Helmet rehab

Ride safe and wear a helmet.

If the helmet’s lining is falling apart, there’s a man that can help.

Craig Crawshaw of Kalamazoo, Michigan, started relining the interior of used and vintage helmets about seven months ago.

A regular vendor at the Vintage Motor Bike Show, which continues through Saturday at Jay County Fairgrounds, Crawshaw said he picked up the skill after watching a video on YouTube.

“I like vintage helmets, so I started collecting them for myself,” he explained. “Mainly you’ll find that, on the vintage-vintage ones from the ’70s, the lining and the foam is dried out and you know, you can’t really wear them or use them.”

He wanted to change that.

Crawshaw, 56, hadn’t sewn since his eighth grade home economics class, but that didn’t stop him. He started practicing with foam patterns on a basic sewing machine and transitioned to a semi-industrial sewing machine he got from a seller in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Since then, he’s relined about 150 helmets, either from his own collection or for others needing repairs. He offers restored vintage helmets at his stand marked by the sign for his relining service, Brain Bucket Rehab.

“All I need is the shell,” explained Crawshaw.

He takes the old foam and matches it to the correct foam pattern for that particular helmet — he has collected enough patterns now he can usually find the right match — and begins lining it up with the inside of the shell.

“Every helmet’s a little different,” he noted. “As long as I’ve got the shell, I can usually find a pattern that will fit in there.”

Then he sews the pieces together, installs the new foam along the sides and upper portion of the helmet and adds a crown piece at the top. (During an interview, he retrieved a helmet he had relined with a patch sewn into the crown.)

Crawshaw has an associate’s degree in general studies from Kalamazoo Valley Community College and a bachelor’s degree in industrial marketing with a business minor from Western Michigan University. After college, he worked as a salesman with his family’s business, The Copy Desk, for about seven years on his alma mater’s campus.

He worked as a dock supervisor for a few different freight companies before switching to selling motorcycles and mopeds as his main source of income. Crawshaw has been buying, repairing and selling vintage motorbikes at shows across the Midwest for about 25 years.

His love for the hobby runs in his blood, with a grandfather who used to ride Excelsior motorcycles and a father who rode Japanese motorcycles. (Crawshaw takes after his dad and prefers Yamahas, Suzukis or Kawasaki bikes.) His passion started in elementary school.

“I got the bug, and by third grade, I’d saved enough money … I bought a Yamaha 60 from the neighbor,” he recalled. “From there on, I’ve always had a motorcycle or something to ride in my life.”

His fascination with helmets stems from there. He explained safety is important while riding on the street.

“You’ve got to have a helmet on,” he said. “You never know what a car’s going to do.”

Now retired from full-time work, Crawshaw said it’s never too late to learn a new skill. His helmet service has given him another avenue to meet new people.

Dick Reynolds of Centerville, Michigan, stopped by his stand shortly after Crawshaw started offering his helmet repair service to the public. The former president of three different helmet companies, Reynolds pointed out a helmet his company made that was at Crawshaw’s stand.

“It was kind of a good omen,” said Crawshaw, noting Reynolds taught him about testing, different materials and other facts about the helmet industry.

After hitting it off, Reynolds gave Crawshaw a vintage helmet and showed him a few in his collection. Crawshaw also repaired a custom blue and silver helmet for him.

“It notched up my skill level,” he said. “It came out really nice, and I just was so worried … they made so many of them, and, you know. He gave me kudos on it, which was really neat. Just made me feel good about it.”

Crawshaw plans to attend the Wauseon National Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet in Ohio in about two weeks and later the Chief Blackhawk Antique Motorcycle Swap Meet in Davenport, Iowa, which starts Aug. 31. He’ll also visit the Barber Vintage Festival in Birmingham, Alabama, in October. He can be reached at (269) 491-5618.

During the off season, Crawshaw spends his time working on motors. The new hobby gives him a different activity to try while waiting for the next show.

“If it’s a rainy day or a cold day, I’d knock out a couple helmets,” he said. “I have a lot of fun doing it.”