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“I do believe in simplicity.”
—Henry David Thoreau
J. Thoreau & Son Pencils
This pack of four pencils is an homage to those made by Henry David Thoreau and his father, John.
Years before writing Walden, Henry David Thoreau joined his father’s pencil business and rediscovered a French formula for kiln-fired pencil leads—a mix of finely ground granite and clay—that could be reliably graded from hard to soft. In 1844, Henry invented a grinding machine that produced exceptionally fine graphite powder—the key to a strong, even point. J. Thoreau & Co. was the first American pencil manufacturer to market pencils using a standard hardness, graded 1–4, and won awards in 1847 and 1849 for their pencils. Around 1849, John Thoreau changed the name of the family business from J. Thoreau & Co. to J. Thoreau & Son.
Pocket Magnifying Glass
This handy magnifier offers 4X viewing power to help you see the finer things in life. Housed in a discreet sleeve, it is made from high-quality tumbled grain leather and held together by a unique brass post. Handcrafted in Massachusetts. The leather is gently tumbled in rotating drums filled with vegetable extracts to give it a distinctively soft and relaxed hand, while at the same time remaining durable. A light wax is applied during the finishing process for added surface protection.
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Air Mail Letter Writing Set
”Go, little letter, apace, apace.“
—Alfred Tennyson
Capture the nostalgia of messages sent via Air Mail with this letter writing set. Each set includes ten sheets of high-quality stationery with a classic “Air Mail” logo and a blue and red border, along with eight corresponding envelopes. We’ve paired these with a strip of ten matching “Air Mail, Par Avion” stickers, to complete the vintage style.
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Hourglass
Depicted in a fourteenth-century fresco by Lorenzetti in Sienna, in a sixteenth-century engraving by Dürer in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, on Blackbeard the pirate’s flag, and in countless other artworks and artifacts, the hourglass evokes not only the passage of time but also balance, the sky and the earth, the female figure, and more.
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The best scissors are designed for specific cutting projects. To this end, we are pleased to introduce our Paper Scissors, which are engineered specifically for cutting paper. Crafted in Italy, these scissors trace their design back to the 1950s, when flat-handled scissors were first made. Each pair features an elegant gold-plated handle paired with durable carbon steel blades.
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Pure Cotton Correspondence Pad and Envelopes
This stationery is as essential and elegant as an impeccably tailored white shirt. Pure Cotton is a paper made without any chemicals. Creamy white, with a soft woven finish and a watermark; ideal for writing with a fountain pen, a rollerball, or a ballpoint. The envelopes are lined with white tissue.
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Ruler and Letter Opener
Crafted in Italy from hard-tempered steel, this graceful yet practical tool features a refined gold-plated handle and engraved imperial measurements. A thin layer of 24-karat gold is applied to the letter opener, giving it a beautiful, shining gold finish.
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Oyster Gift Set
“Oysters are the usual opening to a winter breakfast... Indeed, they are almost indispensable.”—Grimod de la Reyniere, Almanach des Gourmands
Eating oysters always seems to elevate any occasion, and this gift set—including oyster forks, sauce dishes, and paper napkins featuring a list of ninety-seven varieties of North American oysters—only enhances the feeling.
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Old-School Lap Desk
Don’t be tied to a desk while working on a project. If you would rather work in bed or from an armchair (or beach chair), this lap desk will allow you to write, draw, read, or use a laptop in comfort. The top can be raised to a variety of angles, simply by placing a metal support into the appropriate notch.
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Classic French Market Bag
Pull out the Larousse: you’ll run out of the superlatives you’ll need to describe this Classic French Market Bag. Maybe the company's tagline says it best—Le IT BAG écolo (the ecological IT BAG).
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Scientists and Inventors Mug
These heirloom-quality bone china mugs are decorated with illustrations of the brilliant minds behind some of history’s biggest ideas and creations. From Archimedes to Albert Einstein, this mug is packed with clever characters with their inventions to spot as you sip.
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Nantucket Bicycle Basket
This classic woven bicycle basket from Nantucket Bike Basket Company is the perfect accessory for your bicycle, garden, or home. Designed in collaboration with local artisans, these baskets offer both sturdy durability and vintage New England charm.
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“If You Have a Garden and a Library” Tea Towel
This stylish tea towel, part of a new range of homeware designs launched at the renowned Royal Horticulture Show Chelsea in 2023, features a quote from Cicero: “If you have a garden and a library you have everything you need.”
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This pen is an exceptionally fine writing instrument, featured in a Financial Times piece about choosing the best diaries, notebooks, and pens. The columnist, Luke Edward Hall, calls the Scribe Rollerball “the pen of my dreams.” It has “a simple, smart shape with a rounded lid and a weighty feel. It looks kind of retro, I suppose, but not annoyingly so. It is just a brilliantly designed tool and the perfect accompaniment to my diary of choice.”
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Manufactured in Paris in a workshop built by Gustave Eiffel, this desk pad has everything one would expect of a product with such an estimable pedigree: a unique vintage look, solid construction, and high functionality. The holder is made of metal, with a nonslip backing; handsome decorative bolts hold the pad of paper in place.
