Stuff I like
- Fiskar’s left-handed scissors
- it’s not about the comfort of the handle (though it is very nice when cutting thick material or using the scissors for a long time.) But it’s all about the visibility! I never noticed until switching that right-handed scissors (when used in my left hand) obscure the cut with the blade.
- 3M Transpore Tape
- I came across a roll of this when poking through my local eco-recycling shop. It’s designed for surgical use, but it’s got all kinds of awesome uses. It’s semi-stretchy, semi-transparent, and quite strong, with great attachment to both man-made synthetic surfaces like plastics, but also skin and other organic surfaces like wood and cardboard.
- Jinhao fountain pens
- There are a huge number of models made by Jinhao, but I particularly like the 51A (a clone of the vintage Parker 51) and the 80 (inspired by the Lamy 2000). Both of these are available shipped for less than $10, and, because they are inspired by famous vintage pens, the actual ergonomics of them are top tier. Make sure to clean them well before filling with ink, but besides that, I think you’re golden. I own pens that sell for 100 times as much as these cost nearly (though I didn’t pay nearly that much thank goodness), and I pick these for day-to-day writing ahead of all of them, because they’re reliable and I don’t have to worry about hurting them.
- heirloom/exotic fruit
- apples: I think my favorite “rustic” apple variety is Ashmead’s Kernel. Of the general supermarket varieties, I really like Opal. Cosmic Crisp unimpressed me at first, but recently won me over as a tart alternative to Honeycrisp.
- I like dragonfruit as a refreshing summer treat, particularly as it’s gone down substantially in price recently. It must be chilled though.