K as in Knife

Unknown quantities, resonant frequencies, moving parts, and everything in between -- an ongoing mixtape of great music, comedy, film, photography, and design, chosen and obsessively annotated by C. Mason Wells.

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fashion:
From Elvira ‘t Hart, a lasercut jacket whose design emulates the lines of sketchesFrom Elvira ‘t Hart, a lasercut jacket whose design emulates the lines of sketches

From Elvira ‘t Hart, a lasercut jacket whose design emulates the lines of sketches

Inspiration board for the great menswear designer/retailer Sid MashburnInspiration board for the great menswear designer/retailer Sid Mashburn

Inspiration board for the great menswear designer/retailer Sid Mashburn

Buster Keaton, on How to Make a Buster Keaton Porkpie Hat

“In those days, almost every comedian you saw affected a derby hat. Even Harold Lloyd, when he was playing his Lonesome Luke character in 1917, wore a derby — which he later deserted for his signature straw hat and horn-rimmed glasses. So I decided to get a hat that was my very own. I knew straw was too fragile for my kind of antics, so I chose felt and designed this particular porkpie. Straw was fine for vaudeville song-and-dance, but not the movies. “I took a good Stetson and cut it down, then I stiffened the brim with sugar water. My recipe calls for three heaping teaspoons of granulated sugar in a teacup of warm water. You wet the top and bottom of the brim, and then smooth it out on a clean, hard surface and let it dry to a good stiffness. I did the earliest ones myself, always.” - Buster Keaton

From the essential fashion blog Sartorialist, here’s a street shot of Doug Bihlmaier, who has one of the most fascinating and enviable jobs imaginable: scouring the world for the antiques and knick knacks that adorn Ralph Lauren stores.From the essential fashion blog Sartorialist, here’s a street shot of Doug Bihlmaier, who has one of the most fascinating and enviable jobs imaginable: scouring the world for the antiques and knick knacks that adorn Ralph Lauren stores.

From the essential fashion blog Sartorialist, here’s a street shot of Doug Bihlmaier, who has one of the most fascinating and enviable jobs imaginable: scouring the world for the antiques and knick knacks that adorn Ralph Lauren stores.

From designer Hector Serrano, a napkin you can wear as a bib at formal dinners — without the need to dress down.From designer Hector Serrano, a napkin you can wear as a bib at formal dinners — without the need to dress down.

From designer Hector Serrano, a napkin you can wear as a bib at formal dinners — without the need to dress down.

Cathy Horyn's Audio Slideshows »

The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn is sharp and witty on the page, but her audio slideshows available on the Times site are even better. In addition to presenting images from the designers or trends Horyn is discussing, these slideshows offer her dry, deadpan, almost bored narration, which makes her cutting remarks on style even more hilarious.

From designer Petter Hanberger, a T-shirt featuring a 2009 calendar. Each day the shirt is worn, the wearer fills in the date’s corresponding box with a marker, which creates a unique pattern at year’s end.From designer Petter Hanberger, a T-shirt featuring a 2009 calendar. Each day the shirt is worn, the wearer fills in the date’s corresponding box with a marker, which creates a unique pattern at year’s end.

From designer Petter Hanberger, a T-shirt featuring a 2009 calendar. Each day the shirt is worn, the wearer fills in the date’s corresponding box with a marker, which creates a unique pattern at year’s end.