Gear Patrol

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…

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…

In the course of a year it’s easy to forget just how much stuff crosses our desks and just how much of that we write about. For 2011 it was more than ever — with nearly 3,000 posts published. And it being that time of year, it’s time to wrap up, like last year, with…

Ask the average guy where the best watches in the world are made and he will undoubtedly say, “Switzerland.” After all, most of the recognizable brands like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex and Patek Philippe hail from that neutral Alpine nation. It is partly the neutrality of Switzerland that has allowed these great names of horology…

Editor’s Prologue: Cars get our blood flowing here at GP. From vintage racers to compacts to the latest supercar offerings, we realize that there are myriad discussions debates over which ones are the most memorable, the most celebrated and the most remarkable. So to end the inquisition we’ve been compiling a list over the past…

The holidays, scenario one: a time for feasting, enjoying the company of family and friends and exchanging gifts. That’s reason enough to clink glasses. The holidays, scenario two: a time for stress, empty wallets and judgmental in-laws. That’s even more reason to knock back a few drinks. Whichever circumstances best describe your impending holidays, we’ve…

Ahh, that musty smell of dusty, disorganized vintage record shops. Or how about the high-pressure unapproachability of hi-fi audio retailers? Instant turn-off, right? Not so fast. The crew at In Living Stereo prove that purveying fine audio gear and records can indeed live in harmony. With a recent move from deep in the East Village…

Titanium, the wonder metal, is used for a variety of things, from surgical screws to watch cases to bicycle frames. It is known for its resistance to corrosion, its incredible strength to weight ratio and its bio-compatibility. It is also difficult to machine and fairly expensive. But forget all that. Titanium just looks cool, which…

Editor’s Note: If you haven’t already heard of Need Supply Co, then there’s a good chance you’re missing out on one of the most superbly well-curated mixes of contemporary brands out there. With a pitch-perfect mosaic of unique finds, denim, and other style finds, they rarely misses a beat. At the helm is the creative…

We’re long overdue for a breakdown so what better candidate for a part-by-part analysis than the GR TAC ($35) — the new tactical hat from the deft hands of GORUCK. It’s quite possibly the last hat you’ll ever need or want. Hit the jump for our breakdown.

HoldFast is a new brand born from the passion of professional photographer and long time Gear Patrol reader Matthew Swaggert. After years of being frustrated with the overly complex, uncomfortable, and militia-styled gear that flooded the photography market, he decided to channel his experience and love of American heritage to create something better. The HoldFast…

It’s hard to believe that only three years have passed since Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine launched a line of headphones designed to bring their studio sound to the masses. History now shows the move was a prescient business decision that spawned a title wave of copy-cat products endorsed by anyone with a hip-hop single….

All hotels are judged on their location, amenities, and service, but a unique sense of style is usually what separates the good from the remarkable. San Francisco’s historic Clift has all of these qualities in ample supply. Since being opened in 1915 on the corner of Geary and Taylor St., the luxury hotel has offered…

Question: what does over one million dollars worth of app production and development entirely for the celebration of iconic classic cars look like? Answer: Road Inc. ($10). From the Murciélago to the Mulliner Fastback Bentley Continental R, the original Model T to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, Road is quite possibly one of the most…

The Local Motors Rally Fighter is literally the Frankenstein of the car world and looks like the love child of the Dark Knight’s tumbler and a Maserati Gran Turismo. If its arresting form seems strangely familiar to you, it’s probably because of the crowd-sourced origins of the Rally Fighter’s design, which utilizes a hodgepodge of…

We took the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 out for a night on the town, with a video camera in hand. Check out our results in our short video after the break.

When the Jamaica Tourist Board invites you to Jamaica for five days of culinary and cultural adventures, you don’t say no. You pack some sandals and swim gear, and you leave some extra space in your bag for local rum. Turns out there was very little beach time on the trip, but as this writer…

Despite widespread adoption, Canon’s approach to video hasn’t been the all out onslaught many of us have hoped for. Particularly when you consider how DSLR’s have taken on increasingly powerful video capabilities, spawning a passionate base of amateur and pro film makers dedicated to pushing the limits of what their trusty Canon gear can do….

Auto-drip coffee is entrenched in American culture for three reasons. It’s cheap, easy to make, and has a relatively consistent taste wherever you order it, apart from the random Chicory-spiked landmines you can stumble on down south. Those benefits have been compounded now that the process of measuring grounds, water, and finding a filter has…

Recently we found ourselves presented with a couple of problems. First. We were handed the keys to a deep blue pearl 2012 Nissan GT-R and 2012 diamond black edition Cadillac CTS-V at roughly the same time. Okay, maybe it doesn’t sound like so much of a problem but bear with us. In reality neither cars…

There’s no denying that the folks at RIM have gotten more things wrong than a bro on Wheel of Fortune College week. The newly announced Porsche Design P’9981 BlackBerry has no chance of making a dent in the company’s sagging bottom line, but it does illustrate that RIM still understands the direct correspondance between exclusivity…

With the blessing and assistance from Ford MoCo in the way of CAD files, archivals and tech support, ICON began the project to bring this stunning ICON 1968 Ford Bronco to life. It began with five extremely hard to come by uncut-fender late 1960′s Ford Broncos. ICON then garnered both emotional and financial support from…

If we had to guess what famed Apple hardware and software engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers would do after leading the team responsible for the first 18 generations of the iPod, and the first three generations of the iPhone — revolutionizing the thermostat wouldn’t immediately spring to mind. Now, after launching the Nest Learning…

In the last few years a new breed of camera has stormed the digital photography world. Known as mirrorless or interchangeable lens cameras, they forgo the mirror of a DSLR (or SLR) for a smaller, lighter, and more portable package. They’ve grown in leaps and bounds by providing amateurs an opportunity to upgrade from a…

Knowing that nearly all of us are guilty of what co-founders Jason Stoddard and Mike Moffat would consider an abomination is an interesting notion. The crime? Listening to the music coming through today’s primary audio consumption tool. Headphones. Luckily, the duo also have a hefty, if not vigorous, solution: Schitt Headphone Amps ($250+). Obvious moniker…

Angel’s Envy Bourbon ($43) comes courtesy of Lincoln Henderson, a former 40-year veteran of Brown-Forman who was tasked with crafting some of the world’s most popular and widely-consumed whiskeys. Henderson’s latest venture defies rules and corporate expectations as he makes the bourbon he always wanted to make. Angel’s Envy starts with Kentucky-grown corn and rye…

What’s rectangular, four-hundred bucks and focuses all over? The Lytro ($399). Of all the inevitable announcements of cameras heading up to the holidays, the Lytro offers what might be the most unique feature of all: the ability to focus anywhere anytime. It accomplishes this by capturing how a particular scene “appears” with its sensor capturing…

Yes, that’s actual type scanned from the Olympia. More photos and type text after the jump.

Unless your inner child is a cold, emotionless munchkin, he still wants a treehouse. Well, instead of building a rickety, splintered mess in your front yard that will never meet code, consider this — the array of BlueForest Treehouses. The award-winning team at BlueForest has done up numerous projects that take your breath away, and…

On the surface, Canon’s new pro-level shooter may look virtually identical to its 1D predecessor, but don’t be fooled. As the 10th generation of Canon SLRs, the beastly Canon EOS-1DX ($6,800) is the full-frame juggernaut. Built to replace both the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV models, it boasts an olympian size list of…