Jeff Zie: Juvenile. Delinquent.

Molly and Nonna at the Quay’s overflow.

Those pesky kids of ours are gettin’ big.

bikefreak:

shutthefuckupandgivemebacon:

Want one.

NEED ONE!

i want a 1911 so bad

Design classic

Seeland. Top-notch hunting gear.

Lord knows, I try to buy British, especially when it comes to outdoor gear. But my experiences over the last few years have not been good with the ‘traditional brands’. Which is why I’m recommending Denmark’s excellent Seeland, who make great technical outdoor gear. Probably because they’re from a part of the world where 1. They hunt; 2. The weather’s shit.

Here’s a quick synopsis of why I’m switching suppliers:

Barbour: their gear is now utterly shit. It’s all gone fashion, and a lot of the stuff is now badly made in China. My next waxed jacket will be from another manufacturer. (My 20+ year-old wax jacket is from Blacks - and it’s made in the UK. The ‘new’ Barbour one lasted about 2 years before the lining fell apart.)

Hunter boots: now owned by Reebok, and made in China. Badly. Had a pair of Argylls that lasted a year, before leaks sprung. Unacceptable.

Chapman: I like a sturdy canvas bag as much as the next guy. But Chapman bags are now fashion items, and cost stupid money. Hateful.

At the same time, there are also some great UK outdoor brands such as Endura, Brasher, Mountain King, OMM and Kreiga who’re making great product (albeit sometimes in China).

vs-design:

1972 Fiat 126 Racing

Had one of these, years ago, in Arbarth flavour. Great fun.

vs-design

Ultralight Specialists

If you like minimalist, ultralight gear as I do, then you should consider buying from backpackinglight.co.uk. It’s an independent, UK-based, family-run business, and they practice what they preach (great blog and podcasts).

They stock some really good kit, which they’ve tested themselves, including Evernew’s titanium gear, as well as kit of their own design.

Like heinnie.com, their customer-care’s second to none, and they dispatch quickly. Plus they always send me a free bag of Skittles and a hand-written thank-you note.

The best kit supplier in the UK

These guys are fantastic, so I’m more than happy to give them a plug.

Heinnie.com has one of the most extensive selections of kit in the UK, from basic survival gear to hand-made, super-expensive cutlery - and everything inbetween, including specialist tactical gear.

Their prices are keen, their communication’s brilliant, and deliveries are prompt.

I’ve been using them for a few years now, and I’m a happy customer.

My favourite EDC knives (from top):

UKPK - for carry during the week, when I’m in London. Legal, non-locking, the CTS-BD1 blade is quality (the steel’s and the fact that it’s made in the USA are the things that separates it from the Byrd Tern, though I’d go for the Byrd if the decision was a financial one, as that’s an awesome legal folder for the money). The design prevents the blade folding back on my hand. Clever.
Tenacious - the ‘budget’ Spydey - chunky, with a lovely action and liner-lock and 8Cr13Mov blade. Really robust, and lovely detailing, like the copper washers on the blade-hinge to assist smooth opening.
Pacific Salt - my survival-kit Spyderco. H1 stainless steel from Japan, and a brilliant, robust tool that goes with me on kayaking trips.

They’re not beautiful, but they’re just about the best folders I’ve ever owned and used. And I’ve owned and used a lot of knives over the years. If you haven’t tried one, I urge you to. They’re superb.

piratetreasure:

charles laughton

robert mitchum

the night of the hunter

1955

Fabulous film.

piratetreasure

Sympathy for the Devil. From the rock & Roll Circus recording. Probably the best thing they did.

Damascus blade, shaped and ready to take scales and an edge…

Bedtime reading…

I love this film. Kurosawa loved Westerns and Dashiell Hammett. This is Kurosawa’s adaptation of Red Harvest, a hard-boiled story about prohibition-era gangsters, featuring the Continental Op - a man with no name…

This was then remade by Sergio Leone as A Fistful of Dollars…

And then remade again as Last Man Standing with Bruce Willis; probably the closest adaptation to the book, but the least successful film of the three.

They’re all good - I have been known to watch all three back-to-back.

candleghost