my new stuff:

a guy doesn't have as many things to play with as he grows up, so i'm very appreciative of merchants that are aware of the fact that men still need toys, they like a good drink, and they want some type of project to work on. here's a few of my latest of each. i found all three at a site called kaufmann-mercantile, which is an interesting little store that pools together a new foray of unique items each week that adhere to it's mantra:

"everyday objects should be designed well and manufactured to last a long time. materials should be chosen for functionality and durability. most of our products are handmade, and we never sell cheaply made, mass produced versions. a well-made object can be passed down, and shouldn't have to be replaced...."

toy: everyday carry pry

this little crowbar is meant for your key chain and being made from d-9 industrial grade hardened steel, it can handle a good beating. the tough design and sharpened edge make it so that the everyday carry pry can crack, gouge, pry, cut, or just generally distract you with something to do when needed.

drink: morris kitchen ginger syrup

a little while ago, i started making my own ginger ale with my cousin, nate. our first time, we over boiled the ginger root resulting in an extra dry and vengefully sharp ginger ale soda. that drink was incredible, and we were hooked. it felt like a classy man's soda and we've been hashing out newer, dryer, and sharper versions of it ever since. the idea on kaufmann-mercantile's site to mix this syrup with a little lemon has intrigued me enough to give it a try.

project: otter wax heavy duty fabric wax

when wintertime was setting in, i used some quoddy leather wax (whose primary ingredient is bear fat) to water-proof my boots and it worked great for me all winter long. now it's spring, and i have some canvas shoes and a messenger bag that i'd like to use. apparently this portland-based company makes some of the gutsiest weather-defying fabric wax there is. plus waxed canvas always looks pretty cool, and it makes an excellent project for me to busy myself with.

so there you have it, check out kaufmann-mercantile for more completely unnecessary things to want. shipping's free over $25, and if you sign up for their email list, you get a $7 gift certificate.

bremont martin-baker:

martin-baker is an aviation company that specializes in ejection seats. the bremont mbI and mbII are both designed to be the 'definitive aviation chronometer.' both are pretty classy watches with customizable side coloring and immaculate performance. the mbI however, is only available to those who have ejected using a martin-baker seat. the watch comes inscribed on the bottom with the seat number that you ejected in.

i've never ejected from an airplane, so i don't have this watch. but i did almost jump from a little cessna on my birthday one year out of pure fear, and i feel like that should grant me some kind of honorary status.

watch:

the rolex submariner.

introduced in 1954 in switzerland, the submariner is my ideal watch. used as the iconic james bond watch, it's a classy piece - like match your darkest suit classy. yet the watch is highly durable, made from a solid block of rolex gold or steel alloy, and can withstand dive depths of 1000 feet.

mostly, my favorite part is that the submariner was the watch that donned the wrist of thor heyerdal, the norwegian anthropoligist who led the expedition of the RaII. in said expedition, the norwegian and his team built boats from totora (weeds from lake titicaca) and sailed the plant boats across the atlantic ocean. just to prove they could....

....ball so hard 

eighties sports cars:

the ferrari from ferris bueller's day off sold for $122,000 in 2010, and for good reason. there were only a few hundred authentic ferrari 250 gt's made between 1958 and 1963. beautiful cars deserve their beautiful  price tags, and few cars keep their value like the italian leather-wrapped convertibles and american muscle cars from the 60's.

i have a different love.

i was born in 1987. i love the eighties, and for some incurrable reason, i beleive that the best sports cars came from the same decade as i did. here's why: hot. wheels.

 lamborghini coutach

ferrari f40

porsche 911