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Note: this item was provided for review.

After receiving and reviewing the Namba Slate from Shinzo Tamura I was clamoring for more. Those quickly became the only sunglasses I wear, so when they offered to send a pair of the Abeno Granite my way, I couldn’t wait. These are a different frame and a very different lens — as moving from dark lenses to very light — I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Now I am questioning all of my decisions and why I focused so heavily on dark lens sunglasses only. These hit a really sweet spot, and I love the way they look.

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Note: this item was provided for review.

I keep trying to sort out in my head how you explain one t-shirt being better than any other. It’s a simple item, with seemingly very little room for differentiation, and yet we all intuitively know there are good t-shirts and then there’s all the others. This Allevol t-shirt is very good and well worth your time and money, so I’ll do my best to explain why.

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Note: this item was provided for review.

Finding good chinos, something well made with excellent materials, proves a lot harder than you might think. Especially if you want to keep the cost of the item under control. So I was quite excited when Warren reached out to send me a pair of their Pomfret Country Chinos in the Sanded Olive Canvas. Olive chinos are among the most versatile color options you can select, in case you weren’t aware, and I was unhappy with my current stock of olive chinos.

The moment I opened the package, I knew these were going to be hard not to love. And the more I wear these, the more I realize that I have only been wearing these chinos. They are fantastic.

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I was needing to add some shirts to my kit, to use as base layers when hiking, and occasionally to use when I ruck in the mornings. After a lot of whittling of options I picked up Himali’s Pursuit Tech Tee in the long sleeve version. This is a really nice product, which is near perfect for what I need.

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Note: this item was provided for review.

This is now the third backpack I’ve been able to test from Pioneer Carry, and I have to say that the Ray Pack is the best one yet. It’s not the type of backpack I would normally seek out to buy for myself, as the vertical tote style isn’t something I normally go for.

However, with the Ray Pack, I was sold on this bag after the first hour of using it. So, allow me to explain.

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I’ve looked at the Kuoe watches many times over, and I found the array of options to be overwhelming. There’s also that sense that at 35mm you really want to feel that model on your wrist before committing — if the case is designed wrong you risk it looking like a toy watch. It was our last day in Kyoto, and this was the only major thing on my list I still had yet to do in the city — I really wanted to stop into the store and get a Kuoe if there was one I liked enough.

My wife insisted we make time, and so we stopped in. The store is really neat, below street level with angled skylights back up to the street. The staff is overly friendly and every watch is sitting out, to be handled, no cases in sight. I put an Old Smith on my wrist, and knew I was buying one.

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Gift guides are, admittedly, not my forte — I have come to determine that there are people who build entire careers around listing items in guides of all sorts which seem really compelling. They take time to find an image, write half a sentence, and submit an affiliate link for your consideration. That’s not me.

So this gift guide, as most are which I write, is for you to give to someone who might struggle to get you something awesome. If you choose to read this site, then some of this guide should have you covered.

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Note: this item was sent for review.

This is my first go with a watch from Vero, thus I was really unsure what to expect. I’ve been paying attention to their Smokey Bear edition watches, as these are officially licensed and all of them are fantastic looking. They sent me the Campfire Edition, which is a very straightforward field watch, and seems like the watch you might want for a weekend camping trip and then some.

I’ve been wearing it for a bit now, and I’ve found it to be a really enjoyable watch to wear, with just the right amount of flair to it.

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When I left for Japan, I did so knowing that if I was to spend any significant money on a watch, it would be a G-SHOCK. I made a quick list of six models I wanted to try, but didn’t build in stopping at a G-SHOCK store along the way. As luck would have it, we found time to swing into a G-SHOCK store where I proceeded to graze about the store, circling back on this GMC-B2100D several times before trying both color dials on, and selecting the black dial variant.

I’ve been wearing it often since then, and I’ve come to the feeling that this is one of those watches which does so much so well, that I would not bat an eye at someone saying this is their only watch. It is certainly my favorite of all the G-SHOCKs I own and have owned. All metal, analog, but with a touch of smartness — this is quite something. And quite shiny.

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Shopping at the Narita Airport before leaving Japan, I had decided to check out a store which sold Porter bags, in hopes of picking up a backpack on my way out. After debating a couple of models, I bought Porter’s Force Daypack (855-05902) and it quickly won me over with its premium materials, simple design, and smart features.

This bag looks basic, and it is, but those basics are executed so well — it’s among the best backpacks I’ve used and own.

So there’s that.

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