Time Piece - Product Review: EARTH Wood Goods Watch

Let's get down to Earth for a minute. A while back I posted a review of a watch that I own and now I've acquired a second watch by the same manufacturer, EARTH Wood Goods, so I thought I would offer a more in-depth review of this fine timepiece. The company's website, http://earthwoodgoods.com, shows the vast array of beautiful products that they offer, from watches to sunglasses to bags and wallets made from cork and these products all exhibit honestly incredible craftsmanship and they are all made from sustainable materials. This particular watch that I'll be discussing is the Earth Ew1205 Rhizomes Watch.

I've been wearing this watch for nearly a month now and have gotten many compliments on it. Friends and strangers both remark and comment positively on this watch; it's a hit. Indeed, it is quite a beautiful timepiece, and I've happily shared the EARTH brand with dozens of people already. To me, though, the fact that it is so comfortable to wear and lightweight is really the most appealing aspect of this watch.



First off, when this watch arrived, the wrist band was far too large so I had to remove a few links. Using tools from a kit I bought off Amazon for about ten bucks, I carefully popped the pins out and resized it to my wrist.



Sadly, I did end up destroying one of the removed links in the process, which is exactly why the company's instructions state that they recommend you take it to a watch repair shop or jeweler; however, some jewelers will refuse to work on wood watches for just this reason. Certainly sometimes the links can break, wood is inherently more fragile than metal of course and it certainly takes a delicate touch and patience to resize these watches.Luckily it was only one that cracked.



Doing it yourself, with the ten dollar kit, will save you some money, but you'll have both control over the outcome as well as full responsibility if things go awry. Use your judgement.

 
The wood links are smooth and feel great on my wrist; the fit of the watch after my adjustment has it fitting slightly loosely on my wrist, almost like a bracelet, but the overall balance is still there, so that with just a swift little movement, I can bring the face to the ideal position to tell the time. Another thing I love about the wood links is that they don't pinch in any way; I've had watches in the past with metal links that would, from time to time, painfully pluck a hair from my wrist. Never had that issue with EARTH watches. The links are very sensibly shaped so this isn't an issue.



This watch would look even more epic and outstanding on anyone with thick, meaty, burly wrists. I do my best with what I've got, and honestly, while at first I was concerned that the face would look too big on my skinny wrists, I've truly grown to like the look of this watch on me.

Timekeeping has been solid with this watch over the course of the month I've been wearing it. Time will tell, of course, if the ticking begins to slow or fade; however, the other EARTH watch I own has never given me any issues. It's ticked true for about three years now, so I expect this watch to hold up in much the same manner.

One aspect of this watch that I feel might serve a design revisit is the chrome dashes that indicate the hours, the reflective chrome blends a tad too much into this busy, but beautiful, face, sometimes making it difficult to tell the time. My thought was that perhaps white or black dashes might provide more contrast, although, the watch does also have a border which provides reference as well, really, it's just a matter of personal preference or getting used to the style.

Additional bonus points, the hands are phosphorescent, they glow in the dark, which is a nice added feature on a watch. 

All in all, this is a wonderful watch, by far my favorite watch to wear because of the comfort factor as well as the conversation starter that it provides, the fashionable aspect of a natural wood finish watch, truly can be worn in any setting or with any attire, plus it's a solid and reliable timepiece. Love the very idea of wearing products crafted from wood; that grounded, earthy feel, reminder of nature just feels so good.

It pains me to sound too much like a commercial, but seriously, when I find a product that I love, not just on a personal use level, but also on a level of respect for the company itself, I want to share that. EARTH Wood Goods is an American company using sustainable manufacturing practices, sourcing sustainable materials, that's the kind of company I'm happy to promote.

EARTH Wood Goods Twitter
EARTH Wood Goods Facebook



Thanks for reading this review of this EARTH Wood Goods watch! Peace!
 

 

 

Product Review: Greenlayer Shirts

Product Review: Greenlayer Shirts

Greenlayer is a brand that boasts an environmentally-responsible ethos in their product creation, "We strive to shift the thought process of consumers into understanding that environmentally conscious products do not mean a sacrifice in performance, style, and comfort." I bought three shirts from Greenlayer: ice blue, royal blue and a long sleeve charcoal tshirt. Yes, they are definitely comfortable, a good-looking style, and they work as stated being of a "super soft moisture-wicking fabric," which honestly is much more comfortable than cotton shirts to wear and work out in, hike in, and generally sweat in, the material doesn't get that wet feeling or stick to you as you move, and it's so light that it feels airy and breathable.

The shirts are made from a blend of 50% recycled polyester and 50% polyester, retail for 24, or 30 for the long sleeve shirts, or substantially cheaper via Amazon. They've got several other styles and varieties on their site, and I definitely feel that I would pick up more of these articles of clothing.

One complaint I do have about the shirts would be that they tend to snare and snag on brambles and briars very easily, causing a run to form in the material.

On the ice blue shirt, the Greenlayer logo on the right chest seems to be peeling away after only a few washes. Not that this is a big deal, but it just makes the shirt look more worn out than it really is.

