Full of Hot Heirlooms

By The Editors
July 20, 2012 9:00 am

Dad only invested in quality goods he could pass down to his sons, from the chrome-plated Craftsmen tools in the garage, to the magazines mom pretended weren’t under the bed.

Be that thoughtful, and provide for your own progeny, by investing in hand-made, durable goods from Brooklyn’s own Kaufmann Mercantile, online and open now.

Launched because “our grandchildren deserve to find more than brittle plastic at their flea markets”, KM’s mission is to find and sell “still-functioning heirlooms” that combine function, durability and aesthetics. So basically, useful, pretty things that don’t break.

Ranging from office supplies to outdoor tools, current offerings include handmade leather-and-rawhide footballs, engraved silver Swiss fountain pens, carved oak rope swings, and even an old-timey aluminum “tube wringer” (take that, Colgate!).

Kaufmann’s also stocks small-batch comestibles like bbq spice sets and colonial cocktail bitters (plus the welder-style apron to use them in), as well as male-appropriate grooming products like New England shampoo “bars” and whiskey aftershave.

Because fathers also pass down knowledge, KM also provides a “references” page, rife with anecdotes, articles and how-to’s on everything from historic cocktail recipes to the most entertaining uses for a pocketknife.

Just be sure to let your sons know that cocktails and pocketknives don’t mix.

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