Most years I compile a gift guide for Father’s Day. The way this seems to work is the link is either passed to a loved one or just used as a personal shopping exploration. No matter how it’s used, I’m happy to make suggestions since I love this stuff. This weekend, we shared 34+ gifts on The Material Review and at least 30 more for the golfers among us at The Old Ghosts.

There are also several archival gift guides from this newsletter 2025, 2024 and 2022. (Looks like I didn’t do one in 2023 or 2021.) That was probably because I wanted to avoid being repetitive with these recommendations.

My thesis now for Father’s Day gifting is to buy him something important and nice that he is probably avoiding buying himself. So with that in mind, I put together a group of super nice (and expensive) things I think any good dad would want. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a ton of money — there are also some simple gift ideas in the links above and the recommendations at the bottom of this page.

Ultimately, I don’t think Dad needs much. A card, a relaxing day, perhaps a cocktail and a good meal will put any sane person in a good mood. If you can get a gift as an acknowledgement, that’s great. Personally, a mai tai and a cookout on the beach with my wife and kids is the best thing I could dream up. Easy.

I hope this helps make Father’s Day a bit more enjoyable for everyone.

• A really nice bag. He probably has a Filson bag (though I’m sure he would appreciate another), but he also might have his eye on an all-leather Ghurka Express II / Cavalier III Leather Duffel, a Bleu de Chauffe suede weekender or a beautiful weekender from Bennett Winch.

• How about a truly excellent coffee maker? Why not upgrade the daily coffee to a quality machine from Moccamaster or even a Ratio machine?

• A club fitting at the Titleist Performance Institute. It’s $750 just for the visit, not including any new clubs, but this is a PGA TOUR-level club-fitting expertise. This is elite stuff, and anyone who has been there knows just how unique an experience this is. (There are two locations for TPI — Oceanside, CA, and Manchester Lane in Massachusetts.)

• A (very) good bottle. Has he always wanted to own a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle but never would? This is a grail item he would never forget. These are roughly the price of .75 one Cartier Love bracelet, but this is grail-level stuff.

• The best shoes that will last a lifestyle. Alden Loafers, something from Crockett & Jones in Shell Cordovan, a handsome pair of Viberg boots or perhaps a pair of loafers from John Lobb.

• Other (full throttle) ideas. A Leica. A beautiful leather briefcase. The Original Mackintosh raincoat. An Eames chair. A Globe Trotter trunk. A nice watch. A Japanese knife. An aluminum Rimowa. A bottle of DRC. A suit from J. Mueser. Or perhaps just something rare.

OTHER IDEAS:

• Original Madras Trading Co. Handloom Shirt. These beautiful shirts from OMTC are handmade, giving them incredible texture and depth. I wear these every week, and in my mind, there is no better building block for Dad to transform into his “favorite shirt”.

• Wolf x Analog Shift. These are my favorite boxes for storing my watches at home. The quality here is just amazing, and when you feel them (and even hear the sound they make when closed) you know they are extremely well made.

• Oyster Tempo Pro. There’s something in the mind of the modern dad that assigns significant value to beverage temperature control. I own this “performance” cooler and it is the best and last cooler I will ever own.

• Smythson Panama Notebook. A beloved everyday item that can be monogrammed. I love these notebooks so much, but I never want to spend the $100.

• Tom Beckbe Canvas Tailgater Bag — Fill this with good booze, a few Yeti tumblers and the accouterments for a dad-approved cocktail program on the go.

• Golf Headcovers. These recycled sail headcovers are made in the USA and are vintage cool. I love this brand, Forewind Golf.

• Rivay Linen Correspondent Jacket — This is the perfect travel or everyday summer jacket. Rivay does the military inspiration thing exceptionally well, and I live in their clothes.

• A 35mm Film Camera — I try to take a roll a month of family photos because film + kids create the best memories. This is an iconic point-and-shoot camera that has a cult following.

• The Old Ghosts — Give him a subscription to The Old Ghosts, the golf newsletter I publish with The Fliers Club.

• Bluegrass Fairway — The maker of my favorite made-in-USA scorecard holder and golf accessories. Everything from Bluegrass Fairway is excellent quality.

• A Pelican Storage Crate — There’s something guys love about cool storage and these new crates are an instant upgrade that any dad would appreciate.

• Pinebury Merino Wool Sweatpants — As someone who loves wool clothing, these things are incredible.

Take care and happy Father’s Day!

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One of the things I like about the newsletter format is that it allows me to share stories large and small. Not every post is meant to be a big thought piece or profile; sometimes, I just feel like it’s interesting to see the everyday things I would share when I started out way back when.

