One of the biggest names in electric motos just unveiled a limited edition of its DSR electric dual-sport motorcycle to celebrate both Earth Day and its 15-year anniversary. The special colorways of this DSR are…
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Although they’re not quite a reality, the Veliz Arquitecto-imagined, beetle-shaped Cabins on The Mountain would likely be built on in one of Cuba’s mountain ranges. The wooden cocoons sit on concrete platforms and boast open-view…
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This definitive guide to the best indoor bike racks for your house or apartment covers everything you need to know before storing your bike indoors. In it, we compare various indoor bike racks based on size, installation, sturdiness, capacity and price.
Leaving a bike on a New York City sidewalk is like going for a swim in shark-infested South African waters; limbs are lost, spokes are shaken, nothing left but the bones. During idle hours, city bikes need a safe place to rest inside: enter the indoor bike rack. City dwellers are masters at making a square foot somehow larger, and they’ve come up with some creative ways to store bikes. Whether it’s standing in the corner, blending in with wall decor or just plain out of the way, the method comes down to you (and your wallet). These indoor racks will keep your bike dry and safe at night.
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Delta Cycle’s Michelangelo rack may be on the bigger side, but it’s the only wall mounting indoor storage option that doesn’t require installation — no drills, no screws. Instead, the rack works with gravity, using the weight of the bikes to create a stable downward force that can support two horizontally hung bicycles. The Michelangelo is constructed with steel tubes and rubber bumpers that prevent any scuffs and scratches and can support up to 80 pounds of bike weight.
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Most indoor bike racks and stands involve drilling and mounting, but not the Velo Column. This freestanding bike stand, made of anodized aluminum with rubber-coated hooks, holds itself up like a spring-loaded curtain rod, and its rubber ends won’t damage the floor or ceiling. It saves on space by stacking two bikes vertically on top of each other. (You can buy extra arms to max it out to four bikes as long as their total weight doesn’t exceed 160 pounds.) Its smartest feature, though, is its disjointed cradle system, which allows you to adjust the height of each hook individually to accommodate bike frames of any shape.
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Indoor bike storage doesn’t have to be complicated. The simplest solution can be found at your local hardware store (or, in this case, on Amazon). It’s a standard rubber-coated hook that can be easily installed with nothing more than a drill, allowing you to hang your bike freely from the ceiling or against the support of a wall. The hooks come in different sizes, which means you can store road bikes, mountain bikes and everything in between — just be sure to buy the right size.
Hornit
The CLUG is as minimal as it gets — it’s nothing more than a simple, polycarbonate C-shaped clip that allows you to balance almost any bike against a wall, vertically or horizontally. It should be noted that the CLUG has specific size requirements and it’s not a hanger — make sure to buy the right size and install it correctly based on the bike you’re storing.
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The most straightforward and most affordable indoor bike storage solutions tend to position bikes vertically, not the Ibera Horizontal Wall Hanger, though, which identifies its distinction right in its name. It doesn’t so immediately reveal that you can adjust its padded cradles independently to accommodate bikes with angled top tubes or that its main support telescopes make room for wide handlebars. This rack does require installation on concrete, masonry or a stud and can support bikes up to 39.6 pounds.
Saris
Wall mounts, hangers and racks have many benefits, but if you’re looking for a more straightforward option that prioritizes accessibility and doesn’t require installation, then a classic bike stand is a good choice. The Boss is small and conveniently portable. It grabs and holds a bike’s rear axle with a rubber-coated fork that keeps enough pressure on the bike to keep it from toppling over, all while preventing scratches to the rim or damage to the spokes. The Boss also folds up when you aren’t using it to tuck it out of sight.
Steadyrack
There are plenty of wall racks that use a tray-like system to cradle your bike and keep it off the ground, but Steadyrack does it best. The wall-mounting storage rack uses two arms to hold a bike’s front wheel in place while the rear sits in a small clip to keep it from swinging. The Steadyrack can also be swung from side to side nearly 180 degrees, allowing you to stack multiple bikes against each other and maximize available space. When not in use, the arms fold up on themselves to create a less obtrusive profile.
CB2
Bike racks have a tendency to either blend into the wall or stick out like a sore thumb. This wood bike rack from CB2 is a simple space saver with room for your bike, plus storage for cycling gloves, a water bottle and snacks — anything you don’t want to forget before you head out for that early morning ride. The rack only works with bikes that have straight top tubes, but it holds up to 40 pounds, thanks to solid, sustainable acacia wood. (You can totally impress your design friends with that knowledge.)
Racor
Wall mounts are great, but they require a bit of lifting and demand that the bike become a visual highlight in the arrangement of any room. Racor’s Bike Lift brings the bike to the ceiling, up and out of the way of your regular interior movements. The lift uses two simple hooks that grab a bike (up to 50 pounds) by the handlebars and saddle, and works with a rope and pulley system that can elevate your ride up to 12 feet. Excess rope secures to a separate wall cleat. Despite the Bike Lift’s simple components, it offers a unique way to free up space inside (if you have it).
Apple stole headlines this week with AirTags, a new Apple TV 4K, new iPad Pros and redesigned and colorful iMacs. So if you didn’t hear about all the other cool new gadgets announced, you’re forgiven. We’re rounded up all the non-Apple product news of the past week, below, just for you.
