sartorial hero -bill cutting

That's Bill The Butcher Cutting to you and me... Did not enjoy anything of Gangs of New York except DDL chewing the hell out of the scenery. Serious clashing of tartans, taffeta(?) bow ties, lots of apron prawn. Tapping his glass eagle-eye... out of control.

I’ve got a hole in my shoulder and it hurts, so have a drink and shut up or shut up and get out.
-Bill “the Butcher” Cutting

Knee length long-johns seem to be the thing this year, so tap into your inner Butcher and grab these from Burton. BTW does anyone really think Leo could take DDL... thought not.

work a proper knife through old tom

The aged gramps sent me on the plane once w a carving set in my carry on bag, me being about 10 years old... and a note to the customs man telling him what was inside. This was 1980's. These are great to look out for at the thrifty, you often see them though not always antler handles like gramps gave me. A steel is a must have. There are many views on sharpening technique, and although not a huge fan of his generally, Gordon Ramsay demonstrates a clear, traditional way of sharpening using a steel.

Radio silence for a while... remember; convenience is the enemy.

that 4x4x8 look -2

Another 2 cords of wood have been unceremoniously dumped at Pops' place, probably blocking the garage door. Time to stack. Get a line going... lay some old planks down to keep the air moving underneath, square the ends. We have a beater tapeplayer down there, with Pablohoney (still holds up imho) on continuous play... remember that function, that was a big one.

Jacket: Penfield (Stapleton Tweed)
Shirt: Folk
Hanky: Hill-Side. These are much thicker than a regular bandana. Really need to earn it to break them in... Completely onboard with the Hickorees Hard Goods idea. Great photos of the Pointer stuff, v. reasonable.
Wallet: Warhorse (sucker for that whipstitching, though generally tread pretty carefully w bikewallet/chain/keys)
Belt: Tanner
Gloves: Carhartt fencers.
Shoes: XtraTuf. Big in Alaska (fisheries etc) apparently, new to me.

[Just a note, some of these looks are a bit nod*wink you understand right?? a) would never buy a $200 shirt and b) would not wear it to stack wood... Will say I'm on the hunt for any of that Penfield stuff... have barely seen 1 piece in the wild and they are just hammering those styles, love it. Also, I've been outed on my work-glove-problem (cheap habit though) by a consistently great blog MenAndWomenOfIndustry. Santé Jedd.]

Looks slightly like a bat/pig here, but this is the fox fireback for the big fireplace...

tweed caps

Tweed Touring Cap (flat cap to you and me) with Gore-Tex via LLBean.
100% Harris tweed. Gore-Tex lining. Will never need another one.
I can't do these... I put them on and my grandfather stares back, too eerie.

The Scottish tweed offerings from Orvis are a little brighter, and the Irish tweed caps are a positively cacophonous rainbow of wool...

parenting -kickers

Lived in these as a little hillrunner, jammin around the forests and resevoirs out the back door while living in Scotland. Was never a big sneaker person, and hadn't grown into DM's yet, so Kickers were the thing. Not cheap though... almost $100 for kids leather shoes, but built like tanks. Kickers sandals as worn by the younger kids below.

late to the party -knog frog lights

Just picked these up myself. Quick and easy front/back warning lights. Not enough to see by but for urban riding (streetlights) at least you can tell others you are there. (Plus clip on and off and kids love to play with them...) Available all over the place and LLBean. Around $20. If you need a little more uuumph, the Knog Bullfrog has 5LED's. Stocking-tastic.

great sign -holidays mean family

Our local package store. One of... M called this one, good eye. Flights are starting to arrive (delays from UK though...), car getting cleaned out, new tires on... time to stock up on family...

vancouver olympics -team usa

Burton Snowboards are partnering with Gore-Tex to provide Team USA (expl/del-YEAH) snowboard uniforms in 2010. Burton designed the 2006 uniform too, a pinstripe (as in baseball) design. Greg Dacyshyn, Senior Vice President of Creative at Burton, quoted below on the 2010 outerwear design, which will be revealed once the U.S. Snowboarding Team is officially announced. [Team USA roster set as of 9/15/09 pressy, team will be announced January]

"The inspiration behind the U.S. Snowboarding Team outerwear for the 2010 Olympics is classic Americana," says Dacyshyn. "Although we are creating a uniform, our first objective is to express the individuality of snowboarding. As such, we are taking vintage American looks and interpreting them in a very unique and unexpected fashion. Finally, we will ensure that all of the highest technical attributes are maintained in the pieces, so that performance and function are not jeopardized. The result will be a progressive and fresh look that challenges the former conservatism of the Olympics."

