The Pelle Leather Journal ($30) is another worthy addition to your analog record keeping repertoire. Inspired by the hard to find and broadly loved Midori Traveler’s Notebook, it features a sturdy leather cover with elastic retainer band and the ability to hold up to three different notebooks in one cover. The covers are made in the USA from American leather, a win-win in our book, err… mind. The notebooks themselves provide 28 lb paper, also made in the USA, that’s perfect for the fountain pens we often write with and can be had in either lined or plain paper. While we probably won’t pen the next great American novel in it, we’re definitely willing to try. Perhaps it’s time for a trip.

Buy Now: $30

Photos by Jon Gaffney

We have a hefty amount of respect for good writing instruments here at Gear Patrol. The No. 2 pencil holds a place near and dear to our hearts (nod to the Dixon Ticonderoga) both for its functional excellence and standardized testing nostalgia — fact: there are now three sections to the SAT’s. So, when we learned of Artisanal Pencil Sharpening we couldn’t help but hold back the excitement. Seriously. Former political cartoonist and current Hudson River Valley craftsman David Rees is carrying on the dying tradition of manual pencil sharpening. He literally whittles each pencil into such a sharp point that they’re shipped with a certificate authenticating the pencil as a dangerous object. Mr. Rees allows customers to send in pencils of their own choosing to be professionally honed, or you can order a pre-sharpened pencil directly from him. If you’ve always found the symmetric sharpening of a mechanical sharpener to lack that organic imperfection you yearn for, David Rees is your man.

Buy Now: $15

Business cards? Good. Letterpress? Better. Custom inspector stamps? Awesome. Put your 3/4″ mark on the world, or anywhere you can tromp your seal onto with a custom Cranky Pressman Inspector Stamp ($23). Small enough to tag along with your keys use the stamp to place your signature, artwork, or any other custom demarcation (we like: “Found this on GP”) that fits within the miniscule scepter. Just like the old school health inspector stamps, these come in a metal casing with a plastic cap that houses an ink pad making them useful time and time again. Or, the next time someone hands you their business card just emblazon your contact info on it, and hand it right back. They’ll never forget.

Buy Now: $23

In the age of cloud syncing, location aware reminders, and über productivity apps, it’s easy to dismiss physical calendars as vestiges of the stone age. We embrace the convenience of a digital life as much as the next person, but that will never overshadow our fondness for finely crafted accessories like the Postalco Pressed Cotton Calendar ($66). Styled as a more portable version of the classic 1950s portfolio, this day planner measures 3.9 x 8.8 inches or about the size of a standard envelope. The design is based on the Cho Seiri calendar developed by Professor Yukio Noguchi, which features an accordion-style layout that allows users to “zoom in” to view individual days, or “zoom out” to see up to eight weeks in a row. The accompanying two-toned case is made in Japan from hard pressed cotton that is lightly waterproof, highly durable, and available in four different colorways. Slots for two inserts allow buyers to customize the calendar to their liking, complete with optional narrow notebooks. Sure, it won’t accept voice commands, but it’ll keep you organized in style as long as your hands still remember how to write.

Buy Now: Calendar/Notebook Inserts $26 | Calendar Case $66

Any stylish LED desk lamp will dwarf their standard incandescent compadres in terms of energy efficiency. Jake Dyson’s CSYS LED task light (~$850) nearly triples the average life time of other LED bulbs though by reducing the wear and tear that normally comes from overheating. Using heat pipe technology originally developed for satellites and computing, this fully-dimmable lamp draws heat away from the bulbs and distributes it evenly across the entire heat sink — resulting in lifespans of up to 160,000+ (or roughly 37 years). No good task lamp would be complete without the ability to adjust the position and height of the light source. The CSYS is every bit of a gymnast in that regard thanks to its crane-inspired design, which enables users to adjust the lamp in three axes. As with is to be expected with a cutting-edge products with a mortgage-like lifespan, Dyson’s desk monument doesn’t come cheap, but we’ll leave you to run the hedge fund math on whether coughing up that level of cheddar is worth it in the long run.

