Well, the Nick tagged me on a video of his about gear that brings him joy. Pete tagged him and Pete did five, Nick did six, so I will do seven and tag a few people. There is no criteria other than things that make me smile.

Frank Clegg Briefcase (product page)

A very special friend gave me this briefcase of all briefcases. As a lawyer and as a resident of Massachusetts (where Clegg is headquartered and items are made), this has particular appeal to me. As someone that obsesses about quality and craftsmanship, that appeal is amplified. This is the pinnacle of briefcases. If you want something nicer you will have to find someone to make it for you custom AND ensure that they are the best leather crafter in the world. Sure it is bonkers expensive, but it is perfect in every possible way. It is so perfect that when I started my own firm, and we were doing pictures for the website, I asked the photographer if we could somehow someway squeeze it into a frame. She obliged and it lives on my firm’s site at this very moment. Here is proof:

I only own one other item that is even in the Clegg’s league and it is on this list. A review of the Clegg is coming, so just hang on.

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck 146 (product page)

My uncle, Uncle John (and reader of the blog—Hi Uncle John!) gave me this pen again for starting my own firm. Covid delayed the hand off, but when it did arrive, oh it was amazing. Writing and using it have been a sublime joy as their is nothing quite like the MB nib. It is truly worth the price of admission. The best, and nerdiest, part of owning an MB, especially as a lawyer, is the knowing nods you get from other MB owners. Much like the Harley or Biker wave, MB owners seem to recognize the pen immediately. It has been an ice breaker or a conversation piece more than once. I probably couldn’t swing an MB on my own and so the fact that this pen was a gift makes it all the cooler and unquestionably a daily source of joy. A review of the pen is coming as well.

Spyderco Chaparral in Raffir Noble (review link, affilate link)

I got this knife, one of my favorite Spyderco designs ever, for Father’s Day the first year I had both boys. It has come to symbolize being a Dad and so, it too, makes me smile. Funny thing is that blade is so thin and so slicey that it really changed my tastes. Since handling the Chaparral, I have been hellbent on finding knives that were as a slicey and my taste in folders has radically changed since. If you went back and looked at my reviewed you’d be hard pressed to find a single piece of gear that changed my perspective as much as this knife did and I didn’t even realize it at the time.

Busse Forsaken Steel Heart (review link)

Har, har, har. Every time I pick up this monstrosity I feel the need to let out a belly laugh. Its just so big, so bold, and so wicked. While in reality, this knife is just a very good hatchet substitute, in my mind I envision it calling forth lightning from the heavens with each chip-throwing chop. It doesn’t so much cut through material as it does deliver targeted micro-explosions. The fact that it has a supremely ergonomic handle and a great steel is sort of like how the Bugatti Chiron has comfy, high end leather seats AND a W16 engine. If you like knives and a Busse doesn’t put a smile on your face you are either: 1) crazy; or 2) trying to figure out how to get a sheath made for it. Other than those two situations, this thing is a slice of pure jackassing joy made from steel.

Spyderco Dragonfly II in ZDP-189 with custom scales (review link, affiliate link)

I love writing this site even now, some almost twelve years later. I haven’t missed a week yet (more than 600 weeks later). The large reason is because I like interacting with readers. I have no idea what impact this site has on folks and so when I get feedback it is revelatory. When IG user wanotle01 contacted me and said he wanted to send me scales, I was really grateful. When I got them and saw how spectacular they were, I was beaming. These are gorgeous and make my favorite knife better and a bit unique. I’d love to see a sprint run of the DFII with micarta scales. They work so well and keep the knife as light as it should be.

Sawby Swift with Cover Engraving (review link)

The OTHER item I own, aside from the Clegg bag, that is a true masterpiece. Handling this knife with its ultrafine tolerances, beautiful graceful lines, and meticulous engraving feels special. It feels like I went to a museum and they opened a case and let me handle some rare artifact. This is, BY FAR, the nicest knife in my collection and the nicest folder I have handled (tied with a Ron Lake). If I can swing a Walker one day that will probably change, but even then this knife will be special to me. How could it NOT make this list?

McGizmo Haiku (review link)

My first bonkers enthusiast purchase, this torch was the item that got me started on the website. It was a huge reach and required more than a year of saving, but once I got it I knew why people loved Haikus so much and why McGizmo’s work was revered. It also showed me what that top .1% of gear is like and made me think long and hard about assumptions I made regarding value and pricing. Even now I still use this light despite it being 100% stock and outputting only 138 lumens. That is because the body tube is great and the beam pattern is still unrivaled it is perfection. This also happens to look a lot like Luke’s lightsaber hilt in RotJ, so there is that. A grin-inducer for sure.

I’d like to see what brings joy from the following people:

Metal Complex

Aaron Shapiro

Dan Jackson