Book Review: Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed

"A man can not make love with any kind of conviction unless he is wearing a coat cut within a half mile of Piccadilly."
-- Tailor & Cutter c. 1860

I suspect that there are no "casual Fridays" at Richard Anderson Ltd, nor at Huntsman before that. ;-)

I became aware of this book (Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed by Richard Anderson) only a month ago when F.J. posted a mention of it on TimeZone. It looked interesting, but I couldn't easily find it in the U.S. online, only via Amazon U.K. F.J. was kind enough to send me his copy once he was done with it, and I'm glad he did.

Right out of the gate the book reminds me, in terms of style, approach, and subject matter of these two books:

• Bringing Home the Birkin
• The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art

The story starts out w/ Mr. Richard Anderson dropping out of high school at age 16 in 1982 and becoming an errand boy at the prestigious H Huntsman & Sons on Savile Row. He was literally fetching sandwiches, tea, and schlepping bolts of cloth up and down stairs all day. Fast-forward to 2001 and he co-owns a new and prestigious Savile Row firm of his own, the eponymous Richard Anderson Ltd.

Book Details:
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd (September 3, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 1847374549

The book is quite readable and I really enjoyed it. In spite of having very little spare time in the last week I got through it quickly. Mr. Anderson describes both the very colorful characters he encounters (including both Savile Row employees and customers) and unique traditions of the industry. In many ways the traditions of Savile Row are still stuck in the past, and I mean that as a compliment. Apprenticeships are still common and the industry still uses many old terms and techniques.

"Call him 'Milord' and charge him extra. Show him only your soberest patterns but let the material be of the best -- that is his main interest."
-- 'Profile of the Mayfair Man', Tailor & Cutter, 1947

The book might be unofficially thought of as three distinct parts: Mr. Anderson's youth and apprenticeship, his time as an employee at Huntsman (including the firm's eventual fall from grace), and his resignation from Huntsman and founding of his new firm.

It's peculiar how the Savile Row culture manages to be both masculine/tough and "dandy" at the same time.

Some items of note from the book:
1. What is "Pop Goes the Weasel?" glossary, p. 295
2. Some of the celebrity customers encountered by Richard Anderson include:
Katherine Hepburn, Sir Laurence Olivier, Peter Sellers, Henry Kissinger, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, James Coburn, and many more.

3. "Simon Christopher Joseph Fraser, Fifteenth Lord Lovat and Fourth Baron Lovat, after whose estate the colour itself came to be called." p. 81
4. Yes, some people are still addressed as "Milord."
5. Olivier Oppenheim pp. 76-79

6. People sometimes order vicuña and/or cashmere coats as impulse purchases. p. 61
7. Historically, aristocrats were often the worst offenders when it came to overdue payments. p. 82
8. There is a distinct and legal difference between the terms "made-to-measure" and "bespoke." The legal definition reminds me a bit of the legal rules around the term "Swiss Made" for watches. p. 258

9. Guanashina is one of the rarest and most expensive fabrics ... "a rare, specially commissioned blend of the three finest fibers in the world: Andean guanaco, pashmina, and yearling cashmere."
10. Richard Anderson Ltd, had an inauspicious start, on 09/11/2001.
The famed Colin Hammick (more info on Mr. Hammick below) is one of Mr. Anderson's sartorial and professional influences.

11. The four endorsements (and presumablt, customers) on the rear of the book? Simon Cowell, Benicio Del Toro, Bryan Ferry, and Kiefer Sutherland.
12. "Sebiro." The Japanese term for "Savile Row."

Toward the end the book begins to sound like an advertisement for the new business, but on the whole I don't think it detracts too much from the work. The book also includes a particularly interesting glossary in the back. I would recommend the book (Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed by Richard Anderson) to anyone already interested in men's style, it's a no-brainer choice for that/this crowd. And I would also recommend it for anyone looking for an interesting non-fiction read that might be a bit off the beaten path.

More on Mr. Richard Anderson.
Our History - Richard Anderson Savile Row
Richard Anderson Savile Row - Bespoke tailors, custom tailors, bespoke shirt makers
Richard Anderson. Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed
The People - Richard Anderson Savile Row

Colin Hammick.
Colin Hammick: The Times obituary
People, Nov. 8, 1971 - Time

Additional reviews.
Unbuttoning the secrets of Savile Row: BESPOKE BY RICHARD ANDERSON
The king of Savile Row reveals the secrets of life as a top-end tailor - The Independent
Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smooth by Richard Anderson: review - Telegraph
Reviews - Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed
A Suitable Wardrobe: Book Review: The Fall of Huntsman

Additional links.
Master of the Art: Brian Lishak Celebrates 50 years on Savile Row (PDF, 624k)
Savile Row begins fightback to save the gentleman's suit
A List of Savile Row Tailors
Richard Anderson - Bespoke Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed
SavileRowBespoke - History Of Savile Row
Savile Row Never Goes Out of Style
The Cutter and Tailor Forum
Savile Row: Style Magazine
21st Century Dandy - Fashion - British Council

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Concrete Home Construction With Wood Elements
Modern Residential Design: Herbst Architects
House in Avila by A-cero Architects
Summer House in Menorca - CoolBoom

Computers.
Dell Mini 10v: Chrome OS for all on a USB stick
Microsoft enables Silverlight video streaming to iPhones

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Moleskine Meets J. Herbin Vert Empire - An Inkophile’s Blog
Blue/black Platinum Preppy
...from the beautiful mind of victoriahart: Moleskine.
Featured Pen - Sailor 1911 Standard Naginata-togi NM
Newly Used Parker 21 Special & Parker 51 Aerometric

