The Cool Material team spends a lot of time working to be the best resource for stuff guys want. A lot goes into curating the best of the internet, the best whiskeys every guy needs to know, the top watches in every price range, the coolest vintage rides, and the many other topics that round out the site from gear, to tech, to style, to food and drink.
That said, no one website is a one-stop shop filled with everything you need to know before you know you need to know it. Cards on the table, the Cool Material team spends quite a few hours a week on sites other than this one because it’s a wide world out there. After input from across the team, these are the cool websites that every guy should know.
Valet
For more than a decade, Valet has delivered daily news on style, grooming, and culture. The editors and writers of this independent publication address many of the same types of topics that Cool Material readers are into as well. The tagline “concierge to a well-styled life” is apt, and a must-follow for anyone who is more concerned with the things that a proper modern gentleman needs to know instead of chasing current trends.
Kottke
Jason Kotte (aka the man who designed the Silkscreen typeface used by Adobe, MTV, Volvo and others, along with being featured in all the prestigious New York magazines) is one of the names to know when searching for quality content online. Whether it’s art or technology, science or visual culture, design or music, there are at least a few hundred posts in the 25,000-plus posts on his site that will interest you. Even when Kotte is one a brief hiatus, dig through the archive. You won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll have a new definition of “Internet rabbit hole” when you’re finally done.
Colossal
Traditional Chinese painting on rice paper. Futuristic, light-based art installations from a Romanian-born artist. Italian marble, boulder-like sculptures covered in a porous web. Hand-painted Persian carpets. Independent films. Fantastic products. Colossal is an art, design and culture site that’s equal parts design porn, intriguing products and mesmerizing visual case studies.
Bike EXIF
If you enjoy motorcycles in any capacity, you should be reading Bike EXIF on a regular basis. The Internet’s “most popular showcase for custom motorcycles” has been running for more than a decade now, and it shows no signs of slowing. Coverage includes cafe racers, bobbers, scramblers, and classics, along with how-to guides and factory releases. In short, Bike EXIF is a veritable one-stop shop for all the best two-wheeled creations in the world. Whether you love riding or you just like to admire and drool over the best, brightest, or most ridiculous creations that have ever existed on two wheels, Bike EXIF is where you want to spending your time.
HODINKEE
HODINKEE does one thing and it does it well. In this case, it’s watches. The HODINKEE team covers some absurdly rare, incredibly customized, or otherwise insanely expensive watches. Not to mention the coverage garners millions of views, celebrity collaborators, and more awards than it’s fair to mention. If you enjoy watches, particularly the mechanical ones, on any level and you’re not reading HODINKEE, then you’re missing out.
Gear Patrol
Gear Patrol covers much of the same ground as Cool Material. It’s sure to make you want to get outdoors with its recommendations and guides. And if you’re the type of person who likes to hold what you’re reading instead of losing yourself on a screen, Gear Patrol has a much-lauded print magazine, too.
Whisky Advocate and BeerAdvocate
Whisky Advocate and BeerAdvocate are not published by the same company, nor are they related in any way. What they do have in common is that both are go-to resources when it comes to very different libations ( you can probably guess by the names which one covers which beverage). Both serve as indispensable resources in their particular alcohol sectors,. Whether you’re a guy that likes beer, one that prefers the brown stuff, or maybe someone who enjoys both, then one or both of these websites will keep you in the know about the best and brightest, the newest releases and the most intriguing options when it comes to your adult beverage of choice.
Designspiration
Love design? Want to share what inspires you, or looking for inspiration for your own work? Enter Designspiration, the Pinterest alternative strictly focused on everything design.” In short, Designspiration is an easy-to-use way to discover something new, brush up on what’s popular and find ideas for your next creative endeavor. After a few hours on Designspiration you’ll want to create all kinds of projects, get a bunch of tattoos, and build at least a few pieces of furniture.
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