We’ve seen you out there, you know who you are. Taking every opportunity to sully the good name of hip flasks everywhere. We’ve seen you in forums asking things like: “I want to get the groomsmen in my wedding party gifts that they’ll actually use. I don’t want to get them something like a flask, that will sit in their closet forever.” How dare you.

We take the stance that hip flasks are ideal for groomsmen gifts, birthday gifts, anniversary gifts or any other gift giving occasion. Not only do we take that stance, here our 5 reasons we’ll give to back it up. So without further ado, 5 reasons hip flasks make great gifts:

1) Economics. Times are tough right now and we’re all trying to save where we can. Hip flasks fit right in here. No more 10 dollar beers at the baseball games or concert. Just pack your trusty flask full of a few ounces of your favorite liquor and you’ll have all the booze you’ll need for a night of fun. Flasks are compact so you can keep them in your pocket and some of the larger ones hold up to 10 ounces for your heavy drinkers. Even if it were a dollar a cup, who wants flat draft beer anyway!

2) Convenience. Have you tried getting a drink at a ball game, a concert or even a crowded bar? We’ll, I hope you have your iPod and a half hour to kill. With business everywhere cutting back on staff, lines for everything are getting longer and booze lines are no exception. You can avoid all this by keeping your hand hip flask on your person and stocked with your favorite liquor.

3) Retro Cool Factor. Whether you want to admit it or not, hip flasks right now have a retro cool vibe going on. Maybe its the HBO hit “Atlantic City” which is situated during prohibition times or maybe its the AMC hit “Mad Men” which shows real men drinking hard liquor during working lunches. Not sure of the exact reason, but flasks definitely are back in style!

4) Uniqueness. Face it, guys are tough to shop for. Most guys are not sitting around thinking how they wish they had a certain item. For the most part, guys see something they think is cool and we go get it. You don’t often hear a guy sitting around thinking how he wishes he had the newest gadget. We don’t clothes shop, we stick to low cost foods like pizza, and we spend our money buying gadgets we like. A hip flask is a cool gift that will make the recipient happy upon receiving it, even if he never uses it again (which is not likely!)

5) Personalization. The final reason that hip flasks make great gifts may be the best. Gift giving is hard, especially for men. We are notoriously tough to shop for (for the reasons stated above, among others). Its even harder to get a guy a gift that has sentimental meaning without making him want to throw up or run and hide. Enter flasks. You can add a few lines of heartfelt sentiment to the front of a flask and, because its a flask, not risk ridicule. This comes in particularly handy when you want to thank your groomsmen for standing by you but it works for birthdays and anniversaries too! A very popular engraving our customers order is: “To times we won’t remember and friends we’ll never forget.” What a perfect way to let a guy know he’s special to you without sending him running!

What do you think, we’d love to hear your feed back. Do you think a flask makes a great gift? What are some other gift ideas for men can you add?

-Pete

We stumbled on this rant about Kay Jewelers in The Consumerist.  Poor Michelle brought her pocket watch to Kay Jewelers for repair. Now, reserve judgement here if possible.  We know, that frequenting one of these jewelry chain stores is akin to bringing your car to the dealer for repairs.    As George Costanze once said: “Like I’m going to get my car repaired in a dealership. Why don’t I just flush my money down the toilet?”  We feel the same applies to these chain jewelry stores, and the cheesier the commercial, the worse and more over-priced the chain is.  But I digress.

Now Michelle, has always had a great relationship with this particular KayJewelers.  Its the jeweler her parents have always used and she’s never had a problem with them.  Until now.  The pocket watch in question was a gift to Michelle’s boyfriend for their 4 year anniversary.  It had stopped telling decent time so she, quite understandably, wanted to get it fixed quickly and correctly.  What follows is a 5 month odyssey in incompetence and absurdity that you can read about here.

What is the lesson here?  Well, a few things.  First, bring your precious possessions to someone you know and trust if you need them repaired.  Second, buy your precious gifts from someone you know and trust as well.  And for God’s sake, make sure they have a guarantee of some sort.  At the very least, Michelle should have been refunded her money.  Finally, maybe chain stores like Kay’s don’t value making their customer’s as happy as small, independent stores.   Maybe they have tons of middle management, red tape, etc. and taking care of an upset customer is not something they can just do on a whim.  What do you think?  I’d welcome anyone else’s positive or negative experiences with big chain stores

-Pete

The world famous auction house Christie’s is auctioning off 22 love letter from a young Jackie O. The letters, written to her Harvard boyfriend, R. Beverly Corbin, are expected to command between $25,000 and $35,000 at auction.

Written by a teenage Jackie while attending Miss Porter’s Boarding School in Connecticut, the letters show a feisty and playful side not usually seen by the public in her later life. While the letters reveal some of Jackie’s deep thoughts on life, children and her future, we were most interested in one particular line that discusses her fondness for hip flasks! Cool article, read more about it here.