During the process of making a jacket with Tailor’s Keep I ended up going to San Francisco three times over the course of probably eight months or so. Each time I got a chance to explore the city and visit some interesting places —like the great shop Presidio Post (photos below) or Sam’s Burgers — not to mention the beloved Verjus. Through these fitting visits, I amassed a collection of photos from my enjoyable experience working with Tailor’s Keep to make a jacket I will own forever. My affection for San Francisco being what it is, I didn’t want these images to just sit in my archive, but instead I wanted to share them with everyone here.

Below are a mix of the Tailor’s Keep team, shop and surroundings. Plus some captures around town on my Sony A7CII and a few 35mm film scans just for fun. Hope you enjoy.

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My inbox is filled with newsletters every weekend. Of course I’m very interested in most of what they have to say, but when there’s so much coming at me it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed. I get the same feeling from X or even from Substack Notes at times. We used to have one Twitter, and now we have four of them. We used to have a real timeline filled with interesting people; now we have armies of failed mortgage brokers running engagement farms set to level 10 vague posting. Though I’m not here to tell you about how things used to be better—I do want to say that we are better off not knowing what’s going on.

Have you ever walked down a street and noticed a bagel place with a huge line? If you knew about it from TikTok or some food Instagrammer you might fall victim to standing in that line (probably to some disappointment). If you are oblivious, then you’ll just buy your bagel at the deli like every other NY schlub. What could be more embarrassing than waiting in line for an everyday item of food? Our time on earth is limited; don’t spend it waiting in line for bagels that come incorrectly packaged in Kraft paper boxes.

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Welcome to the ACL Digest. Each month, I will send all of my related stories from across ACL, The Material Review, and The Old Ghosts so you don’t miss a thing. Plus, some other interesting things I think you might like. Just a note: The Material Review is publishing twice weekly, and The Old Ghosts is publishing weekly. See you out there.

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We talk about loving Montana, Mother’s Day, the great Nick Lyons and contrary fandom.

Hope you like it!

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Last year, I had to replace everything in my kitchen. It meant going from expensive Japanese knives to Ikea knives. It was an interesting experiment because it made me realize what I really need and what is non-essential. Did I upgrade everything and get a fresh start at buying all of the new best stuff? Unfortunately, no. I ended up downgrading in cert…

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In the interest of time before Mother’s Day, we thought we would send you some gift ideas. Our Creative Director and former Fashion Director friend Laurie Trott is back to help us with gifts for the moms in our lives. Also, shout out to my wife, who helped quarterback this guide. Shipping deadline…

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The theme is sports, which evoke leisure, play and childlike pleasure. Many people enjoy the triumphant thrill of victory. Not that we would know anything about that since we’re fans of the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns. Maybe that’s why we have an affinity with sad fans—anybody from Buffalo is a brother in or sister in sports suffering.

Remember when Vitas Gerulaitis lost to Jimmy Connors sixteen straight matches before finally prevailing. Afterwards he famously said, “Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis seventeen times in a row.” That’s the spirit we’re celebrating here.

In the pages Simon Mills reports on England’s history of pub games (you can play a sport while holding a pint). Nathan King considers walking to be the first sport. John Brodie examines the fine social nuances of a lifetime playing squash. And Andrew Hyslop shares his wonderful photos of Kentucky horse racing.

Many thanks to IWC, J. Mueser, Citadelle Gin and our other advertisers for their support.

We try not to take sports too seriously and yet they still manage to break our hearts. After all, losing provides necessary lessons in life. Of course it does, that’s how you know the game matters.

-David & Michael

*You can buy The Print Edition at newsstands or subscribe here.

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The last thing on the list of probable careers is probably: chef. I can’t even watch half an episode of The Bear without getting overwhelmed and having to go for a long walk. I cook because my family needs to eat. That’s it. I also happen to like cooking if I have the time and space to enjoy it. When it’s for fun, I get to learn something new, and it’s easy to see improvement, which is satisfying. Most of the time, though, I’m tired and just need to feed these damned kids.

When it comes to recipes, every day is playoff basketball, and I’m running a 7-man rotation. If family stays with us for more than a week they will start to see repeat meals. There’s just not a lot of time to experiment. We don’t have much room for error with hungry, potentially emotionally unstable little customers waiting at the kitchen table, pounding their forks and knives. Through personal ineptitude and a global health crisis, I’ve learned to adapt and overcome. Here are some of my lessons as a bad dad chef.

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I. Grabbing for Straws

Recently, I noted this post on X about loafers, and I had feelings. I was slightly dismayed by the responses. There are a few good answers, but most of what is offered up seems to range from the obscure to the absurd. I found myself with more questions than answers. More than ever it feels like uninformed people are totally comfortable making recommendations they aren’t qualified to make.

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There are few places that carry more emotional weight than Augusta National Golf Club during the Masters Tournament. It's a place of reverence and connection, of excitement and quiet affection. There's no better place to be than April in Augusta, Georgia.

