Michael Morris was nice enough to us over one of his friction folders and I’ve been carrying it around for a couple of days now. I thought a review was in order and here I am… Spouting off about something I love – Knives.

Michael is a custom knife maker out of Michigan that focuses on hard working and affordable blades based on USA made files. Files? Yep, files… See, files are an excellent source for high carbon steel. And it’s this steel that makes Michael’s knives so damned durable. Essentially, he takes an order or comes up with an idea, grabs a file, and whittles it down until it looks like a knife. It really is that simple.

Or is it? The charm behind the knife that Michael sent me is its attention to detail. You really couldn’t get much more simple than a friction folder made out of a file and a couple of bits of micarta, but it’s the craftsmanship that makes this thing sing. The blade shape is artfully proportionate, the remaining texture of the file is preserved beautifully, and the fit and finish is as good as many $1000 knives on the market. It’s that good. Really, it is…

Even so, my favorite part of the knife is the little tad of ingenuity that Michael plugged into the tang. It’s a bottle opener… TRICK!

I’m done. I’ve already decided I’m gonna buy another from Mr. Morris. And these little folders start at only $90, so I can’t go wrong.

Neither can you… check out Michael’s site and get more info here. Until then, dig on the photos:

So ya got yourself a super slick camera, but you are still using that cheesy wrist strap or ultra-uncomfortable necker that it came with? I was like you until last week… Then, I stumbled upon this dude named Gordy that makes these super boss camera straps. My cameras are sporting leather now.

You can learn more here.

Even if you don’t need a strap, at least check out the gallery. It’s totally worth your time.

How about a random pocket dump from yours truly? Ok, ok… Stop begging. It’s not becoming.

{Click to enlarge}

1. My keychain. It’s gotten smaller and lighter since the last time you saw it. Gone is the titanium pen and the leatherman “Key Mod” and welcomed is the titanium chain with McGizmos on each end. It works like a typical carabiner would, but is much more flexible and VERY light. The Arc-AAA remains and I still love it.

2. The Strider PT CC. Still a favorite and carried every week day, but I pocket a Swiss Army “Super Tinker” on the weekends.

3. Every gentleman should carry a handkerchief.

4. Tanner Goods card case. This one is getting tested at the moment – stay tuned for a review on this and other front-pocket wallets.

5. Custom made O&W… Vintage WW2 inspired.

6. The iPhone. Old school.

I love this shit. Check it out:

In Persona, his deliciously voyeuristic, fashion forward portraits, Jason Travis snaps hipster Atlantans along with the contents of their messenger bags, backpacks and clutches to determine “what they deem important in their lives.” You are what you schlep.

Check out the entire set here.

Need a bad ass USB key that is pretty much indestructible? A couple of companies have ya covered like Corsair and Ironkey, but the latest is from Lacie and it’s pretty damned cool. You can get them up with up to 64g in storage and they start at around $50. Check out this video… It’s rad.

This is pretty bitchin… Armbruster Tent Maker is America’s oldest tent manufacturer and they’ve got a thing for history. So much so, that they still manufacturer and sell the same tents that they sold to the government in WWII. Rad, no?

You can get more details here.

I found a Flickr group the other day that is based around the items folks carry in their bags every day. What is it about looking at the shit people carry that is do damned interesting?

Check it out here.

Almost 2 years ago, Leica introduced the D-Lux 4 compact digital camera. Their partner in the project, Panasonic, released the LX3 shortly after. The cameras are literal twins of each other – from a hardware standpoint, they are absolutely identical. There are minor firmware differences between the two, but most photographers claim little significant differences in the resulting photographs. However, the Leica version of the camera retailed for about $300 more than the Panasonic. That 300 bones got you a cleaner case and that great red Leica logo. I don’t know if I can argue against it…

In any case, both cameras are beautiful in their simplicity and classic designs. If ever a digital camera was going to be considered a “classic,” it would be the LX3/D-Lux 4. And it’s more than skin deep… These cameras were introduced as 10-megapixel backup cameras that a pro photographer could use as a back-up to his multi-thousand dollar DSLR. It’s small and easily pocketable, but still has all of the manual options that typical compact cameras do not. For some schmuck photographer that knows just enough, these cameras can do wonderful things.