Buy Now: ~$850

Though far and few in today’s writing supply, the Lead Holder used to be a widely used instrument with hundreds of variants. Each refillable tool was built with a variety of loading and holding mechanisms, sizes, and applications for everyone from the draftsman to the artist. One characteristic they all shared though was their intended use as a day-to-day workhorse unlike many pens, which have an intended aesthetic and decorative look. Today, you won’t find many Lead Holders without a bit of digging, but the folks at JetPens offer up a nice variety, one of which we can’t help but love — the E+M Workman ($14). Offered in a several color finishes, this beech wood short body lead holder uses a porcine 5.5 mm lead (a long way from that Bic 0.5 mm you used in college) that’s stout enough to crush an SAT answer sheet, or unlike its forefathers, just look outstanding on your desk.

Buy Now: $14

The Magazin Secretary Flatmate has all of the qualities we expect from great German design. It’s sleek, functional and backhands your wallet with authority. Fully expanded, the modern secretary provides a 28 x 16.5-inch work space, capable of easily accommodating a 17-inch laptop, along with other peripheral gadgets like an iPad on the included powder coated steel shelves above. To fight the good fight against clutter, there’s even an integrated light strip and power socket which connects via a hidden power cord to your wall outlet, as well as a handy side cubby for stashing things out of sight. Once the work is done, everything collapses nice and tidy into a monolithic slab that takes up a hair less than one square foot. Unfortunately, at an estimated cost of $1,365, we’re fairly certain it’s worth more than most of the small apartments it’s ideally suited to serve.

Buy Now: ~$1,365

In the digital age, the analog markers of a thoughtful desk are disappearing faster than our hopes for a 2011-2012 NBA season. Call us old fashioned, but we still find value in having our work stations stand out from the pack of brushed aluminum and little white cords. If you’re a kindred spirit in that way, then consider spending a few shekels on the Poppin Well-Appointed Desk Set ($30). The retro-inspired bundle includes two leather cover notebooks, a clear ruler, 12 grey signature pens, a white stapler, and a pair of classic scissors. All are tastefully selected to look great on their own or as part of a set, for less than the price of an average size Moleskine.

Buy Now: $30

Qualities we like in our writing instruments: weight, simplicity, and crisp writing lines. Caran d’Ache, who you boligrafo boffins might know from their mind-bogglingly expensive bejeweled implements may not be the first you’d go to for a first class jotter, but the Swiss brand also creates refreshingly simple writing instruments. The Caran D’Ache Silver Metal Ballpoint Pen ($17) is one of them. An utterly calm writer — both in its handling and design — the hexagonal all-metal pen serves daily workhorse duties without taking away the delight. You’ll also find a firm clip, stainless steel tip with tungsten-carbide ball and a whisper-quiet retracting mechanism. This D’Ache has panache.

Buy Now: $17

The Origin Workstation ($4,160) is the kind of office furniture you’d expect to find in the shiny new digs of a silicon valley startup. Weighing in at 250 pounds a pop, each piece is made from reclaimed gym flooring that showcases the original sport lines and features eight below surface storage shelves for organizing office detritus. Up top, the 4′ x 10′ desk area provides ample space for two, or maybe even four in tighter situations. Buyers also have the option to have wire containment configured into their table surface for a cleaner look. Now, who’s ready to send emails from the free-throw line?

Buy Now: $4,160

Whether your brewing aspirations of becoming the next Billy Reid are spilling over to bar napkins or you simply like the idea of sketching out the clothes you might want to wear or mod, we can’t think of a better, or cooler place to start compiling your ideas than the Fashionary Menswear Sketchbook ($24). The sketchbook’s latest updates bring an even more robust style reference section teeming with vital information and references like measurement tools, 1300 brand index, stitching guide, fabric dictionary, typography and boards, and plenty more. The journal portion of the sketchbook includes 400 lightly drawn templates so you spend less time figuring out proprtions and more time sketching. Use the pages to paste in elements of inspiration, jot notes, and rely the calendar to keep you on track. The only downside: it doesn’t upload to Dropbox. Available in two sizes.

Buy Now: $24

First came paper with lines and grids. Now Doane Paper has doled out a new trio of hand-crafted leather goods for you traditional scribes. Shrouded in genuine Horween Chromexcel leather, DP Leather Works come in three offerings: 4 Barrel Pen Holster, Flap Jotter Cover, or Notebook Cover. All less than $70. Each are crafted in the US and will serve your writing duties proudly.

