Monday, December 26, 2011

Snow Peak Carry On Chopsticks

New Gear!

My wife gave me a set of Snow Peak's chopsticks for Christmas this year. They're expensive, redundant, unnecessary and aren't a candidate for multi-use gear. With all of that said, I love them! 

Photo courtesy of snowpeak.com
I've always liked them but never picked a pair up because they're expensive ($29) and as I mentioned above, you really don't need them. Since I have some and there are a few interesting details I thought I'd write up a quick post.

Completely Unnecessary
First things first... these are absolutely a luxury item. Other than being small and lightweight they're just about the opposite of what I like about UL gear. Regardless, I'm looking forward to my first mug of ramen with them in the woods.

Simple


1. Remove the cap. It's a brass plug held in by a press fit o-ring. Simple!
2. Remove the wooden tips.
3. Thread the tip on the base & replace the brass caps.
4. Enjoy your meal.







Elegant

The materials are a nice match. The grip is stainless steel with a bead blasted matte finish. The tip is Japanese White Ash. Snow Peak made a deal with Japanese baseball teams to recycle their broken bats into new chopsticks. Nice touch! The threaded joint and rear cap are both made of brass. 


The design shows off Snow Peak's typical refined simplicity. The design geometry, material selection and finish are all understated and show that the designer understood that less can truly be more. The chopsticks are well balanced whether you use them with a high or low grip.

Quality

Fit and finish are fantastic. It's that simple.









Posted by at

14 comments:

  1. Eugene SmithDecember 26, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    Those are slick. I've been tempted many times to splurge on the chops. The Snow Peak 7oz. Ti french press has caught my eye. If Rand can figure out a way to make a Caldera Cone setup for it I could see it being a welcomed addition.

    ReplyDelete
  2. YetiDecember 26, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    They look really cool. Totally unnecessary of course, but there is a certain style about them that I would like.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JERMMDecember 27, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    Very nice, I wish I knew how to use chopsticks.

    "aren't a candidate for multi-use gear"...not so fast, with the right soil conditions maybe a tarp stake, definitely a stick to be used with PTC bear bagging and for scratching that little spot in the middle of your back that's so hard to reach.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jenny MeredithDecember 28, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    Wow! Your wife must be awesome. Didn't she buy you a Snow Peak french press once, too? Hold on to that one! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Don MeredithDecember 28, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    Wifey - You're the best! ;)

    Eugene - I actually have the press. Love it for luxury trips (kayak, etc). Send me a note offline... I have some tips for MYOG press that doesn't require a separate pot.

    Jermm - No way I'd use these for a spare stake. Way too sexy kit for that. ;)

    Yeti - Ramen tastes 3x as good using these versus 'normal' chopsticks. ;) Love your year end review BTW... Great images!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stick's BlogJanuary 2, 2012 at 3:10 PM

    These must have been popular gifts for wives to give to their backpacking husbands this year... I got a pair too and my feelings about them pretty much mirror yours. They are sweet as all get out, and I look forward to using them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. butukiJanuary 5, 2012 at 5:39 AM

    If you know how to use them they can completely replace a fork or knife. Many Japanese and Chinese use nothing else for all their eating. Plus, they can be used while cooking, if you have the technique right, for picking up hot things like lids and cups. When you eat out of a pot they can be used to guide food into your mouth instead of using a spoon to lift the food out. They most certainly are multi use, far more so than forks and knives are. And, if you get bamboo versions, far lighter, too. You can even easily make chop sticks from available materials should you ever lose your spoon or fork.

    ReplyDelete
  8. LarryBJanuary 9, 2012 at 2:42 PM

    To quote Jerry Seinfeld, "You know they've seen the fork..."

    ReplyDelete
  9. Don MeredithJanuary 9, 2012 at 3:00 PM

    LarryB, that was pretty funny. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. LarryBJanuary 9, 2012 at 3:53 PM

    Thanks Don.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Snow PeakMarch 13, 2012 at 1:39 AM

    Snow Peak's awesome Chopsticks is back in stock and ready to ship. This awesome Chopsticks.

    ReplyDelete
  12. zahnarzt implantateApril 5, 2012 at 5:18 AM

    Thanks for sharing excellent informations. Your website is so cool. I’m impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Personalized chopsticksSeptember 30, 2013 at 9:24 PM

    Asian foods taste better when you use chopsticks whether you are dining out in a restaurant or even enjoying takeout at home. All you need to do is to buy one and try to practice at home.

    ReplyDelete
  14. UnknownMarch 6, 2015 at 6:37 PM

    May the Fork be with you..... :-)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)