Another note is that several random strings came out along the stitching in one sleeve.

I bought size small and it is essentially what would be a medium for most other shirts, so I'm guessing all the other sizes run bigger, yet, this actually makes the shirts very comfortable to wear.

 

All in all, despite the above complaints, despite the thorny tears, I am happy with the Greenlayer products. I would certainly buy more, I'd just be careful when hiking through the brush not to get snared on raspberry thorns again. I still do recommend checking out this company, the shirts are really comfortable and worth giving a shot. They're essentially more for running and working out than they are hiking through the woods and brush.

Thanks again for reading!

Product Review: Hennessy Hammock

Product Review:  Hennessy Hammock
http://hennessyhammock.com/

If you've ever gone on a camping trip and ended up unwittingly setting your tent up atop cold, uneven land or a rock that's jabbing you in the rib when you lay down, you'll likely be a fan of this product. Gently swaying, suspended a few feet off the ground, the Hennessy Hammock is a brilliant, lightweight, comfortable sleep solution. The mesh gives you a beautiful view up at the night sky, or if it's rainy or drafty, the rainfly cover will provide plenty of protection from the wind or the rain.

I purchased the Expedition Asym Classic, retails for $169.95, and it has been a joy to go camping with this tent/hammock. Fits easily in my backpack, small and compact, lightweight, 2 lbs, 12 oz. Very convenient. They've added several new products to their line in the last year, and knowing the quality of this product, one can only imagine that they are worth every penny. As they note on their website, "The Hennessy Hammock is the most innovative solution to lightweight, comfortable camping on the planet." I agree.



The hammock is easy to set up and take down. Stretch it between two trees or equally solid objects and tie it down. The guide lines on each side of the tent can be staked or even wrapped around a large stone to prevent the hammock from swaying, but they're made of an elastic material so you can still have some give to the movement.

I must say that I recommend getting some sort of foam mat, maybe a yoga mat, some kind of roll-up sleeping mat to place underneath your sleeping bag inside this hammock because the draft can really chill your backside in the colder months. In the summer, this will feel wonderful and surely keep you cool. I also recommend being careful not to let your face or arm press against the mesh as you sleep because the mosquitoes will stick right through the mesh and nibble on you while you sleep. All in all, I highly recommend getting one of these if you plan to do a lot of backpacking and camping.




Last fall, I made a journey from Georgia to Wisconsin for a wedding, drove up North, stopped at about the 7 hour mark at Wayne Fitzgerald Park, camped out in my Hennessy Hammock for an excellent evening, awoke with a beautiful view of several deer and a whole brood of turkeys scattered about, then drove the remaining 7 hours onward to Wisconsin.Was a long but excellent trip.

Two Hennessy Hammocks

Another thing I think is cool is that Hennessy Hammock is a corporate sponsor of Leave No Trace.  The Hennessy Hammock is certainly nearly zero impact and an excellent example of a "Leave No Trace" shelter.  The environmentally-friendly design requires no ground leveling, trenching or staking.  When you walk away from your campsite, there will be no tent footprint and basically no evidence that you were ever there. The line of products has received multiple awards, endorsements, and mentions in everything from the NY Times to Backpacker Magazine, and I'd say it's all well deserved praise.

Everything in the bag

Tie straps, bag, hammock, small rainfly, large rainfly

Product Review: Ruko Knife

Today I want to discuss my experience using a curved-blade pocket knife made by Ruko.

Rubber scale insert folding knife, brushed stainless steel handle, 420A 50/50 serrated stainless steel blade, liner lock design, metal thumb stud and pocket clip. Closed length: 2-3/4".

I really like this knife, small, compact pocket knife, 2 inch locking blade looks cool, very useful and well-made. I take this knife with me primarily on hikes, camping trips, curved blade is perfect for cutting the stems of wild edible chantrelle mushrooms or other wild edible mushrooms because it can hook around behind the stem. Great for harvesting Shiitake mushrooms from hardwood, as Shiitakes have a tough, somewhat woody stem. The blade is sharp, easy to clean. The knife feels great in my hand, blade is a bit too small to firmly grasp in the event of using the knife for self-defense, but could serve the purpose, and the curved blade would really be like a cat's claw scratch, likely capable of doing a lot of damage to an attacker. The metal stud is in a great position for one-handed opening, takes some practice, but then becomes second nature to flip the knife open with my right hand and have it ready for use. Same one-hand ergonomic feel to closing the knife as well. Rubber grips on the side are effective, fits very well. I had to adjust the tension of the blade when I got this knife, but it was easy with an hex key wrench to loosen/tighten it to the perfect tension.

Curved blade also makes it very useful for opening packages, taped boxes and such.

The knife has a bit of a rattle, from the clip, however, making it any tighter and the blade is hard to extend, so I'll take a minor rattle to have the ease of opening the knife with one hand.

Overall, a very worthwhile knife for the price. I picked this up from a local hunting/outdoors store, but it's only $13.78 on Amazon.


http://www.rukoproducts.com/cart/index.php?target=products&product_id=307

RUKO 2-Inch Blade Folding Knife with Serrated Edge Aluminum Brushed Handle