Man of Many’s Staff Favourites – 22 June 2024

Praise be, another sunny weekend has arrived. The last seven days have been extremely busy at the Man of Many office, with the team steadily working on ticking off the final steps on a number of exciting new projects. We’ve pulled together some amazing interviews, got down and dirty with a few supercars and got our game on with a footy legend – we think we’ve earned the break. But before we settle into the couch and put our feet up, here’s a Staff Favourites edition for your viewing pleasure.

Rains MSN Bag

Nick Hall – Editor-in-Chief

I’ve never been a big backpack person. Something about slipping the straps over my shoulders mentally transported me back to high school in the worst possible way, but this week I changed my tune. I recently went on a trip overseas and snagged a Rains MSN Bag in the process. The ultra-lightweight option is entirely weather-proof and much classier than the old Jansports I traditionally avoided. Despite its sleek structure, I’ve found thar the MSN Bag has a huge amount of space available, and I can load it up with my many meals, water bottle, gym gear and even a laptop without gear spilling onto the footpath.

The only downside I have found is the clips are often hard to open and I’ve smashed my fingers more than a few times trying to get it open. Perhaps that’s just user error, or maybe my gross motor skills aren’t what I thought they were, but it matters little – I’ll keep using this one until my wife inevitably steals it from me.

Favourite Article of the Week: Joel Edgerton on Gratitude, Creativity, and What Might Have Been

Ironclad Co Ghost Net Knives

Scott Purcell – Co-Founder

Even though I’m a horrible cook, I’m a big fan of a nice chef’s knife. There’s something about being able to efficiently slice through carrots, cucumbers or steaks that make you feel like you’re competing on MasterChef. Well, now you can feel even better about saving the world with the Ironclad Co range of knives that were created with 100 per cent discarded fishing nets.

Did you know there’s enough fishing line thrown out each year to wrap around the equator 400 times? Nuts! Apparently, it’s enough to cover the entirety of Scotland. To solve this, Ironclad Co has launched the Ghost Net Knives, which are commercial grade, in partnership with 97-year-old knife maker Victory Knives. For every knife sold, they will also haul a further 1kg of discarded fishing nets from the oceans. So do some good for yourself, and the world and dice your way to glory.

Favourite Article of the Week: Seiko Updates the Iconic 1969 King Seiko Watch on its 100th Anniversary

Furby Furblets

John Guanzon – Head of Social

A bit left-field for a men’s lifestyle website, I know, but as a millennial dad who’s constantly trying to educate my kids on what life was like in the 1900s, this is a fun one. Any kid who was in primary school in the late nineties and early noughts will remember Furbies. There’s a high chance you would have begged your parents for a Furby for Christmas to only play with it once or twice before reverting to your Gameboy. Well, fast forward 14 years or so and they’re very much back in mini, compact form.

Furby Furblets are the latest addition to the Furby family and are basically miniature Furbies in the form of a keychain you can attach to your bag or keychain. These Furblets, standing at a whopping 5cm tall, are packed with personality. There are six Furblets in the current collection, each with unique personalities, voices, and tastes in music, with whacky names to match like Ooh-Koo, Hip-Bop, and Ray-Vee.

These mini mischief-makers don’t just sing solo; they harmonize with each other and even interact with their bigger Furby siblings from the 2023 and 2024 generations using something called ‘Furdar’ mode. Who knew Furby had gone high-tech? You can find them for around $16 at Kmart of Big W, so for a small price, you can watch your peaceful household transform into a chaotic Furby concert venue – because why not?

Favourite Article of the Week: INTERVIEW: How ‘Colin From Accounts’ Became Australia’s Anti-Rom-Com

NON Stopper Set

Harry Parsons – Senior Branded Content Manager

It’s approaching Dry July and I thought I would get a head start and treat myself to NON’s range of non-alcoholic wine substitutes. A few friends of mine have brought these to dinners in the past and raved about them so I thought I would give it a crack. Now due to my choice paralysis, I decided to grab their Stopper Set that included a bottle of Salted Raspberry & Chamomile, Toasted Cinnamon & Yuzu and Stewed Cherry & Coffee. Now the reason it is called the Stopper Set is that it comes with an extremely nifty stainless steel carbonation stopper.

Whilst trying these non-alc beverages, of which the Rasberry & Chamomile was a clear favourite, I was able to slide the stopper onto the top of the bottle and keep the bottle surprisingly bubbly for a whole week! This is probably the sleekest-looking bottle stopper I have seen, it is evident that they have put a fair amount of thought and energy into the design. There is no need to pull down any clamps like your traditional stopper, it’s a simple slide-on and you’re sorted. The real kicker is that it is such a secure fit that I could lie the bottle flat in my space-limited fridge and not a single drop leaked. I’ve really enjoyed being able to have perfectly carbonated drinks throughout the week and still feel like I get to have a nice evening beverage. Cheers to quality beverages and sparkling longevity!

Favourite Article of the Week: Ultimate Immersion: The MSI Claw A1M is Reinventing Gaming on the Go