Wednesday, 26 August 2015

My Essentials for the With Love Project



























The guys at The With Love Project got in touch recently and asked me to get my every day items together to be used as part of the Essentials feature on their blog. As lover of every day carry culture and a #flatlay obsessive, I jumped at the chance. Here are my essentials:

Ipad Mini

I chose to get a mini as an upgrade to my 3rd generation iPad. The small size means I can carry this with me everywhere - It slides into the pocket of my Barbour jacket perfectly. I use the iPad to work on the business, my personal blog, for email and also to listen to music.

www.apple.co.uk


Woodbuds Earbuds

Music is important to me and these smart little ear buds are crafted from wood and have excellent sound quality. The guys at wood buds also plant a tree for every 100 pairs sold! I actually won these in a twitter competition but they go everywhere with me and paired with my music library they make even the most laborious train journey a breeze.

www.woodbuds.com


Ray-Ban Aviators

These are absolute classics and a staple of any summer wardrobe. I’ve tried a lot of high end sunglasses but nothing compares to the simplicity and effortless cool factor of the Rayban Aviator.

www.rayban.com


Field Notes Ambition Notebooks

I have my own business making premium notebooks but these small, pocket size notebooks are just the ticket for day to day notes. There are a lot of imposters out there but Field Notes will always be king. The Ambition pack is hard to find now as Field Notes stopped making it this year - the pages have guided edges and beautifully printed pages. I always keep a notebook on me for jotting down blog ideas and sketching designs.

www.fieldnotesbrand.com


Caran d’Ache Pen

I always lose pens. It became such a problem that I decided I needed a hi-vis pen that I could keep my eye on and people would recognise as mine. I opted for the Orange 849 from Caran d’Ache. Its a great writer with a nice weight to it and its very well made. Its only gone missing once!

www.carandache.com


Filson 256 Briefcase


This is my work bag and every day I toss my Macbook, iPad, notebooks, stationery, lunch, water bottle and paperwork in here and it just swallows it all up. CC Filson began life in 1897 as a Seate Outfitters providing high quality apparel for the Klondike gold rush. Today they still manufacture their legendary products in the USA and each bag is guaranteed for life. The bag is extremely well made and its starting to pick up a nice patina - it just looks better every day.

www.filson.com


Pencil Case


I use this small military issued tool pouch as catch-all for my stationery. I added the red remove before flight tag so i can easily retrieve it from my bag. I have a bit of a thing for stationery and I use most of whats in this pouch every day at work and at home.


Victorinox Cadet Alox

I’ve had a lot of penknives in my time, but I’ve finally settled on this Alox Cadet. It’s a special edition with striking red Alox scales and is equipped with just the basics - blade, nail file, tin opener, bottle opener - I’ve never needed anything else. I slip it into my pocket every morning and it’s saved my bacon on more than a few occasions.

www.victorinox.com


Longines Legend Diver on Nato Strap

This is my pride and joy. The Longines Legend Diver is a re-issue of the classic 1960’s dive watch. Its a ‘proper' watch - Swiss made with and automatic movement. It has a twin crown super compressor case thats waterproof to 300m. I really love the old-school feel and the internal rotating bezel is a really cool feature. I chose this watch as I’ve got a bit of a thing for vintage time pieces but I wanted something I could wear every day. I removed the original strap and wear it on a Admiralty Grey NATO strap for comfort/James Bond factor. I think this watch will become an heirloom one day, its certainly got the pedigree.

www.longines.com


Morning coffee in Best Made Co Enamel Mug
Best Made Co is probably my favourite company. They started out just selling painted axes and now they have a whole range of well made, heard-wearing products for the home and outdoors. They even helped me restore a vintage felling axe I had and their customer service is second to none. I visited their shop in New York City last year and bought these mugs and a whole host of other products. I love the look and feel of the mugs and drink black coffee from one every morning, its a bit of a ritual.

www.bestmadeco.com


“The One” by Buckshot Coffee Co

Buckshot Coffee Co is based in Sheffield and is run by a great guy called Tom. 'The One' is Buckshot’s first seasonal espresso blend of Costa Rican and Columbian beans and its absolutely incredible. I’ve made this coffee part of the morning ritual.

www.buckshotcoffeeroasters.com


Red Wing 8138 Boots


I call these the thousand yard boots. They’ve got that look about them, like they’ve seen things, you know man? Red Wing’s classic moc-toe crepe soled work boots are worn around the world by serious people doing serious jobs - from oil workers to lumberjacks and beyond. I have a big thing for very well made products and these boots are no exception. Made in America to the highest standard, I’ve had them 2 years and they’re just getting worn in. Just like the Filson bag they are starting to look better with each wear as the patina takes over.

www.redwingshoes.com

No comments:

Post a Comment