-Pete

Is your leather wallet stuffed to the brim with all of your credit cards, photos of your nieces and nephews and receipts for every item you’ve purchased since the Reagan era? Mine was too. Every single pair of my jeans had the outline of my wallet stone permanently imprinted into the back pocket. Finally, I woke up one day and had a revelation. On a daily basis, I use exactly one of my credit cards, my gym ID and cash. That’s it. And yet, I was still carrying around anything and everything that had my name on it.

The answer you ask? The weekend wallet. The weekend wallet is a streamlined, trimmed down version of your wallet. It has enough room for a credit card or two, your drivers license and ten or eleven folded up bills. It is so slimmed down that it will stay unnoticed in your front pocket until you need it. There are 2 slots for your credit card/ID/Driver’s license and a main pouch where you can keep your bills. That’s it. It’s perfect to bring with you for a night out on the town, to a ball game or to the gym.

Going on vacation? Bring along your main wallet and your weekend wallet. You’ll have all of your other cards, receipts, etc. in case you need them but you won’t be burdened with them while sightseeing or enjoying the beach.  Another great aspect of the weekend wallet is it may help you keep your spending in check.  We don’t want to act like your mother or father, but if you bring out one credit card and just a few bills, maybe, just maybe you’ll spend a little less?

-Pete

Boys will be boys. But will men always be men? It seems these days thedefinitions of manhood are continually shifting. We may no longer be needed to be the breadwinner or to put up that IKEA shelf sans instructions. Women are doing it for themselves. Is being a ‘man’s man’ a dying breed?

Well, according to some of the latest books on manhood recently reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, men are in need of help. I wonder if it’s the likes of Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen that have given rise to the spate of man etiquette books like, “How to Be a Man: A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman.” This is definitely not the Mad Men’s guide to boozing and womanizing.

Oh and if you’re about to walk down the aisle or are stuck for groomsmen gifts, then check out the book, “A Gentleman Walks Down the Aisle: A Complete Guide to the Perfect Wedding Day”. Here you’ll find everything you need to know about planning for the wedding, but were too afraid to ask.  By the way, ‘real’ men do participate in wedding planning.

Read more of these book reviews at the Wall Street Journal.

-Pete

What’s the problem with groomsmen gifts you ask?  There is no single, one problem with them, there is a whole bunch of problems.   Let’s tackle these one at a time:
1) The first problem with groomsmen gifts is that they should be a piece of cake with all the other big planning you and your fiance are doing but they’re not.  They are quite possible the least expensive thing you are going to spend your hard earned cash on but, in the big scheme of things, they have the potential to blow up in your face the biggest.  Look, let’s face it, there are going to be a whole bunch of people at your wedding who you’re never going to see again.  There are relatives you’ll see again but don’t want to.   For all of these people, you’re blowing what, $100 a head or more?  Then there are your best friends, your groomsmen, who are standing up with you as you profess your undying and eternal love for your soon-to-be wife.  For these precious people, you are expected to get just the right gift, with just the right meaning, something they’ll get tons of use out of, with a perfect and witty engravaing all for under $50 a man.  That’s tough!
2) The second problem (along with any and all problems in this arena) ties into the first one, you want to get them something useful and meaningful, but what?  Typically sentimental gifts like a flask or an engraved bat are great, and have their place.  But are they going to get all that much use out of them.  Maybe, maybe not.  On the flip side, you could buy them all Visa gift cards.  They’ll definitely use these but do they have any  meaning or lasting sentiments behind them.  Another tough one.
3) The cost.  Despite what I stated in problem one, the cost of groomsmen gifts is a tough one to bear.  That’s because of when you buy them.  They are typically the last thing you take care of and guess what?  You’re usually strapped at that point.  Its three weeks before the wedding and you have no money left because you just bought a thousand dollar cake.  So who suffers, your groomsmen.  While the point of this post is really just to inspire chatter, we do have a solution here: buy your groomsmen their gifts first and store them in your closet until the rehearsal dinner!
4) Quality.  Quite frankly, its historically been tough to find really quality groomsmen gifts.  There’s a lot of crap out there.  You can get around this by shopping around, making store the online shop you purchase from has good reviews, has a live person you can talk to, has a good guarantee, etc.  This is less of a problem these days but still worth a mention.
5)Our fifth and final problem is a small one, and maybe just particular to me.  When I got married, I didn’t know any of my groomsmen’s middle names, and thus their middle initials.    I engrave initials on pocket watches for each of my groomsmen.  It was quite embarrassing to have to call each of them and ask them what their middle initials were.  Again, this one may be all me but then again, maybe not.
So that’s it for now.  I’d love your feedback.  What are some other issues you’ve had with groomsmen gifts.  Please post them in our comments below.  Be as general or as specific as you’d like, you can see I was!

-Pete

You’re never too old for a scavenger hunt. Well, that’s what The New York Public Library is counting on. However, leave your magnifying glass and compass at home.

