Picked up the axe at a local Murdochs and wanted to give it a little attention. First I used the thing. Then I sanded it down. Painted and sealed it. Like I said, simple but effective. I like it.

So, I was pretty excited when Chris Brown of Refueled Magazine contacted me about some photos of mine that he really dug. He wanted to pull some polaroids and digital shots I had taken with the super rad Natasha Terry for his 8th issue. There’s a little spread above for yah:) He placed a hand full of shots smack in the middle amongst some great stories you just have to check out… I happened to already be familiar with Roy Slaper of Roy Denim and photographer Laura Dart so to say the least, Im very honored to be in the midst of these artists!

Check out the latest issue HERE and keep up with Chris on Facebook! The guy has a great sense of art and style.

Last year I grew out of my 10 year phase of only wearing black and white Chuck Taylors. I was even got married in them. Anyways… This past year was met with both a pair of brown Ranger Mocs and black Ranger Boots from LL.Bean Signature. I absolutely love them, most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn… but both are made for spring, summer and fall. Not so much for winter, my feet end up cold and wet from the snow.

In comes the hunt for a pair of Loggers. Yah see my brother got a pair of Nicks a few years back for wildfire fighting and ever since I’ve wanted a pair. Price is steep though, coming in at around $450 a pair. Then again its a pair for a lifetime but I just wanted something to replace my lame Timberland hiking boots and to keep my feet dry and stable in snow around town or hiking through the mountains. I found these Chippewas at a local place and they happen to carry one pair of loggers, they happen to fit and I happen to have enough Christmas cash to buy’em.

Can’t recommend a pair of loggers enough. Its a whole different world of boot. It lengthens your gait and gives you a couple good inches of height. You’ll want to charge a mountain and swing an axe or better yet fire up a 48″ chainsaw while your beard grows at double speed.

Where’s my flapjacks?!

So got this trip to Brazil coming up very quickly and I needed a bag that could hold a good amount of photography gear along with my 15″ Macbook. Up to this point I’ve been patiently waiting and watching and straight up searching for a legit old school leather bag that would not only be functional but have some real history to it. I didn’t want a brand spanking new bag. I dont really like new things all that much, I’m shying away more and more from being a straight consumer enticed by the glitter and gold. BUT with this whole trip sneaking up on me and since I couldnt find anything that I really really felt for. This is what I got.

The Kelly Moore Boy Bag

I’ve seen it around the blogs lately and a couple of my favorite photographers, Sarah and Chris Rhodes sport these… so figured I’d give it a committed whirl. I needed a bag asap.

My random thoughts on the bag for you who may be wanting one:

Right out of the box, the thing is SHINY!! So slick and shiny looking. Its faux leather which… eh… whatever, of course I’d rather it be real leather. If you care about it looking like real leather, it does the job. Since Im going to be in Brazil with some expensive gear on my shoulder I wanted something that didnt really look like it held some precious items so I took this thing out back into my garden:)

Yep. I threw it down in the dirt, scooped up some soil on this bad boy and started stomping away. haha. This was working pretty good but to really scruff it up I grabbed some 100 grit sandpaper and started scrubbing. My goal of breaking in some faux years to this thing worked out pretty well. All this faux-ness. Its like those jeans we all used to buy from Abercrombie that were $119 and had holes all over the place. Like that.

Well, did it fit what I needed? Yep. Totally does. In the main compartment I can get my Mackbook with Wacom, Canon 5dMKII with the 24-70 2.8 lens, a 580exII flash, either my Polaroid SX-70 or Polaroid 195 Land Camera with some boxes of film and my Yashica t-3 PS. In the back sleeve I’ve got my Dot Grid book and in the smaller pockets I can fit macbook charger, CF cards and reader, 35mm film, earbuds, batteries, the small stuff… you get the picture.

It’s a great bag for sure especially if you are looking for something that will hold a few things to a whole mess of things including a 15″ or smaller laptop. I’m happy with it overall.

