Rugged. Bold. Stout. These are but a few manly words that come to mind when browsing through the masterful blade work of Daniel Winkler Knives. These days, forged cutlery seems to be an oddity in the market due to mass production. However, Daniel Winker, master Bladesmith, has combined the traditional craft of metalwork & tradition and shaped a selection of blades that are unique, versatile, and spectacular in their own regards.

The blades, which have found their way on the consumer market such as the set of Last of the Mohicans and in teams from the United States and Allied Special Operations, are hand-forged and crafted based on an individual’s specifications and needs.

Quality and Design like No Other

The blades, forged by the hands of the Master Bladesmith (honored by the American Bladesmith Society), has seen its share of awards, including:

• 1998 – BLADE Magazine “Best Utility Hunter”
• 2002 – “Best of the West” Best Knifemaker
• 2009 – Most Innovative Design

The traditional blades, ones designed that you would happen across in the early America’s, use some of the most rugged materials available to a Bladesmith such as Damascus, Elk antler, rawhide, antique steel & patina, and even items like horse hair and beads for a flourish.

The types of blades that fall under the “traditional” label include:

• Belt knife
• Bowies
• Camp knife
• Hawks
• Hunters
• Patch knife

A second set of offers by Daniel take the tactical angle through a variety of belt, field, hunting, and military-grade knives, and onward to other blades such as rescue & stealth axes, tactical daggers, and a jungle knife perfect for cutting down large brush.

To put things into perspective: many of Daniel’s knives are in use by Naval Special Warfare Development Groups and other special forces – so if the military and those readily seeing combat rely on the blades by Daniel than you can rest assured they’re going to live up to your demands.
The simplicity of the design and features is what makes many individuals flock to the blades offered by Daniel; they strip the conventional, mass-produced feeling that so many knives have seem to adopt and brings it back to the true feeling of a sturdy, reliable, cutting tool.
Likewise, sheaths for the blades have been extensively field tested for practical use though many owners have made their own modes to accommodate their style.

Overall, the keen eye and commitment to high-quality materials under the control of Daniel’s talent has forged a series of knives that will not only have you doing a double take but will become the dream of any individual that needs a blade they can rely on.

Overview

Holding a knife can immediately swell emotions of the rugged outdoors even if you’re the city type. The blades are of high enough quality and design that they could be framed or used as a gift but the real value is their usage out in the wild – so keep that in mind while choosing your knife.

The blades, by Daniel, come at a hefty price but the level of workmanship that goes into each warrants the price especially when you need a reliable piece to get the job done. Availability, due to the extensive time to forge the blades and high demand for Daniel’s work, can be scarce so it’s important to get in touch through his website in order to know of the next available listing otherwise you could place a custom order for a unique blade to your specifications.

This portable electric shaver from ShaveTech is one of the more unique and interesting products we’ve reviewed in a while. It’s a USB shaver, so it’s ideal for traveling as you can charge it anywhere in or out of the US if you have access to a computer or other USB port. When not charging, the ShaveTech USB port flips up directly into the razor itself. The shaver is no bigger than a typical smart phone so it will fit anywhere from your pocket to your briefcase.

The sleek and simple design makes it very easy to use. The top slides on and off revealing the foil shaver head, and the shave with this super-light unit is nice and comfortable.

Anyone who travels often will love this useful gadget. Check it out at ShaveTech.com and also consider it for a gift with Father’s Day approaching.

The weather is warming up and summer is around the corner, so it’s definitely time to start shopping for a new pair of swim trunks. Our friends at Tommy Bahama sent us a stylish and unique pair with the Hybrid of Paradise 11″ Swim Trunks.

They’re unique because you can wear them as swim trunks or regular shorts. They look like a cross between regular clothe shorts and a bathing suit, but the cotton/polyester blended material is very comfortable while also being appropriate for the water. All of the interior pockets are mesh like you would find in a bathing suit, but it has the standard external pockets you would expect from a pair of cargo shorts. The only surprise is that it doesn’t have the mesh underwear portion you would expect from a bathing suit, so that makes them look even more like shorts along with the zipper in the front.

