a visual collective outlet of inspiration
nice aesthetics, bad function. by lb
objects
cool, cool, cool: howdy mr. and mrs. moncler
“i’m gonna ride into omoha on a horse, out to the country club and the golf course,
carrying a new york times, shoot a few holes, blow their minds…”
an “A” for effort, but NEVER carry a long-board around here…
you can call him muffin… oh, and shes just bluffin’
me and muffin! i’m a poet, and i know it…
love these little guys from moncler… but don’t bother lookin’ to buy em like i did yet, they are not available for sale. i had a few pieces of moncler when i was a kid. a blue and red sweater, a doudoune jacket, etc… my parents brought em back from a trip to france and my sister and i skied in em. had no idea what they were, but i remembered those colors and the logo and that stayed in my head until i started seeing every kid on the corner sporting one. i suppose moncler’s are still special if you can navigate your way through a million fake sites, or cough up $1,500 for a polyamide and feather (not all down) jacket at the store, but that’s a steep price when you can get an all down 800fill serious outdoor jacket for $400 or even under $300… i suppose i’m poorer than my parents now, but that’s the new american way that we all voted for! jive credit: bob dylan, ofcourse. by xy
Maison Martin Margiela: open that damn door and take some notes
maison martin margiela designer door stop in the shape of an egg, set of 2 approx $110
maison martin margiela notepad approx $35
i love these guys… not unlike droog design you almost want to make this stuff yourself at home, but then on the other-hand you want to support their genius. wish we thought of these. by uh
colony
we are always looking out for the next best shops and products, especially furniture that is handmade, thoughtfully designed, and impeccably crafted.
these products and their designer’s are showcased at colony ‘the designers co-op’ in none other than our city, new york city. “founded and curated by jean lin, colony is a community of independent furniture, lighting, textiles and objects designers coming together on a new york city stage to celebrate American design with an international audience.”
to our loyal ts followers- buy local, buy individually produced, buy thoughtfully. by kc
geek out: and now a few words about pencils and pencil sharpeners
how to sharpen pencils: the el casco pencil sharpener approximate price $400-$600 pending finish
x-acto 1700 series pencil sharpener $30-$50
blackwing dual blade pencil sharpener: this one requires you to 1- sharpen the wood, 2-switch blades to sharpen the lead tip… and now how cool is that? approx $10
the results of the 3 sharpeners on the worlds finest pencil, the blackwing 602 cedar wood pencils, are displayed below
from left to right:
1- using blackwing dual blade pencil sharpener
2- using el casco pencil sharpener
3- using x-acto 1700 series pencil sharpener
there is no question that the middle pencil using the el casco pencil sharpener wins
above the legendary blackwing 602 pencils about $2 a pencil sold in cases of 12
first a little about the pencil: the palomino blackwing 602 are considered the best pencils in the world and have developed a following amongst pencil geeks like us. they are made of cedar wood (easy to sharpen with out causing “chips”) and feature a firm and smooth graphite core that combines lead with wax that helps it deliver on its promise of “half the pressure, twice the speed”. its unique and iconic ferrule allows you to extend and replace its eraser after extensive use or for super nerds to even “hack” their pencil to give it a custom look. erasers come in black, white, red. the pencil was used mainly by artists, writers and musicians and when the pencil was discontinued years ago, known writers such as joseph finder and stephen sondheim tried to convince eberhard faber to continue production or at least said some warm words about the tool they were so used to. while the company says that other pencils with similar leads are available, the devotees are convinced that there is no adequate substitution for the 602s, and we must agree with those devotees.
now a little about the sharpeners used: while the el casco pencil sharpener does an amazing job it takes some getting used to and in my opinion its not worth the cost of $400-600. that said once you get the hang of it it does do an amazing job sharpening the lead to a steady point that makes the nib stronger than any sharpener you’ve seen…. not to mention that it also looks wicked on any desk. but for nearly $600 its disappointing that when you sharpen a pencil some of the dust falls out of the casing in the front area and that the pencil grip in the sharpener damages and marks your pencils stem. it is the best sharpener resulting in the best nib but not $600 better…
the xacto sharpener is in word a piece of “garbage”. very disappointing for a company that is known for making blades. the motor is a DC motor using AC current (meaning its equivelant to a battery powered one) and can barely shave a rod of butter. the weak motor combined with, let’s assume a layman’s pencil, using inferior wood, results in a saw dust hell of a point with chips and dust all around it. not worth the postage we paid.
