# Do you make "trad" purchases beyond clothes, shoes and accessories?



## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

I tend to wear blinders when perusing one of the sites I have bought trad accessories from. While they have men's items, it's geared to the preppy "gossip girl" set with most everything swathed in madras. I try to make it a swift an experience as possible. 

OTOH, we, as the more conservative gender, don't broadcast our style _nearly_ as much. Yet, I wonder how far beyond the subject of clothing, shoes or accessories any _men_ here ascribe the term "trad" (_or_ "preppy"). The key fob thread is an example of an item that can express that style, although it remains an accessory.

I suppose vehicles like Range Rovers are a bit trad. LL Bean had a Subaru Outback, and Lands' End had..... I'm not sure about those, but it seemed they were marketed to the trad set. I know from posts here that pocket knives are (not sure which are considered "the" brands), plus some brands of toiletries. However, are there many other items beyond this of which there is a _preferred_ brand among those who follow this style?

If I seem ignorant of some obvious choices, it's due to a rejection of my elders style in my teens (grew up on the UES). A re-education has been necessary in some areas since returning to the "flock".

Don't misunderstand, I'm not looking to buy a trad toothbrush, but I would love to know if such a thing existed.


----------



## katon (Dec 25, 2006)

*The "traddest" toothbrush!*

Maybe one of ? :icon_smile_big: I'd imagine you'd need to keep it in a sanitizing solution, though. The all-natural materials are sure to encourage bacteria.

Or there's always the dollar plastic ones that can usually be found in the bottom rack at the drug store. Some of them are even U.S. made. :icon_smile:

...or a folding toothbrush for the busy man with many responsibilities! 

Alternately, you can rely on the antibacterial properties of Scotch and cigarette smoke, while simply hoping for the best.


----------



## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*why I hate electronic gadgets*

I'm partial to durable quality items of classic style, so yes. The ethos is the same as with clothing.
I don't live in some time warp, and often modern items are truly an improvement: I'm not a lifestyle purist.

I have a Kent comb, and a wooden one...


----------



## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

*non clothing items*

I was just in San Francisco and purchased a Kent clothes brush at Cable Car Clothiers. Was it expensive-- yes! Will it last the rest of my lifetime and pass on to my son and grandson-- I hope so! It is boar bristle and I've wanted one for a long time. It will last for generations. (I hope)
Tom


----------



## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

Sort of. My home is decorated in a hybrid antique/modern with worn out oriental and afghan rugs, kilim carpet pillows, antique trunks, old collectible toys, etc. 

But whether I'm buying an item that fits explicitly within the definition of "trad" I do, like Chatsworth, apply the same criteria to my choices in all areas, i.e. will it physically last, will age increase its beauty (patina, etc.), will anything about it date it in a way that makes it less desirable, and on and on.

Until recently a drove a very old hand-me-down car (a Jeep). One of my televisions is the same one I watched cartoons on when I was a little kid, and I even shave with my grandfather's safety razor. So while many things I own aren't the sort of things you'd find in a center-hall colonial with an Irish setter on the lawn, they'll all be around with me as I age.


----------



## Taken Aback (Aug 3, 2009)

I didn't quite think of old electronics, but that's an interesting line of thought.

I suppose retro turntables, especially those in cabinets, might be a little trad, as I see some show off their vintage vinyl collections here. A vintage television seems more problematic considering the screw terminals, and the need for a converter box. Do you use that TV, or is it mainly a conversation piece? Would an old freestanding tube radio be trad?

As for the kent brushes, I do remember seeing them as a kid, but they weren't for _my_ grubby toddler hands. I suppose old razors are also trad. I think I still have an old passed down sliver TTO razor, but I have been spoiled by Quattro's and Fusions.

I just won't bleed for style. :icon_smile_big:

EDIT: Except my madras, of course.


----------



## swb120 (Aug 9, 2005)

I buy high-quality correspondence cards with my name for thank you notes and general correspondence. The last time I needed some, I bought Brooks Bros. ones (on sale) and have been pleased with their quality.


----------



## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

Taken Aback said:


> I didn't quite think of old electronics, but that's an interesting line of thought.
> 
> A vintage television seems more problematic considering the screw terminals, and the need for a converter box. Do you use that TV, or is it mainly a conversation piece?