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Bowers & Wilkins announced its first two pairs of wireless earbuds this week. There’s the PI5 ($249) and the PI7 ($399). Both models deliver active noise-cancellation and have a wireless charging case. The main difference is that the flagship models, the PI7, support higher-resolution audio (it supports Bluetooth AptX Adaptive streaming) and packs a 9.2mm driver unit that’s modeled after the company’s high-end loudspeakers. Maybe the most interesting thing about the PI7 is that their charging case can double as a Bluetooth transmitter (it comes with a 3.5mm and USB jack) in case you want to listen to your wireless earbuds on an in-flight entertainment system or a device that doesn’t have Bluetooth, like a Nintendo Switch.
Price: $399
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Fitbit Luxe is the company’s newest fitness tracker and it’s designed as “luxury” or fashion-forward gadget. It works and looks similar to the company’s other thin fitness tracker, the Inspire 2, but the Luxe adds an AMOLED display – it’s the company’s first fitness tracker with a color display, just like it’s more expensive smartwatches — and a stainless steel casing, which you can get in either gold, silver or black. It has some more advanced tracking abilities, such as skin temperature and stress levels, as well as the more entry-level abilities, like tracking steps, calories, heart rate and sleep.
The Fitbit Luxe is available for preorder now, with shipping to start later in May.
Price: $150
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The Polaroid Go is the company’s newest entry-level instant camera — and it’s tiny. Weighing just over half a pound, it’s about the size a small portable speaker or medium-sized. But despite it’s diminutive size, the Polaroid Go still packs all the same features as last year’s Polaroid Now, including flash, a built-in timer, and a button that shoots double exposures. It also has a new reflective selfie mirror for, well, shooting selfies. The Polaroid Go uses smaller instant film than most of the company’s other instant cameras, however.
It’s available for preorder now for $100, or bundled with film for an extra $20.
Price: $100
Sony
To date, Sony has offered its flagship noise-canceling headphones, the WH-1000XM4, in black or silver colors. This week it added a third color: “silent white.” It’s a true white that, despite its pristine look, Sony promises is very stain resistant. Aside from the look, it boasts the same internals and sound quality as all other WH-1000XM4 headphones. The silent white color will cost you about $50 extra and be available (as a limited edition release) this summer.
Price: $399
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The Epos H3 is a wired gaming headset that’s compatible with the latest PlayStation and Xbox consoles (as well as previous generation), as well as the Nintendo Switch and PC. At $119, it’s relatively affordable considering it adds plush ear pads, a large and satisfying volume dial, and a high-quality boom microphone. It’s available in either white or black models.
Price: $119
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This definitive guide to the best pocket knives of 2021 explores everything you need to know to find a pocket knife suited to your needs and includes information on materials, blade type, handle type, other features and price. Scroll past our top picks for additional information on what to consider before buying a pocket knife.
There’s no questioning the utility of a good pocket knife. You don’t have to be a wilderness survivalist or a working handyman to appreciate one either; a sharp blade has a broad range of everyday applications, from opening packages to harvesting herbs from your garden to slicing up food for a picnic.
But pocket knives number in the tens of thousands, and choosing one that balances features with your needs can be tricky. Our team has had a hands-on with hundreds of them and have spent hours (if not days or even weeks) communicating with knife experts and pouring over reviews to research many more, all so that we can confidently produce a list of the pocket knives we believe are the best ones available today.
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CRKT and knife designer Jesper Voxnaes named the Pilar after the boat that Ernest Hemingway used to monitor German U-boats in the Caribbean during World War II. It’s intriguing background, but it’s a well-balanced combination of materials and form that make the most recent iteration a fantastic pocket knife for nearly any application.
The original Pilar had a cleaver-like blade, but it’s smoothed out for the Pilar III to create a sleeker shape with a finer point. It’s also longer at just under three inches and made of D2 steel that’ll hold an edge through lots of use before it needs resharpening. Other features include a thumb slot for one-handed opening, a frame lock for safe usage, and a G10 handle plus an oversized choil for a solid grip. No, it’s not the cheapest pocket knife out there, but go cheaper, and you’ll start to sacrifice the characteristics that make it a great one.
Blade Length: 2.97 inches
Overall Length: 7.25 inches
Blade Material: D2 steel
Blade Type: spear point
Handle Material: G10 and 2Cr13 stainless steel
Weight: 3.8 ounces
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Start seeking higher-quality pocket knives, and you’ll quickly find yourself in very expensive steel. High-end knives can cost hundreds, and while many of those blades are great, you don’t have to pay so much to get something premium that’ll last for years. That’s what makes The Carter a great upgrade and a gateway into the world of luxe knives — even at $139 (and up), it’s quality at a fair price.
What do you get for the extra cash? For one, sleek, styled-out aesthetics that are a result of a clean form factor and machined handle scales available in materials like G10 and micarta. Then there’s the drop-point blade, which opens with a thumb disc and secures with a smooth sliding switch lock. It’s made of VG-10, a high-end steel that’s low maintenance thanks to excellent corrosion resistance and edge retention, which means you can use it freely without fear of messing up something you just spent a wad of cash on.
Blade Length: 2.75 inches
Overall Length: 6.55 inches
Blade Material: VG-10 steel
Blade Type: drop point
Handle Material: Micarta or G10
Weight: 3 ounces
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Opinel’s folding No.8 is about as simple as a pocket knife gets: it has a 3.25-inch steel blade, a wooden handle and a rotating collar that locks it open or closed. Nevertheless, the knife has become an icon since its release in 1890 and is remarkably handsome despite an apparent lack of over-the-top features. You can get one with a carbon steel blade or with premium wood handles — all of them are nearly as affordable.
