Enzo Bonafe Burgundy Beauty: An Early Impression.

Who has a mustard seat cushion?  Me.

 
       I recently purchased a pair of Enzo Bonafe's Burgundy Beauty cap toe Oxfords from Skoaktiebolaget in Stockholm Sweden. skoaktiebolaget.  This was on my personal dime as the 2 people who might read this review, not counting my wife, are hardly leverage to get free shoes to review. Use that to assure you of my impartiality.  Plus, I have no problem sending a crap shoe sailing back to Sweden if need be.  Rest assured, I am on no one's pad here.

       According to Skoaktiebolaget's website these are a custom shoe made especially for them.  I am not sure if that means that the design itself was a collaboration between Skoaktiebolaget and Enzo Bonafe or if perhaps the "custom"  side of the equation was this imprint on the insole of the shoe.

Custom.  Yep.  Why is it in English?

      The shoes were ordered through Skoaktiebolaget's website with the ease that the internet has brought to buying a pair of shoes from Sweden, or anywhere else for that matter.  Being a bit older I still always find this to be a bit exciting. What will they think of next?  The website easily converted currencies and the ordering and shipping process were simple and painless.  Shipping was as quick as can be expected for a pair of shoes to travel across the Atlantic Ocean and two thirds of the USA. 

       I do like the idea that I could afford to spend 5,200 Swedish Kroners.  Sure, the USD conversion is a fraction of that but what I expect to do when someone is gauche enough to ask what my shoes cost I will say "5200," followed by quietly mumbling "Kroners."  It would look like- "5,200 Kroners."

         Currency conversion excess aside, the price of the shoe is completely reasonable for the amount of handwork involved in the shoe's construction.  Allegedly welted by hand, a process that is conducted by a machine in many other far more expensive RTW brands.  A check of Youtube clips shows a serious looking middle aged man cranking away with an awl and thread that looks strong enough to hold hay bales together. (Hard at it!) Clever marketers would expand this to include some sort of emotional music over it and occasional slips into black and white to demonstrate that this guy has been doing this since before color existed.  Kick in the Ye Olde Heritage Brand font for the captions and shit suddenly gets real.

Side view.  You knew that though.

      Construction quality, heritage aside, is quite good.  The leather, calf in this case, seems to be of excellent quality and has been lasted very well.  No wrinkles in the area where the upper meets the welt, brogueing is sharp and even.  The stitching shows no areas of uneven sewing or some sort of jerky application due to haste or an employee's dismay at their lot in life.  Having had a couple pairs of shoes that exhibited proportion issues between left and right, I can say that these remain consistent across the left and right shoes.  The sides and bottom of the sole have been carefully smoothed and dyed with an even coat of black.  There is no unevenness in the stacked leather that makes up the heel, which is capped with a slanted piece of rubber that covers about half of the surface. This keeps you from surfing leather when you step into a tiled bathroom.  Having once ended up under a sink in the john of a bar due to all-leather heels, I can appreciate this feature.

5,200 Kroners buys you the piece of mind that you wont end up under a sink, like me.

       One of the main features that I enjoy about the shoe is the fiddle-back sole.  This usually is accompanied by an extremely tight waist, a la Gaziano & Girling, but in the case of the Bonafe it is a much more subtle proposition.  In my search for this shoe I tried a variety of similar styles and found the extremely narrow waist to be a bit uncomfortable and also a bit faddish.  Combine that with a lengthy chisel toe that lacks only a bit of upward arc to look at home at a rodeo in Sinaloa and I am moving on.  Not that I cant appreciate the style, but that is for young men to combine with the extremely short and tight suit tailoring that is common in the iGent world.  Your results/opinions may vary.  The chisel feature of the Bonafe's toe area is much more mild, and when its my dollars getting sent to Sweden, thats a good thing.

Fiddled.  

Toe caps.  I like the wheeling on the topside of the sole.

      The burgundy color of the leather was another feature of the shoe that I found to be quite attractive. Having not found a pill that will suppress my disapprobation for shell cordovan like some sort of aid in the cessation of smoking, the field of choices in the hue is narrowed.  The other pitfall is the rendering of color through digital photography and a computers monitor.  Photos give some idea of what the shoes appear to look like but really fall short of displaying the depth and shade of the color.  I enjoy it immensely.  It is not a clownishly bright red, nor is it so dark to appear almost black in any light other than Palm Springs grade sunlight.  The key feature in the color for me was that it was just that little bit more red that more pedestrian quality shoes and the dye showed that a careful process of how to make a shoe appeal to me had been executed.  Color is always subjective, but my process of elimination included samples from the following brands- Gaziano & Girling, St. Crispin, John Lobb (RTW) and Edward Green.