Yes, I still use it in my office. Recently when analog signals were shut off I was forced to "upgrade" to a cable box, but it still has the stand that rotates by remote and the DVD module (which replaced the VHS player in the mid 90s). All my AV gear is B&O. It never dies.



Taken Aback said:


> As for the kent brushes, I do remember seeing them as a kid, but they weren't for _my_ grubby toddler hands. I suppose old razors are also trad. I think I still have an old passed down sliver TTO razor, but I have been spoiled by Quattro's and Fusions.
> 
> I just won't bleed for style. :icon_smile_big:


It's funny that you say that. I have very sensitive skin and for almost 20 years now I've hated shaving. I've grown beards from time to time just so I wouldn't have to. It wasn't until I ditched the multi-blade razors and switched to a safety razor that my skin finally calmed down. Now I just use a tube of King of Shaves from Target and some Old Spice aftershave. No bumps, no irritation. Can't explain it, but it seems that the more blades and more expensive the shaving products, the worse off my face is.


----------



## Valkyrie (Aug 27, 2009)

Fountain pens.


----------



## YoungTrad (Jan 29, 2010)

I drive a 10 yr old hand me down Saab from my Dad. I think Saab is or at least was a pretty trad car. I carry a Case knife some, it seems like a trad knife it there is one. 

I also carry a satchel that was my grandfathers. It has his initials, which are also my initials. The passing down of names seems very trad.


----------



## P Hudson (Jul 19, 2008)

From Kent: I have (1) a bristle brush and wooden shaving-soap dish. Adds about 90 seconds to the routine, but I enjoy the activity a lot more than using chemicals from a can; (2) a military round hair brush; (3) tortoise shell comb.

Fountain pens, esp from the 1940s to '60s.

Wood floors, high ceilings and wood/leather non-ensemble furniture in a 1887 terrace house (some people say it reminds them of Charleston, but I've never been there).

In accordance with my vision of Trad as Ivy League, I acquire lots of books, library memberships, etc.

Beyond that, unless I'm forgetting something, it is all about clothes, shoes and accessories. If I had saved some of my money, it might be about a Triumph or Norton motorcycle and/or a small sailboat for nice days on Sydney Harbor.


----------



## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*ftw*

Bingo! The trad way to acquire things is to _not_ purchase them. I've saved many purchases lately by raiding my parents' home instead, scoring archaism frugally.


----------



## Zon Jr. (May 20, 2009)

The only Trad car is a black Volvo wagon with a McGovern bumper sticker.


----------



## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

chatsworth osborne jr. said:


> Bingo! The trad way to acquire things is to _not_ purchase them. I've saved many purchases lately by raiding my parents' home instead, scoring archaism frugally.


+1

(additional words to meet minimum requirement to post)


----------



## YoungTrad (Jan 29, 2010)

chatsworth osborne jr. said:


> Bingo! The trad way to acquire things is to _not_ purchase them. I've saved many purchases lately by raiding my parents' home instead, scoring archaism frugally.


Haha yes acquiring things from my family seems especially trad. I forgot to mention the Case knife was a gift from my other Grandfather. My most trad things that arent clothes have always been given to me, granted I am only 18 and buy few things with the part time job money I do earn.


----------



## Pink and Green (Jul 22, 2009)

Any man who can't acquire a good pen set, watch and pen knife at least doesn't know where his father's junk drawer is. 

Seriously though, these things are those I treasure from my father, because of the intimate connection to him - all things that he bought and used daily. It may sound odd, but make sure you nick a few things here and there, you never know how long your parents will be there.


----------



## Jazzer (Jan 21, 2009)

*Trad Bicycle?*

How about old (circa 1950-'80) 3-speed bicycles?


----------



## P Hudson (Jul 19, 2008)

Jazzer said:


> How about old (circa 1950-'80) 3-speed bicycles?


Well done. I have too many bikes already to add a vintage one, but I like them a lot. Plus they feature in Take Ivy.


----------



## teekayvee (Sep 13, 2008)

Trip English said:


> It's funny that you say that. I have very sensitive skin and for almost 20 years now I've hated shaving. I've grown beards from time to time just so I wouldn't have to. It wasn't until I ditched the multi-blade razors and switched to a safety razor that my skin finally calmed down. Now I just use a tube of King of Shaves from Target and some Old Spice aftershave. No bumps, no irritation. Can't explain it, but it seems that the more blades and more expensive the shaving products, the worse off my face is.


