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 8 well made things

  • Hario v60 02, drip coffee maker - I got this for my wife after listening to an episode of Thoroughly Considered podcast. In the first year of the pandemic I spent an inordinate amount of time trying different ways to make coffee. Turns out this pour-over makes the best cup of coffee. Interestingly you can even be seen being used by Hayao Miyazaki as he starts his day in the film 10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki.
  • Analogue Pocket modern video game nostalgia has never looked so good, or felt so nice in my hands. I love the ability to play classic Gameboy and Game Gear games, and that it has the ability to do emulation.
  • Ricoh GR camera I love my little GR III camera. They have become hard to come by in recent years while I was deliberating if I should go for it. They were always in short supply and selling out on places like B&H photo, or Adorama. But I had success ordering mine directly from Ricoh, and I really love the photos it produces.
  • Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Water Bottle (with a better lid) - is great for staying hydrated which is so important 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 made from plastic so more affordable), this brass version looks great and the added weight feels incredible to hold. The brass develops a nice patina over time, and writes beautifully. It's a great durable portable pen that will last forever. You can pick one up at JetPens here.
  • Swiss Army Knife (either the Super Tinker or the Rambler version) - 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 in fact the first Swiss Army Knife used by Macgyver. But more importantly for me I discovered it was the one my brother also used when I noticed his in my neice's workshop. One detail that 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 in the smaller keychain size 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 sometimes slightly impractical uses in construction.
  • 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.

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.

* More of my technology recommendations can be found here.