LAMY Studio Fountain Pen
We’ve long been a fan of LAMY’s Safari fountain pen. It’s inexpensive, well-designed, and writes very well in our favorite notebooks. However, it also has the appearance of being inexpensive and well-designed. So, we set our sights on something a little more refined a couple months ago and came home with a new LAMY Studio fountain pen in black. It was, on eBay at least, less than two times the price of the Safari, and it’s become our new favorite pen. Some objects just feel right in hand, and this is one of them.
Portenzo iPad Case
Much has been made about the Moleskine style DODOcase, which is made in San Francisco. But the better option for a notebook style case is the one from Portenzo. It’s sturdier, better made, and less likely to drop your iPad.
Isaac Reina
Isaac Reina designs very simple leather goods that are handmade in Paris. They offer the minimum necessary functionality with the maximum craftsmanship and quality materials.
Fantastic Man
There’s much to like about this magazine—its paper, typography, subjects, recommendations, and style. But what I love more than anything is its tone, exemplified by this erratum slip.
Laura Smith Scooter Helmet
I saw a friend of mine with this helmet recently and immediately inquired about its provenance. I can guarantee you that its Italian hand-stitched leather is more beautiful than anything you’ll see on a bike helmet in the States.
Caran d’Ache 849 Ballpoint Pen
When it comes to writing instruments, I’ve long subscribed to two rules: 1) don’t spend much money on them and 2) don’t buy ballpoint pens. My tendency to lose pens and pencils explains the first rule. Sure, I would like a Mont Blanc, but I can almost guarantee that, if I made it my primary pen, I would lose it within two years. My distaste for the experience of writing with ballpoints and the visual results of that experience account for the second rule. Last year i gave a friend a Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint pen for his birthday, and I told him that if I used a ballpoint pen, that was the one I would use. This year, I received a special edition of the same pen for my birthday and have been using it ever since. The results are hard for me to distinguish from those of other ballpoint pens, but the experience of writing with it is phenomenal—organic, smooth, and inspiring. Its weight, size, and balance are perfect. Is there a better ballpoint pen to be had for under $30? No, there is not.
Oil Lamp Lightbulb
Sergio Silva’s desktop oil lamp is aesthetically and conceptually awesome.
Infinite Jest Diagram by Sam Potts
Sam Potts is one of my favorite graphic designers, and his diagram of the relationships between characters in David Foster Wallace’s novel, Infinite Jest, is the best chart I’ve seen so far in 2011. You can download it here.