Style.
White Shirts - WSJ Magazine
Navy Blazers and Saxxon Wool
A Quest for the Perfect White Shirt - WSJ.com

Shoes / Boots.
Learn to put a shine on your shoes - dresswithstyle.com
Red Wing Gentleman Traveler Leather Boots - SwipeLife
Thorogood for Epaulet Horsehide Work Boot (more)
New Indy Boot Models
Sartorially Inclined: The Bean Boot Project

ClimateGate:
Is It Ed Begley, Jr., or Is It Bozo?
Climate change data dumped - Times Online

Cars.
Geiger continues excessive use of bright paint, boost with 790-horsepower Ford GT
New BMW 5-series - evo

Watches.
SIHH 2010: Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Memovox
Girard-Perregaux ww.tc Tourbillon – Sensationally practical
OT: traveling in Nepal with LW (and a bit of PAM-content, many pics)
Independent Watchmakers Search for Strategies to Survive Market Freeze - NYTimes.com
The Watchmakers' Time Bomb - NYTimes.com

Photography.
Superheadz Digital Harinezumi camera is retrograde in all the best ways (more)

Liberty / Govt.
Defending Obama…Again - Cato @ Liberty
The Power to Tax is the Power : The Freeman

Animals.
Ole the Icelandic Sheepdog - Daily Puppy
Video: Otters Don't Need Sleds

Misc.
World’s First Ever Undersea Restaurant – Ithaa
Hand sanitizer: How it protects you - CNN.com
TimeZone: Helsinki & Prague

Henry Ford & Jonas Salk vs. Barack Obama

Today's post from the Unbroken Window blog is an excellent catalyst for thought. (pic via Wiki)

Fun Facts to Know and Tell - The Unbroken Window: "Henry Ford is evil. In 1904, there were 61,306 people employed in the wagon and carriage industry. Today, there are virtually zero. The wages of those workers in 1904 were about $31.2 million dollars — or about $700 million in today’s dollars. That is equivalent to destroying an asset of roughly $35 billion in value. What a bastard Mr. Ford was. And just think of all the jobs he destroyed in the horse-dung cleaning industry too."

So Henry Ford destroyed at least thousands of jobs. Then I think of Jonas Salk ... how many crutch and leg-brace manufacturers and jobs did he single-handedly destroy? Clearly, two scoundrels at work in Ford and Salk.

Then think of all of the jobs that Obama and his lieutenants have saved or even created in just the last six months. Hundreds of thousands or even millions claimed.

So to whom are we more indebted? Ford and Salk? Or Obama?

(n.b. This same question could be asked for any president/politician, Bush included, Obama was chosen for this example as he is the most current and perhaps most notable recent example of the jobs claims)

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Sustainable Urban Architecture in Kansas City
Hidden Luxury: Modern Underground High-Desert Home
Alila Villas Soori Resort in Bali, Indonesia

Style.
Schott for Barneys Motorcycle Jackets
Looks for Winter, from Leon
Find the Perfect Pair of Jeans: Details
Say You Want a Revolution - Finch's Quarterly Review
007's Tailor: A Guide to Men's Clothing
The Spy who came out of the closet – Part 2
Sartorially Inclined: Friday Afternoon Recon: Epaulet

Watches.
Void V02 Watch - Cool Void Watches
TAG Heuer Autavia- What went wrong? - Calibre 11
Classic Heuers: Norwegian Issued Heuer Flyback
Officine Panerai:PAM317 - Luminor 1950 8 days Ceramic Chrono Monopulsante GMT (more)
some time with vincent calabrese... a great watchmaker & creator

Fountain Pens / Watchers.
Aurora Archivi Storici (Historical Archives)
Pelikan M215 Lozenge Review
Featured Pen - Visconti Van Gogh Midi

Computers. (ht: Okami)
Do 4 Google searches at once
LaptopMemo Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Netbooks
Some Cool Keyboard Tricks That Few People Know About
FreeMyPDF: Unlock Restricted PDF Files

Cars.
Superformance MKIII R Cobra
The Ten Best Post-Apocalyptic Survival Vehicles

Healthcare.
Get Equipped on What’s at Stake with ObamaCare
ObamaCare’s Cost Could Top $6 Trillion

Liberty / Govt.
A key British official reminds us of the forgotten anthrax attack - Salon.com

Gadgets.
Zero Halliburton No.40 “Apollo 11″ Case - Selectism.com

Food.
The All-Inclusive All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Guide

Minimum Wage.
Obama - The Science President?

Liberty / Govt.
We Pay Them to Lie to Us - Reason Magazine
Getting that Last Drop of Air Out of Your Air Mattress
Yep, They Are Just Like “The People”

Misc.
SU - Longhorn Cattle Prized By The Inch : NPR
Most Hilarious Vintage Smoking Ads - Manolith
Science News for Kids: Model Plane Flies the Atlantic
David McCullough's Typewriter Bookend
The 50 Biggest Movies Of 2010 - Times Online
Energizer Bunnies: Turning Rabbits into Green Fuel - TIME
Fantastic Mr Fox Movie

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Contemporist)
Ravine Residence by Cindy Rendely Architexture
Modern Cottage Design: Sebastopol Residence
Alila Villas Soori by SCDA Architects
Caribbean House Design - Curved Roof Beachfront Home
Unilever Headquarters / Behnisch Architekten

