Chop to It

"If used safely, responsibly, and with utmost care—for yourself, your fellow man, and the environment—an axe will be your best friend," particularly if the axe happens to be a beautiful object designed by Peter Buchanan-Smith. The Grammy award-winning graphic designer and author teamed with his old camp buddy, Graeme Cameron, an outdoorsman and environmental entrepreneur, to found Best Made, a New York-based company that is doing a brisk business in made-to-order axes. Even those averse to chopping will be seduced by the sturdy tools, which feature Tennessee hickory handles hand-painted in your choice of vibrant patterns—we like the white, red, and black combo that Buchanan-Smith has rather ominously dubbed "Hush Now."