During a trip down to The Brooklyn Circus to check out their new fall stock, out of the corner of my eyes I spotted these Tournament Hi, from Common Projects. Finished in one of my favorite shades of tan, the construction, and glove-like fit, is exactly what one would expect from the brand. Almost criminally simple, but the quality of materials and attention to detail is beyond what you would find from most.
Every morning, as I walk to the door of my apartment, the first couple words I always mutter are; “keys, wallet, phone”. These are the most important things I need to leave out in the morning with, but of the three, keys have the greatest weight of importance. Keys control your life, they open your door to work, they start your car, they unlock that drawer of stuff you don’t want your co-workers stealing, and the open the door to the apartment where you left your wallet and phone. That being said, having a solid accessory to retain all the possible keys I could need for the day is a must.
Over the years I’ve managed to rely on a single, purple carabiner that I’ve managed to beat the hell out of. I’ve somehow scratched off most of the anodized purple making it look more like I’ve been using it to carve stone instead of just carrying some keys, so I figured it was time for an upgrade. Looking for something a little mature, and handle the abuse at the same time, I invested in a Tanner Goods Lanyard, and I can say it was worth every cent. The piece is constructed by hand from vegetable dyed bridal leather, with a single snap and nickel plated clasp, giving me the feeling that my keys are more likely to break then this lanyard. If you are seriously in the market, or just have have 32$ burning a hole in your wallet, I would highly advise you pick one up.
As a child, the simple idea that items such as shoes, jeans, and even toys, are meant to last, is a concept I think our little minds fail to grasp. Maybe its because we have the attention span of a gnat, or maybe its all the sugar, I don’t know. But as we begin to grow, we quickly begin to grow out the items that once fit, and toss then aside like rags, it sorta sets this throw-away mentality in children. The idea that once something has become worn, has been around for a long period of time, gets tagged as something that needs to be replaced. Sadly, most of the retail industry thrives on this state of mind, and they make their products accordingly. Constructed to last just long enough for your credit card to clear. I’ve fallen prey to this bait and switch many times, and have finally arrived at the point in my life were products that I buy should be more like a long term investment then something to get the job done for now.
My first venture into responsible purchasing, was for and item that I’ve needed for a good period of time, a briefcase. As an adult, I thought that when I went to interviews or to meet clients I should look the part. And while there are plenty of brilliant looking backpacks, they don’t fit the professional ascetic I’d like to portray. That being said, I began the task of hunting for the briefcase to fit my needs. The selection process was pretty strict:
After a couple weeks of research, the company at the top of my list was Filson, with the Original Briefcase in tan.
I managed to pick up one locally at one of my favorite shops, Unionmade. The awesome part about their Filson section is, they have one wall lined with the brand new version of each bag, and lining the opposite wall, the aged versions of each. After eyeing what my bag wound look like in a year’s time, I can’t wait for mine to start getting beat up and worn in.
The bag itself is like a tank in hand. Constructed from industrial weight cotton, you’d think this thing could stop a bullet. All of the straps, handles, and the lip joining the zipper to the bag itself, are made from high quality bridal leather. Overall the bag looks and feels spectacular, and probably one of the smartest investments I’ve made in some time. If you’re interested in picking up one for yourself, or just checking out the huge range of goods Filson has to offer, just head over to Filson.com