Blade Length: 3.28 inches
Overall Length: 7.59 inches
Blade Material: Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel
Blade Type: straight back
Handle Material: beechwood
Weight: 1.5 ounces
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Backpackers and serious campers prize ultralight gear, but it has to stand up to heavy use, and the Bugout makes that grade. Benchmade has made it in various constructions over the years, but the standard is with a Grivory handle and CPM-S30V drop-point blade that operates on the company’s sliding AXIS lock. The whole thing weighs just 1.85 ounces, and yet the 3.24-inch blade is plenty hefty to handle any number of trail tasks. If you want to go even lighter, check out the 1.5-ounce Mini Bugout, which has a 2.8-inch blade.
Blade Length: 3.24 inches
Overall Length: 7.46 inches
Blade Material: CPM-S30V
Blade Type: drop point
Handle Material: Grivory
Weight: 1.85 ounces
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All Swiss Army Knives are classic in their own way, so we’re probably splitting hairs by picking a favorite, but with so many implement options, it’s also necessary. The prize goes to the Mountaineer, which packs 18 functions in half as many implements. Despite its outdoorsy name, this SAK is among Victorinox’s most versatile: it has two knife blades, can and bottle openers, multiple screwdrivers, a sewing tool, scissors, file, toothpick, tweezers, corkscrew and more. Other models can get remarkably bulky, but this one is still small enough to remain practical for your pocket.
Blade Length: 2.28 inches (long blade), 1.42 inches (small blade)
Overall Length: 5.87 inches (long blade open)
Blade Material: X55CrMo14 stainless steel
Blade Type: modified spear point
Handle Material: ABS / Cellidor
Weight: 3.8 ounces
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A lot of modern pocket knives are, frankly, ugly. They’re overly tactical or practical, sacrificing looks for fully-loaded function. Case Knives, a company that dates back to the 1800s, continues to produce patterns that reflect that heritage. The Mini Trapper is a perfect example; its side-by-side, double-blade construction includes a 2.75-inch clip-point and spey-point blades (the latter a shape not often produced in new designs). It’s available with a variety of handles, from bone to colorful synthetics. Each one comes with Case’s unique tang stamp, denoting the year it was produced in for an added element of collectibility.
Blade Length: 2.7 inches (clip), 2.8 inches (spey)
Overall Length: 6.3 inches
Blade Material: Tru-Shar Stainless
Blade Type: clip point, spey point
Handle Material: various
Weight: 2.7 ounces
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The best pocket knife in the world is no good to you if you don’t have it on you, and that’s the best case for owning one that can fit on a keychain. That doesn’t mean tiny knives are always useful, though, but WESN insured its Microblade is. It has a titanium handle and a 1.5-inch D2 tool steel blade in a drop-point shape that includes a flipper tab for fast deployment. All these characteristics make for a knife that feels far larger than it is, even though it’s the size of a thumb drive.
Blade Length: 1.5 inches
Overall Length: 3.75 inches
Blade Material: D2 steel
Blade Type: drop point
Handle Material: titanium or G10,
Weight: 1 ounce
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Leatherman’s known for multi-tools that put pliers front and center, but its recently released Free K tools put all emphasis on the blade. The K2’s is a 3.3-inch sheepsfoot made of 420HC steel. Embedded in its handle are a couple of shorter, highly useful implements that fill in on jobs where a knife’s not enough — the list includes a pry tool, package opener, awl, bottle opener and three screwdriver heads. All of them swivel open smoothly with one hand thanks to magnetic integration.
Blade Length: 3.3 inches
Overall Length: 7.8 inches
Blade Material: 420HC stainless steel
Blade Type: sheepsfoot
Handle Material: aluminum
Weight: 4.9 ounces
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Remember when we mentioned that higher quality, more expensive pocket knives are out there? This is one of those. Quiet Carry built this deceitfully straightforward folding knife with some of the best materials available. That includes a blade made of Vanax SuperClean, a type of steel that’s highly resistant to corrosion and wear and is considered among a distinguished category known as “super steel.” Quiet Carry gave it marine-grade hardware to match that rust resistance too, and handles made of G10 or steel are available in multiple colors and finishes.
Blade Length: 3.31 inches
Overall Length: 7.52 inches
Blade Material: Vanax Super Clean
Blade Type: drop/clip point
Handle Material: G10 or titanium
Weight: 2.7 ounces
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The Sebenza 31 is the latest version of a pocket knife that was first released in 1987 and is widely considered among blade enthusiasts as the best pocket knife ever made. Chris Reeve Knives is known for its precision manufacturing, and the Sebenza has won the Manufacturing Quality Award at the annual Blade Show 16 times. It was also the first knife to incorporate a frame lock, a mechanism in which a piece of the handle falls into place behind the butt of a blade to secure it open.
History and iconic status aside, the Sebenza 31 is a fantastic albeit expensive pocket knife. It’s available in two sizes — a small model with a 2.99-inch blade and a large one with a 3.61-inch blade — with various wood or micarta inlays. The base, however, is a premium CPM S35VN drop-point blade, a titanium handle that includes a pocket clip and a knotted lanyard.
Blade Length: 2.99 inches (small), 3.61 inches (large)
Overall Length: 6.98 inches (small), 8.4 inches (large)
Blade Material: CPM-S35VN
Blade Type: drop point
Handle Material: titanium, various inlay options
Weight: 3 ounces (small), 4.7 ounces (large)
There are many reasons to buy a pocket knife, and those will guide you to the critical considerations to keep in mind while picking one. Is the knife for work? For camping? For collecting? A gift?
