CraftWorkWear

The New Website is Up!! Craftworkwear.com

2011-07-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Thats right kiddies. Its all right there. Blog, news, shopping. . . the whole enchilada.

Craftworkwear.com

Sounds about right.

2011-06-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

Can't wait for football season...

2011-06-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

http://antiquesandthearts.com/Antiques/CoverStory/2011-06-07__15-41-17.html

We Remember

2011-06-06T18:53:00.001-07:00

We Ride For Weiner..... No homo

2011-06-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

New Product!

2011-05-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

New stuff up on the Webshop!! Two brands, that we are honored to have, and pleased to offer to our customers. Both completely handmade by honest gentlemen committed to their "Craft".... (get it?)

Fine Light Trading makes only the finest.... and HEAVIEST, 1950's Mexican souvenir style rings on the market. Hand cast, in solid brass, and assembled in Brooklyn by Owner/Designer Innis Lawrence. There's very little jewelry we think a man needs. One of these is on that short list. 5 Styles available now.

Grok Leather Goods are so fanatically handmade, watching Owner and Motorcycle enthusiast, Goro work at his Tokyo workshop is almost comical. Belt straps are cut from whole hides. Studs and screw heads are hand engraved. Belt buckles are laser etched...

(featuring the Grok Iphone case and lanyard strap)

R.I.P. Gil Scott Heron

2011-05-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

"Because I always feel like running
Not away, because there is no such place
Because if there was, I would have found it by now
Because it's easier to run,
Easier than staying and finding out you're the only one who didn't run
Because running will be the way your life and mine will be described,
As in "the long run"
Or as in having "given someone a run for his money"
Or as in "running out of time"
Because running makes me look like everyone else, though I hope there will ever be cause for that
Because I will be running in the other direction, not running for cover
Because if I knew where cover was, I would stay there and never have to run for it
Not running for my life, because I have to be running for something of more value to be running and not in fear
Because the thing I fear cannot be escaped, eluded, avoided, hidden from, protected from, gotten away from,
Not without showing the fear as I see it now
Because closer, clearer, no sir, nearer
Because of you and because of that nice
That you quietly, quickly be causing
And because you're going to see me run soon and because you're going to know why I'm running then
You'll know then
Because I'm not going to tell you now"

Part two

2011-05-26T22:34:00.001-07:00

American Innovation

2011-05-25T18:37:00.001-07:00

And while we're on the topic of cars....

2011-05-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

The trend of using the letter X in every name of every car on the street has got to stop. I mean, I expect it from Mazda.... But Cadillac? Cut that shit out... XTS my ass...

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 or 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake? Show your work. . .I'll give a few hints

2011-05-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

800 Horsepower. Runs on pump gas and is emissions street legal in all 50 states. . .

Has the obscene CTS-V engine in it.... And Carbon fiber Corvette brakes... Granted, that ridiculous red shroud over the supercharger has got to go....

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!

2011-05-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

HBO 2 Go, the new streaming app for Iphone/Ipad doesn't work with Time Warner Cable. Time Warner OWNS HBO. The FCC is SHOCKINGLY absent as these Media Monopolies continue to grow...

Have you read about Meredith Attwell Baker?? As Federal Communications Commissioner she repeatedly rode for LESS government oversight.... Then she voted to APPROVE the merger of Time Warner Cable and NBC Universal..... After which, she immediately left her FCC job, to take a Senior Vice President position at NBC.

Was her vote blatantly purchased with the promise of an undoubtedly huge salary??

How could this be interpreted any other way?

How is this not illegal??!

Full story below...

"FCC revolving door keeps turning
By Laurie Bennett
May 12, 2011 at 7:59am
Another day, another dollar for a federal regulator joining the industry being regulated.

This time, it’s Federal Communications Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, who announced that she would leave on June 3.

View large map | View static map | Embed this map | License Muckety technology
Although Baker didn’t say where she’s headed, Comcast sent out a release saying she will become senior vice president of government affairs for NBCUniversal.

Baker joined the commission in 2009, after serving with the National Telecomunications and Information Administration during the George W. Bush White House.

Meredith Attwell Baker
News of her departure comes four months she voted to approve a merger between Comcast and NBC Universal. She later publicly called for changes in government oversight, saying the Comcast merger approval took too long.

At the time of the FCC approvial, she issued a joint statement with fellow commissioner Robert M. McDowell, calling for a narrowing of the federal review process.

“This transaction is only the most recent example of several problematic FCC merger proceedings that have set a trend toward more lengthy and highly regulatory review processes that may discourage future transactions and job-creating investment,” they wrote.

In words that must have been music to the owners of Comcast, they also commented about the growing online video market: “At a time of innovation and experimentation that is both dynamic and disruptive, the (approval) order fails to recognize that the contours of our collective video future are best shaped outside the Beltway.”

We’ve written before about the revolving door at the FCC.

Michael K. Powell, son of Colin Powell, was chairman of the commission from 2001 to 2005. He’s now president & CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. Charles Ferris, FCC chairman from 1977 to 1981, became a Cablevision lobbyist.

Other former FCC chairs include Dennis Patrick, who became CEO of Time Warner Telecommunications; and Richard E. Wiley, founder of the law firm Wiley Rein, which counts the National Association of Broadcasters and major broadcasting companies among its clients."

via

Finally!!

2011-05-13T16:03:00.000-07:00

The bones are in and we're ready to release the (beta) version of our webshop! Inventory is limited at the moment, but in the next few weeks, things will be added and we'll be up to speed. In the mean time, its a great spot to grab your Summer Red Wings!

Please let us know if anything isn't working or doesn't show up properly on your various computers or browsers.

We're really excited to finally be offering this option to our customers. We look forward to polishing the look and functionality of the E-Shop as we learn and grow, but we figured the CRAFT faithful would appreciate the transparency and evolution.

HAPPY SHOPPING!

Incase you need to ruin your pillowcases and support your President at the same time. . .

2011-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

Better celebrity-fronted Folk band?

2011-05-10T14:01:00.000-07:00

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers...... OR:

Billy-Bob Thornton and his Boxmasters?

Norse Projects: Spring Oh-11 Part Deux

2011-05-10T13:55:00.000-07:00

Who knows..... We MAY just have our Web Shop up soon..... Just sayin

Craft WorkWear: STILL the best place in L.A. to buy Vintage Boots

2011-05-10T13:50:00.001-07:00

Advertising isn't what it used to be.

2011-05-05T01:15:00.001-07:00

Dear Universe, Please let me drive on the salt flats just once before I go. . .

2011-05-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

Boys of Bonneville Movie Trailer from Price Museum of Speed on Vimeo.

Craft Contributor: The EndustryCat

2011-05-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Chris gets a gold star for turning me on to this one. Let him know if you liked it too.