Buy Now: $67

With a heartbreaking price you might be tempted to immediately look past the 365 Orson Desk ($3,845), but give it a few more seconds and you’ll immediately see that its hand-finished American Black Walnut and seasoned cast iron construction make this one ravishing lectern. But designer Matthew Hilton didn’t just create this as an exercise of aesthete. The Orson Desk also offers loads of functionality including three solid wood drawers featuring dovetailed joints large enough to tuck away that laptop, and three hidden rear compartments that conceal and manage all the requisite cables requisite of most modern desks. After all, what’s the point in a stunning piece of furniture when it’s entwined in charger cables?

Buy Now: $3,845

One day, we may all look back at today’s digital gadgets with loving fondness. Call it a hunch, but we’re pretty certain a 3rd generation iPod Nano won’t quite conjure up quite the same nostalgia that vinyl does today. Digital treasures do exist though, and here in its latest guise, the quintessential HP 12c 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Scientific Calculator ($79-$99) further embeds itsef into the history books. In celebration of 30 years of being an iconic industry tool in finance, the 12C, and its brother the 15C, will be offered in a uniquely stamped, limited edition package. Go forth and calculate… compounding interest.

Buy Now: $79-$99

Since 1883 Kaweco of Germany has been applying their company motto “small in the pocket, great in the hand” in their efforts to produce high end writing implements. Case in point: the AC Sport Carbon Fiber Fountain Pen ($112), which embodies the company motto right down the last dotted ‘I’ and crossed ‘T’. The pen is constructed from matte finish aluminum with carbon fiber inlays, a sturdy screw on cap and a stainless steel nib. When closed it measures a pocket-friendly 4.1″, but when the pen is opened, it’s 5.6″ inch stature not only feels great in the hand, but lends its user a great deal of handling confidence. Once pens his paper, the AC Sport elevates itself to a whole new writin stratta, with a particularly smooth ink flow normally found only on much pricier pens. Combined, the durable construction and fantastic writing make this the best excuse this year to ditch the ballpoint.

Author’s Note: For you shirt pocket carryers, be sure to also pick up the Kaweco AC Sport Fountain Pen Clip for just a couple bucks.

More photos after the jump.

Buy Now: $112

We don’t know about you, but we’d be hard pressed to find anyone who works just 40 hours anymore and if you’re like us then a solid chunk of those hours are firmly planted behind a desk. Good thing, the ergonomic aces at Herman Miller have developed a fatigue-reducing, posture-saving solution: the Envelop Desk ($960). Designed by Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber specifically for the workaholic, the desk features an “infield” made of a soft, resilient surface that wraps around you for continued forearm support no matter what seating position you’re in. Also, to prevent pesky laptop slouch, the Envelop’s work surface is tilted at a 7 degree angle to ensure monitors and laptops are within your sight line.

Buy Now: $960

If you’re as tired of Outlook and Gmail pop-up notifications as we are then you’ll appreciate the refreshingly simple Desk-it ($10). The 7-day notepad is a simple, honest technique for keeping the week’s to-do’s organized. Keep it near your keyboard for a visible reminder of what’s next on the docket — and as much as we love technology, there’s nothing more satisfying than crossing something off a to-do list. A graph version is also available for you sketching types.

Buy Now: $10

Honoring 12 of America’s most influential industrial designers, the Pioneers of American Industrial Design Forever Stamps ($5) were reason enough for us to make a beeline to the nearest post office today to pick up a few sheets (one to tuck away for an heirloom, of course). Released on June 29, each Forever Stamp highlights pioneers like Robert Heller, Peter Muller-Munk, Donald Deskey, Walter Dorwin Teague, and Henry Dreyfuss and their iconic, aesthetic-setting creations. What better way to commemorate 20th century design.

Buy Now: $5

No man is complete without a journal in which to scribe his ponderings and diatribes, but raiding the office supply closet for a generic Mead notepad doesn’t cut it. Made completely by hand, the BCX Legacy Journal ($107) is the latest timeless creation from Basecamp X and comprised of thick, oiled leather, hand-stitched using waxed cording and 200 pages of sustainably harvested Mulberry Bark paper. Measuring 9″x6″, the notebook is light enough to carry every day and a worthy vessel for the blueprint to your next manifesto, business idea or post.

Buy Now: $107

Pencil snobbery? You betcha. Whether you prefer your pencil of the Japanese variety or more traditional in nature, the Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil ($30) will likely give pause to any jaded engineer, architect or writer. Built in Japan, this 18 gram beefcake scrawler sports an all metal brass body with traditional knurled grip, lead grade indicator and clip. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include a “#2 pencils are for peasants” bumper sticker.

