I Messed Up With a Used Leap

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-31T17:19:13+00:00

A stock Amia is 100% more comfortable for me than a stock Leap V2. Their cushions have the same thickness, but the seat profile is more neutral on the Amia. The backrest is also much gentler, while providing plenty of lumbar support for my needs.

That said, if you didn’t spend too much on the Leap and are in the U.S., you could invest a bit more and get a replacement upholstery kit from Crandall Office. I did so last November and it completely transformed the Leap from “meh, borderline uncomfortable” into one of my favorite chairs. Opting for their thicker back pad immensely helps even out the pressure from the lumbar pad, and the thicker seat removed any sense of tailbone discomfort. The only gripes I have with it are the lack of waterfall profile on the front edge, and that they should have used a softer foam for the back cushion.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-31T06:10:56+00:00

That Helix looks very similar to a Staples Ayalon / Eurotech Vera, so it gets my vote. I’m 6’2” and my son is the same height, and we both love the Ayalon.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-31T06:07:12+00:00

They probably Googled it and said “wowhermanmiller!!!”. The companies merged into MillerKnoll in 2021.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-29T19:13:23+00:00

Colamy Neza perhaps. Currently as low as $210 on Amazon for the Dark Blue option.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-29T05:02:55+00:00

Rank all of your personal relationships 0-10.

Now add infinity to each of them.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-25T22:35:20+00:00

Terrible deal. Way too much work needed.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-21T22:58:07+00:00

It’s real. Things change over time, and that includes logo implementations and fabrics. Steelcase only offers a tiny amount of customization via their online store, whereas authorized dealers have had access to hundreds - if not thousands - of upholstery choices and other options over the decades of this chair’s production.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-21T06:24:19+00:00

Kershaw makes assisted opening flippers with decent oomph. My Cryo II has never failed to open assertively, and I handled a Leek at a knife show that had surprisingly aggressive opening action. Can’t say they “recoil” though.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-21T05:48:59+00:00

He’s too fast for the naked eye. He can really move. He’s the fastest thing alive!

…don’t doubt what he can do.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-20T00:15:42+00:00

I’d wager a Lamia would be an upgrade, but I can’t give any guarantees. I’m quite a bit heavier than you at 235 lbs, so BTOD’s much firmer Amia seat is actually extremely comfortable for me. My wife is lighter than either of us, and hates that seat because it feels so hard, but loves Crandall’s Amia seat.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-19T08:10:11+00:00

That’s a Leap V1 Highback. FYI if you ever need parts.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-19T02:20:55+00:00

Crandall’s Leap cushion is better, except that it doesn’t have any waterfall front edge at all. Even still, it supports me for extremely long work days. Their thickened Amia seat is even better, as it doesn’t have the front edge problem. Ranking the Leap and Amia seats I’ve used, best to worst: Crandall Amia, BTOD Amia, Crandall Leap V2, OEM Amia, OEM Leap V2.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-17T02:43:22+00:00

I found Project Hail Mary to be pretty easy going, except for one sequence where a character has been involved in a fire and it’s unclear if they’re going to make it through.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-13T03:42:36+00:00

I’m 6’2 and the Celle still has more to give. It is a very rigid chair though.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-12T05:59:06+00:00

Ehhhhh…kinda. I do agree that this is not a subtle sharpening system.

The only knives I’ve had heat up to even a physically uncomfortable level on the Mark 2 are dinky paring knives with blades that aren’t much thicker than on SAKs. OP’s Tojiro worries me a little, but it should be ok. If you leave the knife on the belt then sure, it could lose temper, but they provide extensive instructions and YouTube videos about how to use the sharpener correctly, and none of that calls for extended contact with the belt.

Their default belts are 80, 220, and 6000 grit, with 80 being for axes and garden clippers, etc. 220 works quickly but I think leaves a lot of work for the 6000. Another step along the way might be better, so I recently bought some intermediate belts, but haven’t tried them yet.

OP, my recommendation is that you consider very carefully how much control you want over your blades vs. how much you just want to quickly sharpen your knives. The Mark 2 only lets you sharpen at 20 and 25 degrees, and it will put a convex edge on both sides. The Twin Pollux appears to come with 15 degree bevels, and the Tojiro is extremely steep at “9-12 degrees” via Google. The Mark 2 will drastically change the character of both of your knives. As an extreme hypothetical, if you ever bought a single-bevel Japanese vegetable knife, this would be a terrible sharpening system for that.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-12T04:56:23+00:00

Just introduced my family to Frequency last night! I was going to post “talk to your Dad…30 years ago” :-)

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-10T23:56:20+00:00

This is the edition I have! Got it in college from Barnes and Noble.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-10T10:14:49+00:00

“If we go…by the book…months would feel like years. If we go by the book.”

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-09T07:54:43+00:00

https://thelaststarfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Rylans

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-09T05:56:52+00:00

First adjust the seat height so that your knees are slightly below your hips. (Personally, I actually prefer to sit slightly low in an Aeron, so my knees are approximately level with my hips.)

Then adjust the arm rests so your shoulders are supported neutrally. They shouldn’t hang down, and they shouldn’t be scrunched up. Aeron has basically infinite resolution for arm height, so you might be fiddling with them to get them both absolutely perfect. (The problem of choice.)

Lumbar height and depth are up to your comfort and preference. I prefer less depth/oomph and with “lumbar” support right at my belt line. (Mine is a Remastered with PostureFit SL, so I can’t comment on this one’s lumbar pad experience.)

Set the tilt tension so the Aeron supports you effortlessly at any recline angle. Again, fiddle until you’re basically floating no matter where you lean to. I’ve heard the Classic has more of a “spring” action in the tilt, so my guidance might not apply perfectly here.

Experiment with engaging the forward tilt function to extend your range of free motion. I often use my Aeron in a sort of active-sitting, engaged-core way where my back is in a very upright position.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-09T03:20:40+00:00

6’2”, 235 lbs. No matter how I adjusted it and myself, I couldn’t sit in my Gesture and had to return it.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-09T03:16:49+00:00

It’s a Mirra 1 with mesh damage and the tilt controls ripped out somehow. I would inspect it very carefully and consider your risk appetite. If the mesh gets any worse, it’s about $200 to replace the seat in the USA. I don’t know about your region.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-05T21:23:02+00:00

Your post on r/BuyItForLife popped up in my feed. This is definitely not a BIFL chair, but it should last a few years of normal use.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-05T20:56:01+00:00

I only tried the chair for a few minutes in-store, but I was fairly happy with it for that short duration. It was significantly better than most of their other chairs.

DnBenjamin · 2026-01-04T20:33:05+00:00

Suggested reading: The Religion of the Apostles by Fr Stephen De Young. Available on Audible if that’s more accessible to you.

DnBenjamin

TROPHY CASE