An Americana mix of denim, plaid, leather (cowhide elbow patches... ok too much) and treated-wool would be great to see. Slightly underwhelmed by the BurtonxCarhartt offerings last year have to say, but getting that oh-so-recognizable brown duck material on the goggles or gloves would be icing... Something like below?? [In reality goggles and gloves are rider choice.] All items below from the Burton family except the (killer-never-saw-before) Kinco gloves. Add a lined chamois or flannel shirt, pocket bandana, make them logger-style pants and done. Bosh. [Reminder; Ralph Lauren is the official outfitter of the 2010 US Olympic Team, responsible for opening ceremony garb, press junkets etc.]


Pants: The Shark Denim Pant.
GORE-TEX® Performance Shell 3-Layer Denim with DRYRIDE Fabrication
Fully Taped Seams with GORE-SEAM® Tape
Link ZIP™ Jacket-to-Pant Interface
Boot Gaiter with Cuff-to-Boot Interface, Articulated Knees
Leg Lifts™ to protect your pants from Parking Lot Carnage

Jacket: 3L Gore-Tex Commissary Denim
Fully Taped Seams with GORE-SEAM® Tape
GORE-TEX® Performance Shell [3-Layer]
Removable Contour™ Hood

or

Jacket: White Collection Division (Factory Plaid)
DRYRIDE Durashell™ 2-Layer Coated Fabric [10,000MM, 10,000G]
Fully Taped Seams, Mesh-Lined Pit Zips™
Thermacore™ Insulation [60G Throughout]
Fulltime Hood

All snowboard events for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be held at Cypress Mountain, 30ish minutes from downtown Vancouver, Canada. For a bunch of reasons I am looking forward to watching the (official name) snowboardcross (but still call it ) boardercross. To recap the Olympic rules on this one; four racers start down a course of jumps, ramps and obstacles. The fastest two racers from each heat move on to the next round. Set the dvr now.

February 15, 2010
10:30 - Men's Snowboard Cross Qualification
14:00 - Men's Snowboard Cross 1/8 Finals
14:26 - Men's Snowboard Cross Quarterfinals
14:42 - Men's Snowboard Cross Semifinals
Medal Event 14:53 - Men's Snowboard Cross Finals

February 16, 2010
10:00 - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Qualification
12:15 - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Quarterfinals
12:29 - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Semifinals
Medal Event 12:40 - Ladies' Snowboard Cross Finals

kitchen tools -salt and pepper 2

Now THAT is a salt and pepper set. More of this stuff via sis @Apothecary Fox, who is ramping up to move stateside. She just went to a London craft trade show so no doubt will be dropping a bunch of great finds in the week ahead. Pack the S&P w/ hot lunch as below from LLBean.

tender crazy mercy hearts

Love Bridges. Duvall was part of the financing team for this new festival-basher release Crazy Heart I believe, looks like taking care of some unrequited business/love (and a cameo, good for him). Will enjoy this one thoroughly but damn, sometimes it is easy being a man... you follow me. Or maybe this is an easily sold fantasy; one last shot at redemption etc. Or is that part of the American dream... #discuss.

maple landmark woodcraft

A line of toys and trains made in Vermont almost all crafted of hard maple; Maple Landmark. They are the producers of the Name Train line you may have seen as well as continuing the older Montgomery Schoolhouse line of classic wooden blocks/trains/trucks. This year they have also (re)introduced some unfinished (or beeswax rubbed) wood toys as Schoolhouse Naturals, even the detailing is chemical-free, it is laser etched... #classico_domingo

tweed x teflon = badass

Lesli at ArchivalClothing is beeyyyyond a font of knowledge... Hoggs of Fife; never heard of them until now (even though granny and gramps on Oma's side lived in Fife (that is eastern Scotland, north of Edinburgh, over the Firth of Forth) and I had tooled around there many times).

From the site; "Hoggs of Fife opened for business in 1888 making fine country footwear. Today, we offer the most authoritative range of country clothing and footwear, available from a single supplier, in Great Britain and Ireland. The company remains in founding family ownership and, throughout more than a century, has stayed true to its values of providing quality products that are fit for purpose and which represent great value for money. Ours is the only brand dedicated to the clothing and footwear needs of the agricultural community and country professionals at large."