There’s nothing wrong with buying a pocket knife for looks alone, though if you do have a specific knife in mind, you’ll want to consider its size, weight, blade shape and the characteristics of its steel (more on that below). You’ll also want to research what laws are in place that regulate what type of knife you can own and carry where you live.
We should also make a note of price. Generally speaking, if you’re buying a pocket knife from a respected brand, a higher price will get you a knife made of better materials. There are exceptions — bad knives can still be expensive. The inverse is less deceptive; lower-priced knives are typically the result of cheaper materials. Don’t expect a $30 knife to last long enough to become a family heirloom (unless you take really, really good care of it).
The short and, admittedly, annoying (but expected) answer: it depends. Blade steel is characterized by a list of primary elements — corrosion resistance, edge retention, strength, toughness, wear-resistance and ease of sharpening. Each one is the result of the chemical makeup of the steel in question. Chromium, for instance, is a key ingredient in stainless steel and generally lends corrosion resistance to the recipe.
The downside is that many of these traits tend to operate inversely with one another. Edge retention, a steel’s ability to stay sharp through lots of use, typically comes at the cost of toughness, a steel’s ability to resist cracking and chipping under sudden impacts. Steel with high edge retention typically isn’t as easy to sharpen, either.
There’s always a tradeoff, which is why it’s wise to consider what you want to use the knife for and seek one out that has steel to match those needs. That said, premium knife steels like CPM-S35VN can maximize most of these traits while keeping them relatively balanced, though they’re also the primary contributor to an expensive pocket knife’s high price, so there’s a tradeoff there too.
Grovemade almost didn’t work. The Portland-based brand, which is now considered one of the cleanest, most design-forward desk and office accessories brand, was nearly dead on arrival after co-founders Ken Tomita and Joe Mansfield spent nearly a year to design the perfect case for the recently released iPhone 3GS in 2010. Made of natural materials and precisely engineered, the case and the brand launched the day before Apple announced the iPhone 4, and Grovemade was already old news.
In three months, the brand turned around a case built for the latest iPhone, and it took off. Now, Grovemade is known for making beautifully crafted and functional desk accessories and home office essentials. The brand prioritizes the materials it uses, which includes German wool felt and high-quality wool. Desktop design is almost like an art, tailored to a person to increase their productivity and efficiency. It can also be tricky to determine what you really need for the perfect desk — is a vertical laptop dock a must-have for most? From monitor stands to desk pads, these are eight of the best things to buy from Grovemade.
Grovemade
A desk pad may seem like an extraneous piece of desk decor, but in reality, it really gets you motivated to get down to business. They’re moore While 99 percent (an exaggeration) of desk pads are made of leather, Grovemade’s is made of beautiful, soft felt. It adds texture and flair to an otherwise bland desk, plus the cushiony surface feels great against your skin.
Grovemade
An unorganized desk gives me bad anxiety. Pens, paper clips and other miscellaneous items strewn across a desk is a huge distraction when work needs to be done. Grovemade’s desk tray is a compartmentalized storage solution for your bits and bobs. The natural cork construction is soft, and like most of Grovemade’s desk accessories, is far superior than the cheap plastic construction of lesser quality gear.
Grovemade
The top of your monitor should be right at eye level for proper ergonomics. The clever design of this monitor stand gives your screen the right amount of lift, plus it allows for extra space underneath so you don’t lose out on precious desk real estate. It’s made of molded plywood, and you can be sure it’ll support your monitor — it has a weight capacity of 200 pounds.
Grovemade
Grovemade’s superior use of mixing materials is one of its greatest assets. With its beautiful hardwood frame, stainless steel stand and merino wool cushioning, you can make sure your iPad is safe and easy to use hands-free.
Grovemade
If you spent a bunch of money on headphones, you should give them somewhere luxe to rest. Grovemade’s headphone stand is made of a thick hunk of hardwood, on which vegetable-tanned leather is attached to cushion your headphones. Even when not in use, the headphone stand is a sculptural piece of desk decor and a standout piece.
Grovemade
Wrist rests are meant to elevate your wrists so that they’re in a more natural position. They also provide a soft surface for your arm so they don’t have to sit against a hard desk. The Grovemade wrist pad has a strip of vegetable-tanned leather that sits atop hand-sanded hardwood, while a rubber provides cushioning and support.
Grovemade
Like the monitor stand for monitors, the laptop rise gets your screen to the optimal position so you’re not craning your neck. It even has a cord management system built into the stainless steel reinforcement so no pesky loose wires here.
Grovemade
So you got all this desk stuff, and the wood desk shelf is the what helps tie everything together. It has enough space to hold up two monitors, features a merino wool-padded shelf and space underneath to stash extra stuff (like Grovemade’s desk tray).
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To drive the XC60 Recharge correctly, you must strategize. Typically, when I review cars, I block out an hour or two for an extended cruise, but Volvos with the T8 eAWD stink at that. If you plunk it into everyday hybrid mode, you drain the battery quickly and rumble home on the gas engine.
Most of my other driving is staccato, one-off trips. I hit the grocery store or pharmacy; I drop my son off at pre-school; I head to my parents’ house for dinner. These are short, two to three-mile trips where I rarely exceed 30 mph, which are inefficient with a combustion engine. But with the XC60 Recharge, you can make those trips in EV mode, return home, put the Volvo back in the charger, and repeat as needed.
In effect, you have to accept that you’ll have to rely on the gas more for longer trips. Still, I averaged out to about 34 mpg overall — substantially more efficient than the XC60 with the T6 gas engine.
