The Brooks Review

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The Hype: Yoshida & Co’s Porter BagsAugust 26, 2025
G-SHOCK DW-H5600 After 7 MonthsJuly 31, 2025
Casio Duro MDV-106 Re-ReviewDecember 15, 2022

Recent Articles

  • Meermin Welted Deck Shoe

    Meermin Welted Deck Shoe

    An excellent summer shoe for anything.

    Note: this item was provided for review.

    When I was offered the chance to have a review sample of Meermin’s new ‘Welted Deck Shoe’ sent over, I jumped at it. I am a huge fan of Meermin’s offerings, finding the finishing, style, and comfort of every pair I have tried to be fantastic. I am happy to say that these deck shoes are no different: great looking, well made, and comfortable.

    I’ve been wearing these for several weeks now, and I would happily spend my own money on these if something were to happen to them. Let’s dive into why.

    (more…)

  • Gear Report — 7/15/26

    Gear Report — 7/15/26

    You have been asking about my thoughts on saws, right?

    This week: new gear, and some thoughts on saws.

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  • Member Journal — 6/13/26

    Member Journal — 6/13/26

    We need to take a stand against how shitty everything is getting.

    This week: everything is shitty now.

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  • Gear Report — 7/8/26

    Gear Report — 7/8/26

    A quick note.

    This week: a coupon code.

  • Member Journal — 7/6/26

    Member Journal — 7/6/26

    Life on Linux is not as bad and hard as you might worry.

    This week: thoughts on living with Linux and a Framework.

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  • Zero Tolerance 0512

    Zero Tolerance 0512

    This is a beast of a knife, and it’s awesome.

    Whew, I saw this show up on a website, and I love the way it looked. Then I dove into the details and it seemed like the kind of knife I could perfectly justify buying, as I have nothing else like it.

    This is a beast of a knife, and it’s absolutely fantastic.

    (more…)

  • Gear Report — 7/1/26

    Gear Report — 7/1/26

    More new tools.

    This week: new tools!

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  • Member Journal — 6/29/26

    Member Journal — 6/29/26

    Some thoughts on Macs with the price increases.

    This week: Om, Macs, and iPhones.

    ## We Lost a Good One

    This past week, Om Malik passed. That was sad news to hear across the tech-blogosphere, as he’s been a staple for a very long time. He was a kind man. Not someone I was close enough with where I’d say he was a friend, but certainly an acquaintance.

    The type of guy who would send me the odd email, which would lead to a back-and-forth email conversation which might last months. He’d ask me for advice on a new blog or newsletter setup. Why me? I don’t know, but I always loved his curiosity.

    The type of guy who, when I was looking for work and reached out to him, put me in touch with the founder and CEO of a company in mere hours. A nice guy. A genuine guy. We shared emails, video chats, and the like, but never found ourselves in the same locale at the same time.

    The world is a little less bright without him.

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  • Gear Report — 6/24/26

    Gear Report — 6/24/26

    This watch is fucking great.

    This week: a quick love note about the **GMC-B2100D**.

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  • Member Journal — 6/22/26

    Member Journal — 6/22/26

    Why I am loving e-ink tablets, even if the category is messy af.

    This week: some thoughts on my e-ink devices.

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  • Indigosea OG107 Field Fatigue Pant

    Indigosea OG107 Field Fatigue Pant

    An excellent pair of fatigue pants.

    Note: this item was provided for review.

    I had not tried anything from Indigosea before receiving these pants, but immediately I was taken by the hand feel. Solid, but soft. These are a fatigue-style pant, which basically means the pockets are sewn to the face of the garment (patch pockets) and they are cut wider and straighter. Effectively, something straight from the WWII-era playbook for soldiers (at least US soldiers).

    These are also an exceptional value, and very comfortable.

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  • Gear Report — 6/17/26

    Gear Report — 6/17/26

    A lot of a new gear, mostly tools.

    This week: lots of new gear (tools).

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  • Member Journal — 6/15/26

    Member Journal — 6/15/26

    Random thoughts from water glasses to cars.

    This week: some random musings that have been bouncing around in my head.

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  • Gear Report — 6/9/26

    Gear Report — 6/9/26

    Moving, so a few thoughts on a few thoughts.

    Today, as you read this, I am moving.

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  • Member Journal — 6/8/26

    Member Journal — 6/8/26

    Short and sweet moving edition.

    This week: a quick few thoughts as I am currently moving.

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  • Gear Report — 6/3/26

    Gear Report — 6/3/26

    New tools this week.

    This week: some new gear; and a few gems for my house remodel/woodworking adventures.

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  • KNKG Shift Backpack 27L

    KNKG Shift Backpack 27L

    A fantastic looking and functioning backpack.

    Note: this item was provided for review.

    You might be surprised to learn that one of the hardest things to get me to review is a backpack. I’ve tried way too many backpacks, own way too many, and I am largely not interested in taking review samples. So, it’s a bit of a surprise (to me at least) that I was game to take a look at the Shift Backpack 27L from KNKG. There’s something quite visually striking about this bag, both online in the product photos and in person.

    I have to apologize to KNKG—I slightly forgot to write this sooner. This backpack quickly became my everything bag, and I forgot it was a review sample, and not just a workhorse of a bag for me.

    This bag is everything I wanted other waxed canvas bags to be, put together in a way where it simply excels at everything I’ve thrown at it. And I have tossed quite a lot at this backpack—it’s fantastic all around.

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  • Member Journal — 6/1/26

    Member Journal — 6/1/26

    Protecting control and power.

    This week: diving into why control is at the heart of Tokenmaxxing BS.

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  • Gustin’s 562 Selvedge Herringbone Denim

    Gustin’s 562 Selvedge Herringbone Denim

    A very cool pair of denim.

    Note: this item was provided for review.

    I’ve been pleasantly surprised by every item I’ve received from Gustin, and this pair of denim is no different. I wasn’t sure what to expect — a herringbone denim is not something you see every day, but it’s quite a treat in person.

    (more…)

  • Gear Report — 5/27/26

    Gear Report — 5/27/26

    Thoughts on my iPhone and displays.

    This week: a few thoughts on phones and monitors.

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