Vintage Engineer Boots: Custom Studded by Craft

2011-05-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

New Blk Pine Packs

2011-05-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Just arrived, and perfect for long days at the beach, or packing essentials for your peyote trips up in Joshua Tree... Black, HEAVY 100% cotton canvas, wool accents in either Red or Blue/Grey. Vegetable tanned leather zipper pulls. Large front zippered pocket, main compartment, and interior padded laptop sleeve. $238

Red Wing Sale: 25% off Everything

2011-04-27T14:22:00.000-07:00

(Avail: 8, 10.5) $285 --> $213
(Avail: 8, 9) $285 --> $213
(Avail: 8, 8.5, 9.5, 11, 11.5, 12) $250 --> $185
(Avail: 8.5, 9.5) $250 --> $185
(Avail: 8, 9, 9.5, 10, 10.5, 11, 11.5) $250 --> $185
(Avail: 8.5, 9, 9.5, 11, 12) $235 --> $175
(Avail: 8, 10) $235 --> $175

Email us at Info@craftworkwear.com or call 310-855-3976 to get your boots. Don't Sleep!

You know what really grinds my gears?

2011-04-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

I went this morning for a followup interview at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)... The Tim Burton exhibit is coming in May. I saw it at MOMA in New York last summer and its killer. Thought it would be fun to work at the exhibit for a little extra bread over the summer while retail is slower....

So after waiting in the sun for half hour for the lady to show up to interview me she says, "Just so you know off top, you'll have to cover your tattoos up if you get the job."...as she's motioning to her wrists, showing me where she'd like my long sleeves to reach.... all summer.... in Los Angeles.... I show her my hands.... "Oh" she says. "You know, you WOULD be working IN the museum right? We allow some piercings, but.... well...." Uh Huh, Uh huh... I get it. Thanks for nothing.

Bravo to corporate America for restricting people who chose to WEAR art from working in a goddamn ART MUSEUM. At a Tim Burton exhibit no less! Very open minded. Not to mention I was embarrassingly over qualified for the job.... I was just stoked to look at Burton stuff all day long....

So I ask YOU, my faithful readers (both of you).... Would you rather get info from a creative individual who actually CARES about what he's selling.... god forbid he might be tattooed.... or from a disinterested college kid in a lacoste polo looking for a summer job? Somebody email Beth (broemer@antennainternational.com) at Antenna International and let her know. You can't fault corporations for doing nothing but protecting their profits.... so you SHOULD let them know when their silly policies have dissuaded you from becoming their customer. Especially when the company claims to be an arbiter of "culture"..... Ha

Amazing.

2011-04-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles (CNN) --

" A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter had to make an emergency landing Sunday morning after a gunman opened fire on the chopper, authorities said.
The helicopter landed safely and the pilot and observer on board were not injured, said police Detective Gus Villanueva.
The incident occurred in the Van Nuys area, when police got a call at around 6 a.m. local time (9 a.m . ET) of shots being fired, police said. The helicopter was responding as backup to a patrol car dispatched to the scene.
The helicopter was at the Van Nuys airport after the incident, and was to be put on a flat-bed truck to be towed downtown for investigation and repair, authorities said.
The apparent shooter eventually was subdued by his family members, Villanueva said. A semi-automatic rifle was recovered, he said.
Police got multiple calls that a second gunman was involved, and a search was conducted Sunday afternoon, Villanueva said. That search was called off later, Villanueva said."

TED kinda rules

2011-04-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

Those wacky Norwegians

2011-04-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Norse Projects Spring Oh-11. Part One.

2011-04-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

Oh yes. This shit's gonna move fast. Email us at Info@Craftworkwear.com for order inquiries.

Embrace the Pull-On

2011-04-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

"In 1923, Red Wing opened a Dallas sales office. Soon after, the company began manufacturing specifically designed, western-style work boots. In 1953, the company introduced a line of western work boots under the Pecos name. The name was derived from a west Texas town near the famous Rio Grande River."

I'm happy to see more and more guys are man-ing up and wearing pull on boots. I've always thought they just oozed style. The sleeker profile makes them a little dressier than lace-ups (race-ups?), and the simplicity makes them versatile as hell. Peco's have a lower heel and rounder toe than cowboy boots, but more shape than an engineer boot so they make an ideal everyday pull-on. Get a brown pair to wear with your dirty jeans, or a beat up black pair that you can sneak under a casual trouser or even a tweed suit. Dean understood. McQueen understood...

A nice selection of vintage Peco's in-store right now. All American made. If you've never worn pull-on boots, come try on a pair. If they're already your jam.... We've got a few gems... your new (old) favorites may just be here waiting for you

Yes

2011-04-17T17:19:00.001-07:00

Incredible doesn't feel like the right word... But still

2011-04-14T11:37:00.001-07:00

We ride for Lindy and Grundy

2011-04-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

(Meat Maven Erika Nakamura & Shop Mama Amelia Posada)

An inspired and thoughtful butcher has opened up this past week right around the corner from the shop. The proprietors are downright lovely. Their devotion to all things fleshy and delicious is admirable and rare.

Emphasis is on local, pasture fed & organic meats. Everything cut to order off the whole animal. Whole smoked chickens sold hot and ready to eat (which we're told its best to come early for)..... Holy shit.

Oh and say hi to Pete when you go.... He'll be outfront panhandling for bacon.

(Their Website)

Zakaria-Baldwin 2012.... Tell me they wouldn't win

2011-04-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Once again, Fareed Zakaria DARES to speak to America like a moderate, pragmatist. Doesn't Obama have a job for him? I feel like he's under-utilized

2011-04-09T13:19:00.000-07:00

Fareed on America's broken politics and bloated budget

The budget battle continues, but what lies behind it? Is America's political system fundamentally broken? And what does the ideal budget look like anyway?

Fareed Zakaria says solutions are out there, but they are not ideological ones. Posturing serves nobody's interests. What America needs is a pragmatic approach to getting its fiscal house in order. Here's the conversation:

Amar C. Bakshi: Does this potential shutdown prove our government is broken? If so, what should be done to fix it?

Fareed Zakaria: I think it proves that our political system is broken - the political parties are broken.

It used to be that in Congress you became famous by creating big, bipartisan deals and passing big, bipartisan legislation. There was an understanding that you were solving problems. You were never going to get exactly what you wanted but it’s a country of 300 million people and not everyone agrees with you and it was important to get some progress.

Right now the way you become famous in Congress seems to be to actually not do a deal - to show that you have stood up to the evil forces on the other side.

You can see that most vividly on the Tea Party. The Tea Party’s constituency, or its base, clearly seems to be more interested in them not actually doing a deal than in them doing a deal. This is ultimately puzzling because the Tea Party is real - I give them a lot of credit for raising the issues they have raised.

