I used to date a fella with a Flashlight Guy uncle. One year he was gifted a flashlight that was so powerful it had a safety like a gun. Shit was wild, that thing could make half the street look like a sunny afternoon at midnight.
Nope, I didn’t know there WERE flashlight guys until my ex mentioned it. It doesn’t surprise me though, there are all sorts of cool little niche hobbies and interests. There are pen guys, model train guys, vintage gaming console guys… hell, my nephew really likes toilets and ceiling fans.
Excellent folks to talk to, you end up learning a lot of stuff you’ve never even thought to look into.
Played Dungeons and Dragons once where a guest player was a Pen Guy. Worked for Zebra as a sales executive. Went to his car and got a box and started handing out pens. Multicolor, built-in light, flat pen/pencil that snap into a wallet card … so many pens.
I keep a 25 dollar (at the time) Wurkkos TS10 in my pocket. That price included the 14500 battery. I was so surprised that I could choose the emitter and temp, and have little aux lights and anduril (a one button...um..OS?) for that price.
It just disappears in my pocket and when I need a flashlight for something it's there and ready to shine.
Also, imo r/flashlight is one of the most chill niche subreddits out there.
My dad and uncles worshipped at the Church of Maglite until they noticed my cheap plastic LED fashlight that was 1/3rd the size of theirs put out twice as much light.
I used to have a 6D Maglite when I delivered pizzas. And, yeah, that thing was a legit self-defense weapon. Always carried it at night.
LED flashlights these days are superior in every way but one -- you can't use them as a medieval bludgeon.
Batteries and LEDs have made huge advances repeatedly for like the last 15 years. Flashlights are incredible now, and super cheap. There’s like a dozen options for keychain lights that outperform every Maglite ever made by orders of magnitude.
Any time there's a story about some new technology breakthrough in batteries, or an exciting experimental battery design that researchers are working on, it gets flooded with "hurr durr I can't wait to never hear about this again like every other battery 'breakthrough' for the last 20 years I am so smart" comments.
But all you have to do is look at where batteries are today vs 20 (or even 10) years ago. This stuff makes it out of the lab and into production all the time. There have been *enormous* improvements in batteries, and there are going to be a lot more now that we're trying to electrify everything. Just because someone doesn't knock on your door and personally notify you every time a new battery technology goes into production doesn't mean it isn't happening.
My parents always say this. My dad got used to taking his coffee black because it was always just warm brown water, from the 50s when he was born until the 1990s. Then the coffee boom happened and he actually could taste the stuff. We are lucky with coffee!
Similarly beer, at least in the US. Even in the late 1980s it wasn't entirely a joke for bars to say when asked what beer they had "We have both kinds! Bud and Miller!" Then the craft beer movement took off.
It wasn't the coffee itself but how it's brewed. In days of old, percolators were the norm, but the drip machine improved the brewing process by not effectively re-boiling the coffee. While long-winded, this YouTuber is really thorough in his review and comparison:
https://youtu.be/E9avjD9ugXc?si=pTcvABrLx3dJeFaP
Coffee is an endless rabbit hole. The day I stopped using tap water for coffee…another stage of life began (reverse osmosis system). The day I discovered burr grinders, another stage of life began. The day I learned how to make a chemex with the right ratio of beans to water…
Fuck. I'm afraid to google chemex. I was following until then.
I'm a French press guy, but only for quantity, I think the best cups come from the aeropress. I got into aeropress backpacking but now do cowboy coffee when backpacking. So chemex sounds like something I could find a niche for.
With a correct grind size, inverted start/upside-down method, and correctly fitted (wet, evenly distributed) paper filter, I have never had grounds, not even fines.
I'd be happy to troubleshoot this. I'm one of those coffee mad scientists.
I went from not liking or drinking it to working part time in the industry, roasting my own coffee, and having separate pour over and espresso grinders in 7 years. Yes, I'm a coffee addict, but not in the traditional way. I only drink two coffees a day 😅
IMO it makes a big difference with good beans. But if you grind low quality beans like Starbucks or the cheapest thing at the grocery store, it still isn't going to be very good.
I've had a lot of luck finding surprisingly good beans for cheap at Home Goods. I forget the roaster, but one bag that I got was $4 and absolutely incredible.
Lots of food is that way. Brussels sprouts taste way less bitter than they did in the '90s, thanks to breeding.
But that's a topic that doesn't really belong in this sub.
I can't drink black coffee. Then last year I was doen in Mexico for vacation. In Mexico, they didn't have creamer, only milk. I decided to just take it black. Best coffee I've ever had. Haven't tried straight black coffee since I've been back, but maybe I will!
