Stuff Collages

Here are some more 'stuff' collages, which are basically collages I make with stuff I love and/or simply look great together. Item details below. Also see: Best Made collages

Opined knives, French country knives

Slide 1 Products from Best Made (axe, sunglasses), Victorinox (classic Swiss Army knife), Vornado (fan), Nike (sneaks), Mougin & Piqued (watch sold through J. Crew), Vilas (Dreser), Sheffield Pewter Craft Company (pewter flask)

Slide 2 - Handmade diorama, vintage Colonial Africa silk print (c.1900), antique guitar, classic English phone boxes, Triumph Bonneville, Beeswax crayons from Stubby, handmade bookends

Slide 3 - Opinel knives

box

Why We Make Things

Just received this book by craftsman Peter Korn. It's in the vein of Shop Craft as Soulcraft and through Korn's story we get an appreciation of the satisfaction that comes with creating well made and beautiful items. He describes the creative effort as being 'a process of challenging embedded narratives of belief in order to think the world into being for oneself, and that the work involved in doing so provides a wellspring of spiritual fulfillment'. Korn is a furniture maker, but makers of any sort will appreciate this book.

I picked up a copy at Best Made's store in New York City, but it's available on line as well.

Peter Korn and the chair with which he began to find his voice

Fram Museum in Oslo, Great Diorama

Love this diorama from the Fram Museum in Oslo. It shows the Norwegian ship Fram, on a polar expedition. The musuem's triangle building houses the actual ship and is a good example of form following function. It was built efficiently, just covering the ship

Another View

Beautiful Paddles - Check these out

I saw a few of these in the new RL Polo shop in NYC (Fifth ave and 56th street).  The store is beautiful in a mountain lodge kind of way.  The company that makes the paddles is Norquay.  They say they make "Collectible Pieces of Functional Art"

This image is from wilderless.com

More campaign furniture... and a beautiful graphic.

Beautiful graphics and furniture from  Christopher Clarke Antiques.  They fit in with my love of things that transform or aren't what they seem at first glance.   From a design standpoint they are brilliant: portable, foldable pieces of luxury.

Also see earlier posting for more images and info:  British Campaign Furniture

The description for the graphic above, Tried & Trusted is

Portable candle lamps in leather case.

Best Made, my new fav company and I have the collages to prove it

I've heard about Best Made for a long time, but only recently had the chance to get to know the company by visiting the store and obtaining some of its excellent products. The company was founded by people who genuinely care about craft and about being the best at something, as the name implies. Here are some of my Things I Love collages. 

New York Magazine had this to say:

 This design-centric camping store was founded in 2009 to fill the gap in the apparently buzzing artisan-ax market. The Tribeca headquarters specializes in domestically produced tools and gadgets for the contemporary lumberjack. All axes are made to order from Appalachian hickory wood and high-carbon steel heads forged in North Carolina. For those who prefer cutting meat to chopping wood, the store also carries a variety of hunting knives and machetes. Of course, not all of their products are quite so luxe. Many are downright practical, such as cloth extension cords, chore gloves, and a combination nail brush/soap dish. The store is scattered with enamelware, aprons, and an array of goods (shirts, notecards) emblazoned with their ad-hoc motto: “Be Optimistic.” The company’s stated goal is to get people outdoors—even if it means luring them there with a “Big Jug” (64 oz.) of organic maple syrup. To this end, they carry a line of rugged and very warm-looking canvas jackets and fishing sweaters, as well as a set of whiskey tumblers made from polished Ankole cattle horns. 

The store at 36 White Street, New York City