An Eye on the Natives

by Ami Kealoha

Taking inspiration from the absurdity and wonderment of National Geographic's documentary approach, Bblessing, a new men's clothing boutique in New York's Lower East Side, brings together a handful of their favorite photographers in the group show, "An Eye on the Natives." The collection of nonfiction work opens tonight, 27 July 2006, hasn't been shown elsewhere and was chosen by the artists for their emotional attachment to the images. The upshot reveals a fascination with subcultures— from Janette Beckman's series of the El Hoyo Maravilla gang shot in East LA over the course of a month in 1983 to pictures of men and their weapons drinking tea in the streets of Brooklyn by Phil Knott, and Alfredo Martinez' video that watches him assemble a machine gun to Todd Selby's images of Star Wars fans. Curated by Surface 2 Air (the art collective is a partner in the store), The show runs through 2 October 2006 and you can see images after the jump.

An Eye on the Natives
27 July 2006-2 October 2006
Bblessing
181 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002 map
tel. 01 212 378 8005

Linen MacBook Sleeves

by Evan Orensten

Wrappers just released their new linen MacBook sleeves. They are free of logos and labels, available in five colors, and the tag can be personalized with your initial. The innovative side closure keeps your laptop snug without Velcro or zippers. The sleeves are lined in navy microfibre and are cushioned for extra protection. £15.99 or £18.99 with your initial. Available online from Wrappers.

Katana Series Knives by Calphalon

by Evan Orensten

One lucky CH reader will win a set of these amazing Katana Series knives by Calphalon. These knives are a great example of design and technology used to improve a product that hasn't seen a lot of innovation, and are winners of the best consumer product design from ID Magazine's 2006 Design Review.

The Calphalon design team spent a year designing these knives, which blend classic European and Asian knife forms. Increasing performance was a challenge solved by using VG-1 steel, a limited production steel from Japan. Higher in carbon (and therefore stronger) than most other steel, it helps the knife achieve—and retain—its edge.

Inspired by the way katana (the swords used by Samurai) were made, the blades are formed from a VG-1 steel core; 16 layers of other steel alloys are then added to each side. This process (and the way it looks) is known as Damascus style. One of the key benefits it offers is an increased ability to prevent food from sticking to the knife's surface as it is being cut. This is further enhanced by the use of kullen (the oval indents) on the lower portion of the blade, which create air pockets when cutting.

Another great feature the design team came up with was an integrated bolster (where the blade meets the handle), which they patented. It makes the knife incredibly comfortable to hold, and helps it be more balanced.

Best yet, the knives are suprisingly well priced, ranging from $29 to $89. The Katana section of the Calphalon site is also well designed and has videos and details on the complete line.

The set (and individual pieces) are available online at Amazon.

CH Katana Series Knife Set Contest
We're giving away an 8-piece set (whch includes a 3.5" parer, 5" Santoku, 5.5" serrated utility, 6" utility, 8" chef's, kitchen shears, bamboo knife block and a 10" diamond steel, worth $299 and pictured above) to the CH reader who sends us the the funniest kitchen mishap story (keep it brief).

Please send your entries here by the end of the day on Thursday 3 August 2006. We'll announce the winner, and print their story, on Friday 4 August 2006.

Thanks to all of you readers who submitted your stories. The winner of the contest can be found here.

12 Bags for Guys

by Ami Kealoha

From tricked-out messengers to a rebirth of the proper satchel, men's bags are experiencing a design evolution and losing their stigma as sitcom fodder. Evolving to accomodate the gadget- (or diaper-) toting needs of the modern male, we've rounded-up 12 of our favorite daybags.

Ting Small Canvas Satchel
Inghua Ting set up her company in London in 2000 after graduating from the Royal College of Art. In her designs, she likes to recycle things like old saddles, gentlemen's braces and leather belts, like she has with this satchel. The result being classy and modern, but with a bit of vintage character. £180 from Ting.

Rootote
Japanese maker Rootote makes totes that one-up others in more ways than one. Firstly, a hidden zippered side pocket means smaller items like mobile phones are accessible even when the bag's over your shoulder and the bag features interior pockets as well. The grey and black camo-meets-skull pattern is a perfect marriage of motifs. $36 from Reed Space. Call (+1 212 253 0588) to order.

Jack Spade Access Bag
Known for his sleek version of the messenger bag, Jack Spade's red 3-ply nylon tote has green contrast lining, an included shoulder strap, and interior pockets to neatly transport devices. $265 from Jack Spade.

Diaper Dude Brown Faux Suede Bag with Flap
Whether you're a dad or not, Diaper Dude's bags have enough pockets to carry anything you want, be it iPod and mobile phone, or pacifiers and wet-wipes. Unlike a lot of baby-bags, the faux suede design is more in tune with the man wearing it than the little person he may be looking after. $98 online at Diaper Dude.

Vivienne Westwood Borsello Propaganda
Beating hands down the the logo-a-go-go efforts from Prada and Gucci, this messenger from punk pioneer Vivienne Westwood is the one I would go for if I had to have a designer bag. Eccentric and, obviously, a touch anarchic—or manarchic... $498 online at Styledrops.

Skip Hop Saddlebag
From the New York company devoted to making well-designed bags for urban parents, Skip Hop's Saddlebag has a briefcase-style handle and uses three straps to attach to the sides of strollers. It features mesh side pockets, a divided interior, and it's available in 15 different colorways—we chose pink camo in our ongoing effort to liberate the color from the female gender and for its oxymoronic pop. $36 from Skip Hop.

Acton Treadway Sidearm Bag
We wouldn't normally advocate wearing things on your belt like the fanny-pack brigade, but this luxe leather bag gets away with it, despite being quite pricey. We don't know if you could actually carry a sidearm in it, but it does come complete with a removable leg-strap for an authentic covert-ops feel. No surprise then that they're made in Jack Bauer's home city, Los Angeles. Available online for $400 from Acton Treadway.

Gap
It's probably been a while since you checked out the goods at Gap. Starting this fall you'll see a great range of bags for guys (and girls) thanks to the recent arrival of China Young as head of accessories design. (He started the hugely popular Loop/Parcel lines). Two of our favorites for fall include this waxed messenger bag in olive with denim and striped lining (pictured left and center, click for larger images) for $39.50 and the camo canvas messenger bag with neon yellow zipper and yellow vinyl interior for $29.50. Both have great details and plenty of pockets for your gear. Visit your local Gap store or shop Gap online this fall.

Classic Canoe Bag
From New York-based Engineered Garments, which mixes influences from sportswear, outdoor clothing, and military uniforms in their designs, this over-the-shoulder Classic Canoe bag has all the retro appeal but is updated with today's fabrics. On sale for $68 from Steven Alan.

via Refinery29

Filson Small Carry-On
Long a staple of fly fishermen and other outdoorsy types, Filson's durable bags are made from leather, brass, and paraffin-treated cotton twill that stand up to extreme conditions. Originally designed for Gold Rush adventurers who braved the Yukon, a Filson will see you through many a commute or vacation and live on as heirlooms. How many diaperbags can you say that about? $225 from Filson

A|X Armani Exchange Waxed Cotton Messenger Bag
For those who prefer black, we love this utilitarian bag from A|X. Featuring plenty of pockets and water-resistant waxed cotton finish, it's just the right size for daily use. Available in-store and online for $125 from A|X Armani Exchange.

A CH team effort with contributions by Summer and Evan.