+ PICS OF RANDOM NON IH ITEMS/ ACCESSOIRES/ FUN STUFF +
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great topic idea
here's mine to weigh in . . . a laguiole corkscrew
bought it in Brussels almost exactly 14 years ago in a little shop that I stumbled upon that sold knives, pipes, tobacco etc - i think it was about 7000 fr. it's been to just about every part of the world and has opened so much wine, i'm getting pissed just thinking about it
i think it is a truly beautiful item - the balance is perfect, the foil cutter just doesn't get blunt and the screw is a double helix which means it won't fail on any cork (and it hasn't)
it's made from pearwood which has developed a lovely patina from being continuously used, and the rest of the hardware is 440 steel. i even love the little wallet it came with - especially the big snaps with their bee logo
many consider this to be the finest corkscrew available and every year laguiole make a version of this to the specification of the world sommelier winner that year and name it after him
love it so much, i recently bought a second . . . just in case
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ha '97! - never picked up on that fact
i was over with my a mate just to get away from the women-folk who had been driving us crazy by blowing out our paypal accounts and all that kind of stuff women do
stayed at the Conrad up on Av. Louise - v. nice . . . and basically ate and drank ourselves to a standstill - buying the corkscrew was during one of the few lucid moments
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Geo - love the corkscrew, am going to start looking at Laguiole (further abuse of G's PayPal account?)
Here is something G and I both love: sorry the photo doesn't do it justice, and anyway although it's a very pleasant, pretty oil painting it's not fantastically beautiful or technically accomplished, but the reason we cherish it is because it's a portrait of Giles's Mum's Mum (maternal Grandmother), painted by Giles's Dad's Mum (paternal Grandmother). Both sets of grandparents were friends before their kids got together. Giles's family - especially on his Mum's side - are all tall and slim and elegant - I do so envy the lovely, long limbs of the attractive young woman in the painting. And Granny Padmore was actually very talented (she exhibited at the RA) and we have a number of paintings as do other family members. We think this was painted late 1940s or early 1950s. A treasured piece of family history.
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i think you'll really appreciate the laguiole brand Mrs G - they do a kind of high street line, but without wanting to sound too grandiose, i wouldn't bother about it . . . the mainline is where the heritage and craftsmanship lies (especially when it's on some other account)
as for the painting - i think you could easily be a bit more generous . . . I think it is quite lovely and really conveys the elegance you describe
but the most wonderful thing is the whole provenance - amazing
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Why, thank you both Seul and Geo. I love rainy Sundays - great excuse to sit in front of roaring fire with MacBook on lap and glass of wine on the side, whiling away the hours!
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New'un… Mont Blanc 'Noblesse' roller. Used to have the fountain pen version, just wanted a roller as it's easier at work... Sometimes when I hand my Dupont fountain over to people to sign something, they SMACK it into the papers... Always makes me cringe... So yeah: roller... It's silver and I know by experience that it will get really dirty really soon - can't wait!..
I got it cheap cause the MB signature top is missing (last pic), but I knocked 30 € off the price and my local shop will send it to MB to fix it (which will cost 40-50 €, just for the top - expensive bastards!).
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I thought about putting a picture of my wife up, she's been with me a long time but I thought something a little more practical would be appropriate
My hole punch, been with me 31 years and still going strong !
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my mami's sewing machine given to her by my granny:
she's a beauty
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button holer
