Man Made DIY

Some of the most frequent kinds of questions ManMade receives are inquiries like, "I just graduated college and finally have a real income and I'd like to start investing in some long-lasting goods..." or "my fiancée's birthday is coming up, and I'd like to buy him something every guy should have..." In 2013, I've been giving my take on those essential items, offering a new collection of ten each season: winter, spring, summer, and fall.  Some of these you might already own, some of these you might need to upgrade to a quality version, and most of these apply to women and households too. Please let me know what you think, and what you'd add or take away in the comments below.… read more

There comes a time in every man's life when, offering a rum and coke to your guests simply doesn't cut it. You may be able to fake your bar knowledge with a few recipes from Google, but that can only last so long. Like a scout needs a map to wander the world , a true modern connoisseur needs some solid cocktail books to guide his journey.

This roundup will take your bar skills to a whole 'notha level. Let's get… read more

Look - I'm not implying I only have fifteen things in my kitchen. I love to cook, to the point that I ask for new tools and gadgets for Christmas and birthday presents. But, I also cook three meals a day at home, and for 90% of them, it's with the same basic handful of utensils and… read more

Those of you in the financial or business sector have got this covered, but for those who don't wear one to work everyday, it doesn't make sense to have a closet full of suits if you only wear one five or six times a year. So, here are some quick tips for the rest of us - the recent college grad, the artist, the programmers - on buying one suit and dressing it up and down to wear it multiple ways.… read more

I mentioned last week that I'd traveled to my hometown for my grandmother's funeral, and to help begin the process of cleaning and organizing her home where she'd lived for the last fifty-two years. I found all sorts of interesting stuff (more to come soon), most of which was still as functional as when my grandparents bought it decades ago, with only a bit of dust or rust to show.

So, when I stumbled across this old booklet in a filing cabinet, I was particularly drawn to the quote on the back, which begins, "It's unwise to pay too much...but it it's worse to pay too… read more