I came across an interesting article recently about the Phillips screw and its inventor Henry F. Phillips. It was surprising to learn that in a moment of innovation in the late 1930s, Cadillac was the first company to use the Phillips screw. As someone who has the collectively random interests of history, WWII and and U.S. manufacturing, this story is a gold mine.

My friend Mark was telling me the other day that his four-year old son is at the stage in his development that he is constantly asking questions about everything. Apparently, the most common query is — why? In a way, I think I never really grew out of that phase (and I’m sure many of you are the same way). I look at an everyday object and wonder what the story is behind it. What went into it becoming what it is? Because everything has a story, even something as simple as a Phillips screwdriver.

From the Wall Street Journal:

The screw was invented in the early 30’s by Henry F. Phillips, a Portland, Oregon businessman. He knew that car makers needed a screw that could be driven with more torque and that would hold tighter than slotted screws. Car makers also needed a screw that would center quickly and easily, and could be used efficiently on an assembly line. The Phillips screw was designed so that it could be driven by an automated screw driver with increasing force until the tip of the driver popped out without ruining the screw head. So what many consider a design flaw is actually a feature (at least if you’re a car manufacturer).

The Phillips screw first gained acceptance with Cadillac in the late 30’s. Although there is a Phillips Screw Co. today, the company never actually made Phillips screws or drivers. They were produced under license by other companies. Unlicensed knockoffs proliferated, so that in 1949, Mr. Phillips was stripped of his patent.

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• Great 1966 film of poet Frank O’Hara. The city scenes are a bonus here. [Thirteen via Vanishing NY]
• National Lampoon’s Vacation Style! [Valet]
• From one rainy city to another. Filson opened its first international store in London [Filson] [Pictured]
• The story of the Club Monaco ties that are made in these United States [GQ]
• Setting the standard: Gay Talese talks tailoring. [Esquire]

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Some of these Red Wing Heritage boots you can actually get, some you can’t. Well, you might be able to get all of them but these black 6″ moc toes are going to pose a bit of a challenge. Released and only available in Japan, these boots are actually part of a small collection of special edition Irish Setter boots that were resurrected especially for Japan a few seasons ago.

Keeping with the exclusivity thing, the 9874s are only even available at the best Japanese Red Wing retailers, namely: Beams, United Arrows, Ships etc. Want a pair? Make a friend in Japan or just book a flight. If you ask me, the long haul would be worth if. Never before have black and brown worked in partnership so well.

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• Snow Peak (who makes awesome stuff) opened a store in Portland, Oregon. [Acquire]
• View from the 100th floor of One World Trade Center [Gothamist]
• Fifty years of the Stanley Power Lock. [Gear Patrol]
• The smallest dry dock in the world. Smith Journal always crushing it. [Smith Journal] [Pictured]
• Ted from Terrapin Stationers took it upon himself to make me this business card [Instagram via Terrapin]

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These photographs are interesting to me for a few reasons. 1. My grandfather grew up sailing skiffs like the ones you see below. We have a bunch of old photos of him on the water near Boston. 2. It is interesting to see that a lot of the style in these photos could very easily fit right in today even though most of these photos are very old. 3. DB sport coats and sneakers. 4. Bucket hats. 5. They remind me that good things are on the horizon.

Summer’s right around the corner and right about I’d like it if I were out to sea like these gentlemen. That means, Newport and other assorted nautical adventures with cocktails. Then finally this September are the America’s Cup finals in San Francisco which is going to be amazing. I’m making a point to be there for at least one weekend’s worth of it. I was in SF this spring for work and from my client’s office you could see the tall AC boats sailing by and it was pretty astonishingly beautiful.

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On the West Side of Cleveland sits Buehner’s Office Supply, a trip back to a time when office supply stores were the cog in the wheel of business. The shop is also a window into a world where analog was king. More than that, a visit here reminds you of the not so distant past when nearly everything was made by thousands of little independent companies all over the United States. Not so much anymore.

It’s not just a place to pick up a “scratch pad” (which I actually did, made in Murica too), Buehner’s is a time machine into a world that doesn’t exist anymore. The alternative —Staples and the like — are spacious, efficient and homogenous; shopping there is an experience that parallels a lobotomy. Almost everything is unbranded, devoid of character, cheap and easy. I understand why it is what it is, but that doesn’t make me actually like it.

I’m the type of person to seek out the specific maker of envelopes and order them direct rather than buy some cheap house brand. Some people would say that makes me a hipster (yuppie) and a lot of people don’t really get my allure to the indies, but some of you certainly understand and appreciate the alternative. I’d rather pay more for something with personality. I’d rather support the small paper company that makes very specific product and I’d prefer give my money to support “know how,” rather than just perpetuate a lifetime of cheap shit. This store actually makes me think about some experiences I’ve had traveling, it’s always so disappointing to fly halfway around the world and find that everything is exactly the same. A better word for it is depressing.

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• Friday Night Lights author Buzz Bissinger discusses his addiction to Gucci. [GQ]
• An umbrella worth 29 years of cheap umbrellas, just don’t lose it. [Bloomberg]
• The strange beauty of airports. [The Atlantic]
• 15 style influencers (including yours truly) to follow on Instagram. [DETAILS]
• RAF Mustangs and other assorted photos of WWII things [Mission4Today via Glen Martin] [Pictured]

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