Adventures of an Imperfect Man In Search of a Handmade Life
This wonderful little piece comes from Slate in the Vault blog. It's a great broadside advertisement from a 1690 coffeehouse entrepreneur claiming the benefits of our now most commonly used drug on Earth, caffeine. Coffee was known in Europe but new as a common drink and still a bit suspect since it came from Arabia … Continue reading The Virtues of Coffee, Chocolate, and Tea
This remarkable vehicle hit the market in a big way after the war. I would love to own one of these classics. I might even be willing to trade in the Vespa for one.
I have no information about this image as it was one of those random internet finds. The gear looks to be from about the turn of the 19th-20th Century and supplies the basics for an American or Canadian outdoorsman. This would all apply to Mexico as well but as it's not written in Spanish I … Continue reading More Classic Camp Gear from the American West
The second two claims are informative; "It is almost as palatable as milk" and "It does not nauseate or produce loathing for food..." This makes one wonder how bad the other healthy oils were.
Looks serene.
From 1889. I like the combination handsaw, square, and 2 foot ruler. Great idea.
Turning saw, rasp, mechanic's saw, panel saw, chisels, brace and bits, scratch awl, pliers, screwdrivers, dividers, bevel gauge, square, spokeshave, calipers, marking gauge, plane, vice, and workbench; all in a fancy tool chest. Wow.
Presenting the traveling requisites; a caravan case and road-grade book. Advertisement for a lightweight but implicitly tough (it is sole leather after all) suitcase or light trunk for the traveler. Road grade books were very handy in the days of principally human and animal power. If you are cycling cross-country or pulling and immense … Continue reading Marketing to the Caravan Craze: Caravan Case and Contour Books
Saves Gas Bills, Saves Trouble, Saves Patience, Saves Time! And it burns any kind of oil. I think we would market this as multi-fuel off-grid survival stove these days.
Popular Mechanics, 1927 At least the son looks like he was allowed to loosen his tie!
Apparently, this sold better than Coca-Cola in 1890: Tasteless AND makes you fat! Save
Oh how things change. Cheap, abundant food, and no physical labor.
About an addiction I didn't even realize I had. It seems that minimalism is the word du jour around the internet these days. Tiny houses, the 100 Thing Challenge, Non-Conformist work strategies, and urban homesteaders are filling blog-space with ideas and adventures outside the old consumerist norm. Many people are looking for something more in … Continue reading Lightening my load
Reposted: Did you know that labor unions made the following 36 things possible? 1.Weekends without work 2.All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks 3.Paid vacation 4.Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 5.Sick leave 6.Social Security 7.Minimum wage 8.Civil Rights Act/Title VII - prohibits employer discrimination 9.8-hour work day 10.Overtime pay 11.Child labor laws 12.Occupational … Continue reading Union made
"Anyone who believes in indefinite growth in anything physical, on a physically finite planet, is either mad or and economist ," Kenneth Boulding, environmental advisor to President Kennedy. A realism to ponder when listening to bankers and politicians.
I don't drink much beer these days, being all paleo-diet and such but when I do, it's always a good one.
Preindustrial Craftsmanship 