[Offer only valid in contiguous United States and subject to whatever the hell I have lying around that I don't like. But hey, it's free.]

The Kaweco Liliput Al Fountain Pen is built like a brick shit house–except you can use it to draw pretty pictures or write your magnum opus. Read my full review at The Pen Addict.

Price: $55
Buy: JetPens
Rating: Would buy again!

The Nixon 51-30 is a huge watch. Correction: The Nixon 51-30 is a fucking huge watch. With a 51.25mm diameter case (See what they did there? Nixon is so clever.), the watch monopolizes all of the wrist real estate of even the most big-boned individual. Weighing it at approximately one metric ton, it single-handedly has the power to make you walk lopsided. In short, this is not a watch for the faint of heart.

However, if you’re looking to make a “go big or go home” sort of statement (for one reason or another), this is the watch for you. It’s got a rotating bezel with countdown timer for long dives that you’ll never use. It’s got a screw down crown and tide control. The screw down crown has been relocated to the 9:00 position (along with the tide control) to prevent fucked up hands when spilling (it’s a skate/surf watch). Moving it is a great idea – in theory – but unless you’re built like The Rock the case is still going to dig into your wrist and the relocated crown is going to dig into your forearm. Still, it’s not a bad idea if you shred the powder/street/surf because sooner or later you’re going to eat it. When you do, you’ll be thankful you’re only left with a $300 watch bill instead of a thousand dollar insurance deductible. Which brings me to my next point – the price.

Currently available for $325+ at Back Country depending on trim (ceramic/wood/spinners), it’s not the cheapest watch on the market. You could pick up 30 Darch watches, 6 limited edition Timex pieces or even 2 Nixon Rubber Players for that amount of cash. We’ve established that it’s huge, mildly uncomfortable, pricey and totally capable of destroying your wrist in epic fashion. Why buy it? Because it’s huge, mildly uncomfortable, pricey and totally capable of serving as a bludgeon. All of the same reasons it’s a horrible idea – in theory – are what make it the best idea in watches. It makes a statement. It can’t be ignored. You would – quite literally – have to be blind not to be able to read this watch. For all its flaws, it still looks damn good. If I were buying it again (I would) I would opt for a bracelet instead of the weird “midnight” leather option, but those are the sacrifices you make for a $150 discount from Whiskey Militia.

On the backend (we’re all enthralled with the little details), the tie is Made in China of 100% silk. The silk part is great, the China part – not so much. Whatever. I’m all for sustainability and everything, but cost and looks are the larger factors for me. [Ed's note - If you're looking for something on the more sustainable, socially responsible end of the spectrum, I highly recommend you check out Commerce With A Conscience because it's filled with stuff that you will end up buying.] If a tie ends up lasting long enough to become a “heritage” piece that’s great, but I’m not planning on it. Which isn’t to say that this tie is made poorly because it’s not. You can tell from the pictures below that the seams and stitching are still good quality.

It’s only been knotted up twice, but based on the comments at the company Christmas party this is going to be a big hit. You can’t really go wrong integrating a little color into your wardrobe, especially if you can rock a 2″ skinny tie. Unfortunately, if you’re interested in this particular number, you’re going to have to bide your time. At the time of writing, it isn’t available anywhere. I picked it up from Gilt for the bargain basement, final sale price of $24.

Update: It’s technically sold out right now, but you can get on the waitlist right now.

Hi, my name is Ben and I have a problem. That problem is Gilt Man. How am I supposed to pass up Ben Sherman, Steven Alan, and Gilded Age ties for $111? Technically, since I had an account credit, I only paid $5 for shipping. Seems like a small price to pay an order which includes a wool knit Steven Alan square bottom, Ben Sherman Dogtooth Stripe and a Gilded Age cotton plaid.

Here’s hoping this unhealthy addiction doesn’t end up with a purchase from Worst of Gilt. Until I get tiem to actually wear these – and do a full review – enjoy the pictures. As always, you can click to embiggen.

Last week I talked about how I was starting the In Search Of feature and the first thing in my seemingly endless quest would be the perfect notebook for notes, drawings, concert reviews, ish, etc. Fuck saving the best for last, we’re starting with the reigning champion – Field Notes.

Field Notes are diminutive in size (3.5″ x 5.5″), contain 48 pages (each side counts as one page) and are available in ruled, grid and blank. They also happen to be loaded with helpful applications, coordinate spaces and other Farmer’s Almanac type shit that I find intriguing – but have absolutely no use for. They’re bound together with three adequately placed staples. They hold them together pretty well and I can’t really think of any good way to romanticize staples. This is, first and foremost, a memo book, so don’t expect ridiculous fabric straps, unnecessary pockets and an unusable first page. You can literally graffiti every part of the little notebook that could.

In case you haven’t skipped ahead to the pictures yet, the blue memo book is beat to shit. For once, this torture testing wasn’t intentional. The blue Field Notes was subjected to approximately 12oz of Ketel Red Bull in the line of duty at The Metro. Yes, I just got it; no, it wasn’t my fault. The cover got scuffed and worn down in a few places. The ink appears to have bled, but not in the typical sense. The notes on the opposite side of the page are visible through the page, but the ink hasn’t bled through. It’s like holding a piece of paper up to a light except the lines are a slight haze of purple (probably the inks fault). If anything, the “patina” has improved with the addition of the original alcoholic energy drink (RIP 4 Loko).

