Klein x Carhartt WIP
There is a genre of handyperson called Chicago Guy: usually eastern European, usually a guy, not very talkative, gets the job done, always overbooked. As you might remember, we bought a hole from one once.
Klein Tools, based in the northern suburbs, predates both the Civil War and the Fire, and they make everything that a Chicago Guy could possibly need to do a good job. Their range of products is truly all over the map, from flame-resistant welding sleeves to tethers to, yes, actual tools. I truly have no idea how well-known they are outside of Chicagoland, but here they are legion.
They also make excellent, mildly bombproof canvas bags that work perfectly for pack loads, if you want to save money and stick to a specific set of dimensions. I rocked Klein Tools for a long time, and then when I started dating someone, I regifted them most of my bags and started buying x-pac stuff, due to being mildly insane & wanting to shave grams. Then they went out to dinner with their father, an HVAC contractor, and pulled out their regifted Klein Tools bag. “You rock Klein Tools?,” he asked, in the same tone that you would probably have if your parents rolled up to church in full Margiela.
My partner’s father is correct. Klein Tools is the future of hypebeast fashion. The same people who rock Carhartt WIP and went full gorpcore in 2021 will carry Klein Tools bags on the daily. These are, frankly, the most zoomer single object in the western canon as of press time. Attach a lanyard to the rivet of this, and you now have a tiny purse.
We brainstormed: who will Klein Tools collab with? Crocs, clearly, but also Taco Bell, Rimowa, Decoy, and Yoshida Porter. All of these make sense. Crocs will do anything with anyone. Taco Bell will do it for the irony. Rimowa is thirsty for relevance after they got bought by a conglomerate, butchered their logo, and doubled their prices. Ohtani would never, but the dog, sure.
And with Yoshida Porter, they would make their usual line of products, just in hard canvas, with a hard zipper, and it would last longer than just about anything they make. And it would all cost $400.
So the answer, then, is to make Klein Tools pop, clearly. It’s cheap, durable, and their logo is set in Cooper Black. What more could you ask for?