Jonathan Huffman

Well Made Things

Posted: May 12, 2025

Over time I have developed an appreciation for well-made things. I research a lot before I purchase most things. My brother having been a mechanic earlier in life, and generally being great at working with his hands, appreciated gear that was made to last, and was always recommending good quality gear. My dad who cared about making the most of every hard-earned dollar, was a lifetime subscriber to Consumer Reports. And so from both of them I've learned an appreciation for well-made tools.

I like to read other people's lists of well made things, such as this one. And after hearing about Jony Ive's list of his favorite 12 things, and hearing designers CWandT who have their own list of great things) and others describe their favorite products on the podcast Thoroughly Considered, I felt inspired to create my own list of well-made things.

Requirements for this list:

  • “Buy It For Life” (BIFL) they must be long lasting
  • They have to be a good value
  • And they have to be easily replaced

My top 7 things

  • Hario v60 02, drip coffee maker - I got this for my wife after listening to an episode of Thoroughly Considered. Over the course of the pandemic I spent an inordinate amount of time trying different ways to make coffee. Turns out this pour-over is makes coffee the best, and it can be seen being used by Hayao Miyazaki as he starts his day in the film 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki.
  • Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Water Bottle (with a better lid) - staying hydrated is so imporant for your health. This nearly indestructible bottle is made better with this much better lid.
  • Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen - same dimensions as the Classic Sport (which is more affordable), this brass version looks great and the added weight feels incredible to hold. The brass develops a beautiful patina over time, and writes beautifully. You can pick one up at JetPens here.
  • Swiss Army Knife (the Super Tinker or the Rambler) - there are many configurations of the famous Swiss Army Knife, but there are just 2 that I appreciate the most: the Super Tinker and the Rambler I think are the most useful of the many Swiss Army Knives available. The Super Tinker is the first Swiss Army Knife used by Macgyver. But more importantly I discovered it was the one my brother also used. What sets it apart is a philips screw driver where typically you would find a corkscrew (personally, I find the philips screw driver a lot more useful than a corkscrew). The Rambler is a smaller size and so it is great on a keychain; and it also features a little philips screw driver.
  • Swanson 7-inch Speed Square - This is the tool I always wanted in my tool belt when I was doing any construction. It is so versatile, marking boards, vinyl siding, scoring shingles with a utility knife. In a pinch it works as a prybar or hammer, even a straight edge when scoring vinyl tile. It has so many practical and impracticle uses.
  • Oster Classic 76 hair clippers - The hair clippers my dad used most often to cut many heads of hair as an old-school barber, including mine. It's a workhorse of a pair of clippers. With proper care will last a lifetime. Find one here.
  • The Code Keyboard - you can go on an endless quest looking for the best mechanical keyboard. This one is made in partnership with Jeff Atwood and WASD keyboards is simple and requires no software to work. I like the dip switches to easily switch between keyboard layouts for Windows or Mac. I also like the cherry brown keys, but they come in all the classic cherry key configurations. Learn more here.

Other well made and useful things

  • Yeti Tumbler - staying hydrated is so important. The tumbler from Yeti does a great job of keeping drinks hot or cold. I keep mine refilled with water all day. ###
  • IKEA tote bag so durable and suitable for toting nearly anything. For years when I rented an apartment without a washing machine, these tote bags were my go-to for carrying large amounts laundry down the street to the laundry mat.
  • Standard Milk Crate the original design made of high quality plastic is meant to be a durable and stackable storage solution.
  • Logan stacking coffee mugs from Crate and Barrel - one of my favorite wedding gifts.

Stationary/Pens/Pencils/Office/School

  • Pencils, the best ones I've used: Mitsu-Bishi 9850 HB, and Test Scoring 100 by Musgrave Pencil Company
  • Machine Era original brass - this pen will last forever. Pretty much any refill will work. It's designed for the Pilot G2 refill, but I prefer the Signo SX7 being a lefty, I just use scissors to cut about 2mm off the back of the refill. Sadly as of this writing this incredible pen is not available.
  • Field Notes Pocket Notebooks. The perfect size when you're on the go and need to take a quick note. I like the dot grid, and these graph ruled ones.
  • Jansport Right Pack - The Right Pack is an overall champ in backpacks. It features a durable suede bottom that looks classic.
  • Swingline 747 Stapler solid diecast steel construction. There is a reason this missing stapler caused Milton to finally set fire to Initech.

Electronics

  • Sony MDR-7506 studio headphones excellent sound quality, comfortable for long sessions listening to your favorite music.
  • Samsung Galaxy Convoy the last dumb phone I used was my favorite. I liked it so much I convinced my dad to get one too. One online review from a mom who described her teenage son driving over the phone with his car really sold me. I could even play Sonic the Hedgehog and Tetris on it while waiting for my clothes to dry at the laundry mat.
  • Any Nintendo video game console (such as the Nintendo Switch). Nintendo reliably creates video games systems and experiences that satisfy and delight. Maybe they don't have the most horsepower under the case, or the most pixels on the screen. What they may lack in horsepower they make up with a history of thoughtful game design.