Hearing 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque primes you to expect an absolute tire-shredder. And the XC60 Recharge can, if you’re so inclined, haul ass off the line. But most of the time, it’s pure Volvo: refined, quiet and competent, but not especially sporty. And like pretty much every Volvo, it’s incredibly safe, earning the coveted IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation.
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Welcome to Deals of Note, where Gear Patrol captures all the best deals of the day. You can also visit GearPatrol.com/Deals for constant updates on the latest deals discovered by our team.
The most rare or exceptional deals picked by Gear Patrol’s product experts.
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Apple’s new MacBook Pro and iPad Pro are more similar than ever. Both have the same exact M1 processor. Apple also integrated the new iPad Pros with a USB-C port that supports USB 4 and Thunderbolt, which allows them to work with more high-performance external accessories, like faster SSDs, more powerful docks and more beautiful external displays. Basically, the newest iPad Pro and MacBook Pro are both powerful computing devices.
Despite being so similar, there are still some very important differences between the M1 MacBook Pro and the M1 iPad Pro. The most obvious ones are because of the differences of form factor — laptop vs tablet — but there are a few other key features that distinguish M1 MacBook Pro and the M1 iPad Pro.
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Toyota has a major hit with the rally homologation GR Yaris hatchback, which is sold both in Europe and — even more teasingly for Americans — Mexico. Some of our favorite automotive personalities across the pond are not just raving about the car; they’re buying them, too. Alas, Toyota has no plans to sell it in the United States.
That said…Toyota has all but promised America our own GR hot hatch based on the Corolla. And the latest reports from Japan suggest that car could be epic and relatively affordable.
Japanese outlet CarSensor, as spotted by CarBuzz, has the details. The base vehicle will reportedly be the Corolla Sport, with body modifications that include much wider fender flares. And it should pack plenty of firepower; the GR Yaris gets an incredible 257 horsepower from its turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-three-cylinder engine, but as per the report, Toyota’s target for the hot Corolla is 296 hp.
The Corolla hatch will also allegedly get the six-speed manual transmission from the GR Yaris with its automatic rev-matching. It should also boast that car’s adjustable torque-splitting all-wheel-drive system.
Besides being bigger and more practical than the GR Yaris, the report also says the GR Corolla hatchback will be cheaper. The GR Yaris starts at the dollar equivalent of a little under $37,000. The report pegs the starting price between $32,000 and $37,000 in Japan. If that carries over to American pricing, the GR Corolla could undercut rivals like the Honda Civic Type R and new Volkswagen Golf Type R.
The Corolla hot hatch is one of many exciting vehicles Toyota has on tap, including the new 300 Series Land Cruiser, the new GR 86, and some hybrid and electric pickup trucks, to name a few. The future looks bright.
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Apple just unveiled something truly desirable with which you cannot surf the web, pay for goods, text, or make a phone call. It’s called the AirTag, and it’s going to dominate the world of Bluetooth…
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Welcome to Shelf Sleepers, our semi-regular guide to the best booze nobody is buying. This time: Old Forester 1920, a bourbon that tastes like it costs a lot more than $60.
A little over 100 years ago, the U.S. banned the production, sale, distribution and importation of booze through the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act. Like all legislation, there were exemptions made for specific cases, like wine made for religious ceremony or whiskey sold for medicinal purposes. Someone at Old Forester read a line about medicinal whiskey and thought “I bet bourbon weirdos would love that.” What’s weirder: they were right.
The Brown-Forman company released Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style in 2016 as the third expression in its Whiskey Row series, which is made up of bourbons that key in on moments in the brand’s history. The 1920 bottling is proofed to 115, or the proof that the 100 proof legal requirement would have become as the bourbon intensified during maturation, were it not been cut with water pre-bottling. That is really all we know about it; Brown-Forman has kept its mashbill information, age, yeast and all other production variables close to the chest.
What we do know: they’ve done something to significantly warp the flavor from more standard Old Forester releases. Whether it be nailing the blend or pulling barrels from a specific corner of a rickhouse where the push and pull of Kentucky’s seasons bring out the best in the whisky, the flavor is unmistakably different than the rest of the Whiskey Row series, too. It’s darker and more chocolatey than any Old Forester I’ve tried. After you’ve accustomed yourself to the heat coming off it, it bends into the same chocolate-nut-nougat profile of a Snicker’s bar for me. Forced to liken it to any past Old Forester release, I’d say it’s closest kin are select releases of Birthday Bourbon, which is good company to keep.
Whiskey history is often mythologized in the name of creating a brand story and selling bottles, but Old Forester does stand of firmer ground than most in this regard — it is the only American whiskey brand to be sold before, during and after Prohibition. Its 1920 Style whiskey, whatever it’s actually made of, isn’t a boring cash grab. Find it in most markets for around $60.
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It’s always notable when Yeti adds something new to its growing collection of rugged gear — even when that new thing is simply a color. And leave it to a brand that counts barbecue pitmasters and ranchers among its roster of ambassadors to look to the people who have one of the most dangerous jobs in the world for hue inspiration. We’re talking about king crab fishermen, and the color orange.
Yeti calls the new shade “King Crab Orange” and has slapped it on a wide swath of products that includes water bottles, tumblers, mugs, can koozies, dog bowls and, of course, coolers. But not all of its coolers, mind you; Yeti kept the new orange to its smaller and most versatile ice chests, including the Tundra 45, the smaller Roadie 24 and the soft-sided Hopper M30.
