Spotlight: K&M Match Case

Living on a 1,400 acre farm, the amount of time that I’m off wandering around by myself is pretty extreme. Shortly after my wife and I moved here in the fall of 2012, I was exploring the cliffs down by Lake Champlain and stumbled upon a cave. Not a big one, or a particularly impressive one, but a cave nonetheless. Needless to say, I felt like a kid building a tree fort again.

The rest of that fall, winter and spring I spent a lot of time down in that cave: watching the waves, hiding from the snow and feeling that sense of peace that I can only really achieve when I feel sure that I’m alone. This was a time for reading and writing and feeling that the world continued to go by without me. 

While we’ve since moved to a different place on the property, one thing hasn’t changed: that sense of exploration and adventure that finds me with a bag of supplies and a good pair of boots and an intense sense of curiosity. And on a primitive level, one item seems vastly more important than others: a way to make fire. 

Enter: The K&M Match Case. 

When I first came across these brass, waterproof match cases, I was amazed at how beautifully made they are. The brass, the lanyard, the knurling, the compass on the top…To me, a product like this communicates the amount of time and consideration that was put into the design. It has everything you need, nothing that you don’t need, and it looks beautiful and is built like an absolute tank. 

exterior knurling for grip

compass on the cap

As I researched further, I only came to appreciate these match cases more and more. First, they’re made by a husband and wife team who have been producing them since the 1980’s. I love the fact that these are made by two people, by hand, as they put in the time and care that are immediately apparent when you pick one of these up. 

Secondly, I found that these tubes seal in matches without a screw top. Instead, two o-rings ensure a water-proof fit, and the included lanyard locks the lid down even tighter with a little twist. A brilliant, and highly effective design. 

double o-rings for a waterproof seal

cap on without the lanyard tightened  

lanyard twisted and tightened for a more secure fit

K&M makes these in brass and aluminum, and in two sizes. The shorter size fits your typical household matches, and the longer size is big enough to fit stormproof style matches. I received mine, as a gift from my brother, in the long brass version, as I wanted to fill it with stormproof matches. I can fit about 10 matches in the tube, as well as two of the included strikers (which you need in order to light them). 

While I take this out into the woods with me, I’ve even started using it at home to light our wood stove, just because I love using this thing so much. It’s compact enough that I don’t even notice the weight or presence in my bag, but it’s also substantial and confidence inspiring in the hand. 

I justify the purchase of a lot of things by just saying “oh, it’ll last forever!”, which often times isn’t really true. While my boots may last “forever”, they’ll eventually fall apart on me, and I know that. However, I have no problem claiming that this match case will last for generations. Included with the case, too, are extra o-rings and an extra lanyard incase you wear out those that came attached.

Perhaps best of all is the price: 28 dollars for the shorter version, and 30 dollars for the longer version. For something built so well, so beautifully and so functionally, that price seems insanely reasonable to me. Plus, you’ll know that you’re supporting a wonderful husband and wife team making these wonderfully functional works of art. 

If you’r interested in reading more or ordering one for yourself, head over to kmmatchcase.com and take a look. Unfortunately, Keith (the owner) recently suffered a heart attack, and therefore requests that customers exercise their patience as he continues to fill orders. But I can say with confidence that these are 100% worth the wait. 

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time. 

Spotlight: Red Wing Iron Rangers

Just as we’ve seen with my quest to find the perfect bag, or the perfect pen, I’ve come to hold a good pair of boots in very high regard. Over the years I’ve accumulated a few different pairs: some for snow, some for dressier occasions…but one pair has truly lasted the test of time and become my go-to, all-purpose pair. And that is my pair of Iron Rangers, by Redwing. 

I’ve had these boots for over two years now, and while they’re certainly broken in, I think they’ve handled that time on my feet with durability and grace. The leather has stretched and conformed to my foot after so many wears, as has the leather footbed. At first, standing and walking on a plain, hard leather footbed was a little painful. But, just like a pair of Birkenstocks, that pain and break in period only resulted in a level of comfort that could only be achieved by such a process. 