Food.
Ho Chiak: Eating in Bangkok: Krua Sa
Esquire – Top five single malts

Style.
Esquire – The bespokesman – glen check fabric
Dickies California Selvage denim
It’s a Wrap - Pop-Up Flea Part II
Permanent style: Sharp facts
Schott for Barneys Motorcycle Jackets
Esquire – No country for old boots
Permanent style: The coat project 5

Climate Change (fraud?).
The global-cooling cover-up - Washington Times
Global Warmists exposed - Washington Times

Economics.
The Poor Get Richer

Watches.
Starck Palindrome Too for Fossil - Acquire
TimeZone: UPS just rang the door bell ...
Glashütte Original donates a unique model to Italian cancer research
The Famous ‘Rose Gold’ Finish on Vintage Omega Movements: Not All that Glitters…
The Jaeger LeCoultre Amvox 2 Chronograph DBS: As James Bond As It Gets Without Being A Transponder

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Inkyjournal: De Atramentis Dornfelder Ink review
The Pen Addict: Ink Links

Animals.
I Can’t Bear to Look — Cute Overload
‘Tis The Season…For Close Inspection — Cute Overload

Travel.
English Russia - A Magnificent Flight
Esquire – Top five treks to think about maybe doing one day

Misc.
The Latest Entrepreneurial Fantasy Is Selling Cupcakes
15 People, Places, And Things To Be Thankful For - Gear Patrol

ClimateGate Updates ...

This is a huge story. But will it temper the global-warming acolytes?

Explosive– Climategate Files Were Leaked to BBC But They Refused to Cover the Story: "The scandal grows… It looks like the New York Times is not the only news organization to ignore the greatest scandal in modern science. BBC joins in to “Hide the Decline" ..."

Climate Change Fraud - Gore’s Manipulation Allowed By Mainstream Media Climate Change Bias – Continues With CRU: "“It is a characteristic of all movements and crusades that the psychopathic element rises to the top.” Robert Lindner. How much longer will Al Gore get a pass from the mainstream media? A little bit longer if their failure to react to the devastating revelations of files hacked from the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia is a measure. Their behavior reflects how most, especially from the left, have abetted the scientists who deliberately perverted climate science."

The Heart of Climategate–the “fudge factor” - GlobalWarming.org: "You can download the entire zip file of the uncovered emails and documents here but it is 61mb of text. The searchable files are here. A good list of the worst emails discovered so far is here. Here’s a very funny video on the whole mess. But here is the best article, by Marc Sheppard, that shows that all the data and wherever it has been used–Kyoto and IPCC–has to be thrown out."

Newmark's Door: A baker's dozen links on alleged global warming: "Some useful background: Steve McIntyre's presentation at Ohio State (Spring, 2008). As H. Ross Perot might say, "I find it fascinatin'. Jus' fascinatin'." A businessman started with a simple question: could he please see the data that supported the famous "hockey stick" showing that recent years were the hottest on record? And he uncovered one of biggest cans of worms ever. The whole story is amazing, but two especially entertaining bits are these ..."

Climategate - CafeHayek: "This eleven-minute-long interview with climate scientist Pat Michaels reveals just how scientific the global-warming ‘hawks’ are."

Previous ClimateGate posts:
ClimateGate Round-Up, Don't Miss This ...
Climategate — the Real War on Science?

Wristwatch Round-Up: MB&F, Seiko, Jaquet Droz, & More!

A few horological delights to enjoy during your post-Thanksgiving glow. (pic courtesy of The Watch Lounge)

MANY of links to check out!

Interview With Maximilian Büsser, Founder Of MB&F And Horological Visionary!: "Four years ago one extraordinary man had one absolutely extraordinary vision. That man was Maximilian Büsser and his vision was, according to him, based on a very simple and fundamental idea: to assemble dedicated Collectives of talented horological artisans, artists and professionals – all friends – to design and craft each year a radical and original horological masterpiece. The rest, as they say, is history. Celebrated as one of the most innovative and creative watchmakers of modern times, MB&F’s creations are nothing short of mind blowing. Whilst they may not suit all tastes, the level of technical and artistic complexity involved in the creation of each highly unique piece is undeniable."

Horological Meandering:Announcing the Sinn Ultimate U diver's watch: "The Sinn U1 has been very popular, notably in Singapore with retailer The Hour Glass commissioning several exclusive limited editions, of which several forum members own (I own the U1 Tempus, shown below)."

Special Report - Watches - At Rolex, a Year of Challenges - NYTimes.com: "Heading into the end of a difficult year, in which it has confronted a sudden change of leadership and declining sales worldwide, Rolex, perhaps the most immediately recognized name in Swiss watchmaking, remains bullish about the future. “Despite the present economic crisis, Rolex is actively preparing the recovery in a spirit of complete confidence,” Bruno Meier, the recently appointed chief executive, said in September before a group of 200 guests invited to Bienne, Switzerland, for the laying of the foundation stone for a major new production plant. By the time it is completed in 2012, the new building, entirely dedicated to movements, will add 230,000 cubic meters, or 8.1 million cubic feet, of new production space, as much again as the company’s existing facilities in the Geneva suburbs of Chêne-Bourg and Plan-les-Ouates."

Special Report - Watches - For Lovers of the Music of Time, a Wristwatch That Can Chime 2,500 Notes a Day - NYTimes.com: "The Grande Sonnerie, a musical timepiece that sounds the passing hours and quarters like a miniature tower clock, is so difficult to assemble and adjust that only a few watchmakers have mastered the art. Jaeger-LeCoultre has just joined that exclusive club."