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Calligraphy Kit for Beginners
This complete calligraphy kit makes it easy to start exploring this exciting art form because it comes with everything a beginning artist needs, from a set of high-quality materials to comprehensive instructions.
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Card Catalog Notecards
Evoking memories of beautiful wooden card catalogs, this replica sturdy cardboard box comes with a set of thirty flat notecards and envelopes. The front of each card reproduces an original card from the Library of Congress and features a different famous work of literature.
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“Be Happy for This Moment” Gold Bracelet
This gold bracelet is etched with this succinct blessing from Omar Khayyam’s The Rubáiyát: “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
The beauty of Khayyam’s language is echoed here in the simple elegance of the bracelet.
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Whitman Square Inch Bracelet
“Some people are so much sunlight to the square inch.”—Walt Whitman
The designer handcrafts her jewelry collection in a solar-powered studio in Southern California. She casts each design from reclaimed metals in a clay mold using the ancient art of lost wax casting.
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“I Wish You All the Joy” Silver Shakespeare Bracelet
This stylish silver cuff bracelet is etched with this succinct blessing from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: “I wish you all the joy that you can wish.” “Shakespeare” is engraved on the inside of the cuff. This thin but sturdy cuff is 0.125" wide and will fit a wrist that is 6.5"–7" around.
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Globetrotting
In Globetrotting, Duncan Minshull, the UK’s “laureate of walking,” brings together the work of more than fifty walker-writers who have traveled the world’s seven continents by foot. From the 1500s to the present day comes a memorable band of explorers and adventurers, scientists and missionaries, pleasure-seekers, and literary drifters recalling their experiences and asking themselves a compelling question—why travel this way in the first place?
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Premium German Pencil Sharpener
Möbius & Ruppert, the German company that makes this premium pencil sharpener, is known for the exceptional quality of their sharpeners. This round brass model has a satisfying weight in the hand, and the textured exterior allows for a firm grip. The double blades result in a flawless point for graphite pencils, colored pencils, and artist’s pencils. It’s no wonder this family-owned company, the oldest sharpening company in Germany, is widely considered the best in the world.
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Silence Please Mug
A polite exhortation, “silence please,” appears beneath the English Gothic arch at the entrance to the Bodleian Old Library. Another appears in the library’s fifteenth-century courtyard. In fact, these signs are presented at every entrance to the Bodleian, one of Europe’s oldest libraries and the main research library at the University of Oxford.
Huckleberry Pull Helicopter
A beautifully designed toy for some old-school fun, this wooden pull helicopter will get kids off of devices and outdoors. Simply wind the launcher clockwise and quickly pull to release the helicopter and watch it go flying.
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Kidoki Paper Balloons
Washi paper balloons, or kamifusen, are a traditional Japanese toy, made of handmade paper, created by the wives of fisherman dating back to the 1920s. Today, they are enjoyed by people of all ages as a fun and eco-friendly alternative to plastic balloons.
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Balsa Wood Model Airplane Kits
These airplanes are an old-school, irresistible way to get kids away from their screens and outside. (And not only kids: they’re fun for seventeen-year-olds and seventy-year-olds, too.) No batteries, electronics, or plastics.
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The Pigeon Reads a Book:
48-Piece Puzzle
This jigsaw puzzle features Pigeon, the beloved character from acclaimed children’s book author Mo Willems, proudly exclaiming, “I am a READER!”
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Wild and Free T-shirt
We know a few small wild and free creatures who embody Thoreau’s deeply held belief that “all good things are wild and free.” This T-shirt is for them. The line is from a lecture Thoreau delivered more often than any other, entitled “Walking.” It was later published posthumously and is regarded as one of the most famous essays of the Transcendentalist movement.
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Brass Book Darts
No photographic memory? Not to worry. Brass Book Darts are the book-lover’s perfect memory aid. No need to rack your brain trying to remember where you saw that wonderful phrase or curious fact in a book you read. Just slide a Brass Book Dart onto the page next to the passage you don’t want to forget, and you’ll be able to find it again whenever your memory needs a refresher.
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Stylish Gold Paperclips
Keep important documents neat with a playful twist using these stylish gold paperclips. This pack of fifty gold clips comes in a soft blue box with a clever message—“it’s time to keep it together”—that’s as functional as it is fun. The unique teardrop shape adds flair to your everyday paper stacks, planners, or project boards—a perfect addition to your home office, classroom, or journaling setup.
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Fifty-Year Calendar Paperweight
So much information in such a compact object. This slim but hefty paperweight has fifty years of monthly calendars. Simply line up the month and year at the top of the dial to reveal the complete calendar of the desired month.
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Multi-Tool Pen
This handsome aluminum six-in-one pen with black ink includes a ruler, level, and stylus, as well as flathead and Phillips screwdrivers. It’s presented in a handsome, retro-vibe gift box.
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David Levine Illustrations from the Pages of
The New York Review of Books
A print of a favorite writer, artist, historical figure, or personal hero makes a thoughtful gift for anyone on your list—or for your own home or office. We offer framed prints of the hundreds of caricatures by celebrated artist David Levine that enriched the pages of The New York Review of Books for more than four decades.
Pictured here: Henry Thoreau.
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