bachelor buttons

I know suspender buttons are euphamistically called bachelor buttons (why? not sure) but thought snap shirt buttons were called that too? Lazy snaps rather than button holes and sewing buttons -that would make sense as bachelor buttons. Or is it only the 2-piece put-together suspender add-on buttons that are called bachelors?

This Rockmount is more purple than expected; thought it might be shading red. That's the joy of ebay I guess... Saddle stitching is unexpected win though and subtler in real life than my pics make out. I have another that is way darker -definite aubergine terrritory.

Rockmount are famous for their diamond shaped snaps though not in this example. Also the Dan River Fabric part? Not much info out there, but label seems to date this shirt from the 1950's? Can that be right... Or a 1999 reissue. Western Shirts (co-written by Steve Weil of Rockmount) has all kinds of dating info for HBarC, Rockmount, Levis etc.

Dolt, me. Dan River is not a who, but a what -Dan River Mills in Danville, VA which was idled in 2006.

bachelor dinner

Ok, not bachelor; more "hall pass" dinner -some know what I mean. Steak is marinating for tomorrow so this is tonight. Chicken thighs = $3. The s&p all over the side of the plate is a nod to a Vineyard Haven dinner we had forever ago. The Chez Henri people bought the place later and didn't toy with it too much. That's a dry town so we brought our own Veuve.

Anyhow, it probably doesn't happen often but would be interested to hear others' hall-pass dinners. Mac'n'Cheese or WholeHog? What do you do?

the world's slowest snowboarding film

Flaghtlight Films from Finland mean that in a good way. Looking forward to it.

late to the party -cordings

Famous for their Covert coats (admittedly the image above doesn't wow... but these w/ the 35quid extra for a velvet collar are bees knees) Cordings are a storied British city/field outfitter (though new to me... bonus) operating since 1839. They count explorers, royals and a certain smoothy slowhanded English guitarist amongst their customers. Hackett used to be on the management side there and Clapton is a part owner now.

Anyhow, datamining/tweedp0rn below. Cordings are also famous for their brightly colored cords; horsey brigade stuff but bulletproof. Most prices within reach considering...

on the subject of eggs

Once you've seen one homesteady slightly broken down [hey! -ed.] chicken coop you've pretty much seen them all. Me below circa 1977, in our second chicken run, this one attached to the coop which was part of the barn. Used to be mean and lock Sis in there... Beacon Feed bag stretched over as a swinging door. Beacon Milling (from upstate NY) was closed in 1986 after being subsumed by Cargill -though I don't know the politics of it all.

Putting aside the treament of the animals, or the danger of nationwide distribution by the industrial food complex (cough salmonella outbreak cough); fresh eggs from well fed freerangey type birds are simply light years better tasting. Shockingly so. Long/short good chickens can lay almost an egg a day -less in the winter (light patterns etc) so a family could get by with 6 hens I bet, Pops has more. So cool for the kids to see all this go down. Plus hearing a rooster crowing (not necessary for eggs) gets into your DNA.

get the pan up to frying speed -gastronauts

Almost a year since British cooking icon Keith Floyd died. He paved the way for not only the idea of the super chef or tv chef but really the personality chef cooking on location with local ingredients and also getting men at home into the kitchen -giving them confidence to crash around the kitchen; frying, chopping and seasoning while having a slurp from the cooking wine. Long sentence.

Would it be a little "fast" to imagine a current guy cooking in a red chambray and cream canvas bow tie... The 80's cookery is slightly dated, that heavily sauced type but it is also about Keith and his efforts to get you jazzed on cooking generally. Clips below are good examples. Been watching these all day...




if you're still with me, further below is part 1/5 of a farewell documentary from last year. A lot of high praise from talking heads and maybe hard to see what the fuss is about from the small clips but give it a chance.