Independent reviews
From everyday tech and home products to lifestyle and specialist gear, each review focuses on practical use, strengths, limitations, and who the product suits.
Multitools
We stress-tested four popular multitools on coat hangers, nails and screws, and found where replacement high-hardness cutters genuinely pay off.
Everyday Carry
A fresh batch of everyday carry gear including a leather organizer, a titanium pry bar, a bolt-action pen, a tartan-lined wallet, and a long-throw tactical flashlight.
EDC & Utility Knives
From a lightweight aluminum-and-titanium button-lock cutter to a titanium pen knife and two ultrathin carbon fiber options, these utility knives each bring something different to everyday carry.
Everyday Carry
Three card and pry-bar style multi-tools built for emergencies, travel, and everyday carry, each with a very different idea of what a multi-tool should be.
Everyday Carry
A ranked guide to the best Olight flashlights for everyday carry, covering keychain lights, pocket workhorses, and versatile multi-use picks.
Flashlights
Olight's proprietary magnetic charging is convenient but a real commitment. These five models, plus one family favorite, make the ecosystem genuinely worth it.
Art Supplies
From Quinacridone Sienna to Cadmium Orange, a closer look at six orange and orange-adjacent watercolors and how they behave on hot and cold press paper.
Aviation
From the Aerolite 103 to the Kolb Firefly, these Part 103 ultralights offer flying fun with no pilot license required.
Aviation
From the AR-1 gyroplane to the turbine-powered Mosquito XET, five kit-built rotorcraft with real specs, prices, and build paths.
Everyday Carry
From forged carbon fiber with infused aluminum flakes to laser etched Damascus steel, here is how the current Ridge wallet lineup stacks up.
Running Gear
From bone-conduction headphones and anti-chafe sticks to race vests, recovery fuel and ultramarathon-proven trail shoes, these are the running products that have earned a permanent place in our kit.
Phone Accessories
Four accessories that make a big, expensive folding phone easier to live with, from drop protection to a charger with personality.
Art Books
From a 1980 classic that shaped modern sketching to pocket-sized urban sketching references, here are the sketching books that earn a permanent place on the desk.
Watches
Nine watches that prove you do not need a mechanical movement for accuracy, durability, and style, from a $20 Casio to USA-assembled solar divers.
Budget Tools & EDC
Seven budget picks under ten dollars, from a four-piece pliers set and a lockback knife to Gear Ties and a liquid bandage that keeps you working.
Multi-Tools
The Huntsman and Super Tinker sit at the same price right now, and the compact Waiter is also discounted. Here is what to know before picking one.
Wallets
Five standout minimalist and leather wallets released or reviewed in 2023, from an upgraded Willow swaddle design to a hidden-knife wallet and a hand-stitched Dillinger.
Everyday Carry
From an AirTag-ready metal wallet to handmade shell cordovan, these five wallets earned their spots with smart design and real everyday usability.
Everyday Carry
From titanium spinning tops to a one-swipe cam pen, a look at six upscale everyday carry pieces from Billet Spin EDC.
Everyday Carry
A practical Black Friday buying guide for everyday carry gear, highlighting the CJRB Pyrite folder at 40% off and how to shop the deals efficiently.
Aviation
Blackshape now fields two full-carbon aircraft in the US. The Gabriel is the trainer-oriented big sister, while the Prime remains the faster, sharper option.
EDC Knives
From QSP's button lock Swordfish to Demko's MagnaCut fixed blade, these are the knives that made the strongest impression this year.
Art Supplies
A hands-on look at the Boku Undo Shadow range watercolors, covering how they behave on paper, their safety documentation, and who they suit best.
Everyday Carry
Two handmade minimalist wallets from the Philippines, built from full grain vegetable tan leather with thoughtful details and honest capacity numbers.
Running Shoes
A familiar update to Brooks' classic neutral daily trainer, with a new upper and the same balanced DNA Loft v3 ride fans of the line already know.
Everyday Carry
We put eleven folding knives through a controlled spine whack test to see which button locks and crossbar locks actually hold under impact.
Multi-tools
A large-format budget multi-tool with a quarter-inch bit driver, replaceable cutters, and optional three-year insurance that changes the value math entirely.
Art Supplies
A close look at two Caran d'Ache water-soluble pencil lines: the student-friendly Swisscolor and the artist-grade Supra Color II, compared side by side.
Pocket Knives
Two fresh budget EDC knives from Civivi: an integral-handle Sentinel Strike in K110 steel, and a collab bringing an open-source lock design to a knife under $80.
Everyday Carry Knives
A closer look at the CJRB Pyrite folding knife, its Kickstarter configurations, materials from G10 to S90V, and who each version makes sense for.