Now. My honest opinion also includes somethings that I’m not too fond of. The problem is that I’ve got a Fullgive which is an amazing handmade 100% leather and brass bag for my Macbook. So that is where my perspective comes into play as far as Boy Bags construction goes. First is the strap. Its nylon. Feels and looks really cheap which is a bummer. It’s slick and slippery although its got a slighty padded sleeve that is for your shoulder, eh. The second thing is that when I’ve got my laptop in there along with my Canon the flap stays loose, you see, the flap is magnetized to stay “shut’ for the most part and does if I dont have my laptop in there. It’s def not the end of the world but just for my sake I’m going to have snapping brass buttons installed in place of the magnets.

So overall. This thing absolutely ROCKS when you’ve just got your cams an lenses in there… say for a shoot. If you want a Traveling messenger that will hold much more… it works, but for me, I’ll get the magnets switched out for buttons and deal with the, ehhhh, strap.

Let me know if you have any other questions about it!

Elc Mens holiday collection is about to drop on November 29th and ship December 1st. Some legit accessories from some legit guys. This stuff begs you to blister up your hands among the trees then kick back with a favorite wiskey and sleep under the stars. Included in the line is the Ellingwood Keychain, Humbolt Pipe, Crestone Knife and the Westcliffe Flask. Just the names get me grinning from ear to ear not to mention the wooden cases they ship in,  the Horween Leathers, and brass clips. Sheer style and functionality.

So here is a shout out and a sly *wink* to the girls that might skim my site and have a special guy in their life.

And with that… have a great Thanksgiving. Spend time with loved ones and stay warm.

The Bandana. I’ve wanted to be a scarf kind of guy but just couldn’t ever make it work out for me. Im not down with wrapping fabric 8 times around my neck. I’ve tried to cut them down to size to cut out the bulk and the feeling of suffocation but, nope. So in comes the classic black and white bandana. It works perfect, small enough profile, actually makes a huge difference out in the cold, it even leaves the option to keep it on while inside. Wear it with a nice button up, flannel or just plain tee.

Another option here from elc. They get it.

Spending time in the wild is an amazing thing. Growing up my parents always took me and my brother off camping in the mountains. I grew up fishing mountain streams for wild trout and hunting mule deer through the vast open mountains of northern Nevada. I always feel a spiritual awakening for me when I’m outside somewhere far away from city streets. It’s peaceful. It’s green. And at night, the stars. Just unbelievable. Had some really fun times, great memories. Had some close calls too, one being on the verge of getting searched for by a helicopter in the middle of the Montana wilderness. Fun story but I’ll make it short: Me and my brother spent a week fly fishing the Madison river and were dropped off and had to make it 2 miles to the pick up point within 3 hours before it got dark (I mean dark, like you cant see your hand in front of your face)… well, that 2 miles was actually 7 miles, not cool! So it was dark and we were second guessing ourselves thinking we missed the pick up point. One of our biggest concerns was that we left our pistols in the truck (packs of wolves and grizzlies roam the area very frequently and we smelled like fish). We spend 4 hours walking/running in our chest high waders in the pitch black towards the closest point of light we could see, hoping it was an occupied cabin. I had a video camera with a couple minutes left and saved it in case it ended up being our last words to our families. When our spirits were low we at last spotted some moving headlights about a half mile away which got our adrenaline pumping and with a final cross of the river, our blind steps brought us to safety just before they called in Search & Rescue. Words can’t describe the experience and I’m grateful for that, it was special, truly facing the unknown.  So I’ve had my share of outdoor adventures for sure and hope to experience many more as I grow old and rickety.

Anyways… came across OldSchoolTools and these two items caught my gaze. The Longbow, definitely old school. I’ve dreamed of hunting with one of those. So pure. The knife. So classic. I feel like every guy needs a good knife. I still have the first knife I was ever given, and use it. But a nice size fixed blade with a leather sheath, so classic, so useful.

What do you think guys?