These boots originated in the iron mines of Minnesota, where the miners were known as, you guessed it, “Iron Rangers”. I’m sure these boots have evolved since then, but certain features remain. They still sport oil resistant cork soles and a double leather toe, which I think is their most defining feature. This hearkens back to the days before steel toed boots, when the double layer was intended to provide an extra bit of protection. 

cork sole

double-stitched toes

One of my other favorite things about these bad boys is the material. Instead of a typical brown or black smooth leather, I went with what is often referred to as “rough-out” leather, where the smooth side is on the inside of the boot, and the roughened texture is outside (the reverse of typical leather boots). This differs from suede, which is “split hide”, meaning that one piece of full grain leather is split, giving you double the yield from one piece. 

Rough-out is, instead, an inside out piece of full grain leather. This makes it far more durable than suede. In fact, I’ve worn these all year, for two years, and besides going over them with a suede brush every few months, I’ve never conditioned them. Sure, they have some matted and worn areas, but overall they’ve held up incredibly well. I also have a soft spot in my heart for all of the indigo stains on them from my jeans. 

rough-out leather detail

matted leather on toe

indigo stains from jeans

I wear these boots all the time. Because of the rough out leather, I don’t really dress them up, but on any given day I throw these on with a dark pair of jeans and I’m good to go. I’ve scaled rocks down by the lake, hiked around in the woods, mucked through the rain and fluffed through the snow. You name it and I’ve put these boots through it. And, just as with last week’s pen spotlight, there’s something beautiful to me about something that is so well made and can take such a beating. The more durable a thing is, the longer I’ll have it. And the longer I have it, the more worn and personalized that thing becomes. If you put together a line up of 20 different pairs of this same boot, I’d be able to pick mine out no problem. That’s how fully mine they’ve become over the years. 

lace indentations

Coming in at around 250 dollars, they’re certainly not cheap. But I’ve already had them for 2 years and counting, so if you think about it as only 10 dollars per month for a great pair of boots…no contest. Plus, since the boots use welt construction, I can send them back to Redwing anytime and have them resoled for 90 bucks. I love the confidence that this inspires. 

Over the past two years, putting these boots on has started to feel like coming home. My feet slip into their own impressions in the leather insoles, and the laces slip into their own dents in the tongue, and it feels like these were made just for me. And that’s the kind of personalization that only comes from truly using something until it fills that space. 

If you’re interested, take look at Redwing’s “Heritage Collection” here: redwingheritage.com

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time with another spotlight. 

Spotlight: Karas Kustoms Render K Brass Pen

As I explained in the first post of this blog, I don’t see materialism the way that most people do. Rather than focusing on the quantity of my possessions, I’ve come to value their quality. As such, many of the things that I have and cherish and carry with me every day have been tirelessly researched with one goal in mind: I want to love this thing, and I only want one. Be it a backpack or a wallet or a pair of jeans, I try to seek out the “best” in each scenario. And that’s not to suggest that there is an objectively “best” pair of jeans or backpack somewhere out there. What I mean is that I want to find the best thing for me. 

Well, enough philosophizing. The point is, I’ve been writing avidly since I was 13 and, as such, an outlandish number of pens have come and gone from my life. Some have been cheap-o disposables, and some have been a little nicer. Last fall I decided to seek out the best (for me) pen that I could own. Something solid and beautiful and well made enough that it would truly last the test of time. So, after scouring kickstarter projects and website upon website, product review upon product review, I finally took a risk and ordered a pen that I thought might fit my needs. And I have to say…I hit the jackpot. Enter: The Render K Pen. 

Karas Kustoms is a small shop located in Mesa, Arizona, where they make (among other things) machined metal pens. They currently have three models available: the Bolt Action, the Retrakt (click pen), and the Render K (screw cap). Additionally, each model is available in three different metals (aluminum, brass and copper). 

I went with the Render K model in brass (tied with copper for the heavies option) because I wanted something almost too heavy. I wasn’t let down!