Buy Now: $30

Another day, another notebook. Wait, not so fast. Whether you love the beloved principles of grid-based design (or not), the Gridbook ($26) should help you keep those pesky lines and sketches reigned in and cohesive. Storyboarders, designers and joe-schmo doodlers alike will appreciate the 15-point dot grid that divides perfectly into 4/5/6 columns across its pages. Taking the grid one-step further, pages even include storyboard outlines for three of the web’s most popular ad units (like you see here on the pages of GP). Opposite pages are fully maximized with ruled lines and checklists to aid in organization and task-management. The tenderfoot project is the brainchild of Canadian design agency Sajak & Farki and its first available run for shipment will drop in 4-6 weeks. Pre-orders are available now.

Buy Now: $26

Does your addiction to labeling leave your Sharpie’s drier than a Southern Baptist wedding? Then Sharpie Professional Markers ($4) is made for you. Their professional seal of approval means the stronger tip will last 50% longer than those amateur chisel points you’ve grown to love — ensuring you’ll always have ink to leave your mark on everything from cardboard to cleavage. The comfort barrel grip is also designed for easier handling, especially for you Dexters who prefer working in gloves.

Buy Now: $4

Paper business cards? Pass. We’ll take ours in wood. Using 100% natural, harvested sustainable woods from the US, third generation family owned Cards of Wood creates paper-thin cards using micro-veneer technology without the use of chemicals. Producing everything from stationary, to packaging, to envelopes in 23 different veneers, CoW even staffs a team of designers and printers for your custom creations. Just don’t blame us if your cronies turn to you the next time they’re short on kindling.

Buy Now: $35+

The Journal Bandolier ($17) from Etsy maker Cleverhands is a useful addition to your journal, especially if you’re the type of fellow who despises carrying extra items or haven’t quite bought into the tablet madness. Made from reclaimed rubber and elastic, it’s both rugged looking and useful for most 5-inch notebooks like Moleskins. With seven loops, it can hold an arsenal of writing instruments securely except for your plume.

Buy Now: $17

What’s better than a Field Notes notebook for your jots, doodles and inspiration? A personalized Fields Notes notebook, that’s what. The Dry Transfer “________ Edition” ($10) still look like the classic kraft-cover version, but you’ll notice these lack the brand printed boldly across the front. That blank space is your pallet for mad-libbing to your heart’s content via dry transfer. Simply use the included kit and the FN-11B Application Template to create any label you fancy and stick it directly on the pad. The finished product will be something unique from the mind of you, just like those finger paintings you made as a child — only saner.

Buy Now: $10 (3-Pack)

How often do you think about pencils? Well, if you’re a composer, artist or designer — or perhaps all three — the pencil is one of your most important tools. In 1998, the pencil world (yes, there’s a world for that) mourned the end of the “best pencil ever made,” the Blackwing 602 by Eberhard-Faber, used by the likes of Steven Sondheim. California Cedar Products Company has purchased the name rights and released their tribute to the 602, the Palomino Blackwing Pencil. Just like the original, it houses a ferrule eraser, which is rectangular and refillable. As for the pencil itself, it writes extremely well, imparting rich black tones, uncharacteristic of a graphite pencil, so it’s as good for sketching as it is for taking/composing notes. With a near cult following (yes, there’s a cult for that), any remaining Blackwing 602s still sell on eBay for upwards of 40 smackers apiece. Grab yourself a full 12-pack of Palomino Blackwings for way less and look downright old school in all the write ways.

California Cedar was nice enough to send over several beautiful images, which we’ve embedded after the jump.

Buy Now: $20

Let’s face it. 99% of the billion plus iterations of happy new year cards out there are lame, but you aren’t lame. No, you’re funny, smart, and some might even call you cool. That’s why these Oi Polloi Icon Cards ($4) are the perfect vehicle for your personally written communications. Made from 100% recycled paper and illustrated by Ben Lamb, the series features Hunter S. Thompson as his alias The Good Doctor, Jack Nicholson as George Hanson in Easy Rider, and of course Steve McQueen. Send one off to your best bud and there’s a decent chance it could go on prominent display. Never mind thinking about whether it’s because he appreciates hearing from you, or just likes the cover.

