Offerman Woodshop Mustache Comb

Offerman Woodshop Mustache Comb

Official Offerman Woodshop mustache comb. Hand carved out of varying exotic and local woods, non-toxic & stache friendly finish.  Size varies, roughly 3-1/2" x 4".  Hand made in California.  Nick Offerman, originally from Minooka, Illinois, also builds boats, tables, and possibly just about anything else that can be made of wood.

A Town in New York Creates Its Own Department Store - NYTimes.com

"THE residents of Saranac Lake, a picturesque town in the Adirondacks, are a hardy lot — they have to be to withstand winter temperatures that can drop to 30 below zero. But since the local Ames department store went out of business in 2002 — a victim of its corporate parent’s bankruptcy — residents have had to drive to Plattsburgh, 50 miles away, to buy basics like underwear or bed linens. And that was simply too much.
So when Wal-Mart Stores came knocking, some here welcomed it. Others felt that the company’s plan to build a 120,000-square-foot supercenter would overwhelm their village, with its year-round population of 5,000, and put local merchants out of business.
It’s a situation familiar to many communities these days. But rather than accept their fate, residents of Saranac Lake did something unusual: they decided to raise capital to open their own department store. Shares in the store, priced at $100 each, were marketed to local residents as a way to “take control of our future and help our community,” said Melinda Little, a Saranac Lake resident who has been involved in the effort from the start. “The idea was, this is an investment in the community as well as the store.”
...
And there is no denying the challenges of competing with mega-retailers whose scale and clout give them enormous cost advantages. Craig Waters, Saranac Lake Community Store’s general manager, has had to be creative, stocking American-made products as much as possible ....

The Scientist

The Scientist

Willie Nelson covers Coldplay's The Scientist. This song and a stop-motion animated film were commissioned by Chipotle Mexican Grill to promote sustainable and humane farming. Proceeds benefit the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. What's more American authentic than the family farm?  

General's Pencils

Semi-Hex Graphite #2 Pencil 12-Pack: 2HB

Or

Cedar Pointe Pencil 12-Pack: #2 Soft
 

"The General Pencil Company is a family owned business. It has been owned and operated by the Weissenborn family since 1889. Edward Weissenborn, a brilliant mechanical engineer, founded one of the first pencil factories in America. He learned the art of pencil making in Germany while working for the I.I. Renbach Lead Pencil Company. In 1854, he came to America to establish his own pencil factory. In 1864 he accomplished just that. General Pencil Company's artist products come to you from their factory in Jersey City, New Jersey."

Channellock Plier

Channellock 440 12-Inch Tongue and Groove Plier

"Fiercely made in Meadville, PA.  Forged in 1886." 

10 American Industries Still Hanging On - Yahoo! Finance

"For most of the last century, the United States dominated global manufacturing -- no country could compete with America's output.
In recent years, however, the news about domestic manufacturing has been discouraging, if not devastating. Industry surveys have shown a decline in most sectors as the US continues to lose its factories to cheaper labor markets overseas, and especially to China. ...

Surprisingly, however, there remains a handful of heroic holdouts. Bloodied, battered, but not yet down for the count, there are still pockets of US manufacturing scrappy enough to keep the lights on in the face of overseas competition. Here's a look at 10 survivors worth celebrating."

Xcelite Shearcutter and Pliers

Xcelite S2K 2-Piece Shearcutter and Pliers Set

"Originating from a tiny metalworking company in 1921 (Park Metalware of Orchard Park, NewYork), the Xcelite® brand of precision hand tools has been a favorite of service technicians for over 75 years. It is now known throughout the electronics industry for its full line of high quality precision screwdrivers, nutdrivers, pliers, cutters, interchangeable-blade sets, specialized tools and kits.  This is the most popular all-purpose miniature electronic flush cutter and needle-nose pliers."  Thanks to the fascinating Alloy-Artifacts for information on Park Metalware, Ed.

Nalgene Water Bottle

NALGENE Tritan 1-Quart Narrow Mouth BPA-Free Water Bottle,Slate Blue

"Back in 1949, a Rochester, New York chemist named Emanuel Goldberg developed the first plastic pipette holder. Along with three workers, he began the Nalge Company in a small building at 625 South Goodman Street.  For years Goldberg and his growing team developed the Nalgene line of state-of-the-art polyethylene laboratory equipment: centrifuge bottles, filter units, storage tanks.  Obviously, it wasn’t the kind of stuff you toss into your backpack for a weekend in the woods.  But there were rumors floating around … stories about scientists taking the smaller, more convenient bottles out of the lab and using them on hikes and excursions.  By the 1970s this “unofficial” use for Nalgene bottles caught the eye of Marsh Hyman (President of the Nalge Company in Rochester, New York).  Marsh had a son who was in the Boy Scouts. He and his fellow Scouts used Nalgene lab bottles on the trail. They were perfect as water bottles; for storing powdered drinks and pancake mix; and for carrying matches and shampoo and snacks and all sorts of camping supplies. When he learned about these great new uses for his lab bottles, Marsh Hyman went to the Nalge Specialty Department with a mission: “Spread the word to outdoorspeople all over! Tell them about this new line of high-quality camping equipment.”"
Also check out the 1970's original Nalgene 32 oz HDPE Wide Mouth Loop Top Water Bottle - In Your Choice of Colors. Or for adult beverages Nalgene Bottle, Ethyl Alcohol, 500mL (Pack of 6).

Zippo Lighter

Zippo Street Chrome Pocket Lighter

"Zippo was founded in Bradford, Pennsylvania in 1932 by George G. Blaisdell. The Zippo timeline begins in the early 1930s, at the Bradford Country Club in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Mr. Blaisdell watched a friend awkwardly using a cumbersome Austrian-made lighter. The lighter worked well, even in the wind, due to the design of the chimney. But its appearance was utilitarian. Its use required two hands, and its thin metal surface dented easily.

He decided to refashion the Austrian lighter in the fall of 1932. Mr. Blaisdell fabricated a rectangular case and attached the top of the lighter to the case with a hinge. He retained the chimney design which protected the flame under adverse conditions. The result was a lighter that looked good and was easy to operate. The first lighter, currently displayed at the Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford, was produced in early 1933.

World War II had a profound effect on Zippo. Upon America’s entry in the war, Zippo ceased production of lighters for consumer markets and dedicated all manufacturing to the U.S. military. The military initiative led to the production of the steel-case Zippo with black “crackle” finish.

Starting in the mid-50s, date codes were stamped on the bottom of every Zippo lighter. The original purpose was for quality control, but the codes have since become an invaluable tool for collectors."