My experience exactly. Very sensitive skin, have hated shaving ever since I had to start some 20 years ago (OK, more like 25) and only a few years ago discovered the joy of safety razors. It's just a much smoother shave and I bleed far less.


----------



## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I am nearing 50 y/o and have only owned four cars.

I buy one new, keep it until it is worthless, then get another. 

Furniture should be bought only once. 

TV should be small or hidden.


----------



## Mr. Mac (Mar 14, 2008)

Zon Jr. said:


> The only Trad car is a black Volvo wagon with a McGovern bumper sticker.


George H.W. Bush drove an old Volvo wagon for years, but I doubt his had the McGovern bumper sticker....:icon_smile:


----------



## Youngster (Jun 5, 2008)

I make trad purchases insofar as a great deal of my non-clothes items are US made, and high quality.


----------



## JCarpenter (Aug 26, 2012)

Traditional automobiles as I've owned them, Old Mercedes, SAAB and Volvo and BMW wagons or coupes. Must be in dark midnight blue or forest green or some not so common colors such as copper/bronze or pale dove gray. Razors should always be drop in safety blade razors with a badger brush and shaving cream bar and cup. I've actually been looking for a safety razor lately like the ones I learned to shave with. Any clues on where there might still be some regular type safety razors? Caswell & Massey or Crabtree & Evelyn still have the shaving bars. Pocket knives are something I began collecting at age 5 while spending time around the same wharf as Eugene O'Neil had done as a boy. Lately all I have is one very old small swiss army combination knife. Still comes in very handy. Sunglasses have always been Persol or Ray Ban. Women should be beautiful, strong, intelligent and athletic and tall, at least mine is. Furniture sourced from New England homes and not from ikea. How I wish I had some artifacts from the homes of my ancestors that have been in the NE since the 1620s. Or even one of the homes, many of which are still standing. JC


----------



## wwilson (Jul 13, 2012)

JCarpenter;Razors should always be drop in safety blade razors with a badger brush and shaving cream bar and cup. I've actually been looking for a safety razor lately like the ones I learned to shave with. Any clues on where there might still be some regular type safety razors? Caswell & Massey or Crabtree & Evelyn still have the shaving bars. JC[/QUOTE said:


> Badger and Blade forums are what brought me here...


----------



## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

JCarpenter said:


> Traditional automobiles as I've owned them, Old Mercedes, SAAB and Volvo and BMW wagons or coupes. Must be in dark midnight blue or forest green or some not so common colors such as copper/bronze or pale dove gray. Razors should always be drop in safety blade razors with a badger brush and shaving cream bar and cup. I've actually been looking for a safety razor lately like the ones I learned to shave with. Any clues on where there might still be some regular type safety razors? Caswell & Massey or Crabtree & Evelyn still have the shaving bars. Pocket knives are something I began collecting at age 5 while spending time around the same wharf as Eugene O'Neil had done as a boy. Lately all I have is one very old small swiss army combination knife. Still comes in very handy. Sunglasses have always been Persol or Ray Ban. Women should be beautiful, strong, intelligent and athletic and tall, at least mine is. Furniture sourced from New England homes and not from ikea. How I wish I had some artifacts from the homes of my ancestors that have been in the NE since the 1620s. Or even one of the homes, many of which are still standing. JC


Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mekur


----------



## halbydurzell (Aug 19, 2012)

Pink and Green said:


> Any man who can't acquire a good pen set, watch and pen knife at least doesn't know where his father's junk drawer is.


Or, as in my case, your father still uses these items on a daily basis and would sooner jab you with his pen knife than loan it out. I attempted to buy him a new pen knife many years ago and the look he gave me when he saw it was this mixture of contempt / confusion / and pity as if to say "what is this thing going to do that this other thing I've used for almost four decades including one war can't?" I didn't get it then. I do now.

+1 on the safety razor / badger brush. Though for me it was less for trad reasons and more for money saving reasons. The soap lasts forver and the blades run $2 for a pack of 5. I will still grab the Mach 3 when I have to dash out of the house. I do use my great uncle's engraved soap stone shaving mug from when he was a barber in Chicago. I took it out of the family's antique cabinet (with premission) and use it for its original, intended purpose. Works amazingly.