But they are one segment of the country. Unless they believe that they should have the ability to - by some kind of dictatorial fiat - impose their will on the rest of the country, then they’re going to have to give and that’s the part that seems to be lost here. That’s the part which says, “Okay, you know our preference is for 10; yours is for 50; so how about 25?” And you make a deal and you split the difference that way.

Is this a systemic problem?

Part of it is the political system where you have redistricting, which has meant that you have safer constituencies, which means that the only thing politicians worry about is primary challenges and not general election challenges. Ninety-percent of the House seats are safe in that sense.

You have fund-raising which now comes increasingly from the extremes of the parties rather than from the center. And you have the narrowcasting of media, so that if some Republican were to say something suspiciously moderate sounding, it would be denounced by Rush Limbaugh the next day; then, maybe, there would be a primary challenge the day after that; and then funding may start drying up the day after that.

This is not an imaginary situation. Friends of mine who are in Congress who are Republicans have told me this is precisely what happens and, of course, you see it with Orrin Hatch playing out in real life.

So I think that it’s a really serious, long-term problem that actually dwarfs the short-term gimmickry of the budget shutdown.

What would your plan for the budget look like?

I think that the solution to the budget is actually relatively straightforward, with one caveat. What I would do is this: I would eliminate almost all tax deductions, loopholes and what are called “tax expenditures,” which are effectively giveaways in the tax code that are almost always in return for campaign contributions.

The reason the American tax code is 14,000 pages long is that it is a series of giveaways to campaign contributors. And so if you get rid of that the Simpson-Bowles Commission estimates you can get almost a trillion and a half dollars, or you can reduce rates. I would rather, for now, just keep the money to pay down the debt.

I would put in a value-added tax because there’s simply no way you can sustain Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security when you’re going to have double the number of people on it in 10 years without some increased revenues.

Once you’ve done those two things I think you have to very significantly restructure American entitlements and cut government spending. I think that for Social Security, the retirement age needs to be raised. You need means testing. You need to index it in a different way than it is indexed now so that you don’t have ever-rising benefits. You need to look at discretionary spending very carefully. You need to cut defense spending. There’s no way around it.

And the caveat?

And then the big caveat I say is healthcare - Medicare in general. That’s the 800-pound gorilla. That’s the one that you really have to get right. And I’ll be honest with you: I don’t know. I don’t think anyone has a silver bullet.

I think that some of the stuff the Obama health plan does is very interesting - cost controls that should be looked at. I think some of the stuff that Paul Ryan talks about, which is effectively forcing the consumer to pay more and therefore to be more cost-conscious, is a good idea.

And why does it have to be one or the other? I think that any expert you talk to will tell you that probably the solution for healthcare will be some combination of a variety of efforts that are geared towards cost controls and that frankly it’ll be a trial-and-error process. We’ll find out what works and then we can do more of one and less of the other.

As I said, it’s a pretty simple set of solutions - that is to say you cannot have revenue at 18-percent of GDP and sustain the kind of government we have had for the last 50 years.

On the other hand you cannot have entitlements grow the way they’re growing. They’ll bankrupt the entire country. So you got to do a little of everything. You’ve got to raise some taxes. You’ve got to cut some spending and you’ve got to cut entitlements.

To try to find some kind of perfect ideological solution in the midst of what is a $1.5 trillion budget seems crazy. You’re going to have to be pragmatic and do a little bit of everything.

How dire is our budget problem?

I think it’s important for people to understand we have a long-term problem. The United States has a long-term economic crisis. It has an unemployment crisis. But it does not have a dire short-term crisis and people shouldn’t panic.

The United States is recovering rather nicely from a very bad recession. It is probably going to grow faster than almost any developed economy in the world this year. It has no trouble borrowing. American borrowing costs have declined over the last three years.

It has probably had the most effective Central Bank in the world over the last three or four years. The Federal Reserve has managed this crisis better than the European Central Bank or the Japanese Central Bank or any other Central Bank that had a crisis to deal with. The [U.S] Treasury has handled its banks much better than the Europeans did. Our stress tests were real. TARP [Troubled Asset Relief Program] is going to turn a profit, if we get lucky.

So you know the reality is that the United States is not in some kind of dire, short-term problem like Greece or Portugal. The U.S. has a significant long-term problem that has to be addressed. But right now I feel as though people think that we are already in the midst of the seventh circle of hell, whereas, in fact, if you look at the financial markets, they’re telling us is that the U.S. economy is surprisingly vibrant.

Do you think confidence could suddenly collapse in the United States and the dollar?

There would have to be some forcing event. Everything about Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, people know. The markets are not unaware that we have these long-term problems.

They’re also aware that most other countries and most other rich countries also face problems and that we have some advantages. We have huge demographic advantages that other countries don’t. We have the reality of a dollar that is the reserve currency of the world, which is going to persist for some foreseeable time in the future.

I’m not trying to say that this window will last forever. But we have five years, not five months to fix this.

Post by:CNN's Amar C. Bakshi, CNN's Fareed Zakaria

Don't chew the gum.

2011-04-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

To continue our appreciation for America's pastime we're releasing a special stock of Deadstock Baseball card packs. Years range from '88-'92 and all the big brands are represented... Topps, Fleer, Score, Donruss, Upper Deck. Come by and embrace the nostalgia. Just looking at graphics and packaging from these things is giving me flashbacks from elementary school. $4 a pack

This video only has everyone in it.

2011-04-08T12:54:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry/You're Welcome

2011-04-07T23:52:00.001-07:00

Another one for the scrapbook, Mom

2011-04-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

Honored to be included in this years Bootsman's Bible, by the Gents at Free & Easy!

You sound like you're from Lahn-dahn!

2011-04-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Schott NYC x William Yan x We Are Not Pilgrims from Sam Sneed on Vimeo.

Come By, Throw the Ball Around....

2011-03-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

We're stoked for Opening Day. To celebrate, we're releasing these very handsome, handmade baseballs by LemonBall.

- Based on late 19th Century Lemon-Peel Style balls

- Chromexcel leather: Guaranteed to patina beautifully with use

- Hand stitched by Cooperstown native Paul Cunningham

- Slightly smaller and softer than modern balls. Consistent with balls used at the turn of the Century, and great for backyard games

Available in Brown or Burgundy Chromexcel. Come by the shop and toss one around for a while (We've even got a few mitts here).... You'll be hard pressed to leave without one. $36

Did I post this already? I'm having deja vu.... Maybe its this herb...

2011-03-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

Butch Anthony's Museum of Wonder from Etsy on Vimeo.

Red Wing.

2011-03-24T01:23:00.001-07:00

Its kinda like a garage sale...

