Considered Consumption is the purchasing behaviour of researching and buying the informed choice of product or service; that which is considered to be the best in class, or recognised for its authenticity, originality and how cool it is.
This site will help you navigate the mass products and services available and ensure that you invest your hard earned cash in the right stuff. We’ll help you curate your life.
Snap-On 3/8 F936
A Gentleman's tool
Snap-on tool vans for mechanics are like icecream vans to children, they drop everything and chase them when they appear.
Joseph Rodgers
Gentleman's Pocket knife
A gentleman's pocket knife is the original penknife: they were used to sharpen the nibs of quill pens. Small, sharp, useful and, when concealed, will not disturb the line of your suit.
Dansk Designs
Jens Quistgaard
Jens Quistgaard designed and created for Dansk homeware that is a harmonious celebration of both form and function.
Chambly
Baguette
The Chambly baguette flatware range in stainless steel is a masterpiece of European design. The moment you hold the large, well balanced cutlery, you're transported back to France, and a wonderful meal you once had there.
Stanley
Classic Flask 8oz
Campfire stories, followed by a good night's sleep, are guaranteed on a camping trip with a shot of whisky from your flask. The Classic Stanley Flask is perfect for such occasions.
Dunhill
Rollagas Lighter
Dunhill excels at luxury and elegance; their accessories are a delight to own and to use. It's the dedication to luxury that won't let you down that sets Dunhill apart from the rest, and is at the core of their brand.
El Casco
M200 Paper Punch
Some may argue that in the digital, paperless age in which we are living, the paper punch is redundant; an obsolete stationary tool. However, there will be, on occasion, a need to file documents. When this time comes, it's a joyous occasion, as most obsessives enjoy filing, and it gives them the excuse to use their curated desk accessories.
Falcon
Enamelwear
Falcon Enamelware is a British icon: it's bacon and eggs, strawberries and cream, striped deck chairs, knotted hankies on head, warm beer, picnics, summer fêtes, baking and queuing. It's a nostalgic throwback to a British utopia found on advertising posters for day trippers to take the train to Brighton. Tea drunk from a Falcon Enamelware mug is a proper cuppa.
Le Pentole
Spaghetti Set
Designed by the Italian Niki Sala in 1979 for Studio Progettazione ICM, Le Pentole pans are of such a high quality that they're virtually indestructible. They're amazing to cook with, and beautiful too.
Paul Smith
Vintage typewriter key cufflinks
Paul Smith has created so many classics that belong here on The Obsessive. We've chosen these cufflinks as we believe they embody the whole ethos of Paul Smith.
Royal Navy
Wynnchester Vintage Duffle Bag
If you're off on an adventure and need to pack a lot of kit, this is the bag for you. So vast is it, you'd think Hermione Granger had cast one of her Undetectable Extension Charms on it. It's a bottomless pit of a bag.
Kelly Kettle
Trekking Kettle
Anglers are pioneers of kit: they love it, and spend endless hours thinking about it. Their kit must be lightweight, strong and dependable. Anglers enjoy designing and making their own kit too; if you've ever had a conversation with a fly fisherman about how he ties his flies, you'll know this to be true.
Laguiole
Sommelier Knife
Uncorking a bottle of wine is a moment of celebration for what you're about to enjoy. Sommeliers understand this, and take the opportunity to add to the theatre of drawing the cork from the bottle by wielding a sommelier knife with panache.
Apilco
Bistro ware
As a boy, my first ever cup of coffee was served to me by Annie, in a large Apilco green and gold cup and saucer. I thought it was all trés chic. Annie was French, and so was her crockery.
El Casco
M15 Stapler
The M15 stapler from the Spanish maker, El Casco, is a precision made, desk-top accessory that is a joy both to use, and just to stare at. It's a hand polished chrome object of beauty; even the adjuster screws have knurled heads.
Submariner
North Sea Clothing Company
The Submariner is the most manly of jumpers. Made in England, from 100% British pure wool and testosterone, it's a seriously good bit of kit.
Mariage Frères
Tea
An Englishman abroad is an Englishman gasping for a decent cup of tea. On a hot summer's day in Le Marais, the Mariage Frères' tea shop appeared like an oasis. Stepping into the dark, cool shop felt like stepping back in time. From floor to ceiling, huge tea urns are neatly displayed on box shelves behind the counter. Old fashioned scales and tea paraphernalia add to the sense that tea is taken very seriously here.
Swiss Army/Hudson's Bay/Woolrich
Blankets
No adventure should be without a blanket, because a blanket can save your life. The blanket derives its name from the heavy napped, woven woollen fabric pioneered by Thomas Blanket (Blanquette), a flemish weaver living in Bristol, England, during the 14th century. Thick woollen blankets are exceptional at trapping body heat to keep you warm, which is why the military always use them.
Dunhill
Weekend Bag
Dunhill is the quintessentially English brand for gentlemen on the move. Whether they're breaking land speed records, exploring the world or just going for a cheeky weekend away.
Bialetti
Moka espress
The Bialetti Moka Espress coffee maker hasn't changed its design since Alfonso Bialetti penned it in 1933. Its simple form and function have given it iconic status and global recognition. It's really easy to use, and makes great coffee quickly; plus, with its good looks, can be taken from stove top to table
Belstaff
Trialmaster
The Belstaff Trialmaster is an iconic piece of motorcycling apparel. Its waxed cotton has been protecting bikers, racing car drivers, adventurers, Marxists and my dad from the elements since 1948.
Duodji
Traditional cup
The Duodji is the traditional cup of the Sami people from Lappland. These beautiful cups are hand-carved from the burl of a birch tree. They have a natural aesthetic that only handmade craft objects can achieve. They're also exceedingly tactile, and practical too.
Cire Trudon
Candle
If luxury had a smell, it would be a Cire Trudon candle. The French strive to achieve a state of luxury in everything that they do: why have a simple candle when you can have a gorgeous one?
Snow Peak
Fireplace
The Snow Peak fireplace is an excellent example of a beautifully designed and made piece of outdoors equipment. Its perfect form and function, combined with ease of use, will make you wonder how you coped before you owned it.
Alpha Industries
MA-1 Flight Jacket
The MA-1 was the first jacket I obsessed about when I was about eleven years old. All the Rude Boys in our area wore them with pride; they'd boast how theirs was an original, and would prove the authenticity of their jacket by regularly displaying the label tucked in the inside outer left pocket.
Le Creuset Cocotte
90th Anniversary Limited Edition
"Careful, it's hot," always announces the arrival of the Le Creuset pot, as it's heaved onto the table. Whenever one of these heavy, colourful cocottes arrives, steaming hot, to the table, everyone starts to salivate like Pavlovian dogs, as they know they're about to eat some magnificent food.
British Army
WWII Commando Hats
For a generation of kids who grew up playing war with their Action Man or GI Joe and patiently placing model soldiers into a battle scene, the Commando has special hero status. Here at The Obsessive we do love our military kit. The demands on a piece of military kit require it to be of the very highest standard, and only the best kit survives. These NOS Commando hats have survived.
Wetterlings
Scout Axe
"I suppose there are few things more attractive to Scouts than the opportunity to use an axe"
The Scout and his Axe
(with a few comments on saws)
By John Thurman
1963
Zippo 1935
Lighter
That familiar "clink" when you open your Zippo, followed by the grind of the wheel on the flint as it ignites the flame, the smell of lighter fuel, then "clunk" shut.
Pankhurst
Moulding Cream
Brent Pankhurst is patiently building a barbering empire, from the comfort of his Bentley leather-covered Belmont chairs.
Palomino Blackwing
Pencil
A pencil is about as simple a writing device as you can buy; but this pencil is a little, tactile piece of black and gold luxury.
Suntory Hibiki
17 years Old
When I asked fellow obsessive, Justin Hicklin, what would be the best whiskey or whisky to feature on the The Obsessive, he immediately demanded clarity on the brief. We decided on one that would come in at under £200.
Without hesitation, he recommended the Suntory Hibiki 17 Years Old, asserting, “The Japanese are leading the world in premium whisky at the moment, and this one is a delicious classic.”
Men's File
Magazine
The really clever thing about Men’s File is that, at its core, it has an idea: it believes in excellence of style and detail, with a nostalgic twist.
Anderson's
Woven Belt
Most men live in a colour palette of black, blue, grey, white and brown. These exquisite belts bring a Mediterranean splash of colour to anything you wear.
Cohiba
Robustos
The Cohiba Robustos is pretty much perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re in a contemplative mood, like Che Guevara, "A smoke in times of rest is a great companion to the solitary soldier,” or standing outside, wearing your black tie at an awards dinner, with all the other cigar smokers.
Tizio
Table Lamp
A truly great Obsessive Object of Desire transcends time and fashion, is supremely functional, and an aesthetic delight. Richard Sapper’s Tizio Table Lamp is all those things, and so much more.
