Anyone have recommendations for good wallets? I am looking for a nice one that I can not have die on me in a year.
Monster was a big seller due to their "in-store" warranty replacement (people could bring us the bad cables, we'd swap them out, then get a credit from Monster for the faulty cables we collected). However, they stopped that around this time last year, so now you have to send the cables back to Monster to replace (which is how every single cable company works, that we sell). And Monster is kind of strange with their tradmark - they file lawsuits against any company trying to use the word "Monster" in anything, it seems (such as Disney for "Monsters, Inc.") Want a great cable that you can still swap out in store? Mogami. Clean sound, same price range as the "Monster Rock" cables, and not as thick/bulky of a cable.
Look for clintonville leather on etsy. They use thick full grain hide and rivets to keep the wallets together. They break in beautifully.
I'm not sure exactly how their wallets hold but, but Roots (a Canadian company) sells really nice leather goods. You have to be careful because not everything they do is made in Canada, but the stuff that is made in Canada is just amazing. I have a weekend-sized bag from them that I've been hauling around for a few years and aside from the fact that it looks really nice, the only hint of wear and tear is from a rabbit that decided to chew at one of the pull tabs on the zipper. It's been in planes, trains, automobiles - everywhere, and it just looks great. The prices are actually quite competitive, too - compared to crap like Louis Vuitton or Coach, they're a bargain, and made of much higher quality fabrics, and not manufactured in China or Vietnam. Also, don't buy regular price, they have sales pretty frequently. I've had one of their wallets for a while now and it's still going strong. This one is made out of the same leather as my bag but doesn't seem to be made in Canada.
In the early 90's (91 or 92) I bought a Roots small leather card wallet and that's all I've used, every day, since then, and it's worn enough that it's comfortable, but not even close to wearing out or deteriorating.
Saddleback leather boasts an impressive warranty. I'm in year 2 of my belt from them, with not a crease. Dad has a wallet from them that's holding up nicely. My Coach (yes, that Coach) wallet is surprisingly nice and you can't tell it's been used. Red Wing boots will be the last footwear you ever buy, if you keep them cleaned and maintain the soles. Ditto Sorel winter boots. I will vouch for North Face and Patagonia, and add SmartWool, Asolo and Ex Officio (their boxer briefs are a godsend for hot climates). I have heard good things about Filson, Barbour and Darn Tough. Leatherman tools will outlast my grandkids and the basic model is pretty cheap. I carry one in my pocket, and it's been invaluable. A Vanson or a Schott leather jacket is also nigh invincible. My Vanson is old enough to vote. Weirdly, the clothing that stands up best for me? Abercrombie and Fitch. I've had some of their jeans last me 9+ years, and shirts that are thick and maintain good shape. I mean, it's a douche uniform but damn if they don't last longer than Levis.
A vehicle probably wasn't what the alt focus included but my wife's 2003 Mazda Protege is damn near bullet proof. Sitting at 200,000 miles, it has only been in the shop for what I consider routine maintenance. It has been through 4 collisions, two of them the insurance company considered totalled but my wife talked them into fixing it. Mechanically, we have replaced the brake pads, shoes and rotors, as well as the PCV valve. It burns zero oil betweeen 4,000 mile oil changes and still gets 33 mpg. I have no idea how this car still runs.
I have the slim sleeve wallet from Bellroy (http://bellroy.com/wallets?filter=everyday) a few years ago that is still in really good shape. I wanted to slim down my wallet and they have lots of options for doing that. Mountain Equipment Co-op: Almost everything I have ever purchased from this store has been damn near bomb proof. I got a triple layer Goretex jacket from there when I was 12 or 13 that's still going strong 20+ years later. I have also talked to people that are still using external frame backpacks from there that are 30+ years old.
ALT-ALT-FOCUS: What's never going to survive long enough to even need the warranty? 2015 Dodge Hellcats This one made it an hour. http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/hellcat-carnage-this-one-left-the-lot-an-hour-later-it-is-totaled/ Raise your hand if you thought handing the keys to a 707 horsepower car to any idiot who could plop down $60K was a good idea. In it's tamest, computer limited form it still produces 500 horse. I've owned a 450-500 horsepower car and it was a fucking handful. I was used to driving high performance cars and that thing still scared the shit out of me on a regular basis. Add another 200 horse? I can only imagine.
The problem with it is that it is the exact same chassis as the last 3-4 years with no upgrades to handle the extra power, it will cost you 130K Canadian to upgrade it to where it should be but at the price you can buy a lot of car. What is crazy is the base Corvette is 400hp+ at 55k Canadian so much power so cheap.
I dunno about cheap, my 450-500 horse car I had about $10K into. But that was also 1980 and you kind of had to know what you were doing to have a car with that kind of power. You didn't just go into a dealer, throw money at them and drive away with something stupid fast. Not to mention that technology has changed. The Hellcat is supercharged and fuel injected, the power comes on deceitfully smooth. My car was big block Chevy with 2 660 Holley mechanical secondaries on it. When those extra 4 barrels hit, it was like the whole fucking world was exploding. It was not a smooth transition. The biggest difference between then and now is we didn't care about anything other then going in a straight line. Corners were for the folks with Datsun Z's. My only concern was trying to keep the car pointed straight.
North Face's repair replace warranty is awesome. I've had several items repaired with no questions asked. I still use a ski jacket and zip in liner I bought in the late 90's. The same with L.L. Bean products, I still use a backpack from them my parents bought in the 80's. After years of wear while skiing, working outdoors and taken on deployments, Smartwool is the only base layer I'll wear. It won't wear out. Flexsteel furniture; I have a couch from them that looks like I brought it home yesterday instead of 7yrs ago. I had a pair of Bose headphone break while I was in Iraq, they sent a new pair to my APO address with no questions asked. I'll also second utilizing Visa's warranty and rental insurance programs. If you rent a car with your Visa card, there's no reason to take the supplemental insurance. I once had a rental car take $800 in hail damage that the rental company wanted me to pay and I paid zero out of pocket.
Bumping from NINE years ago but I've been needing a nose hair trimmer for a little bit and somehow I remembered this post. Ordered one, just got it today and @Kubla Kahn wasn't joking. This thing is some bad ass American quality.
I fucking need this. My hairs seem to grow out instead of down, always rubbing against the inner wall so I'm constantly thinking I've got snot in there.