Things I Love
These are objects I've used, broken, repaired, and kept using. They're here because they earned it. Not because someone sent them. Tools that work. Links below help support the channel.
Draft for Van's review before publish. Sourced from 303 video transcripts. Each entry links to the video where the product appears.
Tools & Workshop
Victorinox Swiss Champ
My every-day carry. I've carried one at all times since at least 2008 and consider it superior to any single-purpose tool for daily problem-solving. My 1999 engraved Swiss Champ from Tom Sachs's studio is a personal talisman. Look for the funny shaped shield, not the square one. That's how you know it's Victorinox.
Featured in: Rules of Gifting (577K), Essential Travel Packing (310K), Value of Mentorship (241K)
Buy on AmazonLeatherman Multi-Tool
The other half. Leatherman and Swiss Champ are complementary, not competing. I carry both. Listed as the number-one essential tool in my first five tools video. The Tom Sachs NASA collaboration Leatherman holds special status as both a functional tool and a meaningful object.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K), Essential Tools (218K), Land Cruiser Tools (179K)
Buy on AmazonVise-Grip 7WR
Most versatile tool in the roadside repair kit. Indispensable for anyone working on vehicles or doing hands-on work. These live in the Land Cruiser.
Buy on AmazonMilwaukee M12 Fuel
My choice Milwaukee. The 12-volt combo pack over the 18/20-volt models. Pick one battery ecosystem and commit. Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, Bosch. All good. I went Milwaukee.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K), Essential Tools (218K), Gift Guide (190K)
Buy on AmazonDremel 200
Fifth essential tool anyone should own. Engraving, cutting, grinding, polishing. It does everything. Get the easy-lock mandrel and reinforced cut-off discs. The stock discs are pretty bad. First power tool I ever bought.
Featured in: Rules of Gifting (577K), First 5 Tools (378K), Who Sets the Standard? (258K)
Buy on AmazonKlein Canvas Zipper Bags
Every tool kit I build starts with these bags. Vehicle kit, camera bag, workshop, EDC. The ideal organizational unit.
Buy on AmazonMakita 18V Platform
Makita based for my 18V batteries. Angle grinder, hedge trimmers, cordless tools all share batteries. One of four approved brands.
Bosch Jigsaw
I have a corded Bosch. T-shank blades and barrel grip. One of four approved major brands.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K), Essential Tools (218K)
Buy on AmazonDeWalt
You might be DeWalt based. Buy into one battery ecosystem and commit.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K), Essential Tools (218K)
Harbor Freight Wood Burner ($10)
This is what I use to engrave anything plastic. $10. Part of my gift-making workflow. The low price is the point.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K), Gift Guide (190K)
Buy at Harbor FreightHarbor Freight Magnets
Two for five bucks. Uses for tool wall storage. Part of my first-project recommendation: building storage for each tool.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K), Tiny Tool Storage Build (148K)
Combo Square (12-inch)
Fourth essential tool. 12-inch not the dinky one. Part of the combo square / level / tape measure trio I count as one tool.
Featured in: First 5 Tools (378K)
Buy on AmazonMcMaster-Carr
My go-to precision parts supplier. Home Depot for bulk, McMaster-Carr for specific hardware.
Featured in: The Most CINEMATIC Film About SCREWS (106K)
Bernzomatic TS 4000
Blowtorch for repair and metalwork.
Featured in: Gift Guide (190K), Under $60 Gift Guide (120K)
Buy at Ace HardwareConway Electric Soldering Station
I mentioned this once in a video. No affiliate link. No promotion. The owner told me later they were selling 15 units a week, six months after the video. Handmade. Does one thing well.
ShopSledgehammer
6 lb. steel sledgehammer with hickory handle. Used to build the Destroyer lamp: a custom lamp from an 8 lb. sledgehammer base with heat lamps.
Featured in: How to Build a DIY Sledgehammer Lamp (174K)
Buy on AmazonGaff Tape
The one tape that belongs in every tool kit. Non-reflective, tears clean, leaves no residue. A staple of every film set and workshop.
Buy on AmazonSafety Glasses
Non-negotiable for any shop work. Grinding, cutting, drilling. Doesn't matter. Put them on.
Buy on AmazonHearing Protection (Budget)
Basic over-ear hearing protection for power tool use. Cheap enough to keep a pair at every workstation.