What seemed like a ruinous tidal wave of deliciousness actually turned into a character creating moment for that particular Field Notes. The entire experience added some extra flavor to the notebook. Even though I won’t purposely waste more alcohol recreating the process, I quite like that it happened.

3pk for $10 at Field Notes

I bet on black. It’s not that I’m not a fan of the olive drab, but the black got nowhere near as much coverage as it’s camo counterpart. I also wanted a simple, inexpensive, stereotypical black number to offset the growing number of rubber, silicone and/or ridiculously colored watches in the box. Or maybe this is all just me rationalizing because Nordstrom didn’t have the olive one in stock.

After dropping a little over $50 on it two weeks ago, I’m still on the fence. Is it oversized? Only in the same way you are after Thanksgiving. Compared to your former self, sure, you’re a little bigger. It will fade in a few days, and even then it’s only a difference of 2mm (watches are measured in mm; turkey guts in inches). Don’t forget the fact that most standard watch measurements factor in crown as well, so the whole 42mm the Oversize Camper is packing isn’t really anything to write home about. If you’ve ever worn something like a Nixon 51-30 – or you have big wrists – this watch will seem downright tiny.

The only real gripe I have with this watch is the ticking. It’s fucking loud. We’re talking loud to the point it will haunt you in your sleep Tell-Tale Heart level loud. You get over it after a while, but every once in a while it creeps up out of nowhere and forces you to reconsider your previously permanent attachment to your own wrist.

Was it too hyped to begin with? Probably. While I agree with Michael Williams and L.A.S. about most of their points, it’s still a better alternative to some of the other options (including other Timex offerings) in this price range. If you need a sleek watch that’s going to grab some attention, this is still one of your best bets.

$50 at Nordstorm: Black / Olive

In Search Of: is going to be an ongoing feature where I torture test products from different manufacturers designed to fill the same niche market. First on the chopping block is the pocket notebook.

Given the amount of writing that I do, a quality pocket notebook is essential. Right now, I’m running Field Notes, Moleskine, and Piccadilly notebooks through the gamut of live concerts, spilled beer and the County Comm Embassy Pen. There are some see-through pages, some frayed covers and some bleeding, but all of them are holding up admirably well. Next week I’ll do individual posts on each of the three and we’ll see where it goes from there.

If you have any suggestions for notebooks I should murder with words, leave a comment below.

The Lands End D-ring Web Belt comes in four colors (khaki, olive, orange and blue) and checks in at a bank breaking $12. If you’re not beginning to sense a theme here, I will click buy for just about anything I’m interested in if it’s less than $50. Yes, I have a problem; no, I’m not going to do anything about it. Based on the size chart, I ordered the belts in Large. I have a 34 – 36″ waist, but I tend to take around 2″ onto belt measurements so that the overlap hits a belt loop. Based on the actual measurement of the belt (46″), Lands End Canvas factored in some overlap because it’s for a 36-38″ waist. Seeing as how it’s much better to have too much than not enough, I have no problem with this. Width wise, it clocks in at 1 3/8″ wide, so it will fit through damn near any loop openings.

The D-rings are supposedly a pewter finish over brass. Even after beating them up all weekend there hasn’t been any chipping so we’ll just have to take their word for it. The belt definitely has a bit of heft to it, which makes it work exceptionally well with the D-ring “mechanism.” Alternating between blue and orange for the past few days, there has been zero slippage – which I have found to be uncommon in D-ring belts. The leather is decent quality and adds a little flair to the ends of the belt. Muted pastel colors mean they’re definitely going to find a home on your chinos and shorts in the summer, but you can probably work them into the mix now if you’re willing to be a little adventurous.

Bottom Line: They hold it up. Pick one (or four) up before they sell out.

Available in khaki, olive, orange and blue for $12 each at Lands End Canvas.

With summer drawing to a close, it’s time to pack up all your madras (pretty cool Lands End article about the history of madras) and throw it in storage until the next time it’s about 70 degrees out. Nonsense. If anything, now is the perfect time to start scooping up all the leftover goodies that brands are clearing out – at bargain basement prices of course. Like this Lands End Canvas Cotton Madras Necktie. $16. Do you know how frequently you spend more than $16 on something you’re only ever going to use once – or is consumable? If you made a list I bet the frequency would surprise you, but that’s not the point. This tie is a steal at $16; it’s still a great deal at twice the price.

The Lands End Canvas description bills it as River Blue Plaid. As you can tell from the pictures, that’s a pretty apt description. 100% cotton madras is a good place to start, but simply saying it’s the fabric of our lives doesn’t really do it justice. This tie is ridiculously soft. Snuggle soft. (Conveniently enough, it would probably look good on the bear too.) On one hand, it makes wearing it a pleasure (super soft handcuffs), and it’s easy to get a good knot. On the other, it’s so soft that it occasionally bunches if you wear it under a sweater, and the knot can be difficult to get out if you pull too tight. The build quality is excellent (solid seams, minimal edge fray) and the badging is very, very tiny.

It’s safe to say that this is the best deal in men’s neckwear right now. Unfortunately, by the time I received my order Lands End Canvas had sold out of the tie. The item number is 38845-3XN7 if you want to do more hardcore digging on your own or wait for a restock.

When it’s not sold out, it’s $16 at Lands End Canvas.