Now that Fall has arrived so, too, has one of my favorite mail order catalogues, QC Supply (Quality Products for Working Men and Women, Issue 628, Fall 2009).
As I noted in an earlier post, I am very happy with their Women's 14" Chore Boot (which I am wearing today) -- available with either a plain or a steel toe ($19.59 / $21.89). They are also made in the USA, which I feel is a definite plus. Exceptionally comfortable, I find, and not too heavy on my feet. They also have good treads....so I am less fearful when walking on ice. In the spirit of full disclosure I will state they also sent me a complimentary pair of their PVC String Dot Knit Gloves, which they say are "ideal for cold storage warehouse work." Many years since I last worked in a warehouse, and then it was the Saks Fifth Avenue warehouse on Tuckahoe Road in Yonkers, New York.....ask me about when I was locked in the cage doing jewellery returns.....too funny.....
I must admit that one of the reasons I enjoy this particular catalogue is that the models (both male and female) look like real people and not (especially in the case of the males) as if they spend more time primping than I do!! These men look as if they could actually do farm work (rather than elegantly lean against some ancient stone wall, arranged to fit some editrix's idea of a gentleman farmer clad in heather-toned country tweeds). I like that the men's sweatpants and sweatshirts (in grey) are "Generously Sized for Extra Comfort." What man doesn't like to be comfortable?? And....a comfortable man is often a happy man.
No jeans, to speak of, for women (not that I often wear them--I tend to stick to skirts and dresses--but they are good for sloppy weather or for around the house), but a very nice selection, in a variety of cuts and shades, for the men. The Ladies Thermal Comfortwear (sorry, Victoria's Secret) look like a great value -- tops and bottoms $8.39 each. A seven-pack of men's y-fronts is $10.55. (I still recall how I turned all of DH's blue after ill-advisedly throwing some new-ish socks into the wash--well, better blue than pink, as I told him at the time, but at least I never repeated that particular laundry mistake!) Socks from Carhartt, Fruit of the Loom, and Wigwam--good quality at fair prices. Cheap socks are the bane of my life--as I noted in a recent post.
Shampoo. They have an "Apple Fragrance" shampoo, 32 ounces for $5.04. I'm going to have to figure out what that breaks down to, per ounce, as compared to DH's pricier favorite (Prell). The catalogue has far too many sections to give them all justice here: safety, office, lighting, ventilation, livestock, pharmaceuticals (I wonder is there any real difference between bovine antibiotics and those used for humans??), pet supplies, heating, water handling, greenhouse, building, and last, but certainly not least, pest control (a subject near and dear to my heart).
I find it fascinating to look at all the different implements used on livestock. The "Band Elastrator" is a case in point. It can be used for the "easy castration" of calves and lambs, with no loss of blood or open wounds, and may also be used for docking, prolapse, and for dehorning. I doubt, somehow, that any of the male models I see in the New York Times Style magazine could wield such an implement (which might, after all, roughen their manicured hands) but the men in this catalogue look as if they are quite capable of tackling this or any number of agricultural chores.
In their pest control section they have a "Tin Cat" -- a trap that will hold up to thirty-- yes -- THIRTY-- mice. Of course, they also have industrial-sized tubs of rodent bait in block form.
Ah, for a man who would kill for me (spiders, mice, all manner of pests), clad in Carhartt jeans--now, there's a male ideal!!!
QC Supply
http://www.qcsupply.com
Telephone: 1-800-433-6340
Fax: 1-402-352-8825