Buy on AmazonHearing Protection (Premium)
Electronic hearing protection. Blocks harmful noise while letting conversation through. Worth the upgrade if you're in the shop daily.
Buy on AmazonTape Measure
Part of the combo square / level / tape measure trio I count as one tool. You need all three.
Buy on AmazonLevel
The third piece of the measuring trio. Combo square, tape measure, level. All three together count as one essential tool.
Buy on AmazonScrewdriver Bits & Holder
A complete bit set with a magnetic holder. Covers Phillips, flat, Torx, hex. Everything you'll encounter in daily repair work.
Buy on AmazonCameras & Production
GoPro
The workshop camera. It goes everywhere, gets beaten up, and I fix it when it breaks. I name each one. Custom mounts, lanyards on everything, cooler to prevent overheating. Workhorse across every production context.
Featured in: Custom Uniform (418K), Thousands on a GOPRO (249K), Episode 1: A Fix
Buy on AmazonLeica Q2
For idiot artists. The camera for people who want great photos without technical mastery. Part of my four-camera naming system.
Featured in: Easy vs Hard Flow State (123K), What's In My Camera Bag (75K)
Canon 1DX
Professional-grade camera from my filmmaking career. The big gun.
Featured in: Thousands on a GOPRO (249K), Playing Catch (169K)
Buy on AmazonMacro Lens (Canon)
Macro lens for extreme close-up filmmaking. Used in a 12-hour GoPro macro sequence.
Buy on AmazonCanon TX1
The most beautiful pocket camera. A design object, not just a tool.
Featured in: Camera Rituals (186K), Making Your Own Filmmaking Gear (163K)
Sony ZV1
Compact capable daily camera. Entered my kit on Casey's recommendation. Complements the GoPro and Leica in the kit.
Featured in: What's In My Camera Bag (75K)
Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro
The number-one computer I have ever used. Every function has a physical button. No menus, no touchscreen, no software updates that move things around. I used ChatGPT to design a full multicam switcher cart around this thing.
Featured in: Episode 1: The Build, Ranked List: 5 Best Computers
Insta360
The entire universe all at once. Mounted on a pole for motorcycle ride-along footage.
Featured in: Comparing Action Cameras (225K)
Olympus Stylus
Budget rangefinder play. The community calls these conversions by a specific name.
Featured in: Film Photography: 3 Great Things (100K)
C-mount Lenses
Adapting vintage C-mount lenses to modern camera bodies. A recurring DIY camera modification thread.
Featured in: Thousands on a GOPRO (249K), Favorite Builds (113K)
Atomos Ninja
External monitor and recorder on the switcher cart. Pairs with the ATEM to make the whole cart work as one physical system.
Featured in: Episode 1: The Build
Final Cut Pro
My editing software. Final Cut Pro and iMovie depending on project scale.
Vehicles
Toyota Land Cruiser 80 Series
Most-referenced product on the entire channel. Daily driver, adventure vehicle, visual anchor. Cummins R2.8 turbo diesel swap. 25 mpg. Full tool kit onboard at all times. The Land Cruiser community is rabid and they watch every video where it appears.
Featured in: Romance of a Vintage Truck (279K), Dream of a Vintage Truck (233K), Land Cruiser Tools (179K)
Cummins R2.8 Turbo Diesel
The engine I swapped into the Land Cruiser. 25 mpg. Spent about a year researching the swap via YouTube.
Featured in: Romance of a Vintage Truck (279K), Dream of a Vintage Truck (233K)
Yamaha TW200
Accessible, practical motorcycle. The one I recommend if you are asking what your first motorcycle should be.
Featured in: What Should Your First Motorcycle Be? (211K)
BMW G650X Country
Enduro motorcycle for adventure riding.
Super 73
Electric bike for local transport. Errands, neighborhood rides.
Featured in: Solving My Bike Rack Problem (131K)
Honda Civic Type R
Affordable, fun four-door hatchback. Honda for reliability and value alongside Toyota.
Boots & Apparel
Limmer Boots
The world's finest hiking boots. On the 3-year waiting list for a custom pair from Peter Limmer and Sons in Intervale, New Hampshire. Wearing stock Limmers daily. Haven't greased them yet as instructed.
