Swiss Army Knife CyberTool

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife CyberTool is handy for two reasons: it has tools that you won’t have anywhere else around the house (the Torx drivers) as well as high quality, conveniently sized tools that will be right at your fingertips (the bottle opener, scissors, etc.). Available in your choice of black, blue or traditional Swiss Army knife red, you also have to decide whether you want the 29, the 34 or the 41. I like the 34; it has the scissors and pliers that the 29 lacks. The 41 has a saw that you could use to cut down trees and a file that I can live without. The Torx bits are handy for opening electronic devices (like TiVos) that you don’t mind voiding the warranty on (a post for another day, I think). All in all, handy for repairing all sorts of things, like glasses. Plus it’s a knife, two knives actually, so remember to leave it out of your carry-on bag.

Affordability: 5                    Luxury: 8

Available from Amazon

Want more luxury? Well, there’s always this, but I wonder if they’re serious …

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Gillette Fatboy DE Razor

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Vintage Gillette Fat Boy adjustable razorThe vintage Gillette Fatboy could have been what Don Draper used (and with Don’s frequent five o’clock shadow, it would have gotten a lot of use). Made right here in the USA from 1958 through 1961, it has a feeling of quality and heft like a Mack truck, a feeling you just don’t get from many consumer products these days. You put in a double-edge blade (like a Feather) and drag it over your wet, soapy face. No pressure is needed; the weight of the razor does the work. Each one is marked with the year and quarter it was manufactured and is adjustable to your choice of nine clicks. There is an ingenious mechanism that ensures that the blade is tight, but not too tight – once it’s closed, you give it another quarter turn and it’s locked in. There are plenty around on eBay (for about $25 – $50), which is not too surprising as they are built like Cold War era tanks. Don’t be afraid of a used one. Collectors polish them and soak them in Barbicide and they look brand new and are perfectly sterile. Once you get the setting right, you know just what kind of razor you should use.

Affordability: 5                  Luxury: 8

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Kidde Kitchen Fire Extinguisher

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

I expect that everyone would agree that if your house catches on fire, then having a fire extinguisher handy is at that point in time the most luxurious thing in the world. The kitchen is the center of home life in many ways, but the oven, stove, toaster and other electrical things can turn out to be a fire hazard. Not only will it put out B and C fires, but the Kidde FX10K Kitchen Fire Extinguisher has the additional feature of being clean. If you are going to be spraying a fire extinguisher around where the food is to put out a fire, you will also appreciate that its discharge is completely non-toxic, mostly just plain old baking soda. When you wipe it up, it’s cleaner that before. Plus it comes in a healthy milk and egg white color. Might be the best $22 you ever spent.

Affordability: 9                  Luxury: 10 (11 if you have a real fire …)

Available from Amazon

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Wet Shaving Brush

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

As I have posted before, wet shaving with a brush is what affordable luxury is all about: cheap blades, very hot water and your choice of soap or cream. Hot water is basically pretty much free and the same everywhere and the soap or cream can range from drugstore cheap to stuff you get from Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus. It’s the shaving brush that makes it wet shaving. Dip it in the very hot water, let it drip off and then swirl it around the shaving cream, brush the lather onto your face and scrape it off with something very, very sharp. Sounds simple, but that’s it really all there is to it. You can start with a nice, inexpensive Tweezerman or even a boar brush from the drugstore (but badger is better). If you like it a whole lot, you can be like the Duke of Edinburgh and use the Kent that bears his Royal Warrant.

Affordability: 9 (or less)    Luxury: 7 (or more)

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Shure Audio Earphones

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

It’s difficult to afford speakers that sound really great, then you’ll need a powerful amp or receiver to drive them, then a good CD player or turntable. Wait, you can stop right there. Everyone has moved away from buying CDs or LPs; digital downloads are mostly what we do. So for luxury in audio, it pays to think small. When it comes to audio earphones, I like Shure, the mass market version of the monitors that musicians wear on stage. The Shure SE115 earphones are a great introduction to high-end audio; solid bass and a crystal clear treble that makes voices and strings sound like something you never heard before. Street price is only about $65. They come with a case and a lot of  different soft things that you can try putting in your ears. You have to jam them in pretty far to get the best effect. Shure’s customer service is first-rate as well. If you break the little things, they will probably replace them under warranty. They come in several colors, but not Apple white. I hope that doesn’t matter.

Affordability: 7                   Luxury: 8

Available from Amazon

Want more luxury? That’s easy: Shure makes the SE425s ($300) and the SE535s ($500) so that you can have exactly as much luxury as you want.

