Our favorite notebooks just got a little more... fiery. Designed to serve as a companion for the diligent men and women who have kept watch of our forests for 100 years, the Field Notes Fire Spotter Notebook ($10/3-pack) features "Electric Red" construction cover stock, "FIRE SPOTTER" printed by hand on a vintage Miehle vertical press, three included temporary tattoos, and all-new light-gray "dot grid" interior pages, which may be worth the order all by themselves.
Put your million-dollar app idea on paper with these UI Stencil Kits ($27). With versions for the iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, and the web, the kits consist of a stainless steel interface stencil and a pretty great Zebra mechanical pencil. For perfect wireframing, you'll need to pick up a matching device sketch pad ($14).
You don't have to be that old to remember when calculators were cool — and now you can celebrate that bygone era with an HP Limited Edition Calculator ($80). While its landscape layout is slightly less revolutionary than it was 30 years ago when it launched, the 12c — its official name — is still a handsomely retro tool featuring a 10 character display, a RPN entry-system logic, over 120 built-in functions, 20 memory registers, a unique production number laser-etched on the back, a special, limited-edition gift box, and, for the financial gurus in the crowd, is good for use in CFP and CFA certification exams. [via]
When you're in a creative groove, you don't need anything breaking your flow — and that goes double for your writing utensil. The Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil ($33) is a Japan-only dream with a nearly-perfect weight and feel, an all metal brass body with knurled grip and lead grade indicator, a fixed 4 mm sleeve, a clip, and an eraser under the top cap. Also available in silver.
Behold the awesome old school goodness of these vintage-printed, buttery-soft Homage T-Shirts. They turn back the clock with shout outs to eclectic moments and personalities in sports, music, politics and popular culture. From Bruce Lee to Larry Bird, the tees tell stories of triumph, individualism and hustle. Pay Homage.
Go beyond the simple pen cup and add a piece of rustic flair to your office environment with a Reclaimed Timber Desk Caddy ($45). Made from antique reclaimed fir timbers, coated in a non-toxic finish, and sporting a number of differently-sized holes, these simple organizers are ready to hold all your most-used tools, big or small.
Love Hi-Tec-C pens but not so enthusiastic about their pedestrian plastic housings? Let the Pen Type-A ($50) come to your rescue. Milled and turned from a solid block of 304 stainless steel, this unique writing instrument supports both Pilot Hi-Tec-C and G-Tec-C Cartridges in a variety of colors and widths, as well as a finish that is made to outlast your desire to hand write anything and a nifty storage sleeve that doubles as a ruler.
Whether you need a hardcore holder for your tools or are just trying to add a little shop class flair to your desk, the Industrial Strength Organizer ($50) has your back. Made from steel that's brushed to a bare shine and finished with varnish, this six-pound station features six separate compartments of varying size, as well as felt feet to protect less-industrial surfaces.
Unless you've spent a lot of time in Japan, odds are you haven't heard of Craft Design Technology ($3-$120). But you have now, right? Makers of high-quality office goods like memo pads, pens, pencils, notebooks, and some insanely awesome scissors, their stuff is an easy way to set your boring cubicle apart from the rest of the herd — no red stapler in sight.
Whether you work in a super rugged environment or just want a more effective sheild than your fourth wife, the Bulletproof Clipboard ($45) should serve you well. Made from a slab of Level II body armor, this crazy clipboard can stop 9mm rounds dead in their tracks, and is also useful for, you know, holding paper.
Our thanks to Gillette for sponsoring our Gear articles this month.
We're pretty sure this is the first time we've heard the phrase "turtle head" used in a positive, non-gross way. Turtle Pens (£30-£35; roughly $50-$60) eschew the typical addicting push-top design for a unique, patented "SNAPback" design that has the user pull the rear casing of the pen back, letting it recoil to expose the nib, which is centered in a bit of extendable casing the company has dubbed the Turtle Head. Available in black, white, green, or orange, each pen also comes in a sturdy stainless steel storage canister that looks like it might be good for more than just holding a writing instrument. [Thanks, Brad]
Whether you're buying a gift for a notorious note keeper or just looking to upgrade from your current Moleskine, Arwey Notebooks ($8-$20) are a good choice. Available in a wide variety of sizes, styles and colors, these trusty 'books feature niceties like magnetic locks, elastic bands, pen holders, interior pockets, perforated pages, writing and sketching guides, in addition to being made from paper milled from managed forests — enter the code UNCRATE at checkout for a tidy 50% discount.
Show off your business' materials acumen with Carbon Fiber Business Cards ($TBA). These cards are made from thin, lightweight real carbon fiber that provides a depth not seen with traditional card stock, and imbed your graphics under a layer of epoxy coating, keeping them from scratching or wearing off, and thus extending the lifetime of your promotional investment. As a bonus, they might also match your high-end "corporate" vehicle.
Our thanks to Gillette for sponsoring our Gear articles this month.