When they were first released to market, the LX3 and D-Lux 4 were priced out of the normal guy’s range. However, they have started to come down in price and are now obtainable for around $350 for the LX3 and $500 for the D-Lux 4. If you are a into photography and want to EDC just about the best damn compact in the world (still by most accounts), now is the time to jump fellas. Mine is on the way.

OK fellas, I’m about to dork out here… Hold your giggles until the end. See, I’ve gotten a few emails asking about the pens I carry. Typical of me, I like to carry durable stuff that is made to last. Also typical of me, I don’t like to spend a ton of dough. The ideal pen for me is most likely the traditional Fisher Space Pen, but I’ve always been ran off by the $60 price tag. What’s a cheap bastard to do?

Enter the Zebra-701. The 701 is an all stainless ballpoint pen that is built like a tank and features a sexy knurled grip all for about $5. It’s not perfect however. For reasons beyond me, Zebra used a plastic spring retainer on the pen while their own F-402 features the same unit with all metal construction. On top of that, the performance of the 701 ballpoint refill leaves a lot to be desired. Time to hack.

The first task at hand is to get rid of the 701′s plastic spring retainer. To do this, go and buy yourself a run of the mill Zebra F-402. They run about $6 for a two pack and you can pick them up just about anywhere. Once you get your grubby hands on those, it’s time to start disassembling. It might seem simple at first, but the spring retainers (clickers) on both the 701 and the 402 are threaded press fits. In other words, they are hard as hell to unscrew.

I’ve got a trick to help you along though. Remove the tips and fillers from both pens and place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Once out, use a lighter to warm the barrel of the pen near the clicker. Just as the stainless is changing colors try unscrewing the clicker (wear a glove as it will be hot). With a little effort you should be able to work the threads without gouging the stainless part you are after. Here’s some photos to show you the way:

Looking good, right? Now, it’s time to tackle the performance of the pen. The stock 701 comes with a plastic filler that writes decently, but leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve always felt that Fisher Space Pens are the best ballpoint performers and wondered if a Space Pen refill would work in a 701. With a little effort, they absolutely will…

Buy yourself a SPR4 Fisher refill. They run $5 and are pressurized allowing you to write on just about anything in any environmental condition. Put shortly, they rule. However, you have to do a little work to get it clicking in your 701. The first step is to remove the thin plastic bushing found in the tip of your 701. To do so, insert a bent up paper clip (or a staple will work in a pinch) into the tip of the pen and easily pry the bushing out.

Now, this bushing locates the tip of your ballpoint. If you write without it, you will get a sloppy action in the pen and a cheap rattle. You don’t want that, but the 701 bushing is a hair too small in diameter for the Space Pen insert. So, you need to stretch the very tip of the bushing just a tad to allow the Space Pen insert to move freely in and out of the bushing, but not so much to allow the insert any slop. I know, it sounds technical – it’s not. Simply slide your old 701 refill into the tip of the bushing all the way to the spring stop. This will stretch the tip the exact amount you need.

Once done, slide the bushing back into the 701 tip, put the 701 spring onto the Space Pen refill, and put the pen back together again. Presto! You now have a pen that looks and performs just as well as the traditional $60 Fisher Space Pen. Total cost? Around $10.

You can laugh now.

So by studying the contents of a man’s pockets, what details can you learn about him? Can a man be defined by the gear he wears and carries? We “picked-the-pockets” of several New Yorkers (regardless of political party affiliation) and took a look at the details of their existence to answer the key question: what are the objects you simply cannot do without? We found the bangles, baubles, trinkets and final flourishes of their dress were unmistakable expressions of their craft, uniqueness, eccentricity, faith, sentimentality and humor…

Dig what they found.