Another addition to the world of modern neckties (Chambray/Tattoos/Beard situations), Matt Gorton of CXXVI presents Stalward Ltd. They describe “a New York based brand of neckwear providing an effortless addition of style for nearly any purpose. Each piece is carefully handmade in the great city of Chicago. The family-owned and operated factory has been specifically chosen for its attention to quality for the past fifty years.” Some top fabrics, often deadstock, are used to create each tie. The Heavy Linen in Sage and Summer Check are particularly solid options in the Spring/Summer 2012 range and shouts for some excellent branding and packaging. Available now, over here.

The guys over at RELIC in Brooklyn recently did a collaboration with photographer Tommy Nease. They did a release on two different t-shirts which are made from 100% Egyptian Cotton. When you purchase a tee, it includes a 24″X36″ print of the photograph along with Tommy Nease’s Bio. Check out their t-shirts along with their awesome patch here.

I had to keep this EDC short and sweet, nothing too big, mainly most of what i bring to work and the lens pertaining to some of the projects i do after work. Basic necessities to say the least.

Raised by Wolves has released their Spring / Summer 2012 Drop and one of the key eye-catching products that we wanted to feature on Anchor Division was their Hickory Waxed 5 panel hat. Solid construction with waxed cotton from Scotland and Made in the USA, these were all sold out pretty quick through the Raised by Wolves online shop. Fortunately, there are still a bunch left in Persona Premium Goods in Nashua, NH. Grab them while you still can.

Birchbox is a new way to try out the latest grooming and lifestyle products. Birchbox is a sample kit delivered to your home for $20/month and has recently started a men’s line in conjunction with its women’s line that’s been out for a few years.

The “box” has everything from shampoo and pomade to notebooks and headphones with everything in between. Some of the brands you can expect to get are MCMC Fragrances, Field Notes, Ursa Major and many others. After you get your box, you can buy your favorites directly on their website.

On top of samples, you get style advice through expert articles and videos through their “The Guide” series.

If you’re trying out a new look or just need a change, Birchbox will be a great way to sift through the many options on the market. Check out more here.

Fashionary has been on my radar for quite some time. I remember purchasing one from their founder, Penter Yip back in 2009/2010. They have since grown in an amazing way offering an assortment of different products. They made a smaller version of the original sketchbook (which has somewhat of a resemblance to Moleskine Journals). They also offer up memo sets and the current collaboration, Fashionary x Sibling boxset. 

This notebook doesn’t just offer light templates to design your fashion ideas, it offers a large database of patterns, types of clothing / pieces, a list of bookmarks via internet sites, layout ideas for presentations and also, font type ideas for your fashion company. I’ve included a photo to give you an idea of the useful information offered in this notebook.

Fashion Designers, this is the perfect tool to keep your ideas all in one place. Check it out here

The Best Boots in the World.

While it sounds like a bold claim, family-owned and run Viberg makes virtually indestructible work boots, using only the best materials sourced worldwide and via a 218-step manufacturing process.

The Viberg family, based in Victoria British Columbia, Canada, has been making leather work boots for more than 80 years. Each pair of work, service, hiking, hunting, logging, lineman or lifestyle boots reflects three generations of expertise and passion in its time honoured craftsmanship. From grading hides to polishing the finished product, and all the 218 steps in between, it takes up to 16 weeks to produce a beautiful pair of Viberg boots.

218 steps, 16 weeks of construction with three generations of heritage ensures a lifetime of enjoying a pair of Viberg boots.

WanderWonder is very privileged to collaborate with Viberg and offer an extremely limited range of 145 Oxford with Icy Mocha Chromexcel leather with Vibram Ripple Sole.

Panerai needs no introduction when its comes to timeless pieces in the watch collectors eyes. Say hello to the 47mm fiddy base and vintage looking pam 372.

there are so many people putting their names down for this and its gonna sell like hotcakes. with 3500 pieces in the N series. So give the  people what they want.

This a non-special edition so that more people can get that ‘grail’ panerai that they are setting their sights on. rather than just limiting the number.

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/ hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device.

Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 160 components.
Functions: Hours, minutes.
Case: Diameter 47 mm, polished steel.
Bezel: Polished steel.
Back: See-through sapphire crystal.
Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Brushed steel.
Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers.
Crystal: Plexiglas®, 3 mm thick.
Water- resistance: 10 bar (~100 metres).
Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and large-size brushed steel buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

Ursa Major is a “super natural” skincare line for men, founded in 2010. The name comes from a constellation widely seen over the northern hemisphere also known as “The Big Dipper”, a navigational source used by explorers. After living and working in NYC for over a decade, partners Oliver and Emily moved to Vermont to live a simpler lifestyle. Here they created their first product, made from 99% natural ingredients and recyclable packaging. Their skincare blends a variety of essential oils, including aloe, lemon, carrot, bamboo and cedar creating a light-weight, non-greasy formula with mild fragrances. Ursa Major, a company that strives to provide men with a healthy and highly effective skincare solution, has had a huge success with their newly expanded line and has quickly gained recognition all over the country.

Recently featured in the awesome write-up by Jahn Hall of BKLYN Dry Goods Check out the rest here.

Here is an excerpt from his write up:

“Not sure how this was missed this yesterday, but it suddenly dawned on me that there’s something about writing a blog post about bloggers that seems to break some sort of time & space continuum.  I think the kids call it “meta”, a word that’s seems to have been reintroduced to the pop-culture lexicon of late.  Sure, it’s certainly not the first time journalists, for example, have featured the work of one of their own, however, more often than not, it’s done posthumously.  Props are props, but why not let your peers know they’re respected, admired, etc. before they’re no longer around to enjoy the public adoration?  Hence this post.

Again, we’ve been lucky enough to gather up a couple more folks from the interwebs we all know & love & asked them to share with us some of their top picks for the coming season figuring, honestly, they probably had better taste than us.  Today Jamison Aweau (Anchor Division) & Jake Gallagher (Wax Wane) drop some knowedge on their spring kit before we round up this three-part post on Monday with Brad Bennett (Well … Read More »

Boylston Trading Co. picks out a few spring essentials consisting of notable pieces from Heritage Research to Ovadia & Sons.

Heritage Research – Tokyo Tailored Jacket
WANT LES ESSENTIELS DE LA VIE – O’Hare Tote
OVADIA & SONS – Paint Splatter Seersucker Shorts
CONVERSE – Jack Purcell

All which can be purchased here.

This fabulously aged Zippo in olive drab is a convincing replica of the original naval Zippo lighter produced in 1941. Especially made for popular Japanese fashion streetwear brand NEIGHBORHOOD, the distressed lighter features 100% brass construction, a custom “NH” anchor decal on its front, anchor motif on the side, and a stenciled carpe diem message across the back. Made in the USA, this highly limited Zippo is now available at End Clothing for £145 (approximately $234 USD).

Purchasing a finely crafted watch, for many, is considered a high involvement decision and in some cases, can be regarded as a lifelong investment in both monetary and symbolic ways. That being said, we take a look at an everyday favorite in Rolex — a brand with an unwavering presence and relevance in the watchmaking industry — to highlight a few models worth examining based on different budgets. Aiding us with his expertise is Paul Alteri from Bob’s Watches, a highly reputable online exchange for pre-owned Rolex watches. For starters, we begin at the bottom of the scale as we look at getting the most out of our dollar through the pre-owned market; significant value can be found if you know where to look.

It often goes without saying — but, be cautious when it comes to online auction sites or classifieds. Alteri reminds us that sometimes you are not only buying a watch, but also the assurance and peace of mind that comes with a trusted dealer. Know who you are dealing with and find a dealer that has good reviews across the board while a stamp from the Better Business Bureau is often a worthwhile consideration. If you are cautious, … Read More »

Though it’s completely unnecessary, we took a break from the American made and focused on the work of an English/Austrian duo. Hard Graft, originally Working Heroes, gained a presence in the States after the discovery of their ground breaking MacBook sleeve. They may have been the pioneers who brought the combo of wool and leather to the tech-accessories world.

The Multi-Use bag is their latest design and maybe the most innovate. The bag triples as an overnighter, generously sized portfolio and messenger bag.

Cutler & Gross is tapped once again by the House of Margiela to co-create their 2012 sunglasses collection – clearly their earlier collection did them right. A bunch of great reinterpretations of classic “found” frames in the offering including acetate plays on the aviator frame, spectacle-lover shades, and more. Available from Eyegoodies.

Leather Works Minnesota is a “resurrection of American Made products”. With two shops in the St. Paul, MN Area, these guys are putting their hard work and dedication into making a long lasting quality product. I was given a couple of their products. The double cuff wrap is a personal favorite of mine. The Double wrap cuff is an 8/9 ounce oak shoulder leather cuff with Sam Brown nickel button closure. They are available in black, chocolate brown or London Tan. The second item is the Top Zip wallet made from Tan Elk. This has different purposes, the larger one is great for adding your phone and wallet along with a few other things you may need to add, as it has quite a bit of space, the smaller one is about the size of a deck of cards and can accompany any smaller items you may have in your pocket that you dont want to lose.

