inspired by the concept of stealth in the harsh luminosity of the urban jungle, BME design has created a minimalist carbon fiber bicycle that resembles the classic F-117 nighthawk aircraft. the carbon fiber frame and fork weighs 20 pounds, sports a single-speed carbon belt drive, and comes with the ultimate urban security system. with only 100 being made, the B-9 NH black edition bicycle retails for $8,750 usd. by lb
we can’t wait for the new “vantablack” to hit the shelves manifested as a little black chanel dress or a saint laurent suit. the newly created nano material is capable of absorbing 99.965 percent of light within the visible spectrum, making it the darkest material known to man. the material, so dark that you actually can’t see it, is so mind boggling that when observed in real life, it is like looking into a never ending black hole. naturally no image of the material can reproduce the black hole effect. by kt
if you need a new floor or desk lamp, we highly recommend the csys lamp, designed by jake dyson (yes, its the son of the legendary vacuum designer james dyson). the beauty in the design comes from a highly technical and sophisticated approach to improve the longevity of the led bulbs and to enhance the user experience when adjusting the position of the light source. it’s revitalizing to see a designer developing a new lamp (since we really don’t need yet another one…) with a purely functionality approach and where the aesthetic is a byproduct of the construction rather than a mindless shell. by kt
maison martin margiela designer door stop in the shape of an egg, set of 2 approx $110
maison martin margiela notepad approx $35
i love these guys… not unlike droog design you almost want to make this stuff yourself at home, but then on the other-hand you want to support their genius. wish we thought of these. by uh
we have been big fans of fp journe for a long time now, not so much because of their dials, i think most of us in the ts office prefer the simplicity of swiss railway clock, but because of their contribution to the art of watchmaking. check out the great video by hodinkee covering the latest fp grand sonnerie. by kt
we are always looking out for the next best shops and products, especially furniture that is handmade, thoughtfully designed, and impeccably crafted.
these products and their designer’s are showcased at colony ‘the designers co-op’ in none other than our city, new york city. “founded and curated by jean lin, colony is a community of independent furniture, lighting, textiles and objects designers coming together on a new york city stage to celebrate American design with an international audience.”
to our loyal ts followers- buy local, buy individually produced, buy thoughtfully. by kc
we are swooning over this point of view and great use of geometry of the staircase in hotel de seze, paris. inspiration for the next ts team trip. (source) by kgb
need. spotted on one of our favorite sites/shops, brooksengland.com , this ‘rad’ bike and other similar models are made by ruder-rad of germany. not only do their bikes give you a laid-back experience for cruising, but the mechanisms are pretty killer too. the handle bar can be used in a rowing motion to add power to the bike in tandem with your standard foot peddling motion… and if you don’t want to row, then just sit back and peddle, it’s optional! you’re bound to have a smooth ride due to your laid-back weight bouncing on the supportive spring. the basket on the back and the headlamp mounted on the front wheel are just cherries on top. this model will run you 2999 euros or roughly 3554 us dollars. but how much do us city slickers spend on our monthly unlimited subway cards, taxis, and ubers combined? we think its worth a splurge. snag yours here. (and hey ruder-rad, feel free to wheel one over our way! the ts crew will take turns riding it proudly around nyc). by ar
how to sharpen pencils: the el casco pencil sharpener approximate price $400-$600 pending finish
x-acto 1700 series pencil sharpener $30-$50
blackwing dual blade pencil sharpener: this one requires you to 1- sharpen the wood, 2-switch blades to sharpen the lead tip… and now how cool is that? approx $10
the results of the 3 sharpeners on the worlds finest pencil, the blackwing 602 cedar wood pencils, are displayed below
from left to right:
1- using blackwing dual blade pencil sharpener
2- using el casco pencil sharpener
3- using x-acto 1700 series pencil sharpener
there is no question that the middle pencil using the el casco pencil sharpener wins
above the legendary blackwing 602 pencils about $2 a pencil sold in cases of 12
first a little about the pencil: the palomino blackwing 602 are considered the best pencils in the world and have developed a following amongst pencil geeks like us. they are made of cedar wood (easy to sharpen with out causing “chips”) and feature a firm and smooth graphite core that combines lead with wax that helps it deliver on its promise of “half the pressure, twice the speed”. its unique and iconic ferrule allows you to extend and replace its eraser after extensive use or for super nerds to even “hack” their pencil to give it a custom look. erasers come in black, white, red. the pencil was used mainly by artists, writers and musicians and when the pencil was discontinued years ago, known writers such as joseph finder and stephen sondheim tried to convince eberhard faber to continue production or at least said some warm words about the tool they were so used to. while the company says that other pencils with similar leads are available, the devotees are convinced that there is no adequate substitution for the 602s, and we must agree with those devotees.
now a little about the sharpeners used: while the el casco pencil sharpener does an amazing job it takes some getting used to and in my opinion its not worth the cost of $400-600. that said once you get the hang of it it does do an amazing job sharpening the lead to a steady point that makes the nib stronger than any sharpener you’ve seen…. not to mention that it also looks wicked on any desk. but for nearly $600 its disappointing that when you sharpen a pencil some of the dust falls out of the casing in the front area and that the pencil grip in the sharpener damages and marks your pencils stem. it is the best sharpener resulting in the best nib but not $600 better…
the xacto sharpener is in word a piece of “garbage”. very disappointing for a company that is known for making blades. the motor is a DC motor using AC current (meaning its equivelant to a battery powered one) and can barely shave a rod of butter. the weak motor combined with, let’s assume a layman’s pencil, using inferior wood, results in a saw dust hell of a point with chips and dust all around it. not worth the postage we paid.
this brings us to the $10 blackwing sharpener which has 2 blades and openings. one is used to sharpen the wood alone and does not touch the lead point. you then insert it into the 2nd opening and sharpen the lead. i love this sharpener for its detailed attention and simple production cost that makes it cheaper than any other sharpener on the market and resulting in a very acceptable nib. while we purchased all three because we hate pens here we recommend the $10 socialist version over any other. ok so now you know… you can go around and say what complete geeks we are… by uh+kt
around the bunker, we blogging bandits have already started talking about holiday gifting. it is my pleasure to kick off this season with one very expensive yet necessary item, the punk vase by laurence brabant. anyone who is a tomorrow started fan may deliver one to a secret, but convenient new york city location. and then we will blog about you.
“a fresh and interesting interpretation of the vase, laurence brabant redefines the typology with the punk vase and infuses the common glass object with subtle twists and intricate details. the sinuous, blown glass form of the vase is penetrated along its axis eight times with deep impressions into the glass that angle downward to hold water and a stem, resulting in an innovative display of floral. the simple yet refined glass object is indicative of brabant’s oeuvre; age-old glass techniques are utilized to create compelling versions of standard objects that are suitable for a modern lifestyle. made in france” described by the source by kgb
siba sahabi has designed mudéjar, a partition screen inspired by the moorish architecture of southern spain of the 12th – 17th century.
to read more about this head over to the contemporist. by kgb
if you have not seen it already, make sure to set aside some time to see the great documentary on ray and charles eames, available on netflix. by kt
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