Gear for Guys: Bow Tie Edition

Christmas is this week! Many of you, like me, are still working hard this week. However, despite working hard, you can still have some Christmas Cheer.

Here's the tie I am wearing today, courtesy of Bird Dog Bay. The material is the perfect thickness for a tie. It ties easily, yet isn't too floppy, so it maintains a nice crisp bow.

Mine is a shotgun shell print. Their line of ties would make a great gift for any well-dressed man in your life. Bird Dog Bay has the Permanent Press™ seal of approval.

Short Suits: DO NOT Do This - Be A Man And Wear Some Damn Pants

The suit

Fellas: bring it in, and take a knee.

Do not. I repeat, do not do this. No one wants to see you do this. There is no reason to ever wear a "short suit".

Apparently, Business Insider says these are "going mainstream". It seems that J. Crew, Asos, and Barneys are pushing this horrible idea. According to J. Crew's description you're "almost guaranteed to win the battle for best-dressed at nearly every summer occasion."

Look, the only thing you're "almost guaranteed" is that you're almost guaranteed that you'll never procreate with a woman if you wear this.

Don't give me: But Bryan, it's hot outside...Suck it up. You're a man. Wear pants like a man. If you have to wear a suit in the summer someplace hot like Columbia, wear it like a man. Wear some linen, wear some seersucker, wear any lightweight fabric you like, but for goodness sake - wear some damn pants.

Gear for Guys: Filson's Sportsman Bag

If you're like me, you have stuff that you need to take places. Whether it's going shooting for the day, going to the mountains for a weekend, or just throwing all your kids' stuff into a bag for a trip to the zoo, you need a bag.

You need a bag that can hold all your stuff and keep it organized. You need a bag that isn't going to rip, tear, or give out. Personally, I hate wimpy zippers, so one of my requirements is a bag with zippers that don't suck. Oh, and if the bag could have a little style, that might be nice, right?

So what kind of bag fits this description? Answer and review below the jump.

The Hog Splitter - Ultimate BBQ Weapon

In addition to blogging here, I also blog for Fig Columbia from time to time. If you didn't already know, Fig is a magazine that is geared towards local events and happenings in Columbia. If you're interested in the latest and greatest in Columbia, you might want to give Fig a look.

Anyway, since I'm one of their bloggers, they were kind enough to invite me to their party celebrating the release of their Spring Magazine. I had a chance to meet Reed Moore, who is the cover story of the Spring Magazine.

Reed is the owner/operator of Red Forgeworks, which is a blacksmith shop in Timmonsville, SC. Reed makes wonderful knives in an old-world style way - by hand. The knives are so impressive, Reed has started to earn some serious accolades. Just recently, he won the Garden & Gun - Made in the South "Outdoors Category" for his knives.

I was browsing his website, and although I haven't actually held one of his knives in my hand, I thought I would toss out a recommendation. One of the coolest things on his website is the "Hog Splitter".

I love the description: "This knife is basically a cross between a cleaver and a sledge hammer." I mean, who doesn't sometimes need both a cleaver and a sledgehammer? Seems like something that a movie villain would have in one of those classic slasher movies.

The Hog Splitter. Get it for the guy who does whole-hog BBQ...or someone who's looking to get into the slasher-villain industry.

Gear for Guys: Christmas Gifts for the Southern Man

For the most part, we guys are easy to shop for. We tend to have hobbies of one sort or another that make for easy gift giving. However, if you have a guy on your Christmas List and are struggling to come up with something, Permanent Press is here to help. All of these gifts are Permanent Press Lifestyle™ approved.

For the Sportsman/Hunter: If you're looking for a gift for a shooter/hunter, you're in luck. There are endless accessories for the Southern Sportsman. Even if this guy already has a pocket-knife or a flashlight, he could always use another. For pocket-knives, I recommend Benchmade. For flashlights, I recommend Mag-Lights.

Also, this guy is always going to need ammunition. You literally can never have enough. So if you're looking for a cheap stocking stuffer, a box or two of ammo will be a big hit. If you don't know what kind to get, look and see what he already has in his gun safe. You can buy it online, and it will ship right to your door. My favorite online ammo retailer is Lucky Gunner, but there are plenty out there.