Yeti also teamed up with Mike Jackson, a former king crab fisherman, to celebrate the launch. When a buoy inadvertently knocked Jackson into the Bering Sea 12 days into a shift, he gained a new perspective on just how dangerous his work was while pitching in the cold waves and hoping he didn’t get caught by his own boat’s propeller. He was rescued by the captain, who used a hook to pull him up the side. The experience led him to team up with his brother to found Grundéns USA, which makes protective clothing for fishermen.
Despite the harrowing experience, Jackson still harbors a love for the sea and for crabbing. In a video Yeti produced to celebrate the launch of the new color, he describes the thrill of pulling up a pot and finding a catch: “It’s a wonder when the pot starts to materialize out of the deep,” he says. “It doesn’t matter if it’s shrimp or crab, King Crab or Dungeness crab.”
He notes how it’s color contrasting with the blue of the water that signals a catch. Of course, he also notes, crabs don’t take on their bright orange shade until you cook them.
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After oh so many years of selling the same old Land Cruiser, Toyota is finally replacing the J200 series version with a new 300 Series. The Japanese launch for the new SUV is imminent — perhaps coming in a matter of days. Why do we say that? Because Australian outlet CarsGuide has found spy photos of the new Land Cruiser models sitting in a lot waiting to be exported.
CarsGuide
CarsGuide
The undisguised SUV looks a lot like the leaked blueprint documents indicated that it would. It’s a modern, boxier take on the 200 Series with a larger, squared-off front end. It has a more sculpted-looking rear window than the previous model. The spy shots miss the model’s rear, so we don’t know whether the split tailgate has indeed been removed.
We’ve heard a fair bit of information about how the new car will represent itself when it arrives. It’s likely to ditch its gas-quaffing 5.7-liter V8 engine for a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with an eventual hybrid version. There should be a more high-performance GR-branded version. And it should get a modernized interior in line with other Toyotas.
We don’t know for certain yet whether the new Land Cruiser will come to the United States. Toyota only confirmed that there will be no 2022 model Land Cruiser in America and only said to stay tuned. That could mean the Land Cruiser is finished in America; or, it could mean it is coming as scheduled, but for the 2023 model year. Then again, we might get the J300 on time, but only branded as a Lexus.
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At its core, Casetify is a brand that makes some of the most stylish phone, tablet and watch cases on the market. But they’re also quick to embrace modern technology–we’re not just talking about the…
The post Casetify NFT Collectible and Custom Stainless Phone Case first appeared on Cool Material.
We’ve seen plenty of electric car concepts designed to push the boundaries of the way we think about what a car can do. This sentiment is especially true when it comes to the autonomous versions…
The post This Autonomous Electric Car Concept Actively Cleans the Air While It Drives first appeared on Cool Material.
For Earth Day, New Belgium Brewing‘s Fat Tire has released Torched Earth Ale, a beer that is shitty on many different levels.
First for the fact that it is made with smoke-tainted water, dandelions, drought resistant grains like millet and a hop extract (not fresh hops) — New Belgium describes it as tasting “awful.” Second for the fact that Torched Earth Ale uses the less-than-ideal ingredients that brewers in a climate-ravaged future might have available to them.
In 2020, New Belgium’s flagship beer Fat Tire became the country’s first certified carbon neutral beer through tactics like increasing renewable energy installations, increasing energy efficiencies and purchasing carbon offsets. The last strategy New Belgium admits is not a sustainable practice. This is why the 30-year-old brewery has launched the “Last Call for Climate” with Torched Earth Ale, asking beer drinkers to demand their favorite brands to adopt 2030 climate plans. According to the press release, “70 percent of Fortune 500 companies lack a meaningful climate action plan (one that will help companies achieve or be well on the way to achieving net-zero emissions by 2030, the year scientists say that catastrophic climate change could be irreversible without bold action).”
“If you don’t have a climate plan, you don’t have a business plan,” said New Belgium CEO Steve Fechheimer. “Aggressive action to help solve the climate crisis is not only an urgent environmental and social imperative – it’s also a no-brainer for companies seeking to create long-term shareholder value, compete with rivals like China, and create good-paying jobs here at home.”
This is not the first time New Belgium has created a beer centered around bringing awareness to the current (and even greater looming) disaster that is climate change. Last August for International Beer Day and to celebrate Fat Tire becoming the first American carbon neutral beer, the brewery changed the price on Fat Tire six-packs to $100 for 24 hours. This of course was to raise attention to the fact that the ingredients to make beer will continue to become more and more expensive.
As climate change continues to put greater strain on water systems and crops through extreme weather events, droughts and the altering of temperatures, brewers may have to face realities like using less-than-stellar ingredients or paying exorbitant prices for the normal ingredients. These higher prices and potentially crappier beer would then be passed onto drinkers.
I can attest to the 5.2 percent ABV Torched Earth Ale not tasting all that good. I love smoked beers, but this beer has got nothing behind that smoked malt. It seems to have the consistency of apple juice, but with better head retention — there’s just very little in the way of mouthfeel or body. Simply put, if this is the future of beers we’re looking at, I can guarantee if you like your hazy IPAs or imperial stouts, you’re surely going to be disappointed.
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The Sony SRS-RA5000 is one of the best-sounding wireless speakers that I’ve ever tested. That in addition to being one of the strangest and most expensive. Despite its near $700 price tag, it can’t replicate the true stereo sound of a much cheaper pair of loudspeakers. But neither does it try to. Instead, it’s intended to sound like a live music venue, using Sony’s immersive (proprietary) “360 Reality Audio.”