Also, for the gentleman with sensitive skin, Lubriderm makes a great post-shave lotion. Stops razor burn and bumps. Game changer.


----------



## my19 (Nov 11, 2009)

wwilson said:


> Badger and Blade forums are what brought me here...


Yes, this is the place to go.

You can certainly buy a new razor -- B&B has a vendor section -- or look to eBay for something vintage. I have a couple of Gillette Superspeed razors that are older than I am, and one from my birth year. And I'm old enough to recall the buzz at school the day after the Beatles performed on Ed Sullivan ...


----------



## jimw (May 4, 2009)

Archaism doesn't always cut it for me; I suppose I'm not quite trad enough to stand on principle alone. 

I admire the aesthetics of vintage safety razors, and respect those who can truly make a case for their benefits - I just don't know if its worth ditching my Mach 3, which has always served me well.

Likewise, I'd love to drive around in '70s era Volvo 145 or ''60s P1800, but my mechanic would tell me that's a fool's game (unless its strictly a Sunday vehicle). My current Volvo is a '98, and its seen better days, to be sure. I'll probably upgrade to a 2004 or 2005, assuming I can afford it.

I love collecting table radios from the '40s and '50s, but know that whether they've been restored or not, they simply won't sound as good as my little Tivoli Model One, and run the risk of burning themselves out.

This may be the subject for a whole new thread, but to what extent does one pursue archaism just to maintain the pricipal of living 'trad', whether practical or not? 

Good discussion,

Jim


----------



## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

I suppose, I fit this bill pretty well. Though I do use a Mach 3, it is to shave a face that I lathered with Truefitt and Hill shave soap out of a wood bowl using a badger brush. I have a stag handled pocket knife in my pocket. I always carry a fountain pen and small leather bound note pad. 

Another to add to the list - When I go dove hunting, I take my great grandfather's 100+ year old shotgun.


----------



## hardline_42 (Jan 20, 2010)

jimw said:


> Archaism doesn't always cut it for me; I suppose I'm not quite trad enough to stand on principle alone.
> 
> I admire the aesthetics of vintage safety razors, and respect those who can truly make a case for their benefits - I just don't know if its worth ditching my Mach 3, which has always served me well.
> 
> ...


I know what you mean. I love driving around in my '93 245, but chasing down all the niggling issues of a 20-year old vehicle is not fun. I currently have a pair of motor mounts, three u-joints and a center bearing and support all waiting for me to install this weekend, and it gets a bit old. However, one could argue that some of these older, well-built and long-since paid-off vehicles are worth the work to keep them running. That getting your knuckles scraped is part of the "zen" much like waxing a Barbour jacket or polishing shoes.

I suppose everyone has their "sweet-spot." I have no issues using a DE safety razor on weekdays. I reserve the straight for weekends. I have no problems keeping my teeth clean with a toothbrush designed by a 40's era dentist along with unwaxed floss and disclosing tablets. Others might be lost without their Sonicares.


----------



## dcjacobson (Jun 25, 2007)

> Any clues on where there might still be some regular type safety razors?


eBay. Search for "Gillette safety razor." Usually a large number are available.

Good luck,
Don


----------



## Uncle Bill (May 4, 2010)

I'm a photography geek and shoot with the following:


Nikon F by Bill Smith1, on Flickr


My Rolleiflex by Bill Smith1, on Flickr


Leica M4-2 by Bill Smith1, on Flickr

I think the youngest camera I own is an 18 year old Nikon N90s.


----------



## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

jimw said:


> Archaism doesn't always cut it for me; I suppose I'm not quite trad enough to stand on principle alone.
> 
> I admire the aesthetics of vintage safety razors, and respect those who can truly make a case for their benefits - I just don't know if its worth ditching my Mach 3, which has always served me well.
> 
> ...


Archaism is a potentially fruitful fact of life. However, LOL, a sad reality in my life is that I'm the old b*****d the youngins are coming back to plunder!  But hey, paybacks are trad, as well....I'll keep pumping those grand kids full of sugar, just before sending them back to mom and dad! :icon_smile_wink:


----------



## Old Tartan (Oct 4, 2012)

I still carry a pen knife with me everywhere.