Special Report - Watches - The Watchmakers' Time Bomb - NYTimes.com: "Buy a vintage car and you know there will be running costs. Buy a work of art or a bottle of fine wine and you need to think about storing it in highly controlled conditions. But buy a watch and you charge the credit card and that’s it, isn’t it? Some watchmakers make a point in their sales campaigns of the responsibility of holding on to their watch for future generations, and it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a highly technical, precision-crafted timepiece. What is often overlooked is the cost of maintenance. When Chuang Peck Ming sent his Lange 1 timepiece by A. Lange & Söhne for servicing and repair, he paid 4,100 Singapore dollars, or $2,960, and it took several months."

Additional links:
Jaeger Chronograph From the 30s: So Cool, No Explanation Necessary
Starck Palindrome Too for Fossil - Acquire
F.P. Journe:New York City Boutique Grand Opening
Void V02 Watch - Cool Void Watches
Weird Watch Wednesday: Winner Of “I Love My Seiko” Contest Announced
Jaquet Droz Launches New Web Site - WatchTime.com

Even more links:
Top Watchmakers Turn Even More Exclusive to Survive - NYTimes.com
Off the Cuff: The Interview: Michael Kobold (Part II) (part I)
A Jeweler Tries His Hand at the Watchmaking Art - NYTimes.com
Patek Shifts Course - NYTimes.com
Watches - Choice of the Motor Racing Crowd - NYTimes.com
TX Linear Duo Watch - Uncrate
Big Time - Forbes.com

Happy Thanksgiving!!

A couple items until the weekend.

The Thanksgiving Gift - The Unbroken Window: "Four centuries after the celebration of the first Thanksgiving, there is still widespread disagreement about the reason for the Pilgrims’ feast. But whether it was a harvest festival, a strictly religious observance, or a thank you to the local Wampanoag Indians, such a feast would not even have been possible were it not for the abandonment of the utopian ideas the Pilgrims laid out in the original Mayflower Compact."

The Great Thanksgiving Hoax - Richard J. Maybury: "Each year at this time school children all over America are taught the official Thanksgiving story, and newspapers, radio, TV, and magazines devote vast amounts of time and space to it. It is all very colorful and fascinating. It is also very deceiving. This official story is nothing like what really happened. It is a fairy tale, a whitewashed and sanitized collection of half-truths which divert attention away from Thanksgiving's real meaning. The official story has the pilgrims boarding the Mayflower, coming to America and establishing the Plymouth colony in the winter of 1620-21. This first winter is hard, and half the colonists die. But the survivors are hard working and tenacious, and they learn new farming techniques from the Indians. The harvest of 1621 is bountiful. The Pilgrims hold a celebration, and give thanks to God. They are grateful for the wonderful new abundant land He has given them."

Thursday Grab Bag

Fountain Pens / Writing. (pic via Conway-Stewart)
Conway Stewart Kipling 'IF' Limited Edition
Review: Pilot Just Meet Slim 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil

Watches.
PuristS On Tour (P.O.T) 2009 : Day 1(Morning) to Chopard Fleurier
The Villeret 1858 Collection unveiling in New York City-Montblanc
Singapore’s First Uber Luxe Watch Winder Boutique Opens At ION Orchard - The Watch Lounge

Afghanistan.
Afghanistan, November, 2009 - The Big Picture

Liberty / Govt.
Cosmetic surgeons, patients fight proposed 'Botax'

Deals.
5 Sites To Find Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale Listings
Ten Black Friday Bargains - Forbes.com
Black Friday Ads - The Official Black Friday 2009 Website

Cars.
Carlsson E-CK63 RS Exposed
A.R.T AS55K YAAS Edition Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG Exposed

Style.
CarréDucker Shoemakers Video - SwipeLife
Anderson-Little Classic Blue Blazer
The Miyuki-zoku: Japan’s First Ivy Rebels
Permanent style: Review and launch party: Sharp Suits

Shoes / Boots.
Barker Black Brogue Boots - Style Forum
How I became a shoemaker? - Handmade Shoes
New shoes: an update - Gentleman’s Corner

Architecture.
Auto Body Shop Transformation to Home by Levitt Goodman
New Urbanism Pontooned or Luxury Houseboat Community?

Gadgets.
Revo Renaissance Radio - SwipeLife

Animals.
ZooBorns: Meet Willa the Swamp Wallaby Joey

Misc.
1936 Thanksgiving Camel Ad: Smoke After Each Course!
Stella Artois Ditches Old-Time Campaigns, Creates Retro "TV" Station

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Dagens Design)
Z HOUSE - Dagens Design
Insidehouse & Outsidehouse - CoolBoom
Zagreb Pavilion / njiric arhitekti - ArchDaily
Playhouse Wonders: 11 Insanely Over the Top Clubhouse Designs
Compact River Cabin Design in Washington

Style.
Swims Self-Opening Umbrellas
Cold Weather Outerwear: #10 J. Crew Peacoat

Shoes / Boots.
Alden for Context Roy Boot - Selectism.com (more here & here)
Free & Easy, Stand Up Mr. Bootsman!

Liberty / Govt.
Facebook friend turns into Big Brother
A Surveillance Newsflash from Planet Hopeychange
Movement on Prohibition - John Stossel
Schwarzenegger caught parking Porsche in red zone

Cars.
a time to get: Vanity
Honda VFR750R - Bike EXIF
Nearly 30% of GM’s 60-day money-back participants returned cars

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Fountain pen that writes after 70 years on the sea bed
Reviews - An Inkophile’s Blog

Computers.
Is Firefox causing laptops to overheat through CPU overuse?