       Also included was a slight amount of black burnishing on the toes that mostly has been rubbed away by my rather aggressive polishing.  Not a big deal to me as I wanted burgundy shoes.  As for the shine, the shoes came polished to a fairly high standard.  Usually I expect a lag, sometimes quite long, between purchase of shoes and reaching an acceptable level of shine.  These were actually quite good.  Certainly  to be improved on over time.  I would consider them to currently be a 6 on a scale of 10 being the best. I see no reason other than my allotment of time to bring them to an overall bright appearance.

The other side.  

       As for fit, the shoes are constructed in the UK standard of sizing.  A consultation of sizing conversion charts led me to a choice that I find acceptable.  The heel counter is snug yet not constrictive   of the rear of my feet.  There is no excessive tightness across instep and the laces close the facing to a nice even line.  I have worn the shoes for several hours on a few occasions, the majority of the time spent on my feet with no unusual foot agony as a result of construction deficiency.  Discussion of fit in a RTW shoe is hazardous at best, since the only way for the truest fit is bespoke.  Everyones feet are different, but in my isolated case the shoes fit acceptably well.  Have other standard lasts had a better fit?  Yes.  Is it a crippling defect in this shoe?  Not at all.  I am fully aware that they are within the acceptable range of fit that will improve with wear as my foot molds the shoe.

Out back.

     The shoes arrived in an unassuming box that included some fairly nice shoe bags.  Shoe trees were not included in the purchase price.  Skoaktiebolaget brand trees were purchased concurrent to the shoes and have proven to be an excellent fit.  They are the trees in the shoes in the photos.  The shoes are currently sold out on Skoaktiebolaget's website but a check today shows that they have been re-ordred and will be back in stock at a later date.  

       While I cant say that these shoes will fit you perfectly and make your hair grow back like some sort of miracle tonic, what I can say is that my impression of them is quite good.  The hand welting is probably the biggest sales asset in a world of 1200 dollar shoes that have one done by a machine.  The color, for me, is fantastic and the standard last for this shoe allows me to walk upright for extended periods of time.  The exclusivity factor, while not on par with bespoke, is appealing in that you wont see your shoes coming and going every time you go out.  Another plus, for me, was the fiddle back without the corseting look of the narrowest of waists.  I like them.  If you get a pair, I hope you like them.  

One for the road.  Thanks for making it this far.

The Baron Fig Confidant Notebook: A First Impression

          The Baron Fig Confidant Notebook

                                   A First Impression

     The Baron Fig is billed as being a quality multi-purpose notebook.  The overall theme of the advertising is that it has been designed with creativity in mind.  I suspect that the paper itself will be non-judgemental if you are to instead list everyone you had ever slept with or attempt to remember all the band logos that were your favorites in the 80's.  Twisted Sister with that stylized TS springs to mind right away.

                                                                            The Insert

    The packaging, which includes a sturdy box that is securely wrapped in plastic to thwart the moisture which does not keep the Postman from his appointed rounds, also included this insert describing the concept of the Baron Fig.  As for the tagline "Designed by people like you", you better hope not.  If I were to design a notebook, Baron Fig would be sending you a box full of junk mail to write on the back of with an ancient souvenir Wisconsin Dells bullet pencil that has an eraser so hard that it measures on the Rockwell Scale as "Musket Ball."  Thankfully I wasn't consulted.

                                                                          The cover.


     On the outside the fabric is both subtle in color and pleasant to the touch.  I appreciate the subtlety part.  It has none of the trappings that attempt to shout "Look, I'm doing SOMETHING with this notebook that you cant possibly convey in some cheap Mead pad."  What is does do is exude thoughtful execution and properly applied cloth.  No wrinkles, no loose strings and I am considering the potential for using an iron-on transfer to make it really mine.  Preferred iron-on includes either a cobra or a van.

                                                 I think it works pretty well with this tie.  A notebook as
                                                        as an accessory tells me I have come a long way since I thought
                                                        an Ace of Spades made a badass pocket square.

     Inside, the paper appears to be of high quality and the binding secure. As advertised, the book is capable of laying flat.  At first when reading about that in the description I pretty much regarded that feature as inconsequential.  In reality, it is quite handy.  As is the yellow woven bookmark.  I tested the paper with a variety of writing tools and had no problems with pencil lead or ink smearing or bleeding through.  The paper did not exhibit any feathering with the ink and felt very smooth whether writing with pencil, ballpoint, or fountain pen.  The writing, though not creative in any way, did not ricochet from the paper and strike me.

                                                               Various writing samples in "childlike scrawl" font

                                                                  Laying flat with yellow bookmark visible.

