Last weekend, Jake Armerding was scheduled to perform songs from his new album, Cosmos in the Chaos, at Club Passim in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Tickets sold out before the show, but storm Nemo had other plans (chaos, namely). Even though the concert was canceled, we didn’t let it stop us from getting to know Armerding a […]

We sure could have used these last week with Nemo swirling around Manhattan, but thankfully we have discovered these gems for future blizzard blasts and ski getaways. Gotti Switzerland is a rather fashionable line of eyewear known for their ‘wearable art’ manufactured in Japan, Germany and Austria using lightweight titanium materials. So it was great […]

Looking to shave a little cash from your grooming routine? Then take your blade and slide it across this canny little device. Doing just that made my supped up 4 blade razor last from May 2012 clear through January. That’s 8 months without dropping so much as a penny on a razor blade. And really, […]

Adding to the amazingly rich and varied tradition of men’s stores in Chicago is Zaharoff.  Located on Oak Street, a powerful street with the finest specialty boutiques, is the flagship location for the brand.  Internationally renowned architect, Jordan Mozer, helped to transform the 6,000 square foot space to realize Zaharoff’s vision for a warm and […]

With unclear route signage, ghastly road conditions, lack of cell phone signal and sheer isolation combined with acute altitude sickness and solar radiation, the placid terrain surrounding the Chilean town of San Pedro de Atacama is more threatening than it appears. The small 15th century mining settlement lies 7,900 feet above sea level and is […]

Let’s get real here for a second (no pun intended) – everyone is attached to their phones these days. To put it simply: smart phones are addictive. Once you see someone looking at their phone, it becomes infectious. And, we here at The Manual are certainly not immune to this ‘disorder.’ But, there are those […]

Sometimes you have to take a look at the past in order to create a device for the future. That’s what Timothy Hill did when he conceived the design of the two horn speakers, two bass speakers and an integrated sound amplifier that make up the Ferguson Hill FH009 Home Theatre System. Fed up with […]

We love the idea behind every day carry kits, but finding the right balance between compact and useful is often easier said than done. Most guys turn to multitools, but if you’ve ever carried one of those things, you’ve probably found that they’re filled with unnecessary tools that never get used. And then there’s the […]

Have you ever been sitting in a hot tub and said, “Man, I’d love to be on a boat right now?” Or, maybe you said something like, “I’d kill to be in a hot tub right now,” while you were on a boat? Well, the geniuses over at Hot Tub Boats have put their brains […]

Ten years ago men were just wearing whatever was in the closet and heading out the door. Then they heard about someone called a tailor and custom suits became all the rage. Now these tailors are taking us full circle and coming out with ready to wear. We saw Hardy Amies at Bloomingdale’s and now […]

In an era where seasonal cooking and farmer’s market ingredients have become the new normal, we’re always looking for expert advice on how to fully utilize each season’s magnificent bounty. So when we caught wind of IN SEASON: More Than 150 Fresh and Simple Recipes from New York Magazine Inspired by Farmers’ Market Ingredients, we immediately […]

“They are treated like a pickle, only they are different,” Carla Squires says with a quick laugh. She’s referring to the pickles her family has been making for decades in Wilkes County, N.C., but instead of cucumbers they use new bamboo shoots to create rings of tart, crisp pickles. “They can be addictive,” says Squires. […]

Not to sound selfish, but wouldn’t it be nice to give a Valentine’s Day gift you can enjoy as well? Forget about chocolate and flowers this year because what your lady wants is something you can appreciate just as much as her. When it comes to lingerie, women can’t get enough, especially now that wearing […]