Thanks to the anonymous reader who tipped me off to this; Harry J. Esptein Co., wholesale tool store in downtown Kansas City. Beyond having an insane selection of mainly made in the USA tools and bric-a-brac (want yards of dyed suede? hell yes. closeouts on Estwing acorn-leatherworks sheaths - yup) - there is also a thoughtful and cheeky blog going. Further reading. Thx anon!