this brings us to the $10 blackwing sharpener which has 2 blades and openings. one is used to sharpen the wood alone and does not touch the lead point. you then insert it into the 2nd opening and sharpen the lead. i love this sharpener for its detailed attention and simple production cost that makes it cheaper than any other sharpener on the market and resulting in a very acceptable nib. while we purchased all three because we hate pens here we recommend the $10 socialist version over any other. ok so now you know… you can go around and say what complete geeks we are… by uh+kt
mudéjar by siba sahabi
siba sahabi has designed mudéjar, a partition screen inspired by the moorish architecture of southern spain of the 12th – 17th century.
to read more about this head over to the contemporist. by kgb
the august smart lock designed by yves behar
install is simple and only requires a pre-k or higher degree
the august smart lock, designed by fuse projects yves behar, is finally out. you can unlock your door with your iphone or a key, the unit sits inside the space so outsiders will not notice it but the best part is you can send an electronic key to any mobile device user so they can unlock your unit with out ever having a key in their possession. this will be of great use for house keepers, nanny’s, one night stands, and temporary employees you plan to ditch. you can monitor who enters, and when they entered the unit, and can reject entry with one click. the design is simple and well produced. we saw samples last night. only criticism visually is the “a logo” on the front which looks more like a manufacturing defect than a logo, but hell we are design geeks… most people won’t even notice that. but then again, who cares about most people. the goal is to impress us. by uh
the new classic
it is not every day we stumble upon a new and great design. we don’t have anything against contemporary product design, in fact, there’s a lot of good new stuff popping up here and there… but… when we see something new that feels and looks like it should have been there already, we know that we have something really amazing. manufactured by flos, the italian company that have brought to life some of the most iconic lamps in the past 50 years, the ic-lights designed by michael anastassiades are definitely a new classic worthy of the honorable lamp producer. hit the link to purchase one or more of the 8 versions available from the series. by kt
the barisieur
at long last, a coffee machine and alarm clock in one that hasn’t been invented by rube goldberg. the barisieur, designed by joshua renouf, is a contraption sure to improve the quality of your day tenfold. it is not currently available, but will be quite soon–so if you want to be the first in line to wake up to this two-in-one dream, check it out here. by hk
bootleg x-ray vinyl
vinyl was so scarce in the old ssur, that some brilliant minds came up with the idea of using leftover radiographs as a replacement in the pressing process. apparently the center hole was often made by burning it with a cigarette. may we suggest banning vinyl world wide. by kt
today : butterflies
emmanuelle brisson
carlos amorales – black cloud – 2007
alexander mcqueen – savage beauty
untitled
sarah moon
when was last time you had butterflies in the stomach? by lil
TOP 10+ GIFTS of 2013: our gift to you, great gift ideas for the holidays
redrum… blood red designer kitchen cutting board. fits in any psychotic kitchen including mine. $22.54 – xy
can le labo get any better? maybe. here’s le labo rose 25 in collaboration with opening ceremony. i like the printed glass… i think! $80 – ac
i guess it is light that we need after all, not fire. stay plugged in with this environmentally and aesthetically pleasing lightbulb. get it at plumen. $28.95 – kd
if you have a rich woman or a man, read on…. nero mkii bike from bandit9. very exclusive wheels, price available upon request. look it up here. – kt
everyone loves a polaroid, especially an andy warhol selfie polaroid via christie’s. just $15-20K supplies limited!– bw
dd would love this. anyone reading can start saving up… fifty years of essential art house films from janus films. $764.96 ooooouch! but do it again, please. – sv
i wear these at home when i feel like michael j fox. supra tk society black satin high-tops $150 – nk
who doesn’t want “a very dark affair”? sign me up. 12.29 candles $150 for this lovely candle, which is a bit steep. the good news is you can keep the glass, and the refill candles are only $75 – dd
unless you’re in the business of jacking bikes off the street, this is the best deal in town. just pick your size and receive a mystery bike from state bicycle co. $299. we got a great fixi and we are lovin it. – lil
navajo inspired pendleton water blanket. does anyone know what a water blanket means? anyhow, this one is available on pendleton’s own site. $298. – cm
i bet you don’t have a tote yet… if you do, trash it and get this. beautifully oversized portfolio tote from everlane. $450 – wm
jungle fever. the original martinique wallpaper. prices and samples upon request. $5 samples login to view price per foot. –kc
if you are looking for earphones that “stay-in” these etymotic research in-ear headphones are the ones. these are my favorite low budget noise-isolating earphones; designed by an otolaryngologist and intended for sound engineers and audiophiles in constant motion. mc-3 s are around $80 and the er4pt’s are around $300. you can google it… – uh
house-shaped house key; inventive and practical, just the way we like it. via fancy. $8. –kd
first edition of the evocative and iconic paris photography book. found at bauman rare books $6,200 perfect gift for rich folks who dont read. –bh
and for those that still need to know the time, here’s the verbarius electronic clock, around $160-250 – kv
happy holidays from everyone
at ts
