob necklace or not, we appreciate you making the community what it is.