For the Well-Dressed Gentleman: If the Southern guy in your life dresses up during the workweek, there are accessories he might need. For instance, every guy needs a good shoe-shine kit, but it's not something that we would normally buy for ourselves. Allen Edmonds has a nice kit, but there are plenty of others out there. Don't buy this guy another tie or more cufflinks.

For the College Sports Fan: If the Southern man on your list is a college sports fan (and he likely is) then you can get him something to show his team spirit in the fall. If he's an SEC sports fan, there's always this awesome koozie. But even if he isn't an SEC fan, this link should still probably have you covered.

For the Guy Who Likes a Drink: If the Southern man on your Christmas list is over 21 and enjoys a nice cocktail, bourbon is always a nice gift. Belle Meade Bourbon is an easy-drinking boubon with a smooth finish. It also has a little bit of a horse-racing history, so it would be an appropriate drink this spring when the horse racing gets into full swing.

There you have it. If you have any other ideas, I'd be interested to hear them. Hope this little holiday guide helps!

Gear for Guys: Timex Weekender

In our continuing "Gear for Guys" theme, it's time to talk about time. And by that, I mean keeping time. I know, most of y'all keep time on your newfangled iPhones these days. That's great and all, but there's no replacing a solid wristwatch.

This device does not need to be recharged at the end of the day.

Sometimes you go places where you're not going to take your iPhone. Gasp! Yeah, seriously.

You may not want to take your iPhone to the beach, or out on the water, or out on that quail hunt. Your watch isn't going to run out of battery power at the end of the day if you spend all day checking your Tweets. Your watch isn't going to drop out of your hand and crack into a million pieces. Heck, sometimes a quick glance at your wrist is easier and faster than pulling your iPhone out of your pocket, and turning the screen on.

Also, taking your cell phone out of your pocket is easily noticeable, whereas you can much more discreetly glance at your watch. In certain social situations, that can be a big benefit. Guys, you know what I'm talking about.

Accordingly, Permanent Press recommends the Timex Weekender. At $31.96 on Amazon, it's not going to break the bank like a Rolex or an Omega, so you can give it to your 10 year old kid and not worry about what happens to it very much.

Basically, it's a simple and effective way to keep time. It's got a good light for nighttime use, and it even has the military time numbers if you're bad at math.

When you're heading out for the weekend, it's pretty much going to fit in for anything you do unless you're going to the Academy Awards or a State Dinner. Heck, I'd probably wear it to those events, myself, but that's just me. Also, if you're a really fashionable person and you want to change the look of this watch, you can buy different bands for it to suit your needs. I just happen to like this single stripe look, but you can get leather bands, rainbow bands, solid colors...really anything.

In any event, maybe it's time you got a watch.
 

Gear for Guys: Allen Edmonds Dalton Boots from Granger Owings

Gentlemen: Fall is here. That means it's time to put the flip-flops up. I'm looking at you, Charleston. Just for a few months, anyway. The weather is cooling down, but that doesn't mean everyone is running inside.

On the contrary, the fall brings people outdoors. There's Oktoberfest events, oyster roasts, outdoor fires with friends, shooting events, football tailgates, etc. Just because Columbia stops being "Famously Hot" doesn't mean it cools off.

Accordingly, you're going to need some footwear. Now, if you're a guy like me, you hate something that  you can only use for only one thing, but nothing else (single use items). That's where I'm here to show you the best thing for your fall closet. It's comfortable enough to go with jeans and a sweater by the fire, it's tough enough to go with your shooting jacket in the brush, and it's classy enough to go with your suit on Monday morning. Also, as an added bonus for you single guys, it's going to wow the ladies.

Intrigued? Even better, you can get it right here in Columbia. Click below to see the rest below the jump and be amazed.

Gear for Guys - A Man's Vehicle

In the context of "Gear for Guys" which I started with some cool boatshoes awhile back and then followed up with a gentleman's knife, I've decided to move to the vehicle that a man needs.

A man needs a car. It gets you from place to place, and it brings all your gear with you. I've picked this particular vehicle for the Southern Man who needs a vehicle that he can put his gear in, go anywhere, take his dog with him (and not worry about the upholstery), and it also looks great. Answer below the jump.