Weighing in at 3.3 ounces (when capped), this thing doesn’t mess around. The typical response when handing it to someone is “holy shit”, usually followed by “what’s this thing made of?”. Just to give you an idea, a roll of dimes weighs 4 ounces. 

But to say that this is a heavy pen and nothing else would be criminal. This thing is designed and built to near perfection. Machined out of a solid piece of brass, the shape and subtle details really make this pen what it is: The knurling on the cap, the heavy duty stainless steel clip, and (perhaps best of all), the ability to take a huge variety of ink refills using the included spring and plastic spacer. I use a Fisher Space Pen refill in, which writes through anything. 

Knurling detail

Stainless steel clip

Space pen ink refill with included fitting hardware

The cap screws on and off, which I thought might be annoying to have to do every time I wanted to write something down. What I’ve found, however, is that I love this ceremonial unsheathing. In fact, the brass pen sliding out of the brass cap sounds like a movie sound effect of a sword being drawn (pretty awesome). The cap doesn’t post on the back of the pen, but this doesn’t bother me. It either sits on my desk next to my notebook, or ends up clipped to my clothing for safe keeping.

Uncapped

I’ve never had any problems with the cap unscrewing, either. This was something that I was actually pretty worried about: that the cap would loosen on its own and I’d lose a piece of the pen. I wasn't sure, being that it’s metal on metal, how tight of a seal the machined threads would make. This concern disappeared the second I opened the package. This thing tightens up incredibly well, and I’ve never had it loosen when I didn’t want it to. Not only that, but the these are “triple start” threads, meaning that you don’t have to fiddle around lining them up.

Threading

This pen has served its purpose incredibly well. Perhaps the biggest thing that I wanted in my pen was a kind of companion. Something that was with me every single day, and something that feels like it will never break or fail on me. I look forward to, one day, being able to pass this along to a son or daughter. That’s how confidence inspiring this beauty is. 

If you want to peruse their pen selection, or take a look at their phone cases or tops or other machined metal goods, head over to karaskustoms.com. 

Thank for reading, and I’ll see you next time. 

Spotlight: Field Notes Notebooks

About a year ago I decided something: that I don’t write enough things down. Writing has been a big part of my life and my identity since I was in high school (mostly poetry). As someone who concentrates on his writing so much, I decided that I wanted more of a record of my day-to-day thoughts and ideas, lines of poetry, observations, etc. Since I started carrying these things I haven’t been able to figure out how I ever lived without them. I always have one on me, and am constantly amazed by their usefulness. On any given day I’ll be writing down snippets for new poems and ideas for editing current ones, as well as To-Do lists, shopping lists, reminders, quotes from friends, book or music or movie recommendations, or just quick little refections. This has sparked my larger Field Notes project, which is to fill about one book per month, and then catalogue them chronologically. In a section of my desk I have all of the books I’ve filled out so far, and I already cherish the ability to pick one up and see where my head was at a few months earlier. 

I fill about one per month (48 pages), and it’s easy to store them chronologically because of the space provided inside the cover page. 

By finishing a book and then shelving it in chronological order, it’s easy to refer back and re-read whatever I like. Also, I love the beat up, worn in look that they take on depending on where I’ve taken them and what I’ve done with them. When I was baking pizza in a wood fired oven, they  got way more beat up than from working in a high school. It’s also probably worth noting that, no matter what I’ve thrown at them, they’ve held up without exception. 

Filled notebooks go on the right, fresh ones live on the left.

A particularly abused example that I carried for a month while I worked at a pizza place

Field Notes has standard brown notebooks that are always available in blank, lined and graph paper. Also, four time a year they release special, limited edition versions of their books with different tweaks and perks and bonuses, whether it’s a different color, or cover artwork, or paper. My favorite so far have been their “America the Beautiful” edition, which uses heavy duty, thick covers and great art depicting amber waves, mountains majesty and fruited plains. I’ve also added their “red blooded”, “night sky”, “expedition” and “county fair” editions to my collection. They even offer a subscription that guarantees you two three packs of each edition for a year. And, perhaps best of all, every three-pack, regardless of the edition, is always the same price: 10 bucks. 