Thanks to the guys from Leather Works Minnesota.

Doane Paper sent me a few of these awesome little notepads. These are a great alternative to Field Notes not only because of the price point and the excellent illustration by Jon Contino, but because it mixes both standard line for writing with the grid lines for designing or drawing. Another unique item that was added was this Horween Leather Utility Notepad Cover, which can also be purchased through the store. The notepads tend to wear down fast going in and out of your pocket but this case keep the notepad crisp. The case was handmade here in america and made exclusively for Doane Paper.

This is another product from HAUSKRFT. We featured the all-white leather iPhone case in a past post. This was a truly unique mix of great materials and good color palettes. This specific one has a mix of tanned cow leather as 70% of the cases material that keeps it pretty rugged. The front side features genuine african elephant leather with the embossed logo that wraps around to the back side, and the middle / inner section is one of the exciting pieces of material. 14oz Italian Candiani khaki / red Selvedge Denim. All of the fabric is held together by nylon. These come in an array of different denims. Including:
Authentic Japanese Kurabo 13.5oz Red Selvedge Denim
Authentic American Cone Mills 12.5oz Pink & Blue Selvedge
Authentic Italian 12.5oz Ecru Natural Red Selvedge Denim
Check out all of their products here. Highly Recommended.

The Hudson British Tan wax messenger is made from durable wax canvas, a naturally water shedding fabric that develops a rich patina with age. This bag features a wider 2″ leather shoulder strap that gives extra support across the shoulder. The riveted leather handle allows it to be carried like a brief. A back storage sleeve, interior laptop sleeve and plenty of extra pockets make this the perfect bag for all your organizing and carrying all your needs from workday to weekend.

There is a strong presense of leather products out there, not to mention iPhone cases. This one caught my eye. I’m usually the type to carry around dark brown leather iphone cases or wallets but the white added “class” per say. It was a more flashy look (as i needed for the more dressy wear). This is the white 100% Genuine Pebbled Leather. That holds one important card. The price point on this case is perfect in my opinion. Its almost a sacrafice for the person putting the hardwork into this. Check out more of his products here.

Eayrslee Carry Goods
We were sent some bags to review and upon viewing i was highly attracted specifically to the Jones Duffel. We wanted to show the bag in a travel-like fashion. It makes a great carry on when traveling via plane. The interior of the bag features a laptop slot. This is a mix of canvas-like material and leather. The inside is lined with almost a navy silk. We also featured and shot the Antique tan Nicholson Bag. This is an all leather briefcase which can be carried like an every-day briefcase but it can also be used as a backpack which in my opinion, if you’re on foot a lot, this comes in handy.
Photography by: Jamison Aweau
In the Shots: Pat Blow

Ludwig Van x Quintin ’Scout Series’ Caps

Ludwig Van once again teams up with Californian headwear brand Quintin, to put his own unique spin on the brand’s 6 panel caps using deadstock military fabrics from years gone by.
This isn’t the first time Van has worked with Quintin, having produced a deadstock denim cap as part of his ‘Selvedge Project’ last year. This time, Ludwig Van takes WWII-era army green twill, vintage duck canvas, and Vietnam War-era Mitchell camo, transforming the caps into two timeless surplus style pieces. Each is finished with a debossed leather patch, Japanese broadcloth lining, and a selvedge denim stash pocket – so you definitely get your money’s worth

Nikon FM2
Macbook Pro
CXXVI Bandana
Eayrslee Jones Olive Duffel
Journals
Rolex Submariner w/ Frank Clegg Leatherworks Nato Leather Strap
Bamboo Pen Tablet
Chanel Platinum Egoiste Cologne
Ray-Ban Clubmasters
Ernest Alexander Bag
Keys / iPhone w/ Frank Clegg Leatherworks iPhone Wallet
Patch

I was honored to have been invited to Frank Clegg’s Workshop this weekend. It was on a Sunday afternoon and i really appreciated the fact that Frank was willing to go out of his way to meet, greet and get into great detail what he did for a living. I was highly impressed at the workshop alone but when he really showed me the full detail of his work and the thought and character he and him employees put into their products, i was in awe. Heres some of the photos with a brief description of what was in store for me.