Travel.
Top 10 Bizarre Tourist Attractions
Beautiful Landscape of Italy

Food.
Baked Goods (& Butter) for the Thanksgiving Bread Basket
Ho Chiak: Steaks in Bangkok: Ma Be Ba
Ten Worst Breakfast Cereals by Joseph Mercola

Gadgets.
Palm Pre Gets (Unofficial) Video Recording
Fuji Instax Camera (more)
The Lip-Syncher Catcher App - Gadgetwise Blog

Healthcare.
Another Mystery of the Universe - Anything Peaceful
Mammogram Flap Portends ObamaCare's Rationing - WSJ.com
Obamacare Is Unconstitutional - Cato Institute

Entertainment.
Top 10 SNL musical digital shorts
Our Entertainer-Monarchs - John Stossel
9 Hilarious Websites To Visit When You Need To Kill Time

Misc.
Zombie Outbreak Simulator - Class 3 Outbreak
Delilah the Great Dane - Daily Puppy
My Parents Were Awesome
How to Build a Smart Grid With Centuries-Old Flywheel
Hindu sacrifice of 250,000 animals begins

Wristwatch Round-Up: Heuer, Glashütte Original, & Rolex

The Rolex pics are outstanding. (pic @ right via GO, TZ, & Jorge)

Rolex:The elusive Comex Double Red Sea Dweller: "Sometimes patience is important for a collector… After declining and missing Comex watches for the past ten years, my day also had to come... So last tuesday, I took a short car trip to meet an ex Comex diver...."

Additional Rolex links:
The Rolex Collector
MY COLLECTION OF DIVING ROLEX

10 Watches More Expensive Than A Ferrari - Cool Material: "Let’s be realistic here, the economy is in the crapper and your 401k looks about as arousing as you do after a cold shower. What’s a Burgundy drinking, ’stache rocking, web surfing Internet denizen like you to do? Diversify your skill set by ogling watches you’ll never be able to afford and learning what makes them tick. Most of these watches are more complicated than college calculus and have more history than you could learn in a lifetime. You might even need an engineering degree and an instructional tome to figure out how they work."

[don't miss this cool new watch podcast]

Bremont Releases Unseen Footage Of The Testing of the MB Watch!: "Bremont Watches in the UK have recently released some unseen footage of the rigorous testing they put their MB watches, developed in partnership with ejection seat specialist Martin Baker, through. Definitely a must see, make sure you crank up the volume loud!"

Heuer Monaco 1533G- The Calibre 15 Monaco - Calibre 11: "One of the first watches that got me hooked on the vintage Heuer line-up was the 1533G Monaco- “G” for Grey, even though the dial has always looked silver to me. I remember considering buying one of these in 2006- a full mint set from one of the well-known Heuer collectors at OnTheDash. I still have the photos of that watch, and it is perfect. That set had a flawless Monaco 1533G (albeit not NOS) with original hands, bracelet, box and papers and the Heuer swing tag- all for a price of EUR4500."

TimeZone: Pre-BASEL 2010 - Glashutte Original Pocket Watch No. 1: "With the launch of the Glashutte Original Pocket Watch No. 1, the established manufactory harkens back to this epoch and presents a timelessly elegant pocket watch with quarter-hour repetition, which comes in a worldwide limited edition of 25 pieces. This timepiece in rose gold captivates with its high standard of watchmaking, its innovative construction and aesthetic design. A historical watch by Julius Assmann, a famous pioneer of the Glashutte watchmaking industry, served as the model."

NYC's Central Watch: A Horological Hidden Gem: "We often get questions from friends, acquaintances, relatives, enemies, frienemies, and readers on where to get a decent watch serviced or repaired. Today we thought we'd give you all a little formal tip, we're taking you behind the scenes of where we get our watches fixed. The shop is called Central Watch, it sits deep within a forgotten passageway under Grand Central Station, and the work that is done there can not be beaten."

Additional links:
Casio G-Shock MT-G MTG1100-1A Watch (more)
Swatch Automatic Chronograph - Review
Godzilla’s wrist watch? - Monochrome
Breitling Premier (Venus Cal. 175)… - The Watch Spot
Omega Creates Seamaster Diver 300m "Vancouver 2010" Limited Edition
YouTube - Bremont Martin Baker Ejection seats watch
Electrician hit by 11,000 volt blast saved by his WATCH

ClimateGate Round-Up, Don't Miss This ...

This is some ugly business, though not at all surprising. Very much worth reading.

Honest debate? Check.
Settled science? Check.
Academic honesty? Check.
Peer review? Check.
Legitimate scientific method? Check.

Okay, not so much ...

What the Global Warming Emails Reveal - WSJ.com: "The two MMs have been after the CRU station data for years. If they ever hear there is a Freedom of Information Act now in the U.K., I think I'll delete the file rather than send to anyone. . . . We also have a data protection act, which I will hide behind.' So apparently wrote Phil Jones, director of the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit (CRU) and one of the world's leading climate scientists, in a 2005 email to 'Mike.' Judging by the email thread, this refers to Michael Mann, director of the Pennsylvania State University's Earth System Science Center. We found this nugget among the more than 3,000 emails and documents released last week after CRU's servers were hacked and messages among some of the world's most influential climatologists were published on the Internet."