Teflon coated tweed trousers. I think I reached the end of the rainbow on this one. £47. Hoggs' own brogues (around £100) and stockings below.

tweed -trouble looms

Oh man they had fun with those titles (Harassed Tweed and Hanging on by a Thread are parts 2 and 3)... This BBC doc on a certain Scottish cloth was iPlayer only but just found part 1. Seeeerious tweed prawn... (see it big here)
[update: realise this clocks in at almost an hour, but is v much worth it. and thx valetmag.]

3 on the tree -lee

All via Coggles in the UK. New to me since Monday. Great potted histories of each brand they carry as well. The perfectly executed snap shirts above may be from the current Lee Celebration Collection(?).

3 makes a trend -farnum hill cider

The Trad's Friday Belt featured Farnum Hill Cider a while ago [update and 11/20, brilliant], I had emailed them earlier today about another matter, and then NPR released an interview w/ Steve Wood (below; owner and manager of Poverty Lane Orchards and Farnum Hill Cider) yesterday. Listen. The NPR story is brief, but yeeeeah for good cider. Used to assist friends in making apple bubbly in old champagne bottles (log splitter headaches would follow...) so would be very interested to see the process at Poverty Lane Orchards in NH. #roadtrip


[sidenote: Steve kills it in red chammy under denim, felt crusher on top.]

the road not taken -short lecture

1991 (i think..) lecture by Kevin Murphy, Professor of English at Ithaca College, who examines Robert Frost's popularity and the darker implications of his poetry. Enjoyed this. 25mins so settle in.

I have never been to Frost's old house near Bennington... might be time soon.

crescent down works -hickory

A straight lift (as OMIL would say) via Inventory. Crescent Down Works hickory stripe vest. Penfield did something similar a while ago, but really liking the utilitarian, almost army-surplusy beige collar here.

martin corba -captain haddock

By Martin Corba aka Hadoland. Ink sketch scanned then colored in photoshop. Added paper texture.

tom waits x denim

Buttons up to the neck and it's affordability make this a wardrobe staple here at 10e (esp' if you can find a 2 pocket, blanket lined Levi jumper...) Levis and mostly Lee in effect above I believe, not picky, easily satisfied with the best etc... Photos from TomWaits.com. Don't mess with success.

jeff lemire -sweet tooth

Late to the party on Jeff Lemire who has a body of interesting work already. His latest is Sweet Tooth (Deer/boy Gus leaves his forest sanctuary for a destroyed world of men, led by a stone cold killer [yes slightly Marv character, well see how it goes] who promises escape to "the preserve".) Lemire is from Canada and with his rural background (really want to get the Essex County books) manages to bring a fresh approach to this McCarthy/Road-ish post-apocolyptic tale. Lemire does double duty here as writer and artist, good stuff. Parts 1, 2, and 3 are out so you can enjoy a full read (too slow for me reading 1 issue a month anyway...)

blue gingham shirt -grommit edition

Blue gingham shirt. Wardrobe staple for the young. A few options as below.

Boden. $34. Heaviest. 10e approved.


Gap. $24. No navy.

Brooks Bros. $45.

JCrew (crew cuts). $39.50.

What is gingham? [from various sources on the interwebs]; Gingham is made of carded or combed, medium or fine yarns, where the coloring is on the warp yarns and always along the grain. Gingham has no right or wrong side regarding color.

The name is Indonesian in origin, assimilated into Dutch (modification of the Malay genggang meaning striped cloth). From the mid 18th century, when it was being produced in the mills of Manchester, England, it had become woven into checked or plaid patterns (often blue and white).

The production of gingham was a major economic boon to Manchester, England and the surrounding areas. In the New World, gingham made the textile industry a powerful force in what is now the Virginias, the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. Well into the middle of the twentieth century, many textile companies prominently marketed gingham, especially checked gingham patterns, in their lines of fabric. One of the most popular of these checked fabrics during the middle twentieth century was made by an American company, Dan River Mills, which marketed a special blend of cotton and synthetics that was called DanChecks. [Before you check, I did already, Dan River Mills was wrapped up and sold to an Indian firm in 2006, mills demolished. -ed.]