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Sharpie Stainless Steel Permanent Marker

Posted on August 13, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

I have always liked Sharpies. They make laundry markers and felt-tipped pens that are smooth and make a bold statement. Signatures look best with thick lines, and if you need to scan them, they need some definition. The problem, of course, is that the traditional single-use Sharpie would get used up and inevitably end up in the trash on its way to take up landfill space. Nothing luxurious about that, and then you just had to buy a new one. Now three of my favorite things are combined: the Sharpie itself, the stainless steel (think the DeLorean of pens) and less waste. Pick one up for $8 and see how it feels.

Affordability: 9                  Luxury: 8

Available from Amazon

Want more luxury? Well, there are plenty of high end pens around, but only a Sharpie is a Sharpie. If you’re a George W. Bush fan (?), he had White House and Camp David Sharpies made, but I’m not sure where you can still get one …

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X-10 Home Automation

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

The X-10 Web site can be a little much if you have never seen it before, but that’s OK. You can work your way through to the useful parts without a lot of fuss if you know what you are looking for, or you can go to a calmer site like Smarthome. Basically, it is a very simple form of home automation over power lines that has been around since 1975. The devices that you want to control are plugged into modules (or the module is installed in the light switch) and an RF sensor is plugged into the same circuit. Each device has a unique code, so you can control on/off and dimming from anywhere in the room (or nearby). I use mine to control vintage analog devices: holiday lights, model trains and audio components. Very handy not to have to bend over just to turn something on or off, and it makes an audible click from the relay. If you like the concept, the CM15A USB interface and the free software enable you to do all sorts of things: time your outside lights or set up seemingly random vacation lighting, for example. You can try it very inexpensively and see if home automation is for you.

Affordability: 8                  Luxury: 6

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Cmoy Headphone Amp

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Audiophile quality stereo equipment can get ridiculously expensive and take up a lot of space in the room it’s in, which of course is the only room where you can listen to it. That was all changed by the introduction of the original Walkman in 1979. High quality audio anywhere (we’re not talking AM transistor radios) was an idea whose time had come, so 30 years later there are iPods, iPhones, Android phones and MP3 players everywhere. The audio quality is good, but battery life is the main trade-off. You can’t get a good, distortion-free listening level with most portable devices. This creates a need for a headphone amp to go in between. The Chu Moy circuit is extremely popular, and you could theoretically build one yourself, but there is a cottage industry of people selling them on eBay for less than $50. You can get one custom-built on eBay (from a high-rated seller), with your choice of options, in your choice of Altoids tins. Once you try one, you will notice the difference.

Affordability: 8                   Luxury: 7

Want more luxury? Check out the Earmax line of tube amplifiers. I love tubes, and I want one of these bad, but it looks a little heavy to go around my neck …

Affordability: 2                   Luxury: 9

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Darda Toy Pullback Cars

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

When there are small children around, or recently around, toy cars seem to multiply like magic: Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Johnny Lightning are all the same size and kids love them. They are all a lot of fun, but not as much fun as Darda cars. Just try running one back and forth to wind up the pullback motor, then let it go and watch it take off like a shot. You’ll be amazed how fast and far they go with the Mega Motor power. Some of them, the Stop’n’Go models, can be cocked by pushing them down after the motor has reached maximum power and then releasing them to take off from a standing start. They are very high quality, the earlier ones were imported from Germany, and the motors are replaceable. There are lots of racetracks and other accessories available for them so the fun never needs to stop. Fun for adults, too.

Affordability: 8                   Luxury: 6

Available from Amazon (lots of different models available)

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Chanel Platinum Egoiste Cologne

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Maxwell Perkins

Chanel Platinum Egoiste CologneI have been wearing cologne for a long time; liked the way it smelled on me and it seemed like an essential part of complete grooming. No big deal. It made me smell like cologne. Then, after reading a review of this stuff on the Internet, I tried it and the effect was truly remarkable. I had never had a woman tell me that I smelled especially good before, but with CPE, all of sudden just about everyone did. Total strangers, women on elevators, women who I just met, women I had known for a long time, they all started to feel the need to tell me how good I smelled. I never went back to anything I used before. This fragrance worked in the morning, in the evening, winter and summer on women of all ages. Now, it’s not a love potion, and your mileage may vary, but I can definitely say that once you find a cologne that smells good on you, the appeal is universal. I say try this first, and if it doesn’t work for you, try something else.

Affordability: 5                   Luxury: 9

Available from Amazon

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