The Dog Ate Global Warming - Cato Institute: "Now begins the fun. Warwick Hughes, an Australian scientist, wondered where that ' /-' came from, so he politely wrote Phil Jones in early 2005, asking for the original data. Jones's response to a fellow scientist attempting to replicate his work was, 'We have 25 years or so invested in the work. Why should I make the data available to you, when your aim is to try and find something wrong with it?' Reread that statement, for it is breathtaking in its anti-scientific thrust. In fact, the entire purpose of replication is to 'try and find something wrong.' The ultimate objective of science is to do things so well that, indeed, nothing is wrong."

Climategate Exposed: "This eleven-minute-long interview with climate scientist Pat Michaels reveals just how scientific the global-warming ‘hawks’ are." (get 10.2MB MP3)

Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of ‘Anthropogenic Global Warming’? – Telegraph Blogs: "If you own any shares in alternative energy companies I should start dumping them NOW. The conspiracy behind the Anthropogenic Global Warming myth (aka AGW; aka ManBearPig) has been suddenly, brutally and quite deliciously exposed after a hacker broke into the computers at the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit (aka CRU) and released 61 megabytes of confidential files onto the internet."

If Palin had said this, it would have been fodder for HuffPo, DU, and all over the news. But Gore gets a pass. (note: I'm not a Palin supporter)
Al Gore's Science Illiteracy - Associated Content

Additional links:
Three on the fun and games at the Climatic Research Unit
Science czar John Holdren and ClimateGate: Perfect together
Global Warming Hot Problem or Hot Air?
Climate Emails Stoke Debate - WSJ.com
Media Missing the Plot on ‘Climate Gate’: It’s the Fraud, Stupid!
Scientific scandal appears to rock climate change promoters

Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Beach Cottage Home in Australian Beach Paradise
Arched Timber Roof House is an amazing party shack
Bainbridge Island Residence, Three Level Waterfront
The Caboose - Tiny House Blog
Mountain Refuge Los Canteros by dRN Architects

Photography.
National Geographic's International Photography Contest 2009

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Inkyjournal: Noodler's Forest Green
Review: Ohto Tasche Ceramic Rollerball
Pear Tree Pens Ink Sampler - Without Ink
De Atramentis Bottled Fountain Pen Ink
Ecosystem Environmentally Friendly Journals

Cars.
Officially Official: BMW unveils all-new 5 Series sedan
Mercedes AMG Driving Academy: Laguna Sec

Computers.
Download Google Chrome OS and Run it from a USB Drive

Healthcare.
The Market Doesn’t Ration Health Care
Red-Ink Train Wreck: The Real Fiscal Cost of Government-Run Healthcare

Style.
Captain Hilt’s Jacket
Crash Course: Shell Cordovan - Winn Perry, Inc
MacRostie Leathers - Boots, Shoes and Moccasins
Bespoke clothing: A Neapolitan trouser maker
thelondonlounge.net - Benchmade to Measure
Permanent style: How a Drake’s tie is sewn

Food.
South Pole 6,000 Calorie Gut-Buster: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Super-Meal Served Up

Watches.
Off the Cuff: The Interview: Michael Kobold
Armin Strom presents their first in-house movement
Interview with Giles English Of Bremont Watches
Jaeger-LeCoultre AMVOX2 Racing Paris Chronograph
VOID VO2 Watch New Release!
F.P. Journe For Junior? Sacré Bleu! No – CHRONOMÈTRE BLEU!
Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume Watches

Climate Change "Science" Updates.
Climate Emails Stoke Debate - WSJ.com
Cyclones and Global Warming - WSJ.com
ClimateGate Emails Provide Unwanted Scrutiny of Climate Scientists
ClimateGate: The Very Ugly Side of Climate Science - Freakonomics Blog
Media Missing the Plot on ‘Climate Gate’: It’s the Fraud, Stupid!

Misc.
BBC News - Rare Darwin book kept in toilet
BBC News - 'Hitler's Mercedes' tracked down for Russia billionaire
As brother faded, Duke of Windsor plotted to regain throne

Review: Hero 616 Fountain Pens

Maybe 5-6 years ago I bought a cheap Hero 329 fountain pen. I think it was a Sheaffer "homage." It used bottled ink only, had a bladder reservoir with a press-bar to compress the bladder and then draw in ink. It was under $10, had a very fine nib, and generally wrote well. I think I gave it away.

Now to 2009 ... I've seen several posts on Twitter & FPN recently about in which people claimed to be happy with their newly acquired Hero pens. And there wa a recent post about them at the Whatever blog that piqued my interest. After some Googling, digging, and asking, I determined that what I wanted was the Hero 616 "Jumbo" pen w/ the aerometric filler. Note that there is some minor controversy in the fountain pen collecting community over what this mechanism should properly be called. I found a reliable ebay seller and grabbed 3 of them for $21 shipped. Tough to go wrong at that price. (see pics at the end of this post)

The pen is from what I can tell a fairly decent knock-off of the famous Parker P51 fountain pen. I'm certainly no expert on vintage Parkers so take that with a grain of salt. The pens arrived Saturday. After a quick flush with water I filled one with Lamy blue ink, one of the most reliable I've ever used. The pen immediately wrote down a nice consistent if narrow line. The cap is the slip-on variety.

When Hero (or any Asian pen/nib manufacturer in my experience) says their nib is Fine, they REALLY mean it! Especially compared to their European counterparts.

In my limited experiences I've found American nibs (e.g. Sheaffer, Parker) to be "average," European nibs (particularly German such as Pelikan & Lamy) to be quite wide, and Asian nibs to run quite narrow.