Enough Said. Get a FORAGE Bowtie

I just find it hilarious when I glance at this. So had to post it. Me and my mustache, a little self portrait with the remainding shot of expired Kodak Portra 400 on my Mamiya Universal right before I sold the massive camera. The mustache is also gone.

What!? I’m so stoked right now to actually be posting. It has been a while. I’ve had a few things keeping me from this outlet and responsibility. I’ve been slowly (as fast as I can) going through wedding photos in all my spare time along with getting our lives ready for a little baby (anytime now). Another thing I’ve been up to since Im at it with an update is revamping this blog to be more photographically friendly. In the next month I’ll be launching the new style. Should be super.

No. But this MacBook case is seriously freakin amazing. Hand made from scrap leather. Nicely treated for durability and put together with some style for sure. Obviously one of a kind. The insides are of nice wool to protect your MacBooks finish and keep it comfy. You can get some added pockets on the outside, which is what I did. I’ve got a sleeve that holds my Wacom Tablet along with a pocket for pens, a small notebook, etc.

Scott over at FULLGIVE will hook you up with the sickest case you can get for your Macbook. Check him out if you get a chance. The price on these things are worth it. Your housing some expensive equipment. He’s also got cases for iPhones, iPads, leather belts…

Guys and girls. I periodically, uh, too often find myself on Etsy finding cool things to wear. Rarely buy the cool things, but non the less find the cool things. So, here are a few cool things I think are pretty great right now. Fashion is fun and quite vibe-y.

Ray Ban Clubmaster’s @ DecadesBaltimore’s shop.

So classic. So classy.

Adventures of Wolverine Macalistaire @ CairoVintage’s store

(such a weird shirt but I had to keep going back over and over. it was calling to me.)

Vintage Short Pants @ RiffRaffReview’s Shop

Short pants on the shorter side. That’s what this summer likes.

Ah. These shoes. @ Bigbrothervintage’s shop

Wouldn’t be my first choice for summer shoe. Ah. But, look at these shoes.

What do you guys think about these picks? Girls, how about you? Like this stuff?

Finding unique items whether it be searching the square footage of local thrift shops or scouring the internet is for me… fun.

If you like these kinds of posts and want to share it. There’s some buttons below that will help you do that:)

I started smoking a tobacco pipe about 5 years ago. It was after my great grandfather had died. While growing up we lived across the street from him and my great grandmother in Charlton Massachusetts. Their cellar was my brother and I’s favorite place in the world. It was where our imaginations could go wild. Full of tools and scrap wood and work lights and dark places and weird noises. It always smelled like his tobacco though. The walls were soaked with it. Everytime I light up a bowl and smell the smooth smoke all I have to do is close my eyes and I’m there. I love it.

Smoking a pipe is definitely a ‘thing.’ Its something that is intentioned and looked forward to. I find it gives me a very introspective attitude and when combined with some Noah and the Whale or Iron and Wine things get magical.

I’ve been smoking out of some cheap burl pipes up until this year and I invested in a nice vintage Ben Wade and I tell you the difference is amazing! The feel, balance and smooth air passage is noticeable for sure. I found this pipe on ebay through a legit seller and the pipe was in perfect condition. Its a great place to start…. ebay. You can find an Estate pipe for under $50 easily and it’ll be a pipe that you don’t have to break in yourself. Its used. But in the pipe smoking world, thats quite alright.

On to some tobacco goodness I usually find myself with a burley and cavandish blend. The burley is a nice, usually mild and subtle in taste but packs a punch in nicotine. The cavandish adds some sweetness to the smoke. Great balance can be found. There are some other tobaccos which are much more spicey and exotic in flavor but I just can’t handle the stuff right now. It’s something you grow into I guess.

Here are a few links  if you’re interested in getting started with this relaxing hobby OR if you already smoke…. drop a comment and let us know your favorite tobaccos and what you smoke out of or any other links you think we should check out!

