begins with you

Just a small peek at our sock lineup from @anonymousism_ism. Knitted in Japan with a stated goal ‘to be a team which makes everyone find true happiness’; their socks are incredible, both in construction and design. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1GZi03Q

Cocktails with Matty #2: Calvados Julep 1.5 oz Calvados 0.5 oz grade B maple syrup Lots o' mint 0.5 oz Jamaican rum Add mint and maple to a julep glass, lightly muddle - taking care as to not tear the mint. Add calvados and crushed ice. Give a quick swizzle. Top with more ice and garnish with rum and mint tips. U.S. Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky introduced the classic Mint Julep to Washington, D.C., at the Round Robin Bar in the famous Willard Hotel during his residence in the city. The term "julep" is generally defined as a sweet drink, particularly one used as a vehicle for medicine. The word itself is derived from the Persian word گلاب (golâb), meaning rose water. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1LkGPtX

Closeup of the black harness leather and stitching on Black Iron Rangers from @redwingheritage. Notice the black thread next to the white thread. Like the realtor-turned-fashion-designer said, "DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS!" / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1ChWVfz

'Hobos are people who move around looking for work, tramps are people who move around but don't look for work, and bums are people who don't move and don't work. I've been all three.' Seasick Steve was born right here in Oakland in 1941. He left home at an early age, hopping trains and taking on manual labor jobs to get by. He now makes a living playing the blues, and divides his time between Norway and the UK. His song, 'Cut My Wings', is our tune of the day. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1Gwa3lf

This is Dario Pegoretti. He builds bicycle frames for a living. He has built frames for everyone from Miguel Indurain & Marco Pantani to the late Robin Williams. It's not an exaggeration to describe him as the Stradivarius of framebuilding, and the wait for a frame can be as long as three years. Dario was almost single-handedly responsible for the acceptance of TIG-welding in the Italian cycling industry. Two members of staff here at Standard & Strange are lucky enough to own Pegoretti frames. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1MQjxcT

We believe in supporting local businesses wherever we can. Derek McDonald of @goldenwestsignarts is a traditional sign painter - meaning he uses paint and paint brushes and gold leaf and paints by hand. There are a handful of these guys still around, and they're in high demand. Derek and his partner, Tina, travel all around the country to paint custom signs for folks. Thanks for helping us make our shop special, Derek - cheers to you! / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1Rd9AqZ

A little bit more about the folks behind Standard & Strange. Neil's other career is in the environmental cleanup world, specializing in radiation and radioactive materials. A few years ago, he was part of the team that dismantled the Bevatron particle accelerator at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It began operating in 1954 and was decommissioned in 1993. Why the name Bevatron? It could accelerate particles to one billion electron volts. In 1955, the antiproton was discovered at the Bevatron by Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain. Shortly thereafter the antineutron was discovered as well. The Bevatron became outdated in technological capability and too expensive to operate as it required an enormous amount of power. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1SrsXz8

If you've ever wanted to see Rick Moranis at his most nerdy, Diane Lane at her most sultry, a man beat up another man with a coatstand, and a young Willem Dafoe in a pair of leather dungarees - then Walter Hill's overlooked 1984 masterpiece 'Streets Of Fire' is the movie for you. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1JVu0Wx

Did you know that the PF in PF Flyers stands for Posture Foundation? Founded by BF Goodrich, their sneakers, with their posture-friendly supportive insoles, were revolutionary when released in 1933. Throughout the 50s and 60s, PF Flyers found favor with everyone from schoolkids to soldiers, with PFs being the US Army's standard-issue sneaker. Having changed hands several times since the 1970s, the company was eventually bought by New Balance in 2001 and now produces a line of US-made sneakers. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1KZZ3jm

You would have a hard time putting your jeans on without the keyhole buttonhole. Most buttonholes on shirts are straight, but the keyhole has a circle-shaped hole at one end to accommodate the shanks on sturdier buttons used on thicker fabrics. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1LhAxIw

The giant illuminated sign mounted on top of the Grand Lake Theatre is the largest rotary contact sign west of the Mississippi River. It measures 52 feet high by 72 feet wide and consists of 2,800 colored bulbs. The firing sequence is controlled by a device much like a music box. The sign is typically lit Friday and Saturday, from dusk until the start of the last show of the night. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1LeEGzO

Detail of the Plautus punt mark on a Tender glass. We use ours for Scotch on the rocks, a small beer, or in this case, oolong tea. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1BkEnQS

The song of the day is “I Wanna Be Your Dog” from the first studio album by The Stooges, released in 1970. The frontman was a young Iggy Pop who was famous for his wild stage performances. Iggy would smear meat on his chest, urinate on stage, cut himself with glass and often times lost his pants on purpose. The sound, attitude of self-loathing, nihilism and boredom of The Stooges helped pave the way for the punk rock that developed later, and the bloodied, naked, howling body of Iggy Pop on stage would be hailed as the “godfather of punk”. Want to dig a bit deeper and learn about someone who had a profound impact on Iggy? Check out the blues musician Howlin’ Wolf, who was famous for his visceral, rough, raw and loud performances. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1BfTXgG

“The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter” - Humphrey Bogart's inimitable portrayal of Sam Spade in the 1941 film "The Maltese Falcon." / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1HMtNDl

Willem made this discovery at Architectural Salvage in Portland, Maine about a year ago. This 6x6 medium-format Ansco Speedex (Agfa Isolette) folds up to fit in a pocket. The fact that this camera - dating from the early 40's - still works is a testament to the care and precision with which it was manufactured. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1LbXM6J

Jeremy is obsessed with Toyota Land Cruisers, especially the early years. The FJ25 was the first of Land Cruisers to hit the USA, and only landed here for two years before becoming the iconic and long-running FJ45. Amazingly, very little changed from the 3.8L 105 hp six-cylinder from 1958 until the 1980s. Interestingly enough, Toyota actually had a market strategy of using the Land Cruiser to open new markets to be followed with their passenger cars. #toyota #adventuremobile #notajeep / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1MUKP2m

Tiger Camo was first introduced in Vietnam. Derived from the French ‘lizard’ pattern, it was initially used by South Vietnamese troops but quickly found favor with the US Special Forces community - and was especially popular with the Navy SEALs - although, as it wasn’t a government-issued fabric, they generally had to contract local tailors to produce the uniforms. / on Instagram http://ift.tt/1faPCBk