Archival Pencil Sharpeners

Shopping from 1949

In our household, we still use pencils for annotating books and recipes, for list making and doodling. We love having a manual pencil sharpener that accommodates the various sized pencils in our collection - from the plumpish Ticonderoga Laddie to my sleek German graphite pencils. Our favorite is the Boston Champion – a model you might remember from youe elementary school days. While X-Acto (who now owns Boston) sells a model that can be vacuum mounted to a flat surface, we recommend purchasing the classic version, with an 8 hole dial, that can be permanently screwed to a table or inside of a cabinet. Ebay seems to be the best resource for a wide variety of vintage Boston sharpeners. As always, I enjoy the background detail revealed through amateur product photography. In this set, the fern fronds are my favorite.

If you are seeking a non mechanical option, here's a fine example

Odds 'n' Ends Sale

We just moved offices from one side of Lincoln street to the other! In honor of the occasion, we'll be hosting the First Annual Odds'n'Ends Sample Sale on Friday, May 18th from 12-7 PM. Come on down to our new space at 445 Lincoln Street in Eugene, Oregon. We'll have samples, seconds, discontinued items, and one-off oddments. Most everything will just be available in person, but as a special high-five to our loyal readers and customers, we'll be hosting a small assortment online as well. Items are very limited and all sales are final.

Archival Laundry

Archival Summer

While we love wool and waxed canvas, here are some Archival items in our favorite summer weight fabrics, canvas duck and cotton, for warm weather wear.

The Hill-Side block bullseye scarf
Archival stripe tee
Plain musette in canvas duck
Archival web belt
Canvas Duck Rucksack

From the archives - Nancy Neiman

Thanks to flickr contact Paris-Roubaix for posting these photos of Nancy Neiman, the U.S. National Cycling Champion in 1953, 1954, 1956 and 1957. Neiman was the first American woman to ride a stage race in Europe. I don't follow contemporary cycling because the athletic garb and bikes are so alien to me. I much prefer the era of amateur cycling in the 1950s documented in these photographs. I love how Neiman looks like an everyday person (the girl next door!) and her steel track bike resembles something I would ride today.
Here's a 1957 photograph of Nancy in her U.S. National Champion's jersey. She's riding a French Rochet Special bike fitted with a Stronglight cottered steel chainset and Lyotard Marcel Berthet pista platform pedals.

Spring Restock - The Hill-Side Scarves

For Spring, we're restocking cotton chambray and printed scarves cut and sewn by our friends at the Hill-side, based in Brooklyn, New York.

Hill-side Abstract Floral Print - Breaking from our traditional offering of stripes and solids, we're bringing in this floral printed scarf made from fabric woven in the USA.

Hill-side scarf in Plum Violet - This is AC designer Tom's favorite colorway. It's made from a 100% cotton 5 oz. selvedge chambray woven in Japan.

Hill-side Indigo Bullseye scarf - This particular scarf utilizes a 100% cotton selvedge, discharge block printed ("shwe shwe") fabric from South Africa.

Shopping from the movies: The Queen (2006)

Next to Montgomery Wards and Mamet's State and Main, the Queen (Frears 2006) is my favorite shopping opportunities. I love to browse all the classic Barbours, Range Rovers, silk scarves, leather brogues, tweed keeperwear, cashmere crewnecks and matching dog breeds. Like a mail order house lost to time, The Queen stocks a small but deep selection of classic items - unchanged by fashion or consumer demand. Here are a few pages from my favorite catalog: