Let me preface this by saying I am a pretty DIY, anticonsumerist, anticapitalist, repair-over-replace type of fellow. I very rarely buy things new, and I would rather fix something that broke instead of getting a new one. I also am no brand whore, aside from maybe preferring Tide to wash my clothes and liking to get that real gourmet-type coffee, Jimmy. However, there are certain brands of things that I do get excited about. Yes, these are things I gladly buy new and kinda gush over. Here are some of these things that I am a fan of....

SWISS ARMY KNIVES

Really, this all started when I fell in love with the show MacGyver. Here is the intro for the show, which, if you are like me, will pump your ass up!

Pretty exciting, right? And it was really influential to me as a young child. I am no scientist, but I would say that this show really led me to become more interested in engineering and science than I would have been otherwise, and it definitely led to my love of tools and implements of all kinds. MacGyver's unflappable demeanor and his aversion to violence, especially guns, also set him apart, particularly in the overtly-macho 80s. I really loved the show, and I was very excited when I found a suprise in my stocking...

Yep that is me on Christmas morning the exact moment I found my knife. It was a constant companion for several years and took the type of beating only a young person could dish out. I remember heating the blades with a lighter and cutting plastic, leaving charred black residue on the knife, and I also remember throwing the knife at a piece of wood in the backyard, which is not recommended! But it took it all and kept working. It never let me down.