A Gentleman’s Guide to Caring for His Tools

Founder at ToolsCritic.com
Mark Thompson is a professional woodworker with over 20 years experience in the industry. Having owned his own woodworking shop for a long time, he worked on almost all types of projects and perfected his craft. He is now sharing his passion and expertise as the founder of ToolsCritic.com and is always looking to learn something new.
Mark Thompson
Latest posts by Mark Thompson (see all)

Today you have the great privilege of hearing from Mark Thompson of ToolsCritic.com. He’s got a wide range of expertise in woodworking, and craftsmanship of all kinds. His website is a wonderful resource for anyone looking to invest in any tool or looking to take on a new project! We’re thankful he was willing to […]

Read More

Design. Build. Tinker. Contribute…Create.

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We’ve stopped creating. When was the last time you built something…from scratch? Maybe Shop class in High School? Maybe an evening pottery course that you got off of Groupon? I’d wager that most of us would be hard-pressed to remember the last time that we undertook a project where we had to think of a […]

Read More

Listen. No Really, Listen!

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Poe
Mr. Rafal
Latest posts by Mr. Rafal (see all)

*One of the biggest disagreements I have ever had in a professional setting occurred almost entirely because the person I was chatting with perceived that I was not listening to them. This disagreement had very real consequences, including me not continuing my work at that location for an additional year. It was a crazy situation […]

Read More

A Gentleman’s Perspective on Fatherhood

Guest Writer at The Modern Day Gentleman
Mr. Kosovich is an engineer living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He enjoys whiskey and tobacco, and fills his free time home brewing and singing. He is married and has two daughters.
Mr. Kosovich
Latest posts by Mr. Kosovich (see all)

If I (over a scotch and a pipe) were to ask you to shortly and simply define fatherhood, how would you respond? In today’s society, fatherhood does not mean what it used to. The modern portrayal of fathers on TV, movies, commercials, etc. varies greatly. Some fathers are depicted as severe, sexist, and self-centered – […]

Read More

3 Questions To Help You Remain Intentional About Your Growth in 2016

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We are more than half of the way through 2016 at this point, and most of you inevitably feel some measure of exhaustion. We move at an alarmingly fast rate in our world today, and if we aren’t constantly intentional to take a step back from the whirlwind, we can find ourselves looking up in […]

Read More

Take a Chill Pill

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

In this week’s article, I have no significant idea to share with you, or weighty proposition to wager. What I have to share is not revolutionary or ground-breaking. In fact, it’s rather mundane and ordinary. In our last few articles we’ve focused on some heavy and challenging topics. We talked about living as a modern […]

Read More

The Shortcut to Depth in Your Relationships – *Spoiler*…There Isn’t One

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

We live in an age of immediacy. The readiness and accessibility of information is broader than it has ever been before in history. This has undoubtedly done immeasurable good in innumerable ways. However, I would argue that it has also unfortunately bred a generation focused on and valuing many of the wrong things. One example […]

Read More

The Merits of Slowing Down to Smoke

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it." - Poe
Mr. Rafal
Latest posts by Mr. Rafal (see all)

Spring, such a beautiful and tumultuous time in Colorado. Finally it is warm enough to smoke outside, provided the weather holds and we don’t get snow tomorrow. And since smoking outside is the only option open to my friends and I, this is an exciting time indeed. Already the idea has been broached, “Let’s go […]

Read More

Abraham Lincoln on the Importance of Reading in a Gentleman’s Life

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

“Sorry, I’m just not a reader”. I can remember myself saying that line on many occasions growing up. I’d bet at least a handful of you can remember yourself saying it too. And while maybe for some of you it was a clever way to get out of extra reading at home, for me it […]

Read More

What Bonsai Trees Teach Us About Being a Gentleman

Founding Member at The Distinguished Society of Fine Gentlemen
"Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy." - Norman Schwarzkopf
Brandon Reed

Patience. It is one of the very first things we are taught to practice in our lives. “Wait for your brother to be done playing with that toy”, our moms instructed. “Be patient, the storm will pass”, our dads told us after our first heartbreak. “Persevere longer than your opponent, and you will be the […]

Read More