 "America the Beautiful" Edition

"County Fair" Edition (Vermont)

It’s so great to stay tuned-in and see what each new edition will bring. So far I’ve gotten my hands on a few different kinds, and I’m sure my collection will only grow. Plus, with each edition, my main fashion accessory continues to fluctuate, adding a little dash of different color depending on what I decide to carry. 

Perhaps best of all is, since they’re made so well and since each edition has so much unique personality, I am always excited to grab one on my way out the door. And since I’m so drawn to them, I now have a running, written dialogue recorded in them of the past year. It makes me excited to keep writing everything down, and to think about being able to flip back through these books when I’m old and grey. 

If you’re intrigued, check them out at fieldnotesbrand.com. It’s incredible what a big difference it can make just having the ability to jot a note or two down here and there. There’s something about the act of writing something in itself, whether it’s a reminder or an idea or a random thought, that brings that moment into focus. Sometimes I want to be able to look back on it later, and sometimes I just crave the experience of writing something down in the moment. 

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time. 

Spotlight: Topo Designs Mini Mountain Bag

Well, here we are. The first post of define:Materialism. Of my long, long list of potential first posts, I settled on blogging about one of my favorite items which, appropriately, holds a bunch of other stuff that I’ll eventually post about as well. But, for now, it’s all about the vessel. 

I live on a 1,400 acre farm in Vermont, where my wife runs an inn. What this means for me is that I have a tremendous amount of land and shoreline to explore. On a typical day off you might find me hiking around the woods, finding caves along the lake, stringing up my travel hammock, building a fire by the water, reading, writing, or just taking in the fact that I happen to live in an almost disgustingly beautiful place. That’s right: so beautiful that it nearly goes full circle and becomes gross. See for yourself…I’m not lying. 

Anyway, a couple of years ago I decided to seek out the perfect shoulder bag, something that I’ve since deemed my “adventure bag”. It didn’t need to be big, but it had to be durable and have enough space for my hammock, a book or two, some water, a flask, some pens, and maybe some food. Enter the Topo Designs Mini Mountain Bag. And man, man do I love this bag. 

Straightforward, but with just enough finishing touches to give it some style, the bag is constructed of 1000d Cordura, which means that it’s absolutely built to last. But, of course, materials are only part of the equation, as they also have to be assembled well, which this particular bag certainly is. Great materials and built like a tank: that’s a combination I can’t get enough of. 

The zippers are heavy duty and wonderfully confidence-inspiring, as is the beefy seat belt style strap and the tarp lining. 

Without being too feature-laden, the interior has just enough organization for my liking, perfectly fitting my phone, knife, bandana, and notebook so that they’re easily accessible and don’t clank around. 

In the front pocket I usually throw a book (currently The Traveling Sprinkler by Nicholson Baker, which is amazing). 

A large d-ring on one side allows me to clip things on if I want easy access to (often times my Holdster with a little whiskey). 

And on the other side, a large plastic strap adjustment that’s super easy to change up on the fly and holds everything firmly in place. 

Underneath are two compression straps that can squeeze the bag into a smaller size, and also double as an additional place to carry those excess supplies (often times my snowshoe poles when I don’t need them). 

Maybe one of my favorite features is the dual lash tabs on the front of the bag. I love the understated 70’s camping gear kind of style that they lend the bag, but they’re also quite functional. For an extra 15 bucks, Topo Designs sells straps to fit the tabs (available in four colors). This is extra handy if you’re shedding layers, or want to strap down a blanket for a picnic. 

If you’re looking for something that is at once stylish, functional and built to be with you for years and years to come, head over to topodesigns.com to check out the Mini Mountain (available in six colors), as well as a wide variety of other bags, cases, clothes and accessories. 

Oh, did I mention that their products are all made in the USA and that their customer service is lightening fast and top notch? That’s probably worth noting too, huh? 

Thanks For Reading!

See you next week with another Spotlight.