Buy Now: $4

Even the most prolific jetsetter needs to land every once in a while to recharge his body, devices and get some work done. Luckily, the B-25 Mitchell Bomber Airplane Desk allows aviation and history buffs to take a piece of the sky with them. This limited edition desk from MotoArt combines functional art and rich history to create what might be the ultimate piece of office furniture. Widely used in WWII and launched off aircraft carriers in the Pacific Ocean, the Mitchell Bomber was a small twin-engine aircraft loaded with a .50 caliber machine gun. For the desk, the aluminum frame of the wing (once covered in cloth) is exposed and covered with ½” tempered glass to reveal the inner mechanics of this apt fighter. Each piece takes 120 man hours to create, including 12 hours of buffing to deliver a stunning finish. Half-inch wooden legs are then affixed and stained. You can pretend you don’t want this all you want, but we both know you’d be lying to yourself.

Buy Now: Inquire

Quite literally embodying the old adage that “the pen is mightier than the sword,” tactical pens are made for double-duty writing of grocery lists and as a last-ditch self-defense tool. Typically machined from solid metal and combined with pressurized ink cartridges, tactical pens are writing implements that take whatever abuse you could possibly throw at them. With tapered barrels and plenty of grip, they can be wielded like a kubaton. We’ve assembled 10 of the best options in various configurations and price points. And while sitting through that required Thursday morning webinar is dangerous only to your sanity, you’ll certainly feel more badass doodling with one of these.

Archangel Defense Pen

• CNC Milled T6 Aircraft grade Aluminum
• Type III Anodized Finish
• Threaded Cap
• Replaceable pressurized ink cartridge

Buy Now: $37

Schrade Tactical Pen

• CNC 6061 Aircraft grade Amluminum
• Threaded Cap
• Hauser ball point pen cartridge
• 5.7″

Buy Now: $23

Smith & Wesson Military and Police Tactical Pen

• T-6061 Aircraft grade Aluminum
• Click on/off cap
• Hauser Parker ball point pen cartridge
• 6.1″

Buy Now: $24

Tuff Writer Tactical Pen

• Made in the USA
• Mil-A-8625 “F’ anodizing
• Fisher Space Pen cartridge
• Will write in temperatures from -30 to 250 degrees Farenheit (We hope you’re never taking notes in 250 weather…not too bright).
• Pointed and blunt end for defense and control (pointed end can double as a stylus).
• 5.75″-6.5″

Buy Now: $80-250

CRKT Tao Pen

• Precision machined 6061 Aluminum
• Designed by Allen Elishewitz to be used in three levels of defense…in addition to writing your grocery list.
• Fluted and grooved barrel for excellent grip
• Fisher Space Pen cartridge
• Threaded cap

Buy Now: $70

Next Page »

Mil-Tac TDP-1

• Aircraft Grade Aluminum
• T-3 Anodized finish
• Schmidt 8126 cartridge
• 5.25″
• Pointed end for use as defense tool or stylus
• Blunt end for use as control tool

Buy Now: $80

CountyComm Stainless Embassy Elite Pen

• Machined from solid 300 Series High Grade Stainless Steel
• Made in the USA
• Threaded cap with o-ring gasket
• Knurled barrel for grip
• 5.25″
• Fisher Space Pen cartridge
• Nearly as heavy as a roll of dimes…

Buy Now: $50

Cold Steel Sharkie

• Designed to appear to be a ubiquitous Sharpie permanent marker for stealth.
• Glass reinforced plastic case 4 times the thickness of a normal marker case.
• Can be effectively wielded as a Yawara stick.
• Threaded cap
• 6.25″

Buy Now: $5

Surefire EWP-01

• Aerospace grade hard anodized Aluminum body
• Tumbled stainless steel tip, cap, and clip
• Comes with Schmidt® Technology easyFLOW ink cartridge
• Can adjust to accept any refill cartridge between 3.875″ and 4.25″ long
• Retractable tip pen
• Window breaker tip in tailcap
• Made in USA

Buy Now: $130

Timberline Lightfoot Combat Pen

• Designed by Greg Lightfoot
• Milled from 7075-T6 Aluminum
• Fluted barrel and ported cap for grip
• 6″
• Schmidt Megaline 4876M Ball Point Refill

Buy Now: $75

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From the skunkworks of our favorite notepad brand, Field Notes have created what we think is their best edition yet: the disturbingly sleek Raven’s Wing Field Notes ($10, 3-Pack). The black-on-black matte black-and-charcoal linen cover stock is striking and paired with the “butcher orange” French Paper sheath, so we can’t help but feel they’re an homage to GP’s colors. Oh, and of course the Raven’s Wings Field Notes continue with the tradition of American manufacturing at Flywheel Letterpress in Freeport, Illinois. The perfect addition to our desk drawer essentials. Make sure to check out the making-of video right after the jump.