2011-03-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Time for some Spring Cleaning! Going through my personal stuff and lightening the load a little. eBay is where you'll find it all. . .

Teaser of the upcoming VibergxCraftxGenMotors joint

2011-03-22T20:13:00.000-07:00

You're Welcome

2011-03-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.

Go 'head on Lionel

2011-03-20T19:24:00.001-07:00

Lamar Jackson: Black from the Dead! - watch more funny videos

You remember the orange handcuffs that you could "snap" in the middle?

2011-03-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

My Pet Monster

Hahhhh-Pee St. Pahhhhhteeee's there Boy-o

2011-03-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

Come in today inappropriately drunk, and receive 10% off your entire purchase. Bring me a Guinness to get there with you.... 20%. Make an unsolicited crack on the British occupation..... 25%

Support.

2011-03-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Oh what? Like you could resist?

2011-03-14T02:23:00.000-07:00

Philly Stand Up

2011-03-12T22:37:00.000-08:00

Spring Clearance!

2011-03-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

I hate doing sales, so I'm doing it big and I'm doing it quick. All Sugar Cane denim $150. All Kicking Mule denim $125. 40% off all sweaters.

Pete's home sick as a dog with the Flu..... Send comments wishing him well (or making fun of him), and get an additional 10% off any sale merchandise!

Good sizes still available across the board. Get 'em while they're here.

Is a pen really mightier than a sword? Or is that a lie perpetuated by the Sword Owners?

2011-03-12T01:04:00.001-08:00

These old Jags always remind me of....

2011-03-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Steve McQueen first saw his Jaguar XK-SS parked on a studio lot on Sunset Boulevard, back when it originally belonged to Bill Leyden (a local LA radio/television personality). McQueen bought the Jag from him for $5,000 in 1958– though some historians claim the purchase price was $4,000. Wife Neile recalled, “I know exactly how much we paid for it– I signed the check.” Once, McQueen was pulled over for speeding with Neile, 6 months pregnant at the time, sitting beside him. He lied and told the cop that she was in labor. They got an official police escort to the hospital, where nurses were waiting to rush Neile in. After the police left, McQueen told the staff that it was just ‘false labor’, and off they went. He was later quoted as saying, “Neile was pissed. She didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day. But, by God, it worked. I didn’t get the ticket!”(via)

You're Welcome

2011-03-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

(via A Time to Get)

Winning

2011-03-11T14:38:00.001-08:00

Charlie Sheen's Winning Recipes from Charlie Sheen

Our Thoughts Are With You

2011-03-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Blk Pine Utility Tote:

2011-03-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

Wax Canvas outside. Heavy Cotton Canvas inside. 6 Exterior pockets. Zipper pouch pocket inside. Made in Seattle. $142, in Olive/Blk and Blk/Blk. Blk Pine continues to make handsome, solid bags, at an honest price. These will go fast. Info@craftworkwear.com for orders.

Shame On You.

2011-03-10T15:07:00.001-08:00

Great article on old school soda fountains.... And a great local place to get one...

2011-03-10T12:37:00.000-08:00

Phosphate With a Twist

A long-forgotten soft drink is helping create surprising new cocktails.

By WAYNE CURTIS

"The term cherry phosphate has a lovely, faded, elegiac ring to it. It brings to mind an ornate soda fountain, a white-jacketed soda jerk, and a precocious child clambering up a stool to a marble countertop, squawking, “Hey, mister, gimme a phosphate!” And is that the tinkly sound of a player piano? A cherry phosphate has always seemed wonderfully Capra-esque to me, even though I had no idea what was in it.

Neither, it turns out, did Darcy O’Neil, a chemist and bartender with an interest in historic drink. Someone asked him a few years ago what he knew about antique soft drinks. Not much, he realized. So he started digging through old texts and handbooks. In the process, he discovered the surprisingly complex ecosystem of the early soda fountain—which involved some curious ingredients (strychnine, tincture of oats, Leroy’s Vomito-Purgative Elixir) and wasn’t always imbued with a cherry-on-top innocence (Los Angeles Times, 1902: “They Thirst for Cocaine: Soda Fountain Fiends Multiplying. Slaves to the ‘Coca Cola’ Habit”).

O’Neil recently published his research and a slew of drink recipes in an intriguing little book called Fix the Pumps. Among the more fascinating long-forgotten fountain ingredients he examines is acid phosphate, a souring agent both cheaper and less perishable than lemon or lime juice. It consists of neutralized phosphoric acid and mineral salts, O’Neil told me. That may not sound like much of a marketing slogan, but it’s a great improvement over 19th-century advertisements for best-selling Horsford’s Acid Phosphate, which boasted: “It is not nauseous, but agreeable to the taste.”

Mixed with sweet syrup and carbonated water, acid phosphate created “a most delicious beverage,” as a Boston newspaper put it in 1888. The phosphate persisted as a sort of feral class of fountain drink into the 1950s, but fell out of favor amid the rise of bottled soft drinks and the decline of the fountains. O’Neil thought its disappearance a shame, so he founded the forthrightly named Extinct Chemical Company, and now sells acid phosphate to adventurous bars, including Clive’s Classic Lounge in Victoria, British Columbia, and Anvil Bar and Refuge in Houston.

Acid phosphate does two bewitching things to a drink: The acid gives it sourness without making it taste like anything in particular. And the salts enhance existing flavors, much as they do with food. The various elements of the drink (sweet, sour, bitter, sharp) are each discernible, but none is overwhelming. Adding a teaspoon or so of acid phosphate makes a cocktail seem slightly off center, and makes your tongue tingle.

“You can’t name another single cocktail ingredient that functions like this,” said Bobby Heugel, a partner and bartender at Anvil. “The actual phosphate you can’t taste, but the impact on the cocktail is enormous.” Last summer, Heugel put on his cocktail list a sarsaparilla phosphate made with aged rum—basically a grown-up version of a fountain classic. “It’s very subtle,” he said. “It allows you to taste all these flavors that otherwise you’d miss because you’d have to balance it out with more citrus juice. When you add lemon juice to something, it tastes like lemon. Phosphate just adds acidity, balance, and texture to a cocktail without screaming, Hey!

O’Neil sent me a bottle of acid phosphate, and I’ve been playing home chemist ever since. Heugel’s Uncle Morris cocktail—made with gin, honey, celery bitters, lime juice, tonic, and a dollop of acid phosphate—is refreshingly light and nicely tongue-tingly. But my favorite so far is one O’Neil created, which he calls the Wet Grave (after a nickname for New Orleans). It combines acid phosphate with bourbon, dry vermouth, and claret syrup. It has a deep red-ocher color, and a rich, beguiling flavor—somehow tasting both soft and hard at the same time.

