Noah Brier | November 27, 2020
Why is this interesting? - The Gift Guide Edition
On books, objects, and other stuff worth buying
Recommended Products
For cycling and other activities where blocking your ears is a bad idea, bone conduction headphones let you listen to music or podcasts.
For the amaro lover who's tried everything, Amaro Angeleno is a perfect combination of amaro bitterness and California citrus, made by the lovely folks at Ventura Spirits in Southern California.
I dream of going back to Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese onsen-style spa in Santa Fe; it's an oasis of calm and cedar-scented waters. Hinoki is the way to go.
Book Darts are the classiest little way to save your spot, not only to the page, but down to the sentence.
While it's called a butter warmer, we use this tiny pot for all kinds of things.
We loved everything about the place, including this robe. Great way to feel like you’re staying in a chic hotel while staying home.
Going basic here with the Instapot Airfryer.
Full disclosure I haven't yet read Segal's first book yet, but based on her thought-provoking and often quite funny trend reports for K-Hole and Nemesis, I bought a copy on sight and eagerly await its arrival.
This incense burner is one of my favourite things—a handsome little brass column that both stores incense (great for travel) and works as a burner.
Each year Normann Copenhagen releases a new candle in limited quantities, becoming a new tradition to burn down the candle through December.
A perfect Merino T-Shirt.
A beautifully designed radio that lets you tune into global stations.
Favorite headphones. Japanese-made, incredible sound, folds flat.
An affordable, quality pair of cycling bibs made from comfortable, high-quality materials.
A fast, accurate thermometer that's essential for cooking.
A high-quality screwdriver set with laser-etched tips for a superior grip.
A luxurious, made in Portugal designed in Williamsburg shirt. Expensive but worth it.
You’re going to see lots of gift guides this holiday shopping season. Hopefully, ours is one of the more interesting. Big thanks to the many WITI contributors who helped us build this out with their favorites. (All prices were as of publishing and might have changed. Sorry about that.) - Noah & Colin
Aftershokz Aeropex Bone Conduction Headphones
$124.95
For cycling and other activities where blocking your ears is a bad idea, bone conduction headphones let you listen to music or podcasts. (Mark Slavonia)
$35
Ten Thousand Waves Kyoto Bath Tote in Hinoki
$58
For the amaro lover who's tried everything, Amaro Angeleno is a perfect combination of amaro bitterness and California citrus, made by the lovely folks at Ventura Spirits in Southern California. To keep the good feelings going, try Ten Thousand Waves Kyoto Bath Tote in Hinoki. I dream of going back to Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese onsen-style spa in Santa Fe; it's an oasis of calm and cedar-scented waters. Hinoki is the way to go. (Anita Schillhorn Van Veen)
Baffin Cush Insulated Slippers
$52.90
Baffin slippers are “sleeping bags for your feet.” (Reilly Brennan)
$6.69
Book Darts are the classiest little way to save your spot, not only to the page, but down to the sentence. (Gabe Brosbe)
D'Addario Dynaflex Gyro Hand Exerciser
$19.99
These little guys are hands down the best fidget toy anybody could have at their desk. In a previous life, I was involved with an employer that required a certain level of proficiency at rock climbing, and I picked one of these up at REI to help strengthen my grip. It takes a little bit to master the basics of getting this thing going, but it becomes a challenge to not default to using it absentmindedly at your desk once you do. (Chris Erickson)
$53.09
While it's called a butter warmer, we use this tiny pot for all kinds of things. Melting butter, sure, but heating syrup and berries for waffles, making a single-person serving of leftover soup or chili, as a makeshift gravy boat, etc. This little tool was also one of my first Wirecutter purchases and helped cement the site in my mind as a must-reference for any purchase. (Ryan Anderson)
Hotel Saint Cecilia Kimono Robe
$220
When my wife and I moved to LA a few years ago, we drove across the country and the Saint Cecilia was one of the places we stayed. We loved everything about the place, including this robe. Great way to feel like you’re staying in a chic hotel while staying home. (Buzz Andersen)
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell
$19.39 hardcover, $14.99 Kindle
Because it's about what we pay our attention to (and how we spend it) and how that impacts our lives and happiness. (Ana Andjelic)
Industry of All Nations Alpaca Sweater
$195
Industry of All Nations is a responsible brand with a mission to work in local communities to manufacture high-quality goods. (Eric Matthies)
$79
Going basic here with the Instapot Airfryer. As someone whose kitchen was used to store books and electronics, the pandemic forced me into the kitchen. This allowed me to cook something plausible and healthy with a hands-off approach until OpenTable is back in my life. (Perry Hewitt)
$105
€ 33.50
Foundrae Fob Earring with Star Disk
$790
Jane Mount creates custom prints of favorite books if you want to slide into the center of a “literary” and “personal” Venn diagram. Studio Arhoj in Denmark makes ceramics with bright and kooky glazes. The Chug Mug or Pen Holder are great collection starters. Finally, you can go pretty nuts at Foundrae from the start, but their earring fob & disc systems are a versatile first foray into your future crippling jewelry habit. (Amber Finlay)