Upsides to the very narrow/fine nib on the Hero 616:
1. It allows for cramped writing and fine lines
2. The ink reservoir lasts a great deal longer
3. I can leave it uncapped for a long time

Downsides to the very narrow/fine nib on the Hero 616:
1. No nib flex
2. No line variation of any kind
3. Can be a bit scratchy at times

In short, not a bad pen at all, while probably cheaply made they do have their place. So far it's been reliable and I won't be heart-broken if I lose or break it.

A few more looks at the Hero fountain pens:
PenHero.com - Attack Of The Clones - Part 1
PenHero.com - Attack Of The Clones - Part 2
Labor Day Giveaway and Review - Hero 616
Paper and Pens: Review: Hero 616 Fountain Pen

Related links:
Pentrace Pen Doctor: Side by Side: The Parker
Hero 616 and Parker 21 Super - Fountain Pen Network
Hero 616 Dissasembled on Flickr

Liberty & Your Govt. At Work: Sheriff Joe, Mortgages, & More

Stay vigilant.

Each GM car sold costs taxpayers $12,200, RIT says - Rochester Business Journal: "American taxpayers paid $12,200 for every General Motors Corp. vehicle sold through the beginning of 2011, and $7,600 for every Chrysler Group LLC vehicle sold, a report by an economics professor at Rochester Institute of Technology found."

Man About To Become U.S. Citizen Arrested For Having Too Much Ammo : Black Bear Blog: "This is indecent to say the least and it happen in the great police state of Massachusetts. Keni Garcia, who recently moved from New Hampshire to Massachusetts, was arrested and held without bail because he had 30,000 round of ammunition – .38 caliber, 9mm and .22 caliber. He also owns those guns."

Government Responds to Economic Woes by Making More Bad Mortgage Loans - The Beacon: "Since the summer of 2008, the U.S. Treasury and the Fed have initiated a welter of new spending, lending, and subsidizing programs ostensibly aimed at steming the recession that began early in that year and deepened quickly in its last quarter and in the first quarter of 2009. Among the most notable of these programs have been attempts to prop up the real estate market and the residential construction industry, where the Fed’s easy-money policies in the first half of the present decade induced lenders to make millions of mortgage loans to home buyers who would not have qualified for such loans if traditional underwriting standards had been applied."

Sheriff Joe's New Low - Hit & Run : Reason Magazine: "The most recent atrocity committed by the self-proclaimed 'America's Toughest Sheriff' involves a woman who was detained while 9-months pregnant. Alma Minerva Chacon's case has been receiving media attention due to the brutality with which she was treated. The very same night of her arrest, Chacon went into labor and found herself afraid and alone, being rushed to a local hospital with her hands and legs chained in shackles."

Additional links:
The Senate's Health Care Act - WSJ.com
On Federal Health Care Reform Constitutionality: Congress, Use the Article V Safety Valve

Today's Quotes

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
-- Edward R. Murrow

We are sure living in a peculiar time.
You get more for not working than you will for working,
and more for not raising a hog than for raising it.
-- Will Rogers (1879-1935) American humorist

All history is one long story to this effect:
men have struggled for power over their fellow men
in order that they might win the joys
of earth at the expense of others,
might shift the burdens of life
from their own shoulders upon those of others.
-- William Graham Sumner
(1840-1910) American academic and professor at Yale College

I also made it quite clear that Socialism means equality of income or nothing,
and that under socialism you would not be allowed to be poor. You would be
forcibly fed, clothed, lodged, taught, and employed whether you like it or not.
If it were discovered that you had not character enough to be worth all this
trouble, you might possibly be executed in a kindly manner; but whilst you were
permitted to live you would have to live well.
-- George Bernard Shaw
(1856-1950) Irish comic dramatist, member of the socialist Fabian Society
Source: The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism

Book Review: Hamilton's Curse by Thomas DiLorenzo

The full title is: Hamilton's Curse: How Jefferson's Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution--and What It Means for Americans Today.

This is a follow-up to Dr. DiLorenzo's two excellent books on Abraham Lincoln. [Lincoln Unmasked & The Real Lincoln]

Going through this book, one can see how were got where we are today, with the notable presidencies since Hamilton's time being those of Lincoln & FDR. The continued erosion of liberty and disdain for the Constitution can be seen in context. DiLorenzo rightly calls Hamilton The Founding Father of Crony Capitalism.

Each of the following names was mentioned in the book, lending it a great deal of credibility, imho: Milton Friedman, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Ludwig von Mises, Judge Andrew Napolitano, Frederic Bastiat, and Julian Simon. A who's who of bright thinkers and defenders of sound economics and liberty.

Some notable items that jumped out at me from the book:
1. The differences between Hamilton & Jefferson are central to the history being discussed. p. 4
2. Hamilton founded the NY Post newspaper.
3. Slavery was not ended in NY City until the early 1850s! p. 10

4. Jefferson appreciated the importance of states' rights and the 10 amendment. p. 15
5. Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held in secret. There was an agreement that what went on there would not be made public until all participants has passed. Hamilton proposed a permanent presidency. p. 16
6. The term United States is plural. Though seemingly trivial, a very important point. p. 17

7. The longer Lord Action quote: "[W]here you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that. All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

8. From DiLorenzo: "All democracies evolve into a state where the net beneficiaries of government (those who receive more in benefits than they pay in taxes) out-number and dominate the net taxpayers (those who pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits)." p. 23

