Brands and Stuff That You Love (Emphasis on Quality)

[epeterson]

Fountain Pens Under 50: Lamy Al-Star

For the under $50 category, I think the TWSBI Eco is also a great buy. I've been extremely happy with the quality, and I love that they're piston-fill so they hold a lot of ink. It's my everyday workhorse pen.

[vcdgrips]

Merino Wool: Ice Breaker/Smartwool/Stoic
Fountain Pens Under 10: Platinum Preppy
Fountain Pens Under 25: Pilot Metropolitan
Fountain Pens Under 50: Lamy Al-Star
Fountain Pens Under 150: Lamy 2000 or Sailor 1911
Socks: Kirkland Brand @Costco 85% Merino Wool or Smartwool or Darn Tough
Fleece: Outdoor Research but your are really buying fabric -POLARTEC
Travel Bags: Tom Bihn
Packing Cube (Non Tom Bihn) Eagle Creek or eBags
Roller Bag: Travel Pro
Backpacks(For serious hiking / backpacking) : Osprey or Dueter
Knives (EDC): Spyderco
Knives (Bushcraft): Esse
Cooler: Made in the USA anybody over off-shore Yeti
Water Bottles: Nalgene
Flashlights: Surefire or Malkoff or Elzetta (all made in USA)
Smartphone: Apple iPhone
Headlamp: Black Diamond or Princeton Tec (regulated circuit so it fades as battery power fades)
Handtools: Knipex
Precision Screwdrivers: Vessel or Wiha
Cooking Glassware: Anchor Hocking and Pyrex
Glass Nesting Bowls: Duralex
Dress Shoes: Allen Edmonds
Boots: Redwing Heritage/Wolverine 1000 milers
Running Shoes: Hoka or Brooks
Sandals: Birkenstocks or made in USA Chacos
Watch Sub 100: Casio or Citizen
Watch Sub 300: Orient or Seiko
Watch Sub 750: Tissot or Casio Oceanus s100 or t200 (Japanese Domestic Market)
Watch Sub 1500: Oris or Christopher Ward
Watch Sub 3000: Sinn or Damasko
Watch Sub 5000: Tudor or Grand Seiko
Watch Sub 10000: Omega or Grand Seiko or Rolex (nearly impossible to buy at MSRP from an Authorized Dealer at this time)
Nylon Belts: The Wilderness or Mastermind Tactics (with non metal hardware)

[Jimbo3b]

Some favorites of mine that I don't think I've seen yet:

• URESHII DESIGN - I first heard about this two-woman Canadian company here on the forums. I've bought a bunch of made-to-measure merino clothing from them since then, and it has all been 100% beautiful and perfect....

After seeing the plug for Ureshii here on the forums, they are now a favorite shirt company for me. I'm a really large guy (6'4", almost 400 lbs post-pandemic...so about a 4XLT or 5XLT) and was wanting simple T-shirts in Merino or a mix that would fit me. So I wrote and asked if they would do a simple shirt for a guy (their website caters to women). I finally ordered from this this spring. They had me either measure myself, or simply take measurements from another shirt. I ordered a black pure merino, and a gray stretch merino. So far, the performance of the two fabrics have been similar. The fit and finish is first rate. I can wear several days in a row without them starting to smell badly. [Edit--I have yet to wash them them due smell, but rather, because of a spill.] I've washed them several times--I put them in a net bag along with my other clothes, and use a gentle detergent for the load. The net bag keeps wear and tear to a minimum, and the shirt is easy to intercept so I can lay it out to dry rather than putting it in the dryer.

I've gotten many ideas from the forums that have been very helpful, but this has been one of the best.

--Jim

[autolycus]

I have recently found Altra for my wide feet. Even the not wide sizes seem to work ok with light or no cushion socks, thanks to their natural foot shape for the toe box. Been doing some neighborhood walks and going to a couple sporting events (standing the whole time) in the Lone Peak 5 and Escalante (4? Whatever the current model). They’re very light and very comfortable for my wide toed feet.

[GrussGott]

I have wide feet as well and recently stumbled upon Hoka One One shoes.