Swiss Army Surplus Boots
Wore the same pair for 17+ years. Testament to the buy-once philosophy.
Featured in: You Never Know When You Have to Kick in a Door (82K), 17 Years with the Same Boots (2K)
Roundhouse Double Knee Pants
American-made alternative alongside Carhartt.
Featured in: Custom Uniform (418K), Custom Uniform (orig) (106K)
Patagonia
Quality outdoor apparel. Earned through use.
William Ellery Socks
I love these socks I love putting them on. Expensive for socks but worth it.
Featured in: Gift Guide (190K), Under $60 Gift Guide (120K)
ShopWestern Hydrodynamic Research Hat
The hat I wear and recommend.
Featured in: Gift Guide (190K), Under $60 Gift Guide (120K)
ShopEDC & Writing
Pentel P209 (0.9mm)
10 years of searching, experimenting, and testing to figure out that this was the correct pencil. More important than any camera. Custom silicone grip, plumber's epoxy eraser mount with Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser. 0.9mm lead.
Featured in: Van Neistat's Custom Pencil (6M)
Buy on Amazon Also on AmazonOlfa Model A 9mm Razor
$7 Alpha Model A 9mm razor. Studio standard, it's perfect.
Featured in: Gift Guide (190K), Under $60 Gift Guide (120K)
Buy at Plaza ArtMarathon Watch (GSAR/CSAR)
Military-grade watch with tritium tubes. I wear it daily.
#64 Rubber Bands
Specific size. Part of the studio supply kit.
Featured in: 5 Principles of Organization (677K), Rules for an Organized Life (124K)
Post-It Super Sticky Notes
Specifies Super Sticky variant. Used in my to-do list philosophy.
Featured in: 5 Principles of Organization (677K), Why Do Details Matter? (540K)
Push Pins
Part of the studio wall organization system.
Featured in: 5 Principles of Organization (677K)
Silicone Tape
For tool grip customization. Key material in the Pentel pencil modification.
Featured in: Van Neistat's Custom Pencil (6M)
Buy on AmazonAftermarket Eraser (Pentel)
Replacement erasers for the Pentel P209. Part of the custom pencil build: the stock eraser is terrible, these are the correct replacement.
Featured in: Van Neistat's Custom Pencil (6M)
Buy on AmazonCorona Standard Typewriter
Manual typewriter as creative tool. No software updates, no distractions.
Featured in: Why Do Details Matter? (540K)
Home & Workshop Supplies
Home Depot
Default hardware store. The last set of anything is for emergencies only: when you get down to the last set, you go to Home Depot and restock.
Featured in: How to Build a Shelf (242K), Desperate Plea to Home Depot (218K)
VHB Tape (3M)
High-strength adhesive tape used across builds and repairs.
Plumber's Epoxy
Multi-purpose repair material. Used in pencil modification, camera mounts, and field repairs.
Featured in: Van Neistat's Custom Pencil (6M)
Buy on AmazonDynamat
Sound-deadening material for vehicle builds. Used in the Land Cruiser.
Petzl Tikka Headlamp
Vehicle toolkit and travel essential. Hands-free lighting for roadside repairs.
Featured in: Gift Guide (190K), Under $60 Gift Guide (120K)
EcoFlow Delta Max
Portable power station for remote shoots and power outages.
Featured in: Is It Honest to Call This Service? (123K), DIY Solar Playhouse A/C (101K)
Camera Accessories
Kill Spencer Camera Bags
Handmade camera bags. Security, durability, repairability, size, handmade construction.
Software & Apps
Watch Duty
Fire tracking app. Essential for anyone living in wildfire-prone areas.
Featured in: Escaping the L.A. Fires (342K)
Objects
Franklin Language Master
A machine from the 1990s that does exactly one thing: you type a word, it gives you the definition. No Wi-Fi. No apps. No updates. I have used mine for decades and it still works. This is what a tool should be.
Featured in: Episode 1: A Thing We Love
Camera Flat Mount Plate
A simple flat-mount camera plate I use on every shoot. Purpose-built, solves one problem.
Featured in: Episode 1: A Thing We Love
This list grows with every episode. Sourced from all 303 transcripts in the archive. Watch the show to see what's next. Books I reference · Films that matter · Browse all videos.
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