9. Hamilton was a strong advocate of what he called "pecuniary bounties," what we now now as corporate welfare. p. 29



10. Does the U.S. Constitution really allow for only a two-year standing army?! p. 33
11. The story of the Whiskey Rebellion, and Hamilton's role in particular, is an important foreshadowing.
12. The role of govt. debt in Hamilton's schemes can not be over-estimated. pp. 38-40

[don't miss the audio podcast interview w/ Dr. DiLorenzo discussing the book]

13. The stories of how Washington D.C. became the capitol and the Sedition Act was scheduled to end are ugly. pp. 48-49
14. In March 1829, President Jackson called the federal bank (the BUS) "a monster, a hydra-headed monster ... equipped with horns, hoofs, and tail so dangerous that it impaired the morals of our people, corrupted our statesmen, and threatened our liberty." Sounds like he was ahead of his time in describing the Fed. ;-) p. 69
15. "Between 1937 and 1995, not a single federal law was declared to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court." I guess the fox has been "guarding" the hen-house? p. 96
16. Hamilton might have been the first public proponent of the "Buy Local" nonsense we hear so much about now! p. 109

17. GREAT point re: protectionism via tariffs as well as "buy local" mantras:
"Or, looked at in another way, a complete prohibition of imports is what nations at war attempt to do to each other - to strangle the enemy's economy with trade embargoes ...Hamilton's (and all other protectionists') suggestion to prohibit imports is essentially a suggestion that Americans do to themselves in peacetime what their enemies hope to do to them in wartime."

18. Hamilton and in particular, Lincoln, opened the floodgates of corporate welfare and corruption. pp. 136-143
19. On Lincoln: "He began a war without the consent of Congress; unilaterally and illegally suspended the writ of habeas corpus; imprisoned tens of thousands of northern political dissenters; censored all telegraph communications; confiscated firearms in the border states in violation of the Second Amendment; ... and shut down several hundred opposition newspapers in the North, in some cases imprisoning the editors and owners." p. 148

20. Chapter 7, on the 17th Amendment is of particular importance. The income tax is a not far behind.
21. Cotton & plunder. p. 176
22. If the federal income tax was rescinded in 2008, federal revenues would have been at about the same level they were in 1997. p. 203
23. Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz may have been an allegory for the Fed and gold standard. I've only heard/read this once before, and it seems somewhat plausible, if peculiar. p. 206

As I've written elsewhere, if only half of what DiLorenzo writes about Hamilton is true (and I suspect it's much more than that), Hamilton was truly a statist, scoundrel, and intellectual father of the national govt. in place in the U.S. today.

DiLorenzo's book is sure to be controversial. But I think it is important that we look at these historical figures with facts, and sometimes the facts are much uglier than the romantic notions associated with them. The book is quite an eye-opener and well worth the time to read.

Additional links:
Hamilton's Betrayal by George C. Leef
What Hamilton Has Wrought by Thomas DiLorenzo
The Founding Father of Crony Capitalism - Thomas J. DiLorenzo
Lew Rockwell Show - 16. Hamilton's Curse
Why Did This Happen? by Thomas DiLorenzo
It’s Time To End Hamilton’s Curse by Thomas DiLorenzo

Lincoln-related posts:
All previous Lincoln posts
Book Review: Lincoln Unmasked
Book Review: The Real Lincoln
Book Review: ... Arguing the Case for Southern Secession

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Metal clad house with wood interior
Amazing Staircases Designs Around the World
Satish Nayak Residence / The Design Firm
Tiny House in a Landscape
James Patterson In Palm Beach, Estate of the Day

Computers.
Top 5 Freeware Registry Cleaners That Improve PC Performance

Fountain Pens / Writing.
J. Herbin Éclat de Saphir Ink Review
Just a few of the notebooks/sketchbooks I currently have in use...
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
New Source for De Atramentis Ink

Watches.
Armin Strom Reveals First In-House Made Movement, The Calibre ARM09
We Find & Explain a Double Swiss, Underlined, Tropical Dial Rolex Cosmograph
best watches in different price ranges... some gift ideas ;)
TimeZone: Review: Ball Spacemaster

Cars.
Steam Machines - Men’s Journal
THE 1970’s VAN CUSTOMIZATION CRAZE
2010 Hennessey HPE700 LS9 Camaro - Gear Patrol

Style.
WANT: Alden Cordovan Chukkas
Leffot Blog - Alden NST All-Weather Walker
John Lobb's Butler Service: The Daily Details

Science.
Large Hadron Collider ready to restart - The Big Picture
English Russia - Looking Into the Skies
8 Mind-Boggling Optical Illusions on Yahoo! Health

Food.
Why Do Phở Restaurant Names Usually Involve Numbers?
Ho Chiak: The Big D Grill: Again
Personalized Tabasco Gallon Jugs -| Gear Patrol
Moderate Drinking Guards the Heart
Men's Fitness - Best & Worst Light Beers

Govt.
Senate to Vote Thursday on Appeals Court Nominee Who Said Judges Can Amend the Constitution with Judicial ‘Footnotes’

Healthcare.
Of Things that Annoy Me This is Close to the Top

Climate Change?
A Credibility Meltdown for the World's Leading Climate Scientists?

Unions.
Democrats (and Republicans) and Democracy
Obama’s Labor Department Ignores Freedom of Information Act

Economics.
Still Manufacturing Myths Aplenty

Travel.
On board the new Oasis of the Seas: Is it worth the money?

Misc.
Reebok PUMP - 20 Years
Italy collector finds Galileo's lost tooth, fingers - Yahoo! News
National Geographic Photography Site: a fantastic source of desktop wallpaper images