And that made me wonder: How about a nice cherry phosphate? I got some concentrated cherry juice, then added sugar, acid phosphate, seltzer water, and—why not?—a little bourbon. Sipping the mixture (which still needs work), I felt as if I were embarking on a small adventure, with a player-piano sound track, into a familiar landscape where the horizon had tilted a few degrees from level. In an era of big tastes and artificially flavored everything, I’m not sure acid phosphate is bold enough to captivate a nation once again. But wouldn’t it be wonderful, someday, to lean on a marble counter and say, “Hey, mister, gimme a cherry-bourbon phosphate”?

Wayne Curtis is an Atlantic correspondent." (via The Atlantic)

Fair Oaks Phamracy, Pasadena

Philly Stand Up!

2011-03-09T18:17:00.000-08:00

Handmade Portraits: Liberty Vintage Motorcycles from Etsy on Vimeo.

Venice is purty at 6am

2011-03-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

The 1954 Packard Panther

2011-03-08T21:09:00.000-08:00

The 1940/41 Chrysler Thunderbolt

2011-03-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

Mr. English, you're speaking my language

2011-03-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

"IF YOU HAVE A BRAIN IN YOUR HEAD... YOU WILL CALL THIS 1-800 NUMBER AFTER THIS COMMERCIAL"

2011-03-02T00:42:00.000-08:00

Covered by Medicare..... Ofcourse it is....

We ride for Middleton Made Knives

2011-03-01T13:20:00.000-08:00

Bladesmith Quintin Middleton of Middleton Made Knives from Jonathon Stout (aka BadJon Photo on Vimeo.

Rintage Spotlight: Engineer Boots

2011-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

A really great looking pair of engineers to wear everyday. Harley Davidson branded, size 10, but fitting slightly smaller. Soles and heels still very solid. These are just perfect looking beaters. What really makes them special is the brass Harley Owners Club pin, left exactly where I found it.... On the instep strap of the right boot. $250

I'm Sorry/You're Welcome

2011-02-28T01:38:00.000-08:00

Great Post.... I'm tempted to push Pete down some stairs so we can get some denim ripped up and needy of repairs.... I mean... I WOULD fix them...

2011-02-28T01:04:00.000-08:00

Mending.

Posted by jimmy the pick

Repairs on the little one's blue jeans.
Holes get cut clean around edges, folded back and glued.

Finished.

Getting Gov't Spending in Line. First to go: The .5% that goes to those who actually need it

2011-02-26T13:14:00.000-08:00

The Right’s War on Peas and Carrots

Posted by demkid on February 23, 2011

On the most recent Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill and his panel spent a significant amount of time discussing the current fight over the budget for FY 2011 (or what’s left of it). As we saw last week, the House Republicans (with zero Democratic votes) passed a budget resolution filled with drastic cuts to numerous government agencies and programs, and thereby fulfilled their arbitrary campaign promise to cut $100 billion from the President’s proposed spending levels. Bill, as a way to crudely illustrate the Republican strategy, pulled out a dinner platter which represented U.S. spending as a whole: heaping piles of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese represented social security, medicare/medicaid, and defense spending. Instead of attempting to tackle these huge chunks of our budget, however, Congressional Republicans decided that they would instead go after the tiny corner of mixed vegetables which represents non-security discretionary spending. In the House Resolution, peas and carrots like home heating assistance for low-income families, medical research at the National Institutes of Health, Pell Grants, assistance for homeless veterans, and Planned Parenthood funding, were all cut in a frenzy. At the same time, Republicans easily avoided cost-effective cuts like reductions in the billions of dollars in annual subsidies to oil companies. It was truly a triumph for partisan ideology. While these types of domestic programs may represent the peas and carrots of our budget when it comes to a percentage of the overall “meal”, when one considers the fact that they save lives and provide essential services to the American public, their importance seems more analogous to the meat and potatoes of Bill’s not-so-well-balanced dinner.

Perhaps the clearest example of the all-out ideological attack on a tiny part of the budget which provides a huge return on its investment is the attempt to slash the Environmental Protection Agency:

H.R. 1 cuts the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by almost a third and hamstrings the EPA’s ability to protect the environment and Americans’ health. For example, the measure prevents the EPA from protecting communities from mercury, lead, arsenic and other toxic air pollution from cement plants, leaving thousands of children exposed and at risk of asthma, slowed brain development and other neurological disorders. The EPA safeguard that the measure blocks would have reduced mercury pollution by more than 90 percent and saved 2,500 lives each year.

Some of the other numerous provisions in the House Resolution targeting the environment and public safety would: interfere with the EPA’s ability to limit toxic pollution from coal-fired power plants, exempt oil companies from Clean Air Act review for drilling in the Arctic, prohibit the EPA from setting new health standards limiting coarse particulate matter in the air we breathe, stop the EPA from implementing certain portions of the Clean Water Act, thereby threatening drinking water and potentially leaving wetlands unprotected from pollution, and Eliminate EPA funding that would enable the agency to use the Clean Air Act to curb greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrofluorocarbons.

The EPA’s budget represents about 0.1% of total spending, yet House Republicans have been eager to attack policies and programs at every turn, and are quick to claim that EPA regulations threaten jobs. The GOP needs to realize that their radical attacks on environmental protection just aren’t in line with either the American public or the facts:

The many people who were frustrated with government in the 2010 elections and voted for Tea Party members probably did not realize they were voting to “gut” environmental protections that Americans have enjoyed for the past several decades. A recent poll about proposals to weaken Clean Air Act rules indicates that members of Congress pushing to weaken environmental protection are distancing themselves from the electorate. Meanwhile the proposed budget cuts bear a striking resemblance to the Santa wish-list of K Street coal, chemical, oil and gas lobbyists. These lobbyists came late to the Tea Party, but made up for their tardiness with dollars.
The environmental and economic benefits provided by EPA’s work are visible in communities across America, ranging from reduced smog to cleaner waters and the all but end of indiscriminate hazardous waste dumping. These improvements have led to billions of dollars in health benefits that even the George W. Bush Administration catalogued. The dollars these safeguards have saved come primarily from reducing the number of Americans who become ill because of pollution.
The cost of the programs responsible for these improvements is a relatively small portion of the federal budget, and thus a very small percentage of the average American family’s tax expenditures. Yet, the benefits derived from these programs are extraordinary: clean air for our children to breathe, clean water for our families to drink, healthy public lands for people to recreate on, and clean oceans to support healthy fisheries and the livelihoods tied to this precious resource.