Buy Now: $10

Wings: Making the Field Notes 2010 Fall Edition from Coudal Partners on Vimeo.

Naming your product Geek Desk ($800) is a good way to dissuade impulse buying from the image-conscious. If you can get past that though, this utilitarian desk is pretty nifty. Its surface area measures 78.75 inches wide by 31.5 inches deep, providing plenty of room for even the messiest of workaholics. Thanks to an integrated electric motor, the desk can easily adjust from 26″ to 46.5″ inches in height and convert from a sitting to standing position in less than 20 seconds. A beam-style cable manager also helps keep wires neatly hidden in addition to preventing an electrical fiasco every time the desk is adjusted. If you like the idea but need something smaller, also be sure to check out the geek desk mini ($750).

Buy Now: $800

If you’re going to be stuck in front of a computer for 8 hours a day, you might as well do it in style, and for a reasonable price. Lucky for you, Herman Miller’s new SAYL chair ($399) has your back – literally. The designers at Herman Miller utilized the engineering principles of a suspension bridge in order to bring you the company’s latest office obsession. The unframed back of the chair is composed of a flexible suspension material supported by an innovative Y-Tower, which in addition to the chair’s resemblance to a boat’s sail, lends itself to the unique name. The minimalist design of the SAYL won’t require you to take out a second mortgage, or sell your fist born in order to sit in style either.

Buy Now: $399

Pens as we know them haven’t progressed much beyond their fairly utilitarian ways of concealing the pen tip, which saves ink, and your clothes from looking like you just tangoed with an octopus. And unless Apple comes out with a way to squeeze ink out of an iPad, the pen as we know it is here to stay (for now). This is all well and good, but for what most pens have in function they usually lack in originality. Hidetoshi Nakayama’s Bolt Action Writing Pen ($550) truly separates the men from the Bics. The pen itself is 5” long, weighing in at a hefty 3 oz, about the weight of 16 generic office pens (What else is the office scale good for?). The price of originality comes in at $550, a tad expensive, but then again, there’s no Bic pen that we know of with a bolt action.

Buy Now: $550

Buy Now: $75

Moleskine notebooks have become the notebook-of-choice for the stylish and creative set who need to carry a notebook around to jot down their brilliant ideas at a moment’s notice. After all, that’s what Hemingway and Van Gogh and Chatwin used to capture their mind’s contents, and so why wouldn’t you?

There’s just one catch: Moleskine was founded in 1997, meaning they missed Hemingway by more than 30 years. And once you take away the historical mystique, you start to wonder what else might be out there in the hip notebook world.

Enter the Rhodia Webby. Founded in 1934, Rhodia is a historic French brand and makes a viable Moleskine competitor in their Webbie notebook. For a bit more money than the Moleskine, you get a great notebook with high quality paper that stands up to even your broadest fountain pen, and will be ready for whatever you do with it thanks to its hard cover and an expanding pocket inside. Plus the cool orange color might catch that artsy girl at the coffee shop’s attention, just don’t let her know that your deepest inner thoughts are about football and nacho toppings.

Buy Now: $14

A pen can make a strong statement, not just by what it communicates in writing but by its appearance alone. Bic ballpoint = frugal and predictable, maybe an accountant. Uniball Roller = an analyst of some kind, very precise. LAMY Safari = artistic and original, perhaps a design architect. Montblanc = executive, makes big deals happen with aplomb. But what writing instrument should you carry if you don’t want to make a statement anyone would recognize? What if you prefer, instead, to always be prepared in an emergency, a real emergency? What if your philosophy is that every man should know how to protect himself and those he loves?