Pipedia

Pipe Smoking Guide

Tobacco Reviews

Toms Shoes on Polaroid Fade to Black film

Hey! If you haven’t already heard of TOMS Shoes then please check out their site. I heard about them a couple years ago and have always wanted to check them out. They’ve gotten pretty popular because of the fact that for every pair they sell they give a pair to a child in need. Super legit cause for sure. I’m always nervous about ordering clothing or shoes online because of messing with the hassel of finding the right sizes and such but recently we found some at Nordstrom. So we got to try some on and I got some black originals and my wife got a shiny gold pair. I was really really surprised on how comfortable these are, they’ve got some nice inserts and like to fit snug. A good mix between ninja and hipster. Once the weather is consistantly warm here in Colorado I’ll be sporting mine sockless. Should work out well. Try a pair!

Simple Mustache Classification

The Mustache. I’ve tried it several times. A couple times a year I’ll let my beard grow out for a few months. After it gets really burley I’ll shave it off and try a few ‘stache styles. I’ll usually start off with a crazy looking bushy Fu Manchu that ends up looking ridiculous on me and so I’ll trim it up to something classic like the Walrus but that really doesn’t fit my face so I’ll thin that down to the Cheveron which ends up looking really creepy so I finally end up with the Toothbrush but I look like a Hitler follower, not cool. Back to a clean face.

This time around I while I was growing the beard a good friend of mine grew a ‘stache that fit him perfectly, not creepy, not ridiculous. Classic. That made me start thinking that maybe there is a style that will fit my face so I while my beard was growing I didn’t touch it, never trimmed it and each day combed the ‘stache hair off to the sides. Slowly but surely I had a nice Handlebar Mustache on its way to fruition and I was super stoked about it!

Mustache Supplies

I picked up a little pair of grooming scissors along with a mustache comb and some wax. From here on out its just up keep and teaching the hair to grow the way I want it too! The wax (or even AXE paste) comes in handy and can tame stray hairs and help get good form and shape. I totally recommend you try to find your mustache. I’m pretty sure everyone has one that works and when it does its hands down the most amazing thing:) haha! Let me know if you sport one!

Mustache on Fade To Black Polaroid Film

ELC Mens Clothing

ELC Mens clothing released their first 100 days run back in Feb. They’ve hit the market strong with a nice mix of goodness. Fashion and functionality with story and character. Each garment is constructed to the highest standards of quality, individually numbered and packed and shipped in hand crafted packaging.

I happened upon this line by meeting one of its creators. My tattoo artist, Fish, working out of Th’ink Tank Tattoo in Denver. Insane tattoo artist and good man. He knows whats up when it comes to style and has definitely sparked the fashion bug in me.

The clothing line is legit. Really high quality construction and material. I got to check out the Cody Denim Jacket. Its a jacket that you buy once and wear it for the rest of your life, tough as nails. A little description from the site lives up to itself:

CODY DENIM JACKET

SLIM FIT FLANNEL LINED JACKET MADE FROM 13OZ RIGID NORTH CAROLINA DENIM & LINED IN SUPER SOFT COTTON FLANNEL FROM PORTUGAL. DESIGNED WITH A MOTO-STYLE WAISTBAND & ELC MENS HALLMARK BUTTON BACK COLLAR. EACH INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED JACKET COMES SHIPPED COMPLETE WITH A VINTAGE POCKET KNIFE AND A HAND TREATED COTTON STORAGE BAG.

If I didn’t want to keep dishing out cash for tattoos and supporting a little family I’d be all over this stuff. Priorities:) haha.

Another thing I want to mention is their Alexander McQueen Tee that they just released.  Heres a photo and description from their site. Jump over there to buy one. Its for a great cause.

Alexander McQueen Tee by ELC Mens

February 2010 marks the tragic and untimely passing of Lee Alexander McQueen. McQueen pushed the boundaries of fashion and forced us to re-examine what was possible in telling a story through clothing.

This T shirt is our most humble tribute to the man deemed L’enfant Terrible who has challenged and inspired so many. Proceeds from each t-shirt sold will be donated to the Kristen Brooks Hope center and their national HOPE Hotline 1-800-Suicide.

Check out ELC Clothing’s online shop and blog!!