I highly recommend this article, which discusses the benefits of EPA regulation for workers:

A study just released by Ceres and the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusettsexamines the jobs effects of some of the new regulations, specifically ones that have been harshly attacked by EPA critics. This well-documented study finds that far from being “job killers,” the new regulations will create nearly 300,000 new jobs, especially skilled, high-pay jobs for engineers, project managers, electricians, boilermakers, pipe-fitters, millwrights, and iron workers.
The new study joins a large number of previous studies showing that EPA regulation, in addition to protecting the environment and the public’s health, also serves as a job-growing economic stimulus and development program for the American economy. These studies directly contradict the endlessly repeated mantra that environmental regulations are “job killers.”
The cost of compliance with EPA regulation is generally less than two percent of total business costs. The idea that companies will shut down or go abroad to avoid such costs is ludicrous. However, companies often try to blame shutdowns and runaways on environmental compliance costs as a way to displace responsibility from other causes, such as new technologies, increased productivity, fluctuating energy prices — and their own corporate strategic decisions.

It will be an interesting next couple of weeks on the Hill. Fortunately, the House Resolution with its partisan cuts is dead on arrival in the Senate. The current Continuing Resolution (CR) runs out on March 4th, and as Congress is off this week, that leaves just a few working days to pass something before then to avoid a government shutdown. As it stands now, it looks like Democrats in the Senate want to pass a “clean CR” which would keep spending levels the same for another month, and allow proper time for debate and compromise with Republicans. The GOP, on the other hand, seems only willing to accept a temporary extension if it includes some level of cuts. Something’s got to give. One thing’s for certain, however. While Americans generally favor spending cuts to reduce the deficit, when it comes to specific programs, we’re actually closeted big government spenders. In a recent Pew Survey, while fewer Americans want spending to grow in specific areas, most cuts to programs are unpopular. Double-digit percentages of the public actually favor increased spending levels over cuts in education, veterans’ benefits, health care, medicare, combating crime, energy, scientific research, and yes, environmental protection. In another recent survey, most Americans oppose restrictions on the EPA.

While Republicans think they have a mandate to slash the peas and carrots of our budget, perhaps they should think again and recognize that while Americans generally support spending cuts, there’s little support for ultra-partisan political posturing. Maybe it’s about time to take a hard look at reducing that huge, gooey heap of macaroni and cheese.

Oh shit son! That guy cuts my hair!

2011-02-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

I WILL see this factory, sooner or later. . .

2011-02-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

Kapital Kountry

2011-02-21T23:44:00.000-08:00

Cat Shit One.

2011-02-17T13:22:00.001-08:00

Himel Bros. Leather Jackets

2011-02-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

(The Himel Family)

We are extremely proud and excited to be the very first place where David Himel's extraordinary handmade leather jackets can be seen, purchased, and custom ordered in person. Available in the finest goatskin and horsehide leathers, these jackets are truly fine examples of old world craftsmanship. Please call or email us at info@craftworkwear.com for details and availability of specific model's and sizes.

About the brand:

"HIMEL BROS. LEATHER 80 years of bespoke and production leather manufacturing knowledge. We are committed to recreate the processes, techniques and styles of the modern industrial age, to make perfect garments that can be worn through generations. Every design, part and detail has a purpose-built essence that will bring the past into today. Our jackets are a perfect melding of people, leather and craftsmanship, made with respect and time.

This is a time when jackets were transformed from homemade, cloth jackets, outdoors jackets and military jackets to new purpose built sporting jackets."

(Heron)
(Avro, Two-tone)
(Musher)
(Avro w/Pony Hair)

Please

2011-02-15T01:25:00.000-08:00

I want these, but in roughout black w/ brown edge trim.

Baby Makin' Music

2011-02-10T15:47:00.000-08:00

Been listening to the Stylistics channel on Pandora all day.... Has yet to disappoint. Smokey Robinson? Oh yes. The O'jays? Fuck yeah.

Do yourself a favor.... Get your girl half "in the bag", as my charming lady puts it, and put this shit on.

Pefecto Carney Jacket: A month later.

2011-02-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Taking shape really nicely... Amazing how a few weeks of wear bring out the grain in the horsehide. Its gotten buttery soft, nice a drapey, and lost most of that new jacket leather creakiness...

Rubbed with a warm damp cloth take a litte of the shine off the leather, and oiled once to soften it a bit...

I pulled the side tabs tight to give it a close-waisted fit without getting tight in the shoulders or arms.... Great range of movement without the whole jacket pulling up over my gut when I raise my arms...

One Medium left in stock

Umm..... Doubt it.

2011-01-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

(CNN) -- The mass deaths of thousands of red-winged blackbirds in Arkansas was caused by "blunt force trauma," according to a new report by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Laboratory tests were conducted on 13 of the birds that were part of the group that flew into buildings and died in a neighborhood in Beebe, Arkansas, 40 miles northeast of Little Rock.

"The tests ruled out bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, pesticides and avicides (chemicals used to kill birds) as causes of death," the commission said in a statement.

These results confirmed preliminary tests that were conducted after the incident.

The tests revealed hemorrhaging "consistent with blunt trauma," according to the report released Wednesday. "In most instances, such traumatic injuries in wild birds are due to flying into stationary objects such as trees, houses, windows, power lines, towers, etc.". . ."

Ok, I'm calling bullshit on this. 5000 birds all flew into buildings all at once? And no-one saw it? Heard it? Now, I'm not a Science-tician but I'd be willing to bet that the blunt trauma seen in the 13 (13?!? out of 5000!?) birds could be from them HITTING THE DAMN GROUND..... AFTER whatever caused them to drop had already happened....

Anybody finding info that sounds more plausable or likely, please send it along in the comments....

Logo study

2011-01-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

Why you buy tan roughout boots

2011-01-25T23:08:00.000-08:00

Red Wing Iron Rangers... in Tan Hawthorn

I want a bronze watch

2011-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

Sneaky sneaky Peeky peeky at Perfecto Fall '11

2011-01-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Highsnobiety TV: Perfecto Brand by Schott Fall 2011 from Highsnobiety on Vimeo.

Thank you Fareed.... For speaking to Americans like grown ups!

2011-01-24T11:55:00.001-08:00

Speaking of Worn 9111's. . .

2011-01-23T12:58:00.000-08:00

Worn about 6 months (Thanks Eric for letting us shoot these...)

Told you the Copper Rough and Tough leather ages well. . .

LBJ says low rise is for pussies...

2011-01-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

Put This On: LBJ Buys Pants from Put This On on Vimeo.

“In 1964, Lyndon Johnson needed pants, so he called the Haggar clothing company and asked for some. The call was recorded (like all White House calls at the time), and has since become the stuff of legend. Johnson’s anatomically specific directions to Mr. Haggar are some of the most intimate words we’ve ever heard from the mouth of a President.

(via. put this on)

We ride for Parazit

2011-01-20T23:36:00.000-08:00

Iran's answer to John Stewart's Daily Show. Real satire from a culture and state that views satire as treason. Bravo Gents.

