Fresh powder snow doesn’t just look beautiful, it also swallows noise, making everything impossibly silent. But walking through deep snow is so strenuous that it’s nearly impossible to enjoy this simple pleasure - unless you strap on a pair of snowshoes. A recent article on the excellent 10engines blog sparked my interest to read more about the history of wooden snowshoes.
Vintage Wooden Snowshoe with some Steel Wire Repairs
Finding good images on the Internet is hard, so I was happy when I saw these photos of the Telefunken Match transistor radio in the archive on the Delft University of Technology website. When transistor radios first came out in the mid 1950s, they were considered a status symbol. The very first one, the Texas Instruments Regency TR-1, cost more than 350 dollars by today’s standards.
Telefunken Match Transistor Radio 1963
Unfortunately I don’t have a horse or a saddle. But the soap that Fiebing developed in 1895 to clean saddles does a great job on other smooth leathers as well, according to the metal can - belts, shoes, luggage, handbags, holsters, sports gear and leather furniture. I have a number of brown Eames chairs that I regularly clean with Fiebing’s. I also use it for my car seats. Fiebing’s Saddle Soap which “cleans and polishes in one easy step” is made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Clean and Polish in One Easy Step
Du Pont Canvas Utility Bag
Sometimes, we as consumers don’t necessarily have access to everything quality and well-made. Throughout history, the military has provided a fine example of an institution that reserves the right to some superior products for themselves. The dependence of a person’s life on a functioning buckle or zipper or the endurance of a material under extreme conditions, draws an attention to detail that consumers often don’t get the luxury to experience. Industry is another good example.
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