Mercury Retrograde by Emily Segal
$18 paperback, $10 PDF
Full disclosure I haven't yet read Segal's first book yet, but based on her thought-provoking and often quite funny trend reports for K-Hole and Nemesis, I bought a copy on sight and eagerly await its arrival. Self-published by her Deluge Books, which looks intriguing as well. (Ben Dietz)
MiiR Wide Mouth Insulated Bottle
$39.95
There are many options out there for flasks, but MiiR is simply the best one on the market in terms of design, durability, and construction. Their 32oz Widemouth flask (linked) is an essential part of my cold water swimming kit. (Joseph Dana)
$65 CAD
I'm recommending the brass incense burner/case from Mjolk. Mjolk is a wonderful designer/furniture shop in Toronto with an in-house line of home goods. This incense burner is one of my favourite things—a handsome little brass column that both stores incense (great for travel) and works as a burner. It's made to fit a particular style of bamboo charcoal incense, also available through Mjolk, that a sales associate told me was traditionally used to deodorize kimonos. It does a great job of resetting a room's smell—amazing if you live in a small apartment and like to cook. (Adam Wray)
$129
If you know somebody who likes writing by hand, I recommend the Moleskine Smart Pen. I got this as a gift two years ago, and I write with it every day. It scans everything I write and saves a digital copy on the app. I buy a new Moleskine notebook every few months--it only works with special paper. If you have neat handwriting, the app can even transcribe handwriting into digital text. (Jason Boog)
Normann Copenhagen Christmas Candle
$15
Each year Normann Copenhagen releases a new candle in limited quantities. Having been fans of the design store, we visited after our first Copenhagen trip, and every year since its become a new tradition year to burn down the candle through December. Friends and family have picked up on it too. Because of limited supplies, part of the ritual is having to track them down from various places on the earth. This year is sold out already, but check eBay, or local design shops, or, for US readers, an email to designpublicgroup.com may suffice. (Ben Young)
Outlier Ultrafine Merino Cut One T-shirt
$120
$349.95
A perfect Merino T-Shirt. Pairs perfectly with the Revo Superconnect Radio: a beautifully designed radio that lets you tune into global stations. Awesome. (Colin Nagy)
Phonon 4400 Headphones: Ghostly Edition
$275
Favorite headphones. Japanese-made, incredible sound, folds flat. It has a cord because that’s how they should be. (Sam Valenti)
$12.30
The Pocket Ref, 4th edition has everything you need to restart civilization: conversion tables, airport codes, and the Torino meteorite impact hazard scale. (Chris P)
$4
My friend Megan named her photography/greeting card shop after me (well, sort of), and I love the cards. (Edith Zimmerman)
Tamiya Hornet 1/10 RC Re-Release
$193.61
First released in 1984, this was THE RC car to have (I always wanted one but never was good enough to land one under my tree). This reissue is finding its way under my tree (if MY kids are good enough) this year, and it will provide hours of pandemic-friendly fun in building, racing, crashing and rebuilding. (Ryan McManus)
$40
A Frame for Life: The Designs of StudioIlse by Ilse Crawford
$40.71
As the WITI community’s newest cycling enthusiast, I’ve been looking for an affordable, quality pair of cycling bibs. This unbranded pair made from comfortable, high-quality materials was perfect. Whenever I’m looking for interior design inspiration after a ride, I turn to the work of Crawford, whose warm, elegant spaces do an incredible job blending the inviting and the elevated. Her design of Ett Hem in Stockholm is a personal favorite. (Graydon Gordian)
$99
It's astonishing but true: There remain literally *millions* of U.S. kitchens that don't have a Thermapen. Once you have one, you use it every day, and you wonder how it was even possible to cook without it. Pair with a bag of Ajinomoto MSG as a stocking stuffer — another everyday kitchen go-to that is found in far too few kitchens. (Felix Salmon)
$29.95
Throughout the last eight months, I've relied on my Tiger Tail massage stick as a way to both massage my muscles after workouts and just give myself a bit of relief from sitting in front of the computer all day. I've never been able to get into a good grove with normal floor-based foam rollers, and this thing seems to work well for me. (Noah Brier)
Wera 6-piece Lasertip Screwdriver Set
$34.25
My favorite screwdriver set. I have lots of sets for unique applications and tons of other various screwdrivers from over the years, but this set is by far the one I consistently find myself using the most. The bite on these laser-etched tips gives you a grip like no other. Unlike most others I own, these always seem to fit the screw head correctly with no play. Comfortable to use. The grips have stayed good as new and undamaged from any solvents they've been in contact with. There are many Wera sets to choose from that are all manufactured at the highest quality but I'd say this is a good well rounded one for everyday use. (Todd Osborn)
Wythe New York Moleskin Pearl Snap Shirt
$178
A perfect, luxurious, made in Portugal designed in Williamsburg hybrid of some of my favorite shirts. Expensive but worth it. (Jann M Schwarz)
Thanks for reading,
Noah (NRB) & Colin (CJN) & Friends
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