(Their Blogspot Here)

A great clip from Daily Show last night.... That refuses to embed for some reason... I'll work on it.... but till then:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-20-2011/exclusive---kambiz-hosseini---saman-arbabi-extended-interview

Pull-Up like a Mother Fucker!

2011-01-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Many of you are familiar with Chrome-excel leather from Chicago's Horween tannery. Chromexcel is a chrome tan, veg. re-tan, hot stuffed leather. The oils and waxes embedded in the leather move around when the leather is flexed, giving the hide beautiful highlights and lo-lights. This color changing quality is called "pull-up".... (You'll often see craftsman stretch leather swatches over their thumb to see the color change). In the eyes of patina hunters, pull-up leather is sought after for the explosion of texture you get as soon as you start wearing your boots. For outdoorsmen, the oiled hides are well regarded for their water resistance, and durability.

Red Wing's most handsome pull-up leather is their Copper Rough & Tough, as seen in our newest model: The 9111. A round toe boot built on the same #8 last as the Gentleman Traveler. They find a cozy niche between the stiffer 8'' moc toe syles and the lower chukka's. The Copper leather is rusty, medium brown with a nice waxy feel, and yes..... great pull-up.

Head Barber, Jason at Baxter Finley next door got the first pair.... We'll check in on his in a few weeks as they wear. Plenty more in stock, ready for new homes.

Wait.... this is in '42??

2011-01-14T22:44:00.000-08:00

"Certainly one of my favourite photos by Dorothea Lange taken in 1942. This goes a long way to show that not much is new. Engineers boots and big selvage cuffs that predate every style icon we though we had."

(via Papa Nui)

My Dad caught this one.... Good eye Old Man!

2011-01-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

The Brannock Device Co.
Device inventor Charles Brannock

"Maker of Foot Measurer Tries to Stop Other Shoe From Dropping—On It
Iconic Brannock Device Hangs On By Its Toes Against Foreign-Made Rivals

By TIMOTHY AEPPEL

LIVERPOOL, N.Y.—Many have tried, but no one has ever come up with a more elegantly simple way to measure the human foot than Charles Brannock, inventor of that ubiquitous metal gadget found in shoe stores and known, fittingly, as the Brannock device.

Created in the 1920s, Mr. Brannock's tool is among the most enduring industrial designs ever. The company's original paperwork now resides in the Smithsonian Institution. Cameron Kippen, a foot historian and podiatrist in Australia, calls them an "icon of quality" that changed the way shoes were fitted.

Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp.'s chief executive, Paul Grangaard, keeps one in his office. He used it most recently to measure the foot of Osmo Vanska, the Finnish music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, to whom he was giving a pair of shoes.

There's even an alternative-rock band in Kansas City called "The Brannock Device," a name picked, according to one of the band's founders, guitarist Jeremy Schutte, because the drummer once worked in a shoe store. "We loved the name," he says. "There's a little nostalgia to it—going to the shoe store and getting your shoe fitted."

But defending the Brannock legacy from competitors, who produce cheaply overseas, has become an uphill battle. Sal Leonardi bought the Brannock Device Co. Inc. from Mr. Brannock's estate in 1993 after the inventor died at age 89, and he promised to keep the factory in the Syracuse area for at least five years. That was an easy pledge for Mr. Leonardi, a passionate advocate of American manufacturing. He says he bought Brannock in part because he figured its then domination of a microscopic industry would assure its success.

Its 1929 patent, however, expired long ago. Over the last two decades, the Brannock device has become a target for copycats. Although Mr. Leonardi won't give details on sales at the closely held company, he says foreign-made devices have cut into his market.

There isn't much the company can do to stop imitators. Mr. Leonardi's attempt to trademark the product's distinctive shape was rejected. "We don't mind competing with someone making a foot-measuring device, but not if they can make them to look exactly like ours," says Mr. Leonardi. Which they can.

Nobody else can call it a Brannock device, since the name is protected by copyright. Beyond that, just about anything goes. And does.

In his office the company's tiny 10-employee factory outside Syracuse, Mr. Leonardi keeps a handful of copies. One knockoff even includes a copy of Brannock's original instruction sheet—with only the name of the company changed.

The fuzzy photos on the knockoff's instruction sheet are of Mr. Brannock's own hands holding the device, and of the inventor using it to measure a woman's foot. The copycat device is such a faithful imitation that it doesn't include modifications made to Brannocks by Mr. Leonardi over the past decade, such as slightly streamlining the knob used to mark the ball of the foot.

Marvin Bearak, whose company makes that particular copy in China, says it's possible they copied the instructions early on, but they have since updated the instruction sheet. "We basically knocked it off, reverse-engineered it," says Mr. Bearak, president of Chicago-based Justin Blair & Co., a maker and distributor of shoe-store equipment.

The driving force is price, he says. An authentic Brannock made in the U.S. sells for about $60, while Chinese-made versions sell for less than half that. Mr. Bearak's product is called a "Ralyn foot measuring device," but held alongside the real thing, it's difficult to see much difference.

Brannock has a complex relationship with its imitators. Mr. Bearak's company, besides selling the Chinese-made knockoffs, distributes authentic Brannock devices purchased from Mr. Leonardi. Some customers insist on the real thing, says Mr. Bearak. Others want to save money.

David Murphy, president of Red Wing Shoe Co. in Red Wing, Minn., is among the purists. He says the firm specifies authentic Brannocks when it opens new stores, and he doesn't mind paying over twice as much for them, "because they last forever."

"A Brannock device is very, very important to us," he says. "We train our people on them."

Mr. Brannock was the son of a Syracuse shoe merchant who began developing his device while still a student at Syracuse University. At the time, the main tool available was the "Ritz stick," a simple wooden ruler that gauged only foot length, not the other dimensions measured by a Brannock. Mr. Brannock made his prototype out of erector-set pieces and applied for a patent in 1927.

They were an instant hit, though business really took off during World War II, when the government contracted Brannock to produce a version of the device that allowed soldiers to have both feet measured at once. That sped the process of distributing footwear.

Jonathan Walford, a shoe historian, says there is a "whole Brannock field out there—guys who collect and are really into them."

Berry Craig estimates he has about 75 vintage Brannocks on specially built shelves in a closet at his home in Kentucky. "If they're good enough for the Smithsonian to collect," says the history professor at West Kentucky Community & Technical College, "they're good enough for me."

Beyond low-cost copycats, the biggest challenge facing Brannock today is that many people buy shoes on the Internet or in self-service stores where getting fitted by an expert isn't an option. New technologies also have emerged to measure feet electronically, but those systems are far more costly.

