Well made things

Over time I have developed a fascination for well-made things. I research a lot before I make any purchase. My brother having been a mechanic earlier in life, and generally being great at working with his hands, appreciated gear that was made to last, and was always recommending good quality gear. My dad who cared about making the most of every hard-earned dollar, was a lifetime subscriber to Consumer Reports.
I like to read lists of well made things, such as this one. After hearing about Jony Ive’s list of his favorite 12 things, and hearing designers CWandT who have their own list of great things) amount others describe their favorite products on the podcast Thoroughly Considered, I felt inspired to create my own list of well-made things.

Requirements for this list

Items on this list must abide by the following principles:

  • “Buy It For Life” (BIFL) they must be long lasting
  • They have to be a good value
  • And they have to be easily replaced

My favorite well-made useful things

  • Hario v60 02, drip coffee maker - I got this for my wife after listening to an episode of Thoroughly Considered. Over the course of the pandemic I spent an inordinate amount of time trying different ways to make coffee. Turns out this pour-over is method can be seen being used by Hayao Miyazaki as he starts his day.
  • Oster Classic 76 hair clippers - The hair clippers my dad used often to cut many heads of hair as an old-school barber, including mine. It’s a workhorse of a pair of clippers. With proper care will last a lifetime. Find one here.
  • The Code Keyboard - you can go wild looking for interesting mechanical keyboards. This one is developed in partnership with Jeff Atwood and WASD keyboards. This one is simple and requires no software to work. I like the dip switches to switch betwen keyboard layouts for Windows or Mac. I also like the cherry brown keys, but they come in all the classic cherry key. Learn more here.
  • Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen - same dimensions as the Classic Sport (which is more affordable), this brass version looks great and the added weight feels incredible to hold. The brass develops a beautiful patina over time, and writes beautifully. You can pick one up at JetPens here.
  • Pilot Custom 823 fountain pen. This is certainly the nicest pen I own. It holds a ton of ink. Available at JetPens.
  • Swiss Army Knife (the Super Tinker and the Rambler) - there are MANY configurations of the famous Swiss Army Knife to choose from, but there are just 2 that I really love: the Super Tinker and the Rambler I think are the most useful of the many Swiss Army Knives available. Why? The Super Tinker is the first Swiss Army Knife used by Macgyver! Perhaps more importantly though, it features a philips screw driver where typically you would find a corkscrew (I find the philips screw driver a lot more useful than a corkscrew). The Rambler is a the smaller size and so it is great on a keychain. And it also features a little philips screw driver. I use the Rambler more because it’s always on my keys.
  • Logan stacking coffee mugs from Crate and Barrel:
  • Swanson 7-inch Speed Square - incredibly useful. This is the tool I always wanted in my tool belt when I was doing any construction.
  • Yeti Tumbler - staying hydrated is so important. The tumbler from Yeti does a great job of keeping drinks hot or cold. I keep mine refilled with water all day.

Other well made and useful things

Storage

  • IKEA tote bag so durable and suitable for toting nearly anything. For years when I rented an apartment without a washing machine, these tote bags were my go-to bags for carting my weekly laundry down the street to the laundry mat.
  • IKEA Kallax Shelves very sturdy and utilitarian cube shelves that take a variety of square storage boxes, such as a standard milk crate
  • Standard Milk Crate the original design made of high quality plastic is meant to be a durable and stackable storage solution.

Stationary/Pens/Pencils/Office/School

  • Machine Era original brass - this pen will last forever. Pretty much any refill will work. It’s designed for the Pilot G2 refill, but I prefer the Signo SX7 being a lefty, I just use scissors to cut about 2mm off the back of the refill. Sadly as of this writing this incredible pen is not available.
  • Field Notes Pocket Notebooks. The perfect size when you’re on the go and need to take a quick note. I like the dot grid, and these graph ruled ones.
  • Jansport Right Pack - The Right Pack is an overall champ in backpacks. It features a durable suede bottom that looks classic.
  • Swingline 747 Stapler solid diecast steel construction. There is a reason this missing stapler caused Milton to finally set fire to Initech.
  • Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Water Bottle (with a better lid) - staying hydrated is so imporant for your health. This nearly indestructible bottle is made better with this much better lid.
  • Yeti Tumbler
  • Roche Thomas valve oil - My middle school band teacher was fanatically fond of this brand.
  • Leatherman Multi-tool - I still have my original I recived as a child. I think the PST is as close as you can get. https://www.leatherman.com/heritage-pst-832518.html
  • Snap on screw driver https://shop.snapon.com/product/Standard-Handle/8-3-4%22-Ratcheting-Standard-Screwdriver-(Orange)/SSDMR4BO

Electronics

  • Sony MDR-7506 studio headphones excellent sound quality, comfortable for long sessions listening to your favorite music.
  • Samsung Galaxy Convoy the last dumb phone I used was my favorite. I liked it so much I convinced my dad to get one too. One online review from a mom who described her teenage son driving over the phone with his car really sold me. I could even play Sonic the Hedgehog and Tetris on it while waiting for my clothes to dry at the laundry mat.
  • Any Nintendo video game console (such as the Nintendo Switch). Nintendo reliably creates video games systems and experiences that satisfy and delight. Maybe they don’t have the most horsepower under the case, or the most pixels on the screen. What they may lack in horsepower they make up with a history of thoughtful game design.