It's subtle, though, more an attitude and outlook than a set of certitudes. In the 60s all I had for school were fountain pens, but if you've seen me since the 80s the pen I'm most likely to be holding will be a cheap, white-staffed Bic. And yet there is an 'air' I think of ... something, not exactly 'elegance' nor 'eccentricity' and not _specifically_ 'old fashioned'; it's what you call Trad.


----------



## Old Tartan (Oct 4, 2012)

Uncle Bill said:


> I'm a photography geek and shoot with the following:


Those are handsome cameras, Bill. And the digital Leica shows that Trad is still active and alive ... if only for the connoisseur. Would probably enjoy your photography if you care to share it.


----------



## caravan70 (Mar 18, 2010)

+1 on the safety razors. I have three that I use in rotation - a 1930's comb guard Gillette, a late 1940s Gold Tech, and a Gillette from my birth year. All three work like champs, and since I get Israeli Personnas in bulk from West Coast Shaving, the whole routine costs me a lot less than were I to buy Mach III blades or similar.

Stereo equipment - well, I'm still using a 1977-8 Pioneer receiver in the living room, and a nice Dual turntable. There's a CD player hooked into the Pioneer, but it's so much more pleasurable to stick an LP or 45 on than a thin plastic disc.

As for other "trad" items - too many to list. I still use my great-grandfather's shaving mug daily, my shelves are filled with 50s jazz LPs, and there are thousands of books here. Paper copies of the NYT and WSJ arrive every day on the stoop. My girlfriend accuses me often of living in the past - but I always counter that I'm simply bringing the traditions of yesteryear into the present.  Nothing wrong with that, I don't think?


----------



## godan (Feb 10, 2010)

JCarpenter said:


> Any clues on where there might still be some regular type safety razors? JC


I have a couple of Gillette Fatboys and a Hoffritz, all in fine shape, that I would let go here for whatever is less than their average price on Ebay. PM me if interested.


----------



## CM Wolff (Jun 7, 2006)

Definitely into "trad" shaving and grooming. I prefer (and collect) colognes, aftershaves, and other products from the traditional English houses - e.g. Trumper, Taylor of Old Bond Street, DR Harris, Truefitt & Hill, Penhaligons, and Floris. Anytime I am travelling, I first check for traditional clothing shops for men, and after that, whatever apothecaries are in the area.


----------



## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

Jazzer said:


> How about old (circa 1950-'80) 3-speed bicycles?


Beautiful!!

I love trad bicycles. 









https://www.flying-pigeon.eu/historia.htm
On July 5th, 1950, the first Flying Pigeon bicycle was produced. It was the brainchild of a worker named Huo Baoji. *He based his classic model on the 1932 English Raleigh roadster.*


----------



## rl1856 (Jun 7, 2005)

All the time. 

I use the following on a daily basis:

Badger shaving brush
Williams shaving soap
(Gillette Mach 3 razor because to me it is a genuine improvement)
Restored Schaeffer Fountain Pen
Omega wind up watch
Yellow lined legal pads

Almost daily:

Linn LP12 turntable...abt 20yrs old
mix and match among several restored vintage tube amplifiers
Several thousand LPs

I used a newly restored Fisher 400 tube receiver during the summer in our vacation house. The serial # dated the unit to within a few months of my birth. 

in automobiles, we are on our second Jeep Cherokee, our second MB wagon. My daily vehicle is a 2000 GMC Denali with 204k miles....

my moto is 250 or bust!

I prefer hardcover bookstore e-readers and well used antiques to anything in the Crate and Barrel catalog. 

Best, Ross


----------



## Uncle Bill (May 4, 2010)

My dad's Leica M3 which I just had overhauled and I shoot with on a regular basis:


Leica M3, 50 f2 Summicron and 90 Elmar by Bill Smith1, on Flickr

and I got one of these too: 

My Rolleiflex by Bill Smith1, on Flickr

My car is a 2001 VW Golf and I run with a Macbook Pro and iPhone 4.

I'm into wet shaving with a safety razor and brush with shaving soap, oddly enough I prefer modern safety razors from Edwin Jagger to my my 45 year old Gillette Slim Adjustable.


