Sharp Stuff: Conklin Crescent Filler Limited Edition

by Peter on May 29th, 2009

It’s a shame that computers have made the art of handwriting obsolete.   These days email has replaced post and documents are processed, not written.  But pen and paper cannot die completely – even if you only break out a real pen to sign cheques (if you still have cheques).   So when you take out that pen, it should remind us of that bygone era when handwriting meant something and, subsequently, when choosing a pen was just as important as choosing a Blackberry.

The Conklin Pen Company wants to help us with this by introducing a 100th Anniversary Limited Edition of only 388 pens worldwide.  The pen uses the Crescent Filling technology originally patented in 1901, an homage to what was the most commercially successful pen of its time.  The Conklin Crescent Filler was a near-perfect writing instrument, and the thing with which Mark Twain wrote most of his books.  The new edition is updated with a black celluloid body, sterling silver overlay and an 18kt gold nib.  If you had this pen, you’d ditch your computer.

Conklin Crescent Filler Limited Edition, $1,200.  See conklinpen.com for more information.     

Sharp Tech: Phiaton Headphones

by Peter on May 28th, 2009

These days you can hook your iPod up to just about anything.  You can dock it to its own audio system in your office, connect it to your stereo in your living room (or any room in your house) and even hook it up to those killer speakers in your car.  But portable listening devices are supposed to be portable – as in go where you go – which is problematic when you have nothing better to use than the headphones they come with.

That’s why you need to invest in a good pair of headphones.  And we mean a good pair.  The Phiaton Moderna or Primal Series headphones are the perfect solution.  Phiaton Personal Audio, while a relatively small name in the market, deserves more credit than it might get.  Its headphones deliver the highest quality sound - crisp and clear to match the digital quality of your music.  And with three new products, there’s something for all types of listeners.  The PS 200 earbuds are discrete for those who want to rock inconspicuously; the MS 400 offer premium sound quality with a stunning blaze of red for those who want their headphones to be as vibrant as their music; and the PS 300 noise-cancelling headphones are for those who want to forget the real world altogether.

Whatever your preference, these are headphones for people who are serious about their music.  You owe it to yourself to get the most out of your iPod – wherever you are.  Or at the very least, you owe it to your iPod.

Phiaton PS 200, $249; PS 300, $299; MS 400 $249.  Visit phiaton.com for more information.

Sharp Style: Cole Haan Opens New Store Concept

by Peter on May 27th, 2009

If you’re buying expensive shoes, you should be doing it in a store that matches the quality of its goods.  Cole Haan agrees.  The luxury shoemaker opened the first Canadian branch of its new store concept last week in Toronto.  The Bloor Street store – and its nearly 5,000 square feet of retail space – offers shoppers the chance to be ensconced by the kind of luxury about to be put on their feet.

The store marks another step in the revitalization of the Bloor Street strip.  It also marks another step in the revitalization of the Cole Haan line, which strives to “weave craftsmanship and innovation to enhance life’s experiences” by, in this case, echoing the look of a modernist California beach house.  What a concept.

For more information on Cole Haan products, visit www.colehaan.com, or discover the new store for yourself at 101 Bloor Street West.       

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