Pizza Hut v.s. Bialetti

When I first saw the Bialetti mascot on the famous Moka Express coffeemaker, I was reminded of the 1970's mascot for Pizza Hut from my youth. It seemed so familiar that I wondered if maybe Bialetti had sued Pizza Hut to stop the use of "Pizza Hut Pete". Though seeing them side by side they don't seem as similar as in my memory. I think they should bring Pete back into service.

They're styled like some of the cartoons from the 50's and 60's, in the vein of Mr. Magoo and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, Mr. Peabody being one of my favorites.

The Bialetti mascot it know as "the mustachioed little man", and is a caricature of the founder's son. He has his finger up as if he's ordering another espresso.

Timberland Radler Trail Camp Shoes / Crocs

After hiking over 2,000 miles on the Appalachian Trail, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for in camp shoes. The should be easy to slip on while getting out of your tent, because when your freezing your a## off relieving your bladder, you want to be able to move as quickly as possible. They should be secure enough for stream crossings when your trying to keep your hiking shoes dry. And, hopefully, comfortable enough to walk around town in while going easy on blisters.


I started my hike with a pair of Keens for camp shoes. When I got to Damascus Virginia, I picked up a cheap pair of Waldies. I think they were around $6 and about 1/4 the weight. I've since switched to Crocs and have been really happy with them. They are comfortable and light weight. When I cross streams I flip the heel strap down and the holes allow water to drain out. My only complaint is that they a little bulky to pack. So I was interested when I saw Timberland's Radler Trail Camp Shoes. They have a thin rubber sole with mainly ripstop nylon upper with reinforcements in the right places and weigh about the same as Crocs. They also have a "felt" insole about 1/4" thick and come in various colors.


I feel like the zipper is a bit of a gimick. You can clip them to the back of your pack, but who want things dangling off your pack? If they are zippered, they won't dry very fast. I pack camp shoes in my "shovel" pocket on the back, so I would pack them open and flat.

Crocs are easier to slip on, probably drain and dry faster, and probably win in comfort. They are obviously flatter to pack.

I think what I really want is a thin rubber or foam sole with an upper more like the Radler, though maybe simplified, and definitely without a zipper.

Gear Junkie Radler Camp Shoe review.

Gorilla Gripper

I'm very pleased with the Gorilla Gripper. I put off buying it because of it's high $50 price tag and not being sure how well it works. I was sold after picking up my first sheet of 3/4" plywood. Just grip it underhanded with your hand up by your shoulder and lift straight up. All of the weight is supported by your bone structure rather than your muscles.

It's has a really sturdy build and seems like it will last forever. The contact surfaces are lined with a rubber textured sheet that grips well and doesn't seem to mar. I've used it on prefinished plywood with no sign of damage. The rubber grip is very comfortable and easy to hold onto. You can also adjust the tension of the mechanism, but it's default setting was perfect for me. And it's good to see something still made in America.

So, the next time your lugging a sheet of 3/4" MDF that weights 100 lbs., consider picking up a Gorilla Gripper.

Benchmade - Lone Wolf Knives - Ridge Top

I recently purchased this Ridge Top folding knife from Benchmade. I have a couple other Benchmade knives and find them to be good production quality knives. Although I'm not a fan a unnecessary decoration, I've always like filework on handmade knives. So I placed my order when I saw this handsome Benchmade knife for only $55.

What is filework, also known as jimping? Jimping are small notches filed into the back of the blade or along the back of the spring, between the scales and liners. This is to provide a better grip on the knife. In this case it's a spacer between the scales, as one scale is a springed locking mechanism.

For the most part, I like this knife. My main complaint is the back of the blade. The edges are really sharp and feel unfinished. I can't imagine that it would have taken much effort to "ease" the edges a bit. I guess I'll have to finish those edges with some sandpaper or a fine file.

I've seen jimping in a lot of different patterns, mostly on handmade knives and some tomahawks. I think good filework should be really crisp, like good wood carving that are not sanded post carving that blurs the edges. Likewise, filework shouldn't be buffed to a shine that smooths over the crisp edges. Here's a good example on this tomahawk by North River Custom Knives.

Nate Van Dyke

Here's a video of Nate Van Dyke inking one of his signature chimpanzees. I like his use of a brush pen to draw lines with varying thicknesses and this modified pen with brush attachment for wisker type lines.



Another video of Nate in action. He really has some great textures and grittiness. He has some really nice color work as well.

Moleskines and Watercolors

I really should carry a notebook all the time to sketch more, and Russell Stutler might inspire me to do so. To see and read more about his tools and process, go here and here. He likes to use Moleskines and a Sakura Koi Watercolor Field set with waterbrush that stores water in the squeezable handle. I like the wide format watercolor Moleskine.

I Can Count...

I recently found my sisters old Hello Kitty calculator that I'm now using in the shop. It's a good example of a lot that I like about Japanese design.

Turning it on is really intuitive. When the head slides, it turns on and off. And if you forget it shuts off automatically, preserving battery life. The injection molding is well done. There are no rough edges or mismatched parts. And the buttons individually molded like the numbers and signs are great. It doesn't feel like a cheap product.

I've heard that the Japanese would make products for sale in the U.S. and similar product for Japan with tighter tolerances and a higher quality. I'm not sure if that still holds true, but that fits in with my design philosophy. I like to design, build, buy things that will last. I find them more satisfying to use and a longer life span should pay for the extra expense of a quality product.

You also have to admire the iconic power of the Hello Kitty brand. It's been around since 1974 and continues to grow in popularity.