I LOVE my Hokas! I've also tried Altras, OnClouds, and some others but the Hokas are my favorite. I got my wife into them too

[meltzermt]

Thanks Awesomepants, will check out the Allen Edmonds dress shoes. Wide dress shoes are particularly difficult to find! Will check out Asics shoes as well - I probably have to buy them online. Most staff in shoe stores here (Singapore - except pethorthists) have no concept of different feet width and mentioning "2E width" would mostly result in blank stares.

I have wide feet as well and recently stumbled upon Hoka One One shoes. They offer wide versions, aren't super flashy for sneakers, are super comfortable, and have trail oriented versions for hiking. In terms of dress shoes, check out Rancourt and Co. from Maine. They do semi-custom and custom shoes built to order, all resoleable. I have a pair of their dress shoes and dress boots, the latter of which I wore to my wedding!

If you're looking for hiking boots, check out Limmer Boots. They do offer full custom (waiting time 12-24 months), but their off the shelf models are almost as good and readily available. They offer wide versions, and while I have wide feet I have the Standard boot and since they're all leather, easily stretched to accommodate my feet. Just don't plan to purchase them close to a hike/trip--the break in time can be up to a year. It sounds crazy, but the average lifespan on their boots is 10-20 years so it ends up being worth it.

[Darcy]

Sheets: 100% cotton, made in the U.S.A, don't unravel after a couple of months.

I haven't purchased anything from these folks, but thought I'd share the link nonetheless: https://www.redlandcotton.com/
U.S. grown cotton sheets, also made in U.S.A.

[nsh]

Sheets: 100% cotton, made in the U.S.A, don't unravel after a couple of months.

Hi! I don’t have a brand name but all my super quality beautiful cotton American sheets are vintage/thrifted ones. Of course, I wash them in super hot water and clean them before use, but old sheets/towels/those heavy cotton blankets can be found at thrift stores (at least in the Northeast), for really reasonable prices. You could also check out eBay or Etsy. I have bought really expensive new sheets and been disappointed (LLBean isn’t bad- but I dont think the sheets are made in America). I don’t know if others get ick factor from learning that I do this but it is the only way I can find the sheets I like!

[backpack]

Sheets: 100% cotton, made in the U.S.A, don't unravel after a couple of months.

[Buffalonian]

On the subject of coffee grinders, I love the Java hand grinder from VSSL -- so much so that I bought two of them so my partner and I aren't constantly switching the grind. She makes espresso with a Flair Neo; I alternate between a French press, a Vietnamese phin filter, and a Turkish cezve.

https://www.vsslgear.com/pages/vssl-java-landing-page

[Buffalonian]

Cafelat Robot Espresso Maker

The shots are great, the machine is simple. I do need a new grinder, though: open to recommendations, if anyone has any!

I'm so intrigued by the Robot! I bought my partner a Flair Neo as a gift, and she's been thrilled with it -- easy to use, consistently good, and it packs easily into a case when traveling by car.

https://flairespresso.com/

[Buffalonian]

Wildling shoes! They're minimalist shoes (zero drop, thin sole, wide toe box) made in Europe from sustainable materials (wool, organic cotton, hemp, linen) by a deeply ethical company.

https://www.wildling.shoes/en#

[Buffalonian]

http://www.utilikilt.com

utili kilts... they sell freedom, with VERY high quality, both on the product, and the service

j

I wore a two-tone Utilikilt for my wedding! You can see pictures here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/30/f...y-wedding.html

[PeaceBell]

Thanks Awesomepants, will check out the Allen Edmonds dress shoes. Wide dress shoes are particularly difficult to find! Will check out Asics shoes as well - I probably have to buy them online. Most staff in shoe stores here (Singapore - except pethorthists) have no concept of different feet width and mentioning "2E width" would mostly result in blank stares.

[Awesomepants]

I have wide feet too

I’m a 2E+ as well. For athletic shoes I’ve had pretty good luck with Asics. They make a lot of stuff in 2E and some of their models, like the GT-2000 are more rigid and fit my orthotics. For dressier mens shoes I like Allen Edmonds, you can get them in a wide variety of widths. They have a big sale, usually in mid-June. If you end up getting a pair with wooden bottoms, I recommend taking them to a cobbler and adding a rubber sole (doesn’t cost much) and you’ll have some comfy(ish) sharp shoes.