Joseph Rodgers
British Army Knife
The Joseph Rodgers stainless steel British Army Knife is made to the exacting requirements of the British Ministry of Defence, and to NATO Stock No: 7340 99 975 7403. This tough, raw tool is purely functional; it doesn’t even have a covered handle, proudly displaying its makers rivets instead
Land Rover Defender
50th Anniversary Special Edition
It was love at first sight: it was 1998, and as I walked out of Waitrose on the Finchley Rd with my newborn daughter strapped to my chest in a Baby Björn, I saw my first 50th Edition.
Red Wing
875
This boot is simply an icon of design, form and function. The name comes from the town of Red Wing, Minnesota, so called after an Indian Chief–hence the feathered wing logo.
M1909
Swedish Army Field Coat
They have to: the weather conditions in Sweden are deadly serious. Living in a country with such extreme weather, the Swedes rely on well-made, durable items that they can depend on.
Monmouth Coffee
Espresso
Jimmie Dimmick (Pulp Fiction)
It’s a strange feeling, being photographed by amused French and Italian tourists, as you queue outside this tiny Covent Garden coffee shop. To Europeans, and particularly the Italians, good coffee is a human right.
Duralex Picardie
Glassware
These glasses always remind me of hot summer holidays as a child, when I first held cold drinks in them. Every time you touch this glass you feel the quality of it’s design and manufacture.
Levi's 501
Originals
The first object to appear on The Obsessive had to be a significant and important one. It had to be an object that represents the values and beliefs of The Obsessive; a true authentic original. Levi’s 501s were created around 1870 by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss.
Rolex
Deep Sea
We move through watches as we age and we recognise periods of our lives by the watch we were wearing at the time. Like your first car, you always remember your first watch.
LEICA
X Vario
I’ve been a photographer for a long time now, and I still love taking pictures, particularly when away from my commercial stomping ground. But for sure, I will be taking my Leica X Vario for rather a lot of trips and weekends.
Mont Blanc
Meisterstück No149
When you use one of these beautifully crafted tools, you forget the pretensions that accompany such a statement piece of luxury and power. You don’t really care that JFK was a fan, or that Mikhail Gorbachev used one to sign the friendship treaty between the USSR and Germany; they’re just superb at what they’re designed to do, which is to write.
Creed
Green Irish Tweed Fragrance
Our sense of smell and the effect it has upon us is profound; we make judgements based on smell. Estate Agents know this, often deploying their baking bread or fresh coffee aroma tricks to entice purchasers to a property. Our memory harddrive of scents mean we can be instantly transported back in time to a place or a person with the slightest whiff. This is why it’s important to always smell great
J.M.WESTON
Golf Derby
JM Weston doesn’t sound very French but it’s exquisitely so. In 1891, Edouard Blanchard founded a workshop in Limoges. His son Eugene joined him a little later, then promptly headed off to Weston in the USA to learn the skill of Goodyear Welting. On his return to France, he met the Parisian socialite Monsieur Viard, who enjoyed the cultural pleasures Paris had to offer in the 1920s. Together they created the brand JM Weston, and opened their first shop on Boulevard de Courcelles.
Cooper Bike
Bicycle
Charlie Cooper spends every day seeing his name on the back of MINIs: he does this from the Brooks saddle of his bicycle, which also bears his name. Charlie is the grandson of John Cooper, and a good friend of The Obsessive. Cooper bikes are beautiful machines that induce a nostalgia for vintage bikes whilst also being excellent to ride; the two are not mutually exclusive.
Billingham Hadley
Photographer's Bag
The Billingham bag is the Tardis of bags. It’s amazing the amount of kit you can get into one. The quick-release buckles allow you to adjust the capacity to cavernous proportions.
Rimowa Topas
Cabin Case
Even though this design is from the Jet Age of the 50s, it still looks ultra modern. It was originally conceived by Richard Morszeck, the son of Rimowa’s founder. The case was designed to withstand extreme humidity, tropical heat and Arctic cold. The distinctive ridges in the aluminium case create the strength yet keep the case lightweight.
Il Bussetto
Leather Accessories
At The Obsessive we have a profound love of leather accessories. My Grandfather was the Master Leather Craftsman at Harrods. Il Bussetto produce wonderfully simple, tactile accessories in a range of beautiful hand dyed colours.
Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman
Design Classic Furniture
Charles and Ray Eames were people who didn’t just design beautiful things: they invented new ways to make them. They were people with vision and ideas, and everything they did falls into the world of The Obsessive.
Randolph Aviators
Sunglasses
Here at The Obsessive we do love our military kit. The demands on a piece of military kit require it to be of the very highest standard, and only the best kit survives.
