Gentleman's Box (September)
$25 per month
As you know, we’ve been on a search for the best subscription box/service for men. We’ve reviewed Gentleman’s Box and WatchGang so far (check them out before reading this one!), but we promised to continue to follow up with them for the coming months to see how they are over a longer stretch of time, and if their promise continues to deliver. So, with that being said, here is a look at and review of Gentleman’s Box — the $25 per month men's accessories subscription box — for the past month of September…
The Review
This month's theme was "Master Distiller" and they partnered with Jim Bean to give you items inspired by those themes. Here is what the box included along with a mini-review of each item:
“Deadsoxy Beauregard” Red and White Diamond Socks — $25: The quality on these is solid. They seem like a nice pair of socks. I don’t love the style of them, per se, but they might go nicely with a dark navy suit and some brown shoes. Still, these are nowhere near worth $25. Then again, likely no socks are…
“The Knot Club” Red and White Dotted Tie — $30: Yeah, this is just about a $30 tie, give or take a few bucks. Nice and thick, makes a good knot, and is a good tie to have in your collection. It goes great with a black or navy suit (or grey, even). I don’t love it, honestly, but that’s my own personal taste. Also, as I always say, I wish it was the more timeless 3” width than the 2 3/4” all these subscription boxes seem to go with for their ties.
“The Knot Club” Red and White Check Pocket Square — $15: Again, this is what most pocket squares of this kind cost. This one is not exactly my style — they’re really going strong with this red, “Jim Bean Inspired” style theme this month — but I could see myself wearing it with, heck, even the tie from this box and a navy blazer one day. So far, if you like just the tie and pocket square, you’ve come out quite ahead of the $25 cost of the box with $45 in accessories.
“Sand & Bell” Lapel Pin — $15: Sorry, this is utter crap. Feels like it is about to snap in my hands. Then again, I don’t wear lapel pins, so this will sit in my drawer unused anyway.
“Jim Bean” Whiskey Stones — $12: This is a perfect example of something I would never buy, but am happy to have. Basically, they are little ice-cube shaped stones that can get, and stays, really cold and allow you to keep a drink cold without diluting it. Stuck them in my freezer and will use the next time I have a drink… be it whiskey or even iced coffee.
Other Notes
The unboxing experience was, as last time, totally fine. The brown box is nice enough, and the Jim Bean sticker this month was a nice touch as you tear through the white tissue paper to get to the box's contents.
The Gentleman’s Post was, once again, nice to see, and is definitely a cut above the single card that comes in, say, Sprezza Box (a review for which is forthcoming on this site). They have a cool recipe in there for a Hot Fudge Bourbon Milkshake this month. I gotta make that one of these days.
Conclusion
Overall, this is pretty consistent with last month’s box (and you should definitely read that for the full review and my full thoughts on Gentleman’s Box). Some stuff I’ll really use, some stuff I won’t. Some stuff I never would have bought and am now happy that I have. Some stuff I never would have bought and now don’t know what to do with. And, as always, somewhat inflated MSRP’s that make the value of the box seem greater than it is (though I still don’t doubt that for the $25 Gentleman’s Box costs, even if you don’t like every item, you might still come out ahead).