Manly Skills

Like most people, I’ve long stopped using the phone book to look up phone numbers and use Google instead. But like most people, I still get a giant phone book delivered to my door every single year. I typically just toss it into the recycling bin as soon as I get it, but this year [...]

Editor’s note: This post was written by Mark Greenman and originally ran on ITS Tactical. Duct tape is one of the most useful things on the planet. It can be used to secure, repair, or build in ways that other materials such as rope, glue, or conventional tape cannot. Because of the hundreds of applications for [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Ethan Hagan of One Project Closer. Check out some of his other manly contributions like Making Your Own Cribbage Board. Is your toilet cracked or damaged? Did your kid flush something that’s blocking the line? Are you looking to upgrade your commode? There are plenty of reasons [...]

It’s so satisfying to create something out of nothing — to add value and purpose to something once considered worthless. This project will show you the hidden treasures in your weed or brush pile. The crotch between a trunk and a branch is a very strong part of a tree. This strength makes a hook [...]

Fire extinguishers. You pass them all the time as you walk the hallways at work or school, and hopefully at home too. But no matter how many times you’ve seen them in your day-to-day life, you’ve probably given little thought as to how you actually use one. Maybe it never crossed your mind, or maybe [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Creek Stewart of Willow Haven Outdoor. The shemagh (pronounced “schmog”) – also called a keffiyeh and ghutrah – originated in the Middle East. They are a scarf-type wrap commonly found in arid regions to provide protection from direct sun exposure, as well to protect the mouth and eyes from blown [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from 911 dispatcher James Dillman. At some point in our lives, most of us will have occasion to call for the police, fire department, or an ambulance. Our first inclination is to simply pick up the phone and call 911 because it is quick and easy. Not every [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Matthew Pisarcik & Sebastian Sandersius, the founders of Bison Made. Nothing is manlier than making something with your own two hands. It’s a source of pride to build something that you can call your own. However, nothing is more frustrating than purchasing something expensive with your hard-earned [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from former Army medic Bruce A. West. You’re miles from any civilization at a lookout point on a large boulder with a friend, taking in the beautiful fall scenery, when your buddy slips and falls to the ground. They’re holding their leg and screaming in pain; their tibia [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Ethan Hagan from One Project Closer. I love a good card game, and some of my favorites include Spades, Hearts, Hand and Foot, and Euchre. Poker, however, never quite goes my way. Believe it or not, I’ve never played cribbage before. However, when Brett challenged me to make a [...]

It’s late Friday night and you’re walking to your car after a fun evening with your friends downtown. As you turn the corner down an unlit side street, you see a shadow dart across the wall and hear footsteps. The hairs on your neck stand straight up. You quicken your pace, but the other footsteps [...]

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Creek Stewart of Willow Haven Outdoor. As the East Coast of the United States recovers from Hurricane Sandy, aka “Frankenstorm,” the rest of us watch the unfolding aftermath from a distance – thankful Mother Nature hasn’t unleashed her fury on our doorstep today. Hurricane Sandy is yet another [...]

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I can still remember the day I learned how to drive a stick shift. My dad and I were looking for a car for my sixteenth birthday. I had my eye on a red Isuzu Hombre (that’s right, the make of my first car was the Spanish word for “Man”). Only problem? It had a manual transmission, [...]

Note: The String Yank Technique can’t be performed on parts of the body that aren’t attached (e.g., earlobe, nostril). If the hook is stuck in your eye, don’t even try to remove it yourself! Go to the emergency room immediately. Illustration by Ted Slampyak

This is a guest post by Ethan Hagan from One Project Closer. You can make a bottle opener out of just about anything. I’ve seen lighters, rings, shell casings, hats, sandals, and I’m sure you can add to the list. All those openers probably work just fine. However, making your own bottle opener is a [...]

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Editors Note: This is a guest post by Ethan Hagan from One Project Closer. Check out some of his other manly contributions to AoM like repairing drywall and building a workbench. As I continue to expand my workshop, I quickly discovered the need for some good sawhorses. Sawhorses are great for setting up a temporary [...]

One of my fondest memories growing up was going to my grandpa’s ranch in Bosque Farms, New Mexico and riding horses. The “grandkids’ horse” was named Sugar. I loved that horse. Because I was just knee high to a grasshopper, Grandpa usually did all the saddling himself. And because Grandpa sold the old ranch while [...]