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Grand Rapids, Michigan
USA
Rover Haven is a maker of custom shell cordovan watch straps.
Light hearted writing about watches, life, and the intersection of watches and life.
In which the author’s Zenith CP-2 comes back home for a long overdue weekend-on-the-wrist review, and buy-back dibs are finally leveraged. Bourbon tasting, a road trip, and the perfect watch. What could be better?
Read MoreThe collector of the classic American four-blade scout/utility knife will find exciting collectibility with the overlooked Camillus semaphore knives. Produced for at least 20 years under a dozen different brand names, the semaphore scouts are a treat for those who love little details.
Read MorePart 2 of an ongoing series on one of the most beautiful pocket knife patterns of all time. The 6-blade humpback sportmesser is turning 100 sometime soon, and to celebrate, Rover Haven is here to give guidance on how to date your vintage Böker 182 and share a few special humpbacks from other Solingen makers along the way.
Read MorePart 2 in a two-part article on the Boker 9361 scout/utility knife. This part picks up the story in the mid-1960’s and carries it through to the end, covering several changes of Boker ownership. The 9361 kept its basic format, but the devil is in the details of tang stamps, nail nicks, and Tree branding. Under Cooper Group ownership in the 1980’s, quality plummeted, but it ended on a good note with some very unusually marked knives assembled in Germany.
Read MorePart 1 of a two-part article on collecting a classic American pocket knife, the Boker 9361. Produced from the mid-1920’s to the late-1980’s, this four-blade scout/utility knife has been carried by scouts, soldiers, engineers, campers, and handymen for six decades. While the basic format remained the same over the years, its consistent quality and numerous variations produced give the 9361 wonderful collectible potential.
Read MoreIn which the author rediscovers the pleasures of time spent with good friends, a good watch, and good whiskey. A post for Oris fans, bourbon fans, and people who never give up on going home.
Read MoreIt’s 1967 and you’re planning a multi-week camping trip by Jeep and canoe. What wristwatch and pocket knife do you bring? Two timelessly classic tools are paired and put to use, the Omega Seamaster 300 ref 165.024 and the Case Model 6445R scout/utility knife. Swiss brilliance and American muscle pair up to get the job done, while an old father-son canoe path is re-paddled.
Read MoreMany collectors will be familiar with the Böker Model 182 and its characteristic humpback shape. But a deeper dive reveals many more historical makers of the pattern. Fans of traditional American scout and camp knives, the Victorinox Spartan, and Confusing Fall Warbler-esque collector rabbit holes may find themselves seduced by the song of the humpback.
Read MoreWhat starts out as a simple and well-intentioned effort to settle down with a single Seamaster To End All Seamasters goes from clear sailing to troubled waters, and back again, when three SM300’s show up in a single month. Sometimes you have to ask yourself how you got here.
Read MoreThey say variety is the spice of life, but SAK collectors can have a tendency to be pretty salt-and-pepper. But with a little research and a couple well spent dollars, the weary SAK collector can discover a world of French and German scout pattern knives. Rich variety, legacy, and craft await. A post for the SAK enthusiast willing to stray from the crowd.
Read MoreSAK collectors in search of variety may seem a contradiction in terms, but there are interesting and obtainable English, French, and German alternatives. Here is a post for collectors and accumulators of scout-pattern knives who are tired of the usual fare, and who have probably never heard the name Pradel.
Read MoreIf you were taking a six-month road trip and could only take one watch, what would it be? Introducing the Guinand Flieger Chrono Klassik, an amazing wrist companion that ticks all the boxes. Lovers of feature-rich wrist instruments and amazing German quality, read on.
Read MoreThe South African Defence Forces Knife is a Pioneer/Model 1961 Soldier SAK with a twist. It is the only Victorinox knife to appear with a NATO Stock Number engraved on its scale. Alox collectors, Pioneer enthusiasts, and soldatenmesser nuts will want to know about this rare Victorinox.
Read MoreKnow what SBB CFF FFS stands for? A week on the wrist with the superb official watch of the Swiss Federal Railway answers the question, and proves less is more. Here is a post for fans of mid-century Modern design, Swiss railway precision, and affordable watches.
Read MoreIn which the author concludes a two-part post on the Seiko SPB213. Follow along and see how the Seiko SPB213 performed as 24/7 timekeeping companion on a 4WD tour of Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. Does the mid-level Seiko dive watch prove as reliable and trusty as the Michigan landscape proves remote and rugged? Only two weeks on the wrist would tell.
Read MoreYou’ve planned a two-week camping adventure and realize you don’t own an “affordable” diver. What to do? Buy a Seiko, that’s what. Part 1 of a two-part post about Land Rovers, Jeeps, trailers, and of course the impressive Seiko SPB213.
Read MoreJust when you thought you’d seen every Confusing Fall Warbler, another variant pops up. Here we have the Hamilton 9965, an otherwise 9415-ish watch with a classic British 6B dial and American MIL-W-esque caseback details. Read on to discover all the details of this watch, a real platypus from Hamilton’s early 1990’s Khaki offerings.
Read MoreIn which a wondrously competent German brand from the past reboots itself with a shockingly handsome retro piece. A post for lovers of classy things that are a bit different, a little hard to find, and very cool. Forget watches that brand themselves as being for the “cocktail hour.” Show up with the Circula 1955 Handaufzug on your wrist and start an actual conversation.
Read MoreNeed a little help mounting your watch onto your Bund strap? Here is a handy step-wise procedure you can follow. Bring on the Bund adventure!
Read MoreWear a fixed bar watch but love Bund straps, too? Help has arrived. Some fresh thinking results in a solution that satisfies both constraints, looks great, and proves durable.
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