     My impression of the Baron Fig Confidant is that it is a well thought out, well designed and well executed notebook.  Will this notebook help you to be a better writer or artist?  No.  But perhaps what really matters here is having something that is genuinely nice.  I mean that in the sense of having small yet well thought out items in your life that most people don't consider as being important.  I wont say Affordable Luxury, because that is dumb.  What I will say is that every time you place an item like this in your life, you carefully consider and select an attractive and well made product that when you see it or handle it, it pleases you.  Much the same as a well chosen pen or pair of cuff links, the more you surround yourself with small things that you find pleasant, the more pleasant life may become.  Your results may vary.  Check it out at-   http://www.baronfig.com/                                               

The Eberhard Faber Microtomic 5B: A Review

                                       

                        The Eberhard Faber Microtomic 5B

     For the initial installment of Planetary Transmission I thought I would review simplicity in itself- a wooden pencil.  The word "cult" gets stuck on just about anything if it deserves it or not.  Helpful to the cult moniker is something being obscure, foreign, or even better: discontinued and thus not available without the effort that serves as an apprenticeship to proper appreciation.  A qualification that entitles one to not just ownership, but understanding.   

   The world of cult items gets infinitesimally smaller when a search engine can conjure up descriptions, images and no doubt a link to sales. Sales that invoke the talismanic key words- Rare, NOS, (New Old Stock or Never On Sale depending on the circumstances) and attributing ownership of the item to someone famous and incredibly cool.  "Leica IIIF, just like the one used by Cartier-Bresson." 

       Gone are the pre-internet days of the cognoscenti, alone or in small groups, holding up the torch of the Saab Sonnet while some hide their light under a bushel, admiring their Canon Canonet QL17 GIII or Moto Guzzi V7 in a privacy reminiscent of someone contemplating stolen art that only they can admire.  For a few, this is enough.  

     One such item would be the original Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602.  Much loved for its silky smooth lead, either in truth or myth, by composers, literary giants, cartoonists and anyone wanting to tag along with them like the tail of a comet.  It is the tail that gives the comet its size, not the bright lights at its head.  Bright lights like Steinbeck probably let some people know he liked this pencil.  Quincy Jones probably did too.  Myth began to grow and the camp followers and hangers on that formed the tail that stretches far longer than the comet itself, began to link arms.  The word got around and at some point Myth hijacked the Truth plane and tried to fly it to Cuba.  Instead it flew to ebay and Etsy where prices of individual pencils began to rise to Paypal rattling heights.

                                                                   The ferrule that launched a thousand ships.

 
      The Blackwing 602's rise was assisted, in no small part, by its distinctive appearance.  In a world awash with pedestrian yellow pencils it had an unusual color and most importantly, the eraser and ferrule.  The ferrule was rectangular in shape and retained by a small clip that allowed the eraser to be removed and adjusted to compensate for wear or to suit the preferences of the user.  With this feature it became recognizable at a glance to those in the know.  Even the unaware would potentially notice its unusual attributes and realize this pencil was something different.

                                                           The inner workings exposed.
        Perhaps overlooked in the rush to claim rights to the pencil that was The One, is the Microtomic series.  Originally it was named the Van Dyke, then the Van Dyke Microtomic in a transition period and finally just the Microtomic when it reached this form in 1953.  Shunted to the background like Zoroastrians when the new God arrived, it quietly marched on doing its job in a quiet yet exquisite manner.  Some would have you believe the ratio of graphite and wax in its lead was identical to the 602.  This however is not what is relevant here.  What is apparent upon picking this pencil up and writing with it is that it does not lie in the shadow of the Blackwing, but instead casts its own.

                                                          The business end.  Oddly brought to a point due to operator haste in a 
                                                          Kum 2-hole sharpener.

       The 5B designation indicates the hardness of the lead.  Using the graphite hardness scale, where increasing numbers relates to softer lead,  5B denotes it as being three levels softer than the typical number 2 pencil.  What this means to the end user is a darker line at the price of having to re-sharpen more often to retain the point.

                                                        Microtomic 5B writing sample.  Paper is Field Notes Steno.

     Judgement as far as the Microtomic being the same, worse or better than the Blackwing 602 is entirely subjective.  I have no way to scientifically compare the two, nor do I think it would be necessary to do so. To put words to paper proves the point that this is truly a fine writing instrument. Its lead gives the tactile sensation of writing on ice, while the strong black line it leaves stands boldly against the page.  An anachronism that technology has, for most people, left far behind.  For some, those who appreciate it, it remains as valid as it has ever been.

      The glory of a device like this is not in comparison to its more famous sibling, but on its own merit. Also important is the idea of it continuing to be used in anger to do what it was designed for.  Sketching or writing and perhaps mechanical drawings of a teapot.  Whatever the use, put it to work.