Author Archives: Alex

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About Alex

Eat - Travel - Collect, why be-cause! Eat - it is not just essential Travel - it is the university of life, Collect - what is important for you.

German Navy knife – Bordmesser BW

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German Navy sailor knife totalGerman Navy Sailor Knife eagleGerman Navy Sailor Knife Hugo Koller stampGerman Navy Sailor Knife marlinspike and eagle bundeswehrJust by accident I found this old German Navy Sailor knife called “Bordmesser” in the drawer of my father in law. A well used vintage knife from 1964 by Hugo Köller Solingen. He told me he got the knife from a fisherman who killed the fish with the Marlinspike / Marlspieker. (the usual purpose is to fix ropes or to open knots).

Armenian Silversmith – Istanbul Grand Bazaar

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Zeus rings in silver from the Armenian Silversmith at the Grand Bazaar in IstanbulFirst of all, if you haven´t been to Istanbul hurry up and have a go. Great food just everywhere, nice people and great scenery and ancient monuments hard to match somewhere.

But actually I planned to write something about our experience at the Grand Bazaar.
Basically one of the main attraction of every tourist with all side effects – BUT if you walk a bit away from the central streets you find some true gems where great artisans still make wonderful things with their own hands and for a reasonable price. So we had the luck to stumble upon this Armenian Silversmith / Goldsmith who did these two Zeus rings. He changed the one of my girlfriend within a couple of minutes. Full program – cutting out a pice, welding the ring together and trimming it to the perfect size. And this with joy and a hospitality you wont find so easily, the show of his craftsmanship alone would have been worth the price we payed for the rings. So if you should go to Istanbul and are for the search of something special or want a copy of an existing jewelry, pay him a visit. (address / directions can be provided, just write me a mail).

Red Wing Boots 9013 cognac, Charles Beckman

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Red Wing Boots 9013 Charles Beckmann full view

Red Wing Boots 9013 Charles Beckmann side view

Red Wing Boots 9013 Charles Beckmann full topview

Red Wing Boots 9013 Charles Beckmann label

Red Wing Boots 9013 cognac, Charles Beckman:

When I first saw the Red Wing classic-heritage collection, this boot the 9013 was the first choice for me, unfortunately it was not available at my size. As time passed by, luckily exactly my size showed up on eBay.

Worn now for 2 weeks it shows the first characteristics – more to come.

Here a nice story of a pair of Red Wings 9013 aging by Goody Leathery

Here the description from Red Wing:
“Harkening back to a time when a gentlemen wore functional footwear with a touch of class, the Beckman Collection is named after the founder of the Red Wing Shoe Company; Charles Beckman. Mr. Beckman navigated the muddy streets of Red Wing as part of his daily routine. He wore sturdy boots that could be polished to match his status as a successful Main Street shoe store merchant. Today the Beckman Collection consists of classically styled, comfortable boots that make them the perfect choice for nearly any occasion. Made with Red Wing’s finest Featherstone Leather these boots are built to impress.”