Then, your pen of choice would be a Benchmade 1100 Damasteel Series Tactical Pen ($250). Along with smooth, gravity defying writing from its Fisher Space Pen ink cartridge and its dark, stealthy looks and rippled damascus steel pattern, this pen can save your life if wielded properly. It goes where firearm, bowie knife, telescoping baton, nunchucks or unruly Doberman cannot go… the airport your pocket. The Agency taught us that a hardpoint can act as a self-defense tool (watch video), and the Benchmade Damasteel Series tactical pens easily more than suffice. With an ergonomic knurled barrel, it can be gripped with assurance, whether you’re nervously signing your marriage certificate with one end or calmly dispelling a crazed assailant with the other. So, at your next staff meeting, as you take notes, watch everyone else take note and ask you what the heck you’re writing with. And you can simply reply with, “I don’t like it when people ask me questions.” “Oh, it’s just a pen.”

Buy Now: $250

Is your office, kitchen, and bedroom, covered in notes? Are you constantly writing notes, jotting down thoughts, or making lists? Are you within arms reach of a Moleskine at all times? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then the Moleskine Professional Sticky Notes ($9) are just for you. Slightly more refined than the neon-yellow 3M variety that currently line your cubical walls, these notes ensure everyone/everything you bestow them with will be graced with class, even if you are just using them to jot down notes for your upcoming fantasy football draft. Each pack includes 40 unlined 3.25”x2.5” notes and 20 3.25”x5.25” lined variety and an organization folder. $9 may feel a bit steep for 60 notes, so keep these on reserve for special notetaking occasions, like dropping a message to that attractive new girl at the office you’d like to take for coffee or a note to the boss’s boss.

Buy Now: $9

By Patrick Morris

It may not load apps, play Stick Fighter, or even fit on your desk, but the Aaron Adding Machine #8 (est $5,000) is nothing if not awesomely vintage. Built by Andy Aaron, the antique calculator recreation actually performs calculations but more importantly, hearkens an appreciation for the technological-awe they inspired during the 19th century. Equipped with cutting edge (Industrial Age) features like heavyweight switches, cranks, levers, wood chassis, and a voltage meter (seriously), the #8 is a stunning, utilitarian machination that’s mechanically guaranteed to make checkbook balancing an exercise, literally, versus a chore. Only a few Aaron Adding Machines are made in a year so if you’re looking to get one, it might be time to bust out that TI-82 and start calculating.

Buy Now: $5,000 (estimated)

Whether a man’s workspace is a desk with a computer, or a tool bench, it needs to contribute to his productivity. Thus light, and subsequently the light source, are critical component of the workspace equation. While we’ve covered plenty of acceptable lamps here on GP, the Marina Task Lamp ($129) is particularly versatile thanks to its rubbed antique brass finish, nautical design flair, and a c-clamp base. The clamp base ensures maximum space, and the finish gives the lamp a masculine-vintage appearance. The lamp isn’t cheap at $129, but it is a quality purchase. Just don’t tell you buddies you bought it at Pottery Barn.

Find a gallery of the Marina Task Clamp Lamp after the jump.

Buy Now: $129

By Andrew Haas

17. That’s the number of Sharpie variations we have sitting here at the GP offices. Zero. That’s the number of Sharpie markers and pens that can do what the all new Sharpie Liquid Pencil ($2) pulls off. In what we imagine amounted to an “ah ha!” moment at Sharpie’s labs, the Sharpie Liquid Pencil imparts its holder with the near-magical ability to write with liquid graphite (as cool as it sounds) in a pen-like experience and erases up-to three days later. Mystical…

Buy Now: $2

American patriotism is great, don’t get me wrong, but to those from the golden state, California pride is first and foremost. The California Desk ($4,900) from J. Rusten Furniture Studio is far more sophisticated than hoisting a grizzly bear flag at the office. Not only is it made from a beautiful “curly-grain” Claro Walnut wood, the ergonomics of the desk are consciously designed, bending around the user as he sits in the Nevada-side crux (near Lake Tahoe). No other office furniture allows you to sign important documents up near Sacramento, set your coffee mug over San Francisco Bay, or place a framed photo of the kids at the beach down by Los Angeles. A cut above mundane bureaus, the California Desk is a perfect blend of aesthetics, geographic sophistication and relaxed west-coast vibe. Each piece is handmade by Jared Rusten at his studio in (yup, you guessed it) San Francisco, California.

A gallery of all the desk is after the jump.

