All Roads North Bespoke Gift Guide
Like travel, great products take time, thought and personalization. From a bespoke steel-frame bike made in New Hampshire to stylish sneakers constructed by cobblers in California, here are one-of-a-kind, handcrafted gift ideas from some of our favorite American artisans.
Bamboo Rod from Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, Montana
Life-long fishermen Joel Doub and Matt Barber carry on the legacy of storied fly rod builder Tom Morgan, handcrafting graphite and bamboo rods in Bozeman, Montana. Considered the holy grail of fishing rods, each of their bamboo masterpieces take upwards of 80 hours to build. Rods are custom built to the client’s specifications, from the shape of the Portuguese cork handle to the hardware and type of reel seat wood (Koa, black ash, tiger maple).
Graphite rods from $1,495 and bamboo rods from $3,995; tommorganrodsmiths.com
Beaver Felt Hat from Tom Hirt, Colorado
Known as the cowboy hat maker for the movies, Tom Hirt’s pieces have made appearances in Western films including Tombstone and Conagher. One of around 50 hat makers left in the U.S., Hirt makes each piece from start to finish using in his small shop on Penrose Ranch in Colorado. The old-fashion wooden-blocks he uses to form each crown date back over 100 years.
Custom hats from $300-$2,800; hatsofthewest.com
Small-Batch Whiskey from High Wire Distilling, South Carolina
Charleston South Carolina‘s first distillery since prohibition, High Wire batch distills its spirits in a hand-hammered, German copper still. The New Southern Revival Brand Jimmy Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made with 100 percent Jimmy red corn. After being grown on James Island for decades, this particular magenta grain was nearly lost forever. High Wire worked for six years with researchers and farmers to to rebuild a secure corn seed supply in order to save what they call “the most flavorful whiskey corn we’ve ever tasted.” $79.99; highwiredistilling.com
Two Grey Hills Navajo Rugs from Toadlena Trading Post, New Mexico
Textile connoisseurs know that there are 13 regional designs within the seven weaving districts in the Navajo Nation, each named for its trading post. The most coveted come from the Two Grey Hills district and Toadlena Trading Post in New Mexico. Run by Navajo rug trader Mark Winter, Toadlena works directly with weavers who turn native sheep wool spun as finely as thread into gorgeous neutral-toned rugs. From $200; toadlenatradingpost.com
Skillet from Heart & Spade Forge, Virginia
Roanoke, Virginia-based blacksmith Jed Curtis forges each skillet by hand from raw materials sourced from local steel mills. Each piece takes roughly eight hours of deliberate effort and a quarter century of obsessive practice at the anvil. Skillets are forged not cast, giving them near indestructible integrity and a naturally nonstick cooking surface. The handles are hot riveted to the skillet bodies for a fit up which will never loosen with time. Starting at $200; heartandspadeforge.com
Wooden Surfboard from Grain Surfboards, Maine
Choose from more than a dozen board styles, from a retro pintail to speedy fish, then work with shapers based in York, Maine to customize options such as fins, wood pattern styles, custom laminates or any other modifications that suit your surf style. Boards typically take three months to produce but will ride for a lifetime. From $2,050; grainsurfboards.com
Drift Boat from Cajune Boatbuilders, Montana
Jason Cajune makes just two to three boats per year, spending anywhere from 250 to 400 hours painstakingly building each to order from a simple woodshop in Paradise Valley, just outside of Livingston, Montana. The woods are all hand-selected and Cajune works with each customer to gauge everything from the type of water the boat will be used on to the types of trips it will take. Starting at $40,000; cajuneboats.com
Barware from Terrane Glass, North Carolina
After working as a glassblower all over the country, Colin O’Reilly settled in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, drawn to the region’s beauty as well as its rich silica deposits which he uses in his glass. O’Reilly is known for his eloquent, ergonomic barware, including whiskey sets, snifters and cocktail pitchers. He also works one-on-one on bespoke orders, drawing up sketches and making prototypes for discerning customers. Price upon request; terraneglass.com
Damascus Knife from HJ Haas, Colorado
Heather J. Haas hand forges Damascus knives using an exacting technique that involves hammer-welding strips of steel and iron then repeatedly heating and forging them into hypnotic wavy patterns. At her workshop in Denver, she takes custom orders for pieces ranging from steak knife sets to French-style chef knives. Starting at $400; Email – heatherjhaas@gmail.com
Skis from White Room Custom Skis, Vermont
Owner and ski addict Vin Faraci is known for crafting highly functional skis that could double as art. Whether you spend winters chasing powder in Alaska or cruising groomers in Vermont, he’ll help you design your dream set of front-side carving, all-mountain, free ride or powder skis. The cores are constructed from hardwoods harvested near the shop in northern Vermont and customers can help design the eye-catching inlayed wood veneer artwork. From $975; whiteroomcustomskis.com
Sneakers from No.One, California
NBA stars like Kevin Durant are fans of No.One’s bespoke kicks. The boutique shoemaking lab in Venice, California employs a team of just four cobblers and works with exclusive, family-run tanneries. Their sneaker linings, for example, are made of plongé lambskin from a Chanel-owned tannery in the South of France. Starting at $650; no-one.la
Steel-Frame Bike from Independent Fabrication, New Hampshire
Independent Fabrication’s bespoke steel-frame bikes have earned a cult following among bike snobs for their combination of exacting science and artistic custom paint jobs. After an initial interview with the rider discussing everything from frame options to bicycle preferences, a team of craftsmen based in Newmarket, New Hampshire weld a frame within a fraction of a millimeter and finish it in a matte solid tone or bold high-gloss stripes. Price upon request; ifbikes.com