It’s a gimmick. But a good one.
Sony calls its 360 Reality Audio an “object-based spatial audio technology.” In essence it allows sound engineers to mix tracks that are optimized for 360-degrees of audio as opposed to stereo or mono. This is intended to create a sort of bubble of sound around the speaker and inside that bubble, where the vocals, instrumentals and bass all sound like they’re coming from different directions. It’s kind of like Dolby Atmos, but instead of surround sound it more like you’re listening to live music that envelops. It’s vibrant and fun.
Songs that have been mixed 360 Reality Audio are immersive in a different way than those mixed for stereo. I spent most of my time listening to tracks by Clean Bandit, Aerosmith and Liam Gallagher (because they were some of the only 360 Reality Audio tracks that I wanted to listen to, but more on that in a second), and the sound is truly enveloping, like you’re in the audience of a live show with speakers blasting music on the stage and behind you. It’s loud and energetic, however, like at an actual concert (remember those?), the details of the vocals and highs can get from time to time.
This is in large part thanks to the Sony SRS-RA5000 just being a powerhouse of a speaker, of course, and, for $700, you’d hope that it would be. It packs a total of seven drivers — including three 8-inch upward-firing drivers, three 8-inch outward-firing drivers, and a 2.9-inch downward-firing subwoofer with a rear bass port — and it’s able to evenly spray sound in all directions. In fact, now that the HomePod is effectively dead, the SRS-RA5000 is one of the few true 360-degree powered speakers that can be placed in the center of the room and play truly room-filling sound.
But then, of course, there’s the catch: how many 360 Reality Audio tracks really are there, how many more will there be, and how will you listen to them? The unfortunate truth is that the catalog of tracks isn’t actually that robust; Sony claims that “more than 1,000 tracks from various artists and categories are currently available in the 360 Reality Audio format, and many more are on the way,” but I found the selection a little lacking
I tested the Sony SRS-RA5000 with my Tidal HiFi subscription (you’ll need a HiFi subscription if you want to find these types of tracks), and all the 360 Reality Audio tracks are labeled clearly with a “360” icon next to them. To find them in bulk, you can search for “360 Reality Audio” and I found there was a good selection from Liam Gallagher to Dua Lipa, Elvis Presley to David Bowie, but not everything. I was jonesing to hear the new London Grammar album, which isn’t available in 360. Something that would not have bothered me if I wasn’t looking at this $700 speaker designed for that purpose on the table.
The Sony SRS-RA5000 sounds excellent even if you’re not listening to 360 Reality Audio tracks. There’s built-in mics that allow you to calibrate the speaker for the room it’s in (like Sonos’s TruePlay) and you can also adjust its EQ settings via Sony’s Music Center app. But while the Sony SRS-RA5000 is a very different sounding speaker than other premium wireless speakers, it doesn’t really sound better. Personally I find my Sonos Five to be pretty comparable in sound and it’s $200 cheaper. Not to mention that, with its front-firing design, the Five doesn’t demand to be a centerpiece the way the 360 SRS-RA5000 does.
The real killer is that there are cheaper ways to experience 360 Reality Audio than dropping almost $700 on the Sony SRS-RA5000. Sony recently released a smaller and cheaper speaker, the SRS-RA3000 ($298), and the almost two-year old Echo Studio, Amazon’s high-end smart speaker, both support this immersive audio format. Also, most headphones can also support 360 Reality Audio, although you’ll need to subscribe to one of the lossless streaming tiers to experience it.
If money is no object though, the Sony SRS-RA5000 is a great showpeice for what is ultimately a clever and enjoyable though limited and slightly gimmicky audio format. Otherwise, the SRS-RA5000 is a pretty damn expensive to commit to, and there are much more affordable ways to get your 360 fix.
Price: $698
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Nivada Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver, ~$1,700
You don’t have to be a vintage collector to know the famous midcentury chronographs from the likes of Heuer, Breitling, Zenith and Omega. But if you know those watches from back in the 60s and 70s, chances are you also know one called the Nivada Chronomaster. Nivada didn’t survive the era of emerging battery-powered watches called the Quartz Crisis, but its name remained high in the consciousness of vintage collectors and was recently revived, along with the Chronomaster.
Arguably the brand’s most recognizable model, the resurrected Chronomaster neatly fills a market niche: it offers one of the most classic models of its era, but at a price without much direct competition. It also happens to look as captivating as the vintage model and nicely captures its compelling history. We got to find out how this modern reissue fits into the watch’s story and how it feels on a modern wrist.
Key Specs:
Case Diameter: 38.3mm
Case Depth: 13.75mm or 14.8mm
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: Sellita SW510 manual or automatic
Price: ~$1,700+
The Chronomaster looks and wears like a vintage watch because it very accurately replicates an actual 1960s model right down to its size and design details. At 38mm, it feels small for a modern chronograph, but that makes it approachable for thin- to average-wristed individuals who want a wearing experience similar to that of many time-only watches. Perhaps most remarkable, however, is the value for its level of detail, features and looks that the Chronomaster offers at under $2,000.
Collectors who are steeped in the history of 1960s sport watches and the current market for vintage chronographs will have a certain appreciation for this recreation of the Chronomaster. Considering that actual vintage models often cost more (sometimes significantly more) than this homage, it could be seen as a relatively affordable way for those collectors to get the Chronomaster on their wrists — with, of course, the added benefits of modern watchmaking.