Buy Now: $4,900

By Matthew Claudel

There’s a reason people submit to the torture test that is building IKEA particle board furniture — and it has nothing to do with Swedish meatballs. Instead it’s the schnazzy and clever design factor the company consistently provides for a rock bottom price. The Vika Viene Table Top ($99) is just another example of this value proposition in action thanks to its integrated cable outlets and cord organizers hidden underneath a spring hinged top. The bottom of the table top lid is also lined with felt, allowing it to pull double duty as a message board for pinning papers while still muffling sound. In other words it’s the jack-in-the-box office those short on space have always wanted.

Buy Now: $99

Buy Now: $32

Buy Now: $20

Wall clocks don’t necessarily have to mean wall wart, and a weather station doesn’t have to scream “Brookstone” either. The Bai Design Weather Monitor Wall Clock ($75) is an “8 in 1″ weather station with thermometer, hydrometer, barometer, day of the month, day of the week, and of course, clock. The face is presented on a matte black PVC dial behind a glass lens with a satin steel bezel and sized just right for the home office or man cave. One catch. If you’re like me, you’ll know just how long you’ve been holed up playing Xbox or glued to ESPN 3D while it’s perfect weather out.

Buy Now: $75

We keep a sizable stock of Field Notes pads here at the office. They’re sized just right for pen-to-paper jotting and constantly remind us how much we’d rather be writing in the field than in front of a computer. For Summer 2010, and just in time for Independence Day, Field Notes is expanding their Field Notes Colors line with the County Fair ($10 per 3 pack) installment for all 50 states. Each pad is printed on 100 lb linen cover stock with metallic gold printing and 48 pages of light blue lined graph paper. The signature rear covers include state facts and figures. Of course, you can go or the whole hoot’nanny and splurge on the 50 state box set ($100).

More images after the jump.

Buy Now: $10 (3 pack per state) | $100 (All 50 states box set)

Recently, a decidedly non-gear item crossed our desks and “thoroughly impressed” became the typical response when grasping and using the 8 gram Takumi Macinari Wood Writing Instrument ($35). Designed by Hosei Suzuki and hand-made in Japan, the Macinari is available in the form of pen or pencil and constructed entirely of maple or walnut. Even the clip, tip, and button are made of ebony. Available in five finishes: natural (which we tested), red, brown, yellow, or purple finish and arrive in a craftpaper sleeve. These pens aren’t for the casual jotter though, limited to only 100 per month and utilizing hard to find, Mitsubishi S7L refills, one procures a Macinari for writing his manifesto, not grocery lists.

Buy Now: $35 (Japanese)

Buy Now: $70

Longtime Gear Patrol readers may remember our post on a similar product called the Truepower USC Power Outlet that promised to integrate powered USB ports into the universal American outlet. Unfortunately it looks like that particular model which featured its USB ports on either side of the main AC sockets has since been scrapped. Macheads still hoping to declutter those bed and desk side walls though shouldn’t lose hope just yet. That’s because FastMac, is now showing a similar product on their site called the U-Socket ($20) which appears to offer the same features as the Truepower, with the only changes being that the USB ports are now both on the same side and it’s now selling for $10 more.

While this product is still only listed as being up for pre-order, the site states it’s simply waiting for final safety approval and should start shipping in October of this year. We know a lot could still happen between now and then, but rest assured that our fingers are all crossed for this outlet to someday grace our walls.

Buy Now: $20

A flexible, bright desk lamp is a must have for any guy who spends time toiling away in a home office. The z-Bar High Power LED Desk Lamp ($170) has both qualities in spades along with killer modern looks which make it in like Flynn for bachelor pads and man caves. Sporting 6 next generation high powered LEDs with a 4 step dimmer, the lamp delivers bright and broad lighting while sipping a mere 9 watts of power. It’s also capable of working for 40,000 hours until it reaches 70% brightness, meaning you could have it on for 4 1/2 years, all day everyday, and still enjoy the same level of light as the moment you bought it.

As the lead image shows, the unit is also ultra adjustable thanks to the presence of three separate joints, and includes a 9″ base and table clamp option which can accommodate desks up to 1.6″ thick. Available in three different color options of glossy red, silver, and metallic black, buyers have the added option to choose between a warm white light model (similar to an incandescent bulb), or a daylight white temperature model (similar to a fluorescent light).

[via Betterlivingthroughdesign]

Buy Now: $170