----------



## Red Tractors (Jan 9, 2011)

I guess my answer would be yes.....

I tried "Safety razors" a couple times, I have several vintage Gillette's I picked up and very carefully cleaned. But after looking like I lost a fight with a string trimmer a few times I gave up and went back to the Sensor my folks bought me for Christmas in '89.

I have/had various vintage Releigh's / Hercules' and a couple of American Columbia's. A vintage Raleigh Sports, Columbia tourist-III or Schwinn Collegiate (In that order) is a far better solution than any Flying Pigeon (No offense to any Pigeon fans).

I love the old cameras, I still shoot with a Pentax K1000, my first SLR was a Minolta X370. Anyone after a cool old camera for short money would do well to pick up an Argus C3 (Don't pay more than $10!) No a Leica by any reach, but they made them basically unchanged from 1939 into the mid 60's!

Trad tools are always better, we made some awesome stuff in the golden era, any time you pick up a vintage Stanley-Bailey #5 (My preferences is for a type 9 from the 1909-1912 era) you know you have something built to be used.


----------



## Jack1425 (Sep 19, 2008)

I found my self amongst the happiest of men this August past!! The bride picked up this custom made set for me while at her families lake home just outside of Lake George.. The gift was to honor our 12th anniversary.. And yes, I certainly do use it often!


----------



## linklaw (Aug 1, 2007)

Yes. I drive a Trad Morgan, a 4/4. Also use fountain pens daily as well as 1959 Gillette adjustable that my father gave me when he quit using it in around 1977.


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

I have a Beagle and a Maine ****. Those are pretty trad pets, right?

My house is also filled with antiques and oriental rugs, but that is more of a factor of my wife working at her family's auction house.


----------



## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

I have a House account at a 175 year old restaurant... I suppose every dinner that I eat there, where they just send the bill to my house in the mail would be a trad purchase. On a similar note, my club dues, though not purchases, are pretty trad, right?


----------



## blue suede shoes (Mar 22, 2010)

L-feld said:


> I have a Beagle and a Maine ****. Those are pretty trad pets, right?
> 
> My house is also filled with antiques and oriental rugs, but that is more of a factor of my wife working at her family's auction house.


I didn't know there was such a thing as a Trad cat. My Maine **** is smarter than most people that I've met, and quite a hardy animal; its had a couple of standoffs with a neighborhood fox.

I've had a few Trad cars, a Volvo, a Saab, an Audi, and a BMW. I've always had a Dodge pickup truck (I'm on my third); maybe that could be considered "Farmer Trad".


----------



## L-feld (Dec 3, 2011)

blue suede shoes said:


> I didn't know there was such a thing as a Trad cat. My Maine **** is smarter than most people that I've met, and quite a hardy animal; its had a couple of standoffs with a neighborhood fox.


Hahaha, they're tough little buggers. Mine is almost 30 lbs. and chases our dog as much as the dog chases him.

I think Maine ***** could qualify as trad, if any cat could. They are native to New England, low maintenance, long lasting, have a water-resistant coat, like to hunt. Sounds pretty trad to me.


----------



## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

I bought the soul of a street urchin from a gypsy.


----------



## caravan70 (Mar 18, 2010)

Very nice... sort of like getting the Peter Luger's credit card if you live in NYC. New Orleans, as everyone knows, has amazing restaurants... I think about a lot of them frequently (particularly Galatoire's, for some reason... might have been the amazing cafe brulot....  )



rwaldron said:


> I have a House account at a 175 year old restaurant... I suppose every dinner that I eat there, where they just send the bill to my house in the mail would be a trad purchase. On a similar note, my club dues, though not purchases, are pretty trad, right?


----------



## rwaldron (Jun 22, 2012)

caravan70 said:


> Very nice... sort of like getting the Peter Luger's credit card if you live in NYC. New Orleans, as everyone knows, has amazing restaurants... I think about a lot of them frequently (particularly Galatoire's, for some reason... might have been the amazing cafe brulot....  )


I don't have a Galatoire's account (just the aforementioned Antoine's one), but I think that my father-in-law might. He still has his Perlis account, also.


----------



## KJD89 (Aug 10, 2011)

MikeDT said:


> Beautiful!!
> 
> I love trad bicycles.
> 
> ...