Watch enthusiasts not particularly deep in the weeds of vintage patina and reference numbers might also find the Chronomaster appealing — especially those with slim wrists who find most chronographs to be overly bulky. There simply aren’t that many Swiss mechanical chronographs with the Chronomaster’s captivating 60s look and size available today — and far fewer in its price range.
Quality mechanical chronograph watches under $2k are still rare, but it’s exciting that there are indeed some great options. If you want something with the 60s panache of Nivada’s Chronomaster, however, that’s a bit tougher.
Yema’s Speedgraf ($1,499) and bronze Yachtingraf ($1,699) watches are about the closest you’ll get, the former giving off a strong motor racing vibe and the latter meant for sailing. Based on vintage models, both use a Seiko automatic chronograph movement and offer a very solid build quality but don’t go quite as far into the details as Nivada. There are a couple military-themed watches in this category as well from German brands: Hanhart offers the 417 ES ($1,970) and Limes has its aggressively priced Nightflight (~$1,280).
If it’s the retro feel and history your after, and can spend a bit more, check out Sinn’s 158 Bundeswehr ($2,880) or Breitling’s reissues like the Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition ($8,600).
In many ways, the Nivada Chronomaster feels representative of sporty 1960s chronographs, a genre of watches that holds special fascination for many collectors. Just looking at the Chronomaster, it’s easy to understand why: it’s a perfect storm of handsome seriousness and fun sportiness that captivates so many fans of this era of watches. Look a bit closer, however, and it’s got even more quirks and features than are at first apparent.
The mid-20th century was a time when a range of sports and industries (like diving and aviation) were developing or becoming newly more accessible to the general public — and they all needed timekeepers. It’s usually easy to spot a watch made for, say, pilots or race car drivers, and most chronographs of the era were made for a specific use. So, what kind of watch is the Chronomaster, then?
Zen Love
Turns out, it’s not so easily labeled. The Chronomaster stands out for being intended as an all-purpose professional watch. It claimed a wide range of possible applications, all accomplished by its chronograph functionality, rotating bezel, design and durability features:
No wonder its got a somewhat odd full name, the Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver (“CASD”), and that you’ll find phrases like “wrist-size computers” and “super-chronograph” used in old advertisements.
You might not use it for any of these things specifically and simply see a handsome, practical watch ready for everyday wear — and therein lies yet another bullet point you can add to this watch’s list of versatile uses. For today’s Chronomaster wearers, there exists better technology for engaging in any of those activities, but awareness of the features and the charming way they were marketed might make you look at the details a little closer and perhaps appreciate the Chronomaster in a slightly different way overall.
All of those details are included on the modern Chronomaster. Nivada’s website even has a feature where you can toggle between images of a vintage and current Chronomaster to see just how closely the replica matches. It’s hard to find many visual differences aside from the obvious look of an aged watch versus that of a brand new one. The main updates are what you can typically expect from such a reissue: modern movement, sapphire crystal, more brushed surfaces than were popular back in the day…
A notable difference is that the new Chronomaster is water-resistant only to 100m. That’s significantly less impressive than the 200m rating that characterized the original — especially when water resistance is so much more readily achieved now than it was 60 years ago. As it’s still a reasonable rating (suitable for swimming) and probably helps keep the price where it is, however, we’ll call this an acceptable tradeoff.
Zen Love
Otherwise, the brand went to lengths to offer an accurate reproduction, but there wasn’t just one Chronomaster: there were many. Buyers of the Nivada Chronomaster watch also receive a large, coffee-table-style hardcover book by Grégoire Rossier and Anthony Marquié called Chronomaster Only. This is an encyclopedic look at this watch over its lifespan through the Sixties and it catalogs different models and their details.
There are more than 50 variations individually treated in one section of the book. Over the years, Chronomasters maintained their basic features but showed differences in dial colors, hand set designs, text and — notably — sometimes even different brand names. Croton, who sold Nivada watches in the US, was the most significant, but that’s a story perhaps best saved for an installment of Watches You Should Know.
Nivada took an interesting approach to honoring the watch’s legacy: Each of the 12 available variations of the Chronomaster is based on a specific vintage model. Sure, some brands release various versions of a watch with different options, but this feels more like a genuine tribute to a beloved watch. The model Gear Patrol tested has a manually wound movement, white lume, the arrow-shaped hour hand set and a black dial with black subdials — though there are alternatives for each of these elements and more.
Of the 12 models, eight offer a manually wound version of the Sellita SW510 and four use an automatic version. Automatic winding is convenient, but the manual variants will feel closer to the originals (which were also manual) and it shaves about a millimeter off the watch’s total thickness. We didn’t get to wear the automatic version but can confirm that with a manual movement this is an eminently easy watch to wear.
Zen Love
The only thing that wasn’t so easy was reading some of the dial’s features. Not that I’ll likely ever need to count down five minutes to the start of a yacht race or measure speed using a tachymeter — but if I did, it’d be difficult in all but perfect lighting conditions. These and the 12-hour markings on the bezel (which I didn’t even notice at first) are easier to see in pictures than in person. For the modern wearer, they’ll primarily function to give the Chronomaster a fun story, details to discover and a captivating look.
Just about any watch of the Nivada Chronomaster’s era with comparable recognizability is either: an actual vintage model or a reproduction by a major brand. In either case, Nivada’s modern remake is a more affordable option. This, coupled with the current brand’s loving execution and the historical model’s own fascinating quirks makes the Chronomaster come together as a hell of a package that’s easy to recommend in its price range.
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