Back at the Brannock factory, Mr. Leonardi says substituting cheaper materials isn't an option. Mr. Brannock insisted his devices be made to be as durable as possible, so Mr. Leonardi has resisted advice to reduce prices by using plastic or other materials. "That's something Mr. Brannock would never accept," he says, "and neither would we."

Write to Timothy Aeppel at timothy.aeppel@wsj.com"

(WSJ)

I think I like it less every time they changed it... Anybody else?

2011-01-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

Paul Simon Never Mentioned This....

2011-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

"You can slip out the back Jack or you can put up five 10 x 23 foot billboards in your neighborhood. Adios LA is a visual goodbye to the city Jon Jackson has called home for years as the artist heads east making New York his new home. Not wanting to string LA along, he has decided to firmly break it off through a graphic billboard series posted on the famous streets of his first love. Most take Mr. Simon's advice when leaving town, but if you want a city with benefits you better do more than make a new plan Stan.

If you are in Los Angeles from the 17th of December to the 15th of January, you can use this site to give you the locations of the outdoor boards so you can drive by and see the break up in process. Bring a camera and box of tissue." (adiosla)

How to find them....

The Oh-Eleven is NOT fucking around.

2011-01-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

Perfecto!

2010-12-30T17:39:00.000-08:00

The first two styles from Greg Chapman's new Perfecto arm of the Schott Company have arrived! Despite Greg's insistance on being British, we like him anyway..... and the Perfecto stuff is absolutely gorgeous.

First up is the Horse Hide "Carney" Jacket: "Mens 1930's inspired delivery/riders jacket. In times of need if a manufacturer ran out of a color they would simply compromise with another, making the two-tone trim authentic to the period."

Two-Tone Black/Brown horsehide. Brass zippers throughout. Brass side buckles. Leather windflap behind zipper. Collar buttons down with hidden snaps. 100% Cotton plaid lining.

This jacket is absolutely gorgeous. $898

Also arrived is the buttery soft Suede Club Jacket, in Tobacco. "From Schott's archives: Featuring knit collar, cuffs and waistband. Inspired by a typical post-war everyman jacket. Added chain pull breast pocket reflects a classic design feature of the time." Lined in 100% cotton plaid. Great color; works well with dark denim or a crisp chino. $598

Some handsome boots on eBay right meow

2010-12-26T17:11:00.000-08:00

(Check them here...... Cleanin out the closet)

Showin Philly love on the eve of a BIG win over the G-men

2010-12-19T14:54:00.000-08:00

"Philadelphia circa 1910. "City Hall." Philadelphia's soot-stained City Hall, still the largest municipal building in the United States, was for a time the tallest building in the world, at 548 feet. Its epic scope includes the time it took to complete, with construction beginning in 1871 and dragging on well into the 20th century -- the project's main architect died in 1890; his successor's successor expired in 1910, still on the job nine years after the building had been turned over to the city. So glacial was the pace of construction, according to one history, that a major round of revisions had to be undertaken to account for "the invention of electricity and elevators." 8x10 inch glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co" (via Shorpy)

If ever there was a week to buy a slicker:

2010-12-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

Elko for Norse Projects. Yellow or Navy. $288

Blk Pine: Waxed Canvas Series

2010-12-14T18:27:00.001-08:00

The Blk Pine Wax Canvas helmut bag has arrived. Great for everyday use. Light and soft, yet as durable as ever. Black or Olive. $206

Japantown

2010-12-12T23:06:00.000-08:00

CraftWorkWear

The New Website is Up!! Craftworkwear.com

Sounds about right.

Can't wait for football season...

We Remember

We Ride For Weiner..... No homo

New Product!

R.I.P. Gil Scott Heron

Part two

American Innovation

And while we're on the topic of cars....

2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1 or 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake? Show your work. . .I'll give a few hints

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!!!

Finally!!

Incase you need to ruin your pillowcases and support your President at the same time. . .

Better celebrity-fronted Folk band?

Norse Projects: Spring Oh-11 Part Deux

Craft WorkWear: STILL the best place in L.A. to buy Vintage Boots

Advertising isn't what it used to be.

Dear Universe, Please let me drive on the salt flats just once before I go. . .

Craft Contributor: The EndustryCat

Vintage Engineer Boots: Custom Studded by Craft

New Blk Pine Packs

Red Wing Sale: 25% off Everything

You know what really grinds my gears?

Amazing.

TED kinda rules

Those wacky Norwegians

Norse Projects Spring Oh-11. Part One.

Embrace the Pull-On

Yes

Incredible doesn't feel like the right word... But still

We ride for Lindy and Grundy

Zakaria-Baldwin 2012.... Tell me they wouldn't win

Once again, Fareed Zakaria DARES to speak to America like a moderate, pragmatist. Doesn't Obama have a job for him? I feel like he's under-utilized

Fareed on America's broken politics and bloated budget

Don't chew the gum.

This video only has everyone in it.

I'm sorry/You're Welcome

Another one for the scrapbook, Mom

You sound like you're from Lahn-dahn!

Come By, Throw the Ball Around....

Did I post this already? I'm having deja vu.... Maybe its this herb...

Red Wing.

Its kinda like a garage sale...

Teaser of the upcoming VibergxCraftxGenMotors joint

You're Welcome

Go 'head on Lionel

You remember the orange handcuffs that you could "snap" in the middle?

Hahhhh-Pee St. Pahhhhhteeee's there Boy-o

Support.

Oh what? Like you could resist?

Philly Stand Up

Spring Clearance!

Is a pen really mightier than a sword? Or is that a lie perpetuated by the Sword Owners?

These old Jags always remind me of....

You're Welcome

Winning

Our Thoughts Are With You

Blk Pine Utility Tote:

Shame On You.

Great article on old school soda fountains.... And a great local place to get one...

Phosphate With a Twist

By WAYNE CURTIS

Philly Stand Up!

Venice is purty at 6am

The 1954 Packard Panther

The 1940/41 Chrysler Thunderbolt

Mr. English, you're speaking my language

"IF YOU HAVE A BRAIN IN YOUR HEAD... YOU WILL﻿ CALL THIS 1-800 NUMBER AFTER THIS COMMERCIAL"

We ride for Middleton Made Knives

Rintage Spotlight: Engineer Boots

I'm Sorry/You're Welcome

Great Post.... I'm tempted to push Pete down some stairs so we can get some denim ripped up and needy of repairs.... I mean... I WOULD fix them...

Mending.

Getting Gov't Spending in Line. First to go: The .5% that goes to those who actually need it

The Right’s War on Peas and Carrots

Oh shit son! That guy cuts my hair!

Shot To Def: Jason Simao

I WILL see this factory, sooner or later. . .

"IF YOU HAVE A BRAIN IN YOUR HEAD... YOU WILL CALL THIS 1-800 NUMBER AFTER THIS COMMERCIAL"