Stab Recommends: Putting Your Faith In Quality

In our younger and more vulnerable years we used to burn through product. 

Stain? Get another. Misplaced it? Ditto. And so on and so forth. Thankfully now we’re sun-spotted and stiff we’ve discovered the merits of investing in a select number of quality items and doing our damndest to hang onto them (and what an ugly business sending textiles and unwanted gear to landfill really is). In keeping with our more sustainable outlook, here’s five things that (unless they get pilfered from the washing line) you wont regret flashing the cc at.

Don’t Get With The Times

The Birdwell Beach Britches marketing department (if they have one) is wonderfully underdeveloped, and that’s just fine by us. Why waste the coin if you’ve spent six decades building a sterling reputation based on the quality of your gear? Take this jacket for example: clean lines, timeless fit, and, remarkably, a lifetime warranty.

Bag yourself a lifer.

Tread Lightly Wax

The wax we’ve been using forever starts as a pertrochemical base. Meaning? That eventually it breaks down into tiny particles that pollute the ocean. Goodsurfwax is made from bees wax in the most sustainable way possible. It’s not as sticky as Fu, but the winter wax paired with booties is a delightful surfing experience. Good idea, good wax.

Can’t Fake Heritage

Bob McTavish is surfing’s most loveable rogues: the cheeky stowaway who went from car-dwelling outlaw to having a property folio most politicians would envy (funny how that happens). As well as premium surf-craft, Bob’s mob are now expanding to the rag trade. If this charming tee’s anything to go by then we’d wager they’ll do better than most fledgling surf textile entries – phone number’s real too. 

Channel your inner Bob.

Jeans Worth Liftings

Bondi Beach (formerly Scum Valley), birthplace of this magazine, used to be a hotbed of drugs and crime. There’s still drugs, but not much crime, apart from the illusive laundry thief. I had a pair of these stolen a decade ago off the washing line (along with my entire wardrobe) and I’m still not over it. 

Quality denim in a darling shade.  

Soft-n-fun

The East coast of Australia has a love/have relationship with true south swells. If there’s a point or slab in town then you’re surfing, but, if your spots are sand-dependent then there’s a chance you have to undergo the tortuous experience of watching 4-6ft, offshore bombs march in and closeout the whole damn joint. Which is exactly what’s been happening for the last seven days. Solution? Grab one of these and enjoy the brief vision before the inevitable beating. 

The wonderfully named: “Speed McDraggit.”