The shorts also come in a wide variety of colors. We liked the royal blue pair we had with the yellow logo on the side. With the quick dry fabric these shorts are perfect for boating and beach outings, particularly when you’ll be going back and forth between the water and the bar!

Check out Tommy Bahama for this hybrid option along with a wide variety of tradition swimwear, along with newer styles that have a shorter inseam as well. And with Father’s Day around the corner these and other items can offer great gift ideas as well.

As more guys start paying attention to body grooming, the number of shaving gadgets in our bathrooms is starting to multiply. Now we have Axe and Norelco teaming up for a new product exclusively available at Walmart – the AXE Philips Norelco Shave & Groom Kit.

It’s basically two groomers in one as it has two heads that click on and off. First it has a traditional Norelco shaver that gives you the comfortable and close shaves you’ve come to expect from Norelco. But then that snaps off and you can replace it with skin-friendly bodygroomer head and length comb. This you can use to groom or shave different parts of your body to make the ladies happy.

The shaver is cordless and you can use it as a wet or dry shaver, so it’s very flexible. The only quibble we had is that it doesn’t come with a carrying case, but this offers a ton of value for all the features. We tried it out and it worked perfectly for all our needs.

So check this out as it can be the perfect shaving gadget for your all your needs. Remember, in today’s world grooming everywhere is expected! It also makes a great gift with Father’s Day around the corner.

We checked out the new Asia belt from MAONO.com, a company that is on a mission to create beautiful, high-quality clothing and then selling online to remove the middle man and make their products more affordable. You’ll see from the photo above that this black leather belt featuring a rectangular pin buckle offers a classic and elegant design that’s perfect for every day use. The belt is made in Italy with impeccable craftsmanship, and it offers a great example of the quality and design of this brand.

Fashion maven and style expert Syga Thomas launched this ready-to-wear line at MAONO.com, featuring sleek, sophisticated men’s blazers, silk ties, button down shirts and other accessories. Here you’ll find many of the staples you need for your wardrobe that will serve your needs at the office or on a night on the town. They also feature high-quality travel bags as well. Just browse through the clean and well-organized website and you’ll probably find a number of items that catch your eye, and then you’ll notice the reasonable prices.

If you’re looking for clothing that’s classic but stylish, and if you want to stay within your budget, then you should definitely check out MAONO.com.

I had the opportunity to try out several new polo shirts from Golf by James Warren, a clothing collection that utilizes Europe’s best fabrics with a distinctive American style. The Par for the Office polo is pictured above in navy blue and the Wall Street Golf Polo is pictured below in bright red.

Right away I noticed the quality of these Italian-made shirts, both using 100% cotton, along with the distinctive designs. The Par for the Office is their signature short sleeve luxury men’s polo using double mercerized cotton. The fabric is very soft and smooth giving it a clean a crisp look, and it would work nicely in a number of settings both day and night, including with a blazer.

The Wall Street Golf Polo is a notched short sleeve button down polo in an exclusive Italian cotton pique, so the woven style gives it a more textured feel. The look and feel of this polo is more casual and probably works best for a round of golf and daytime settings.

Both polos feature the company’s signature snap “lifestyle” pocket with self embroidered logo located at the bottom left of the shirt in the front. If you tuck in the shirt this pocket will remain hidden, and it’s very convenient for holding keys, cash or a credit card. Both shirts also feature a vented hem and are machine washable.

While you’ll be sporting a very traditional look with these polo shirts, you can see that they both have very distinctive features that set them apart from your traditional polo shirt. If you’re looking for excellent quality and a unique twist to your golf and causal attire, you should definitely check out these shirts and other products from Golf by James Warren. Check out the website for more shirts, sweaters, and jackets that “defy traditional boundaries.”