I recently purchased this bicycle, and though it's not the most trad (and the grips & seat are black as well), it's better than all that forward leaning junk that would dirty up my pant cuffs. 3 speed, too!


----------



## filfoster (Aug 23, 2011)

1985 Volvo 240 DL sedan. Well, I didn't buy it. I inherited it from my 93 year old mother who bought it originally. Inheritance, now that's Trad isn't it?


----------



## MikeDT (Aug 22, 2009)

KJD89 said:


> I recently purchased this bicycle, and though it's not the most trad (and the grips & seat are black as well), it's better than all that forward leaning junk that would dirty up my pant cuffs. 3 speed, too!


I see it comes with the mandatory carrier as well, nice.

Although I think the carrier should really be fitted at the rear, so your girlfriend or wife can sit side-saddle in the traditional manner. Plus it makes the handling so much easier as well if she's sat at the rear, than if she's sat above the front wheel.

Having a rear carrier rather than front is also much better for load balancing as well with your trad bicycle.


----------



## Bermuda (Aug 16, 2009)

Field and Stream watch with leather wristband. Old wine leather briefcase in the family for around 25 years and that I use for teaching. I have a USA Bicentennial dresser. Other antique furniture. LL Bean rug. Used to drive a GMC truck then a Chevy truck


----------



## Intrepid (Feb 20, 2005)

This thread, and the wealth if information in AAAT is hugely helpful, in seeing what goes through the mind of kindred spirits.

The end result seems to be that it is good to take a little from here and there, but to build your own brand, or "image".

RL doesn't sell clothing, but an image. He has done a masterful job of it, but nothing that each participant here can't do to reflect his own taste.

Maybe it could be said that creating a reflection of values in "understated elegance" might work.

Some choices may involve taking a contrarian view. IE an LLB polo shirt, sans logo. When it is home buying time, not following the crowd to the newest additions, with the fancy fixtures, but buying a more modest, older home, as close as possible to the oldest country club in town. etc.

The guy that started AAAT, maybe 10 years ago, had the user name "Harris". In reading his posts over a number of years, my guess is that he created his own unique brand. A little of this and that, but the end product involved the fact that he spent a fair amount of time figuring out how to appear that he spent no time on the matter. Once he figured out who he was, it is easy to put it on auto pilot. 100% the real deal, nothing phony.


----------



## CSG (Nov 22, 2011)

I like to think my 2002 Lexus Land Cruiser is "trad". It certainly would be considered so in Ketchum. But even more trad for the crowd there are nicely restored Jeep Grand Wagoneers. I bought the LLC when it was seven years old and assume I'll keep it for a few more years as it only has about 100k miles on it now.

Most of my furnishings are older but very little inherited. My house was built in 1909. My watches are getting older with the oldest I wear regularly from 1956. I have some nice fountain pens but rarely use them for much other than a brief note. I shave with DE razors, silver badger bushes, and a variety of English shaving creams.


----------



## Duvel (Mar 16, 2014)

Awesome! I have an old functioning NikonF, too, and an Nikkormat. I use them for my "art" photography.



Uncle Bill said:


> I'm a photography geek and shoot with the following:
> 
> 
> Nikon F by Bill Smith1, on Flickr
> ...


----------



## Duvel (Mar 16, 2014)

Other old stuff I use or buy (I don't know if it's trad or not, whatever that means):

Records (LPs). I never stopped buying them, even when CDs came along. 
This means, of course, that I still have a turntable, a nice Technics SL1200. I use a Yamaha CR620 receiver and a pair of large Advents, stuff I purchased in the late 1970s and have refurbished a couple of times to keep them going. 
Parker jotter ballpoint pens.
Moleskine notebooks.
Real books, paperback and hardcover.
Our house was built in the 1920s.


----------



## ROI (Aug 1, 2004)

Any category of objects that can be distinguished by style probably has a subset that's associated with trad. I know, you're thinking, What is the trad-est Chinese food? But, as the examples already posted demonstrate, you can differentiate between trad and non-trad cars in the parking lot, tradder and less trad cameras, and so on. AS RL and the marketers of trad would say, there's a trad lifestyle. That realization is what prompted RL to expand his domain from clothing to bed linens, furniture, bar ware, and paint (trad colors!).


----------

