Category: carry

Klean Kanteen was started in 2002 by Robert Seals with a single goal: provide people with a better option than plastic and lined aluminium bottles. In 2004, Seals introduced the silver 27oz bottle, a flask moulded out of a single piece of BPA-free stainless steel.

The classic 27oz is a versatile bottle that fits the requirements of a range of activities. The uncomplicated single-walled chassis is lightweight and sturdy enough to bring on a hike, yet still sleek enough so it doesn’t look out of place on an office desk. Its slim profile is comfortable to grip and there is no metallic aftertaste from the stainless steel. The opening’s rounded rim also provides a comfortable drinking experience, unlike the coarse openings often found on other metal canisters, such as SIGG bottles.

Overall, the 27oz Klean Kanteen is a good value-for-money option for anyone looking for a non-plastic reusable bottle. It is highly functional and  its industrial, metal-wood design will only get better with age.

In 1937, a fire at the Rimowa’s Cologne factory destroyed almost everything but its raw aluminium material stock. Left with chiefly the soft metal to work with, the company experimented with different ways to use aluminium despite its ductility. Over time, this resulted in the sculpting of vertical grooves into the metal to strengthen the shell surface and give structural rigidity to the suitcase chassis. Rimowa characterised well the spirit of a ‘Mittelstandunternehmen’ (SME) in the mid-20th century. With a flagship product born out of necessity and circumstance, the company remained nimble in times of adversity and innovated to its gain.

Looking for a trusty and robust carry-on suitcase, I selected the silver-coloured Topas. Silver seemed appropriate with it being the natural colour of the storied aluminium metal. Other coloured versions would reveal their true colour over time anyway, with the cases bleeding silver in the gorges of their scratches. The suitcase rolls smoothly and is highly functional. Closing the shell does not require the tedious wrapping of its circumference with a zipper. Instead, the hardshell exterior allows for a dual-lock clip closure that simplifies the effort into a single fluid motion. Rimowa has retained much of its early heritage by making all its aluminium cases in its Cologne workshops. And as elemental as its design inception was, I believe enduring it will be also.

Situated in Seoul’s lively Itaewon district, MILLIMETER MILLIGRAM’s concept store houses diverse design items from hand-made furniture to recycled backpacks. I found this sleek black cardholder among a wide array of small leather goods neatly laid out on a table in the store basement. 

The uniquely folded zig-zagged structure of the cardholder subtly combines the natural textures of suede and grain leather on a single surface. There is ample room for cards in the main compartment and a handy side vent works well as a makeshift berth for loose cash. Made out of a single hexagonal piece of leather, the cardholder essentially comes into existence with three simple folds. There seems to be nothing ancillary about it and the only adornments it wears are the four letters ‘MMMG’ debossed on its underside. 

I hardly carry cash around and have come to prefer cardholders to bi-fold wallets. This one fits nicely in a one-handed grip and has its place in my EDC.