Ancient Viking or Roman dice:
Asked for some ancient time inspiration for Feinschmuck a friend of mine gave me these dice. They are replicas and I could hardly find any fitting proof for it if the Vikings or Romans used dice like this but anyway they are quite unique. You won´t be able to use them in Las Vegas but they work. Let´s see what Manfred from Feinschmuck makes out of it.
Check this reference for a similar piece of a dice and the history of dice.
Jack/Knife + Tellason Duck canvas waistcoat :I´ve seen this vest/waistcoat the first time about a year ago when I first met Uwe and Alex from Amtraq. Last week I got the chance to have a closer look at Dirks vest No. 17/18. Worn now for about a year and already showing nice signs and patterns of it.
If you are interested to get one of the last remaining ones ask Seil Marschall in Ravensburg. I´ve seen one in stock there two weeks ago. More Info about this vest/waistcoat check the Amtraq post.
Home roasted coffee beans:
Yesterday I found out that I´m close to run out of self roasted coffee beans. So despite the heat I turned the Whirley Pop for about 20 minutes. After their 2nd crack and your desired level of roasting the coffee beans need to cool down quick. I do this by turning and throwing the into the air and catch them with a huge bowl.
But another important task is to get rid of the thin skin of the beans which is done by doing a “gold digger like movement” with the beans. After a day the gassed of the CO2 and developed via numerous reactions their flavor. Come by for a fresh espresso! Whatever someone tells you after 4 days the aroma of coffee beans is decreasing.
on the isle of Capri. Famous from the Movie Contempt / le Mepris with Brigitte Bardot.
After the Denim Workshop – Webshop by Simon Tuntelder:
Recently a “friend” of mine Simon Tuntelder, opened a webshop with some products he crafted out of leather but also deadstock items he gathered. I wrote “friend” and not friend, be-cause I failed to meet Simon personally yet. We are in close contact since more than a year. First via following the others blog and then having discussions about vintage stuff and craftsmanship and quality products. I call him a “friend” knowing by heart that he is one of the good guys with the right attitude and for sure a good guy to talk to.
I´m far to be in the league with Simon when it comes to working with leather. He got a great knowledge when it comes to treat/restore leather and also to craft items for himself, friends or now for you. Do me a favor and check his new website and shop to have a look at his products he crafted. Not to forget to also point you to his blog where he shares his findings and knowledge.
Sailing Trip – Amalfi Coast – Italy:
I hope you are not to desperate for a break and are close to go on holiday soon. Anyway I want to share with you some images I took on a sailing trip with some friends on the Amalfi coast. What can I say about it? Great to be on a boat, pick the nicest destinations, hop of the boat, enjoy some luxury, eg. fine food and hop back on the boat for solitude. Good discussions, jokes, drinks, weather, food, wind – we had it all!
Best of Istanbul, Edogan take a break!
It makes me really sad to see “my Instanbul” and the people of Istanbul suffer. I had great moments there. Once on a backpacking trip to Turkey and by luck I ran intoFatih Akin and had a great time with him and his filmcrew while they filmed The Edge of Heaven in Istanbul. And once celebrating new year 2010/2011. How can you not fall in love with a city with such a great history, with so good food, so friendly people and so rich in culture? And it makes me angry seeing someone attacking it. My fullest support, at least a bit, to the people on the streets of Istanbul – sadly only digital but worth a try.
If you look at the images above closer you might recognize the be-cause blog logo. Other stories like one of the best straight razor shaves (ok it was a shavette razor) or the story of the find of my Zeus ring at the grand bazar by meeting a Armenian silversmith. I hope the best for the liberty and safety for the people of Istanbul and Turkey.
Thanks to Peter from RLX5513 for providing me with the right pair of sunglasses. A pair of used AO American Optical Original Pilot Sunglasses. But actually Peter is the man for buying vintage watches and his handmade bags.
AO – American Optical is still the most favoured eyewear/sunglasses of the US Military. The company history goes back 1826. The AO sunglasses have been worn by Commander Neil Armstrong on the moon, Tom Cruise in Top Gun and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider. So I guess they are appropriate for me as well. Since the glass of them are rather dark when you go indoors (as a sunglass for protection should be) the upgrade to make them perfect and easy to stow away will be the L.I. Sounder Leather Sunglass Strap.
Just found an article about the American Optical Original Pilot Sunglasses @ “an affordable wardrobe by Giuseppe Timore”.
Adam & Eve Lifestyle Accessories – Lindau Bodensee:
We were around 8 years old when Jeff and I were chased by a angry dog – we made it. More than 30 years later my friend Jeffrey Robertson bailed out of the IT-Business and started his own shop last month. A fine selection of high quality, colorful and innovative products. The focus is on bags, handbags, backpacks, wallets and accessories.
Here an overview of the brands he offers:
mywalit, Feuerwear, Stef Fauser Design, Stream Trail, TOPO Designs, Sanita, Lenz & Leif, Kapworks, Dorothee Lehnen and of course Feinschmuck.
Zeller art and antiques auctions:
The love for “vintage” stuff might have been influenced a lot by working for Zeller art and antiques auction for about a decade. Surrounded by thousands of objects which move through the auction house every 3 month will not get by unrecognized even by a nerd. Realizing that some stuff is affordable and even quite cheap if you compare the craftsmanship involved in creating those pieces I started to hunt. It is not just the präservation of a (our) heritage it is also a kind of recycling. Bargains on flea markets are hard to find, with ebay being a price guide most sellers have a good reference for the price. Auction houses tend to start low with a price to attract bidders and if you are lucky you might be the only one who bids.
The images above, I took on a visit just give a quick impression “behind the scenes”, some more great stuff is still coming in and to show approx. 3500 – 4500 lots is impossible. Bidding online is possible but visiting a traditional Art Auctioneer like Michael Zeller who does his job since more than 40 years is a thrilling and sometimes entertaining performance.
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