Points of Interest 2025
We spend the better part of the year putting things out into the world. So often, there are few chances to share what goes into Best Made: the ideas, the tools, and techniques. Big or small, tangible or fleeting, below are 10 Points of Interest (and a playlist) to end the year.
1. Voyager 1
It’s been a while since we last checked in on the most durable tool ever made. As of the end of this year, Voyager 1 is about 15 billion miles from home and is entering its 49th year (it was expected to only last 5 years). No human-made object, or Chuck Berry song, has traveled further. After some near-catastrophic flight data systems a few years ago, and a dwindling plutonium power source, Voyager 1 defies all odds and forges on through interstellar space at about 39,000 miles per hour in temperatures of -110 degrees Fahrenheit. The Voyager 1 mission is overseen day to day by fewer than a dozen staff at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Track the live status of the Voyager 1 mission and raise a glass for another miraculous year in space.
2. David Lynch
Back here on earth, we lost a visionary (and a Best Made customer: one of his Best Made axes went to auction this year). There's been so much celebrated about the Eagle Scout from Missoula, Montana, so I'll just say: I will miss his weather reports and his love of black coffee.
3. The Edmund Fitzgerald
Growing up in Canada, and depending on the Molson Golden intake, I could recite Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” about as fluently as Oh Canada. It’s hard to believe that a 6.5-minute song that defied all commercial conventions would ever be so popular. But this year, on the anniversary of the sinking, it’s come back in a big way. Note: since Lightfoot's death in 2023, the Mariners' Church of Detroit now chimes its memorial bell 30 times—once for each of her 29 crewmen, and a 30th for Gord.
4. Growing Down
In this age of AI, social media, cryptocurrency, tech-barons, and billionaires, one of the best terms I learned this year is “growing down”. It's simple: imagine a tree; the deeper and more substantial its roots below ground, the stronger it is above. Grow down, grow slow, and then grow up.
5. The Pamphlet
Earlier this year, I picked up a pamphlet that made a case against travel. As someone who has traveled extensively, I was curious. In the 20 or so minutes it took to read, my mind was altered. And so late this year, we carried that pamphlet, and others from the Eris Gem series. And content aside, it's good to see the pamphlet return to publishing.
6. Pens
I have always loved a wooden pencil. But this year, I discovered the motherload: JetPens, the McMaster-Carr of pen sites. Of all the pens I’ve bought and tested this past year from Jet, I would rank the Pilot G2 Limited Gel Pen my favorite. It’s metal, it has heft, it’s under $15, it’s matte black, and I love how it writes. If you’re looking for a more curated assortment, check out Yoseka. Late this year, we introduced a limited selection of brass Kawecos. I love the Supra for more “serious” writing, and the Sport for everyday use and travel.
7. Artificial Intelligence
My two cents on a hot topic. AI basically short circuits / eliminates the process: the pain, the struggle and ultimately the joy and reward (aka the most fundamental steps in any creative endeavor). Let's face it: it was hard to get excited about AI in 2025. Its impact on the environment and the psychic well-being of its users does not bode well. Don't get me wrong: I hope there will be positive, long term outcomes. But so far this is not headed in a great direction. In the meantime, I will be looking for a good used typewriter to refurbish.
8. Outline
This past September, I stumbled upon a New York Times story about Outline, a small women’s apparel shop in Brooklyn that decided to pull its online store to sell exclusively through its brick and mortar shop and a print catalog. I don't know their business model, but I tip my hat to such a bold move.
9. A Poem
Rescued Time by Seamus O’Rourke.
10. Other tools and resources
I bought a bunch of these as stocking stuffers this year, and since then, I’ve gone on a ThermoWorks deep dive. I love a company with such a singular mission. I’m no pro-chef, but that won’t stop me from owning a pro-chef thermometer. I am always looking for good printers, and when I find a good one, I like to share it. We use SmartPress for all our printing needs (like postcards, bookmarks, and, soon enough, pamphlets). Last year, I really got into cooking beans, thanks in large part to the incredible source and knowledge base that is Rancho Gordo. I am so impressed by the heavyweight T-shirt I bought this summer from the folks at Softgoods in Detroit. Since then, I’ve gotten to know their founder, Josh York—they are a company to keep your eye on. If you have HBO, go watch Architecton as soon as you can. And if you’re looking to plant some trees soon, help bring back the American Chestnut.
Plus: The Best Made 2025 Playlist
Featuring some of our favorite new and old songs that were on steady rotation this year.
Listen on Spotify / Listen on Apple.
Listen on Spotify / Listen on Apple.
And RIP Ozzy. I once spent a day with him on a photo shoot. He was a genuinely lovely man.
Over 'n Out and wishing you all the best in 2026.
PB-S
Over 'n Out and wishing you all the best in 2026.
PB-S