On May 20, 2011 the library is hosting its first-ever smartphone scavenger hunt at the Stephen A. Schwarzman building. And what if you don’t live in the big Apple? All is not lost, you can play along on the library’s website.

So what might you find on the day? Lots of historical items. For example, it turns out Charles Dickens’ letter opener (which is partly made from of his dead cat’s paw) will be in the mix.

The rules of the hunt are once you find an item on the list, you have to write something.  And if you win, you will join a group of people around the world to contribute to a book about “a collection of 100 ways to make history and change the future, inspired by 100 of the most intriguing works of the past.”

Don’t just show up on May 11. You first have to answer a few interesting questions on the game website in order to earn a coveted spot. Don’t forget your smartphone!

Interested? Find out more about how to participate here.

-Pete

How many World Series championships have the Yankees won so far? 27 to be exact. If you got that number right, congratulations you’re a true Yankees fan. And here’s another piece of trivia, for the 1923 World Series win team members received a pocket watch. Rings only became the customary reward in 1927. It seems that the team in 1923 had a preference for watches, not rings.

For the first time ever, though, you can see the full array of the 26 World Series rings and that lone pocket watch. To get up close and personal with this slice of Yankee history, you’ll have to head to the Yankee Stadium Museum.

The company Balfour was responsible for reconstructing the replicas, from 1923 all the way to 2009. It turns out that earlier ring designs are quite similar. It is only in the 1970s did things begin to get a bit more different.

Although the World Series trophies tend to draw a crowd, museum representatives are counting on the ring exhibit to pack them in. The question, however, most likely on Yankee managers minds are when will be the next World Series win.

To find out more about this new Yankee exhibit, read more here.

-Pete

You’ve put it off long enough. It’s time. To replace the flint and/or wick onyour Zippo lighter doesn’t take an engineering degree. Both are rather simple processes. So here goes. Follow this step-by-step guide and never be flintless or wickless for too long!

How to replace the flint:

The worst-case-scenario: You go to light up and your trusty Zippo lighter fails to spark or the wheel is difficult to turn. This is the tell-tale sign that you need a new flint.

1. First, open the lid. Pull the flint wheel so that the inner case comes straight out.  Hint: Grasp the outer case firmly.
2. Now turn the inner case upside down to remove the screw at the bottom of the case. You will need a flat screwdriver or a small coin. Hint: Be careful and watch that the spring doesn’t pop out and be lost forever.
3. Once you have secured the spring, take out the old flint. Hint: To check if there are remaining pieces, simply tap the inner case on a hard surface.
4. Insert your new flint into the tube.
5. Then put back the spring and screw it back so that the lighter lid can close properly. Hint: Don’t screw so tightly, as that will make your next flint replacement difficult!
6. Finally, replace the inside case into the outer case. Give the wheel a flick and you should be good to go!

How to replace the wick:

It’s definitely time to replace the wick when you tug on for more only to find the last inch comes out. Luckily wick replacement on a Zippo is not an every day affair, as they can last for a very long time.

1. Remove the inner case and unscrew the flint spring (just like it is explained in the above description).
2. Take out the felt pad and use a pair of tweezers to get out all of the cotton packing from the fuel chamber.
3. Insert the new wick. Hint: Use the pair of tweezers to make sure the wick goes all the way down.
4. Now it’s time to put back all that packing around and between the wick. Make sure that the wick is snug and surrounded by the packing.
5. Insert the felt pad, flint spring, and screw firmly.
6. Finally, trim the wick so that it is at level with the chimney.

In spite of urban myths your Zippo lighter does need some maintenance in order to last forever. For the flint, there is no hard and fast rule about how often you should change it. Basically, when you stop getting a spark, it’s time for a new flint. As for the wick, to make it last as long as possible, simply make sure that you have enough lighter fuel in your Zippo. If not, then your wick will be dry and burn faster.

If you have more questions or need help caring for your lighter, a good source of information is the Zippo FAQ section.  Please let us know if you have any questions by posting a comment below.

-Pete

Almost every couple says it or at least thinks it. ‘Our wedding will be different.’ However, when the day eventually arrives you find that the flowers, the cake, the bridesmaid dresses bear a creepy resemblance to all those bridal magazines you flipped through.

How do you put a unique stamp on the wedding day, without trying to parody Beyonce & Jay Z? First of all, throw away all those magazines and turn off The Wedding Channel.

To truly have a unique wedding day, include elements that are reflective of who you both are.  That means if you are not a bride who wouldn’t be caught in the color white, why not don a scarlet red dress? And if you’re the kind of groom who thinks that tuxedos are right up there with straight jackets, then skip it altogether.

Also, your bridesmaids and groomsmen might thank you if you spare them having to wear outfits that are straight out of Prom Night. While you’re at it rethink the traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen gifts too.

Besides the dress and the tuxedo, every aspect of your wedding could defy convention: where the ceremony is held, the type of food served at reception, or the vows you exchange.

For more ideas of how to have a non-cookie cutter wedding, read more here.

-Pete