Burnetie sent us one of their Ox Light casual shoes and we were impressed by the quality and comfort. These low tops with a canvas body with rubber sole sports a classic design that has been updated to make the shoe lighter and more comfortable. The white stitching also adds to the styling. Canvas shoes with white runner soles have become very popular and the Ox Light model would be a great option for spring or summer, or even winter if you’re lucky enough to head south for warmer weather. The shoes come in black and red as well and they look great with shorts, jeans or casual slacks.

For consumers interested in sustainable products, Burnetie recycles their rubber waste and makes their outsoles with 50% pre-consumer recycled rubber.

Check out the Burnetie web site for an excellent selection of shoes for men and women. You’ll find classic looks like the Ox Light shoes we tried along with trendier options as well. The prices are very affordable and you should find some great gift ideas for the holidays.

As someone who grew up in the 80s, I miss the days of being able to carry around a boombox. Of course things got ridiculous as rappers carried around boomboxes as big as a house, but it was so easy back in the day to create a spontaneous party with a killer boombox.

Today, everyone is doing their own thing wearing their headphones with their iPhones or iPods. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but it doesn’t lend itself to much socializing.

With the Eco Terra Boombox you get the best of both worlds as you can slide your phone or iPod into the boombox and share your music with friends. It’s the perfect gadget to take with you as you’re tailgating, hanging by the pool or anything else you might want to do with friends. It’s so easy to use and produces good sound.

It’s also 100% waterproof so you don’t have to worry about water splashing on it and ruining your phone. The internal waterproof casing houses your music player or smartphone, as well as some extra cash, credit cards, car key or driver’s license. The outside poly-carbonate shell with rubberized impact bumpers, fortifies your device and the boombox’s two 3” full-range forward firing speakers. Eco Terra also floats and is fully submersible. If you drop it into water the case will always rotate to point the speakers up! Pretty cool.

With Father’s Day around the corner you should check this out for the dad who misses his boombox but also loves his MP3 player.

We were lucky enough to test a pair of Rockport x Barbour limited edition collaboration boots in the Break Trail Cap Toe design. The line will launch December 2011 as this is Rockport’s second collaboration with Barbour for footwear (they did their first collaboration last Fall 2010 season) and they expanded their collaboration to include three styles in multiple colorways.

- Break Trail Cap Toe in polar/sage colorway (Jake Gyllenhaal was recently pictured wearing the Rockport x Barbour Breaktrail Cap Toe)
- Day to Night Buckle Hi Boot in raize/sage and camel/muted tartan colorways

These are great gifts for the style conscious guy this holiday season as they can be worn to parties or outdoors. They are really that versatile! Along with the upscale design, Rockport added adiPRENE by adidas to create a stylish yet completely walkable boot. For this special collection, they also used suede leather from CF Stead which is one of the most respected tanners of suede leather in the world. Get them on your shopping list now as these Rockport x Barbour designs can be found at Bloomingdale’s, Paragon Sports (NY), The Tannery (Boston), Zappos.com and many other specialty retailers around the US.

We checked out the new Expat Nylon Backpack from Incipio and were impressed. The black backpack is much more sleek and compact than some of the bulkier backpacks out there and it’s efficiently designed to take full advantage of the available space. The black nylon also gives it a more understated and professional look as well, so it’s great for students along with any professionals going to a business meeting.

The backpack is designed for laptops and getting through airport security should be very easy with the Expat. You simply unzip the back compartment, open the Velcro at the top of the padded built-in sleeve and then slide out your laptop. The internal sleeve holds up to a 15″ device.

We also liked the small zippered pocket that the top of the pack that gives you a handy spot for your smartphone. It’s lined with faux fur as well for protection, and it has a rubber pass through for headphones for easy listening or talking while you’re walking. The backpack has a ton of sleeves and compartments to carry water bottles and other stuff.

The ergonomic shoulder straps are padded and very comfortable. We loaded up the bag and it still felt great.

Overall, this backpack is both stylish and practical, and it’s a great option if you’re looking for something for yourself or as a gift this holiday season.