David Coggins

New York

Writer and Editor at Freelance

Writer at Central Division Newsletter

Writer at The Contender

Founder and Editor at The Contender

Author THE BELIEVER: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life // THE OPTIMIST // MEN & STYLE // THE CONTENDER

Articles

May is for Fishing

5 days ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

I’m very excited about this new project I worked on with Emerger: my dream fishing bag. Here’s the story. The first Emerger bag I saw was on a guide in Wyoming. It was heavy canvas, well-worn and looked great. It was clearly made by a passionate person who had put thought and care into what he was doing. I knew I had to get one. There was a phone number on the website and I called it and was surprised when Chris himself answered. This was not only the founder—he makes these great bags too.
The Big Japan Guide

1 week ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

A visit to Japan benefits from planning and spontaneity, from control and then letting go. You’re in a truly unique country and sometimes you have to let it wash over you. Like many people, I love Japan. I lived there for a year after I graduated from college and I’ve been back a dozen or so times since. I’ve written about Japan quite a bit: What to do in Tokyo for the FT, a visit to the Ama free divers, favorite Japanese tailors for Robb Report and a Tokyo Guide here on The Contender.
Tokyo Story

1 week ago | centraldivision.substack.com | David Coggins |Michael Williams

Paid episodeThe full episode is only available to paid subscribers of Central Division
Tokyo Story

1 week ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

Paid episodeThe full episode is only available to paid subscribers of The Contender
The Kyoto Chronicles

2 weeks ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

This comes to you from Kyoto. It’s a beloved city of culture and refinement, of secret doors and narrow walkways, of immaculate gardens and kaiseki dinners. Most of the city is low-lying and flat, spread out between the green mountains that come in and out of view when there’s fog. It’s a place of delicate beauty where you can’t help being in a good mood. And yet today I felt wistful in this wonderful place. Tourism is high in Japan and very high in Kyoto.
A Good Bag

3 weeks ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

A good bag is more than an accessory and more personal than most clothing. It’s something you carry every day that announces your relationship to function and style. That’s one reason we feel strongly about bags. Hold on, we’re just talking about bags here! But the search for the good bag—the right bag—is real, and when we find one then we hold on to it for a long time. That’s one reason I’m so excited about the Field Tote, my new collaboration with Ghurka, which comes out today.
Seasons of Reading

3 weeks ago | sa.life | Peter Ferdinand Drucker |Russell Smith |David Coggins

In a recent essay, makes the case for annual traditions. For him, the arrival of the new Smythson Panama diary, the Masters, and fishing trips signal the passage of time.
What Every Man Should Own

1 month ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

When I first made this list a few years back it was the most popular newsletter I’d written. People were curious! I refined it last year (people were still curious). And now I’d like to do it again through a slightly different filter. Yes, you should have an unstructured sport coat, a line-up of shirts you like and a smart tuxedo. But this time let’s think about upgrades, more rarefied options and the ideal version of what we all know you need. 1/ A Soft Tweed Coat.
The Wall of Green

1 month ago | centraldivision.substack.com | David Coggins |Michael Williams

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Each and Every Year

1 month ago | thecontender.substack.com | David Coggins

When I get my Smythson Panamadiaryeach year, the first thing I write down are the Masters dates. Those days are off limits. It’s just Nantz, me, a bottle of Riesling and the wall of green. Spring has arrived. I’ve written about the Masters before, quite a bit in fact. That’s because I find the tournament is delightful in so many ways. But in a broader sense I like annual traditions. Seasons mark the calendar, of course.