This week, I went there to reaffirm my affection for the Masters Tournament. I was there at the 90th…

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We celebrate our beloved Masters at Augusta. Then we consider the incredible setting, remarkable patron experience and the wild world of golf clothes.

Hope you like it!

Read David’s new story on the quiet side of The Masters here.

Some thoughts of mine on the excitement of Masters week at The Old Ghosts.

My photos from the 2019 Masters are in The Print Edition. Order the new issue here.

There are many motivations that drive an affinity for a clothing brand. Maybe it has compelling heritage, or perhaps it’s just something in the air. Sometimes the allure of a brand lies in its interesting point of view or feeling. Mostly, though, I find myself drawn to labels that focus on the product and offer a genuine connection to the founder. That’…

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1. Seavees Founders Edition Yacht Shoe. Over the years, I have gone through a variety of canvas sneaker phases. I have worn Vans (still do sometimes), Tretorns, Jack Purcells, PF Flyers, Muji basic canvas sneakers, and a few more. Almost every country on earth has a popular variant and I have tried them all. The SeaVees Legend sneaker has been a modern favorite, known for its good quality and timeless look. This season, the Santa Barbara-based brand, along with its original owner, B.F. Goodrich released a reproduction of the brand’s original canvas sneakers from the 1960s.

2. MacBook Neo. I bought the new budget Apple MacBook Neo and I’m here to tell you that I don’t hate it. After two weeks, I do have some thoughts. I have traveled with an iPad and a Macbook Pro for so long, and every time I leave, I hate having to bring two devices. I was looking at new iPads (which can be as expensive as an Apple laptop) and then this thing came out. I decided the Neo could be the perfect travel computer. It can pretty much handle everything I have thrown at it so far and it’s a shockingly capable machine for $600. So now, when I travel, I am just going to bring the Neo. I won’t have to worry about my super expensive laptop getting stolen, and I don’t need to bring two devices. One last thing. Apple Care for the Neo is cheap at $139 and you can replace the screen for just $49 with the plan in place. That’s crazy cheap and really makes this thing a care free solution.

   

3. The Print Edition. All issues have shipped (unless you ordered within the past 24 hours). Thanks to everyone for their patience. We are a homespun operation and while we might be projecting Jeff Bezos levels of e-commerce capabilities, we’re actually just a couple of guys with a laser printer and a local post office. The newspaper has been so enjoyable to produce, and we love the feedback we have been receiving. It is also just so nice to hold physical media and read it without distractions. We are so proud to be able to bring this to life and appreciate everyone’s support, subscriptions and contributions. Thanks for reading.

4. Made In Carbon Steel Pans. This came up on a recent Central Division podcast, and actually, a few friends were talking about the search for good pans in real life. We don’t use any non-stick fans at our house. 95% of what I cook is on these pans. Once they are seasoned, they are fairly stick-resistant and easy to clean. They can go into the oven, and the rectangular handle makes them easy to pull out with an oven mitt. I’m a real believer in Made In and really like every single thing I have bought from the brand.

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We went to Iceland to do a story for the Atlantic Salmon Journal. David was writing the piece and I was taking the photos. The Spring 2026 Issue of ASJ, with that piece, has just been released and it’s an honor to contribute to the magazine. (The Atlantic Salmon Federation does a lot of great work protecting salmon and could use all of the support they can get.) Since the magazine is out I wanted to share my photos from the trip.

With help from the gods, I did catch a fish and became part of the piece's narrative, which is fun and flattering. It was my first time using a two-handed rod and my first adventure on assignment in Icelandic Salmon country.

Iceland is an incredible place to visit and I would recommend it to anyone, whether you like fishing or not. Just stunningly beautiful, nice people, good food and so much to do. We fished at two rivers, the remote Breiddalsá and then on to the more well-known East Ranga. We drove a lot, saw a variety of water, and on one sunny, warm day, when the fishing was suspended due to cloudy waters from glacial melt, I managed to play 12 holes of golf outside of Reykjavik.

Since only a few of the many photos I took were used in the story, I have been waiting to share these with everyone. I used a Leica M10R, a Sony 6700 and a DJI drone for everything you see here. If you want to read David’s piece, find a copy of the Spring 2026 ASJ.

One last thing to leave with you. Only eight days in Iceland and I left a changed man. Who knew what one fish could do?

We talk baseball, cast iron skillets and the perils of specialization.

Hope you like it!

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Often, we can’t help but consider how we would do things if we had the space, the resources, or the freedom to make exactly what we want. We all know these options exist, but for whatever reason, they go unacted on. Over several months, Tailor’s Keep in San Francisco made a jacket in that spirit — a one-of-one, just for me. It was an emotional affair on…

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