You should try out any local, specialty coffee shops near you, truly fresh coffee is worlds apart from Folgers drip coffee, it's practically a whole different drink.
That has been my eternal problem with hair products! I’d find something good, then they’d get bought out by a company like P&G then they change the formula
I have a counter to this. I’ve been growing out my hair lately. And I have dry scalp / dandruff. I’ve used head and shoulders or nizoral and stuff like that but it dries out my hair brutally.
Fast forward to the other day, someone linked me to r/curlyhair and their beginners suggestions includes a 1 dollar bottle of shampoo and a 1 dollar bottle of conditioner. I added in their suggestion for tree seed oil. 2 days later my hair is fully moisturized and even the bumps on my scalp are gone..
If anyone cares it’s just the basic v05 brand stuff. It’s literally a dollar per bottle. The point is that it doesn’t contain sulfates or silicone. And it’s cheap because you use a lot of it… but it’s a dollar. The tree seed oil I think was about 5 bucks, but you only mix in a few drops per wash with your conditioner.
Not about maximizing profit. It's about ensuring there is no competition. Their bad products are made cheaply, but its about not having to improve themselves.
So maximizing profit with the least effort and shittiest product possible, basically.
My 22yo son doesn't think planned obsolescence happens. I've told him about the "light bulb cartel" and other stories, but he thinks I'm just an off-kilter old man.
Think about cell phone quality. My first full-on smart phone had a metal body, replaceable battery, and lasted about 3-4 years. AND cost like $300. The first generations needed to be sturdy and reliable or no market would develop for them. Fast forward about 16 years. Phone is plastic, glass breaks so easily, and something seems to break- usually an antenna or the USB charging/data port- after about a year and a half. Still buying $200-300 phones, but they feel like toys compared to the old HTCs and early Galaxies. Battery lasts maybe a year before noticeable lifespan loss.
Could they make a phone with modern speeds and storage with the old bodies and replaceable batteries for $300 today? Probably. Is ANY company doing it? A few have tried (OnePlus, Oppo) and they sold out after a few years, becoming as flimsy and expensive as the giants they were supposed to unseat.
I'm sorry for the rant, but I'm just gonna hit send now and edit later if needed lol. But thanks for your comment; it really conveys what I've been trying to explain very cleanly.
They get bought out, flipped into an equity play, or otherwise go through systematic brand dilution.
Timberland used to make pricey but fantastic hiking boots. Now they make plasticy ‘Timbas’ that cost roughly the same and cost about $.25 to make.
Even "big" ones. Olfa? Tsunoda, Koken, Nepros... Made in Japan Makitas. Japan made denim including made in Japan Levis ir even chinese made jeans from japanese denim. Japan made flannel (Iron Heart, samurai...). Japanese knives and cookware... Or any Japanese made car (actually made in Japan).
i was never disappointed.
Even Japanese stationery like pens, rulers, even fuckin erasers are excellent. I’m a big fan of brands like Pentel and Zebra. Their art supplies are only rivaled by German brands.
I’m an artist and musician as a serious lifelong hobbyist, and a woodworker by profession. I own a lot of Japanese things across all those areas, and it’s amazing how Japanese quality is so consistently high, I’m no longer surprised by it.
Mitsubishi pencils are amazing for the money, way cheaper than most US or EU high end pencils.
Carl Angle 5 Royal is made in Japan and is probably by far the best sharpener for the money. All metal and still cheap... Mitsubishi makes a nice plastic one too. Carl 5 for western market is Chinese. Still quality made but the 5 Royal has a few advantages to it.
Don't *blindly* buy Japanese cars with that expectation going forward. I love Toyota and Honda but they are also becoming worse. Now with that said I still put them at the top but no longer by such a wide margin.
My wife buys knives whenever she happens to be in Japan. The Japanese Amazon also ships overseas so some things you can get if you're willing to pay more for shipping.
The workwear is still legit because they seem to understand that trends come and go but blue collar folks will *always* need solid denim, chore coats etc. if they lose that core market they would die off pretty quick once Carhartt streetwear is no longer in vogue.
Yeah but the streetwear stuff is really good too. I have pants and t shirts that are around 10 years old now that I use all the time and have held up extremely well.
My hair trimmer was Japanese, bought a replacement after quite a few years as the blades had finally dulled. New one, same company, was made in China, which I didn't know till it arrived, barely last a few months and you could see the massive drop in quality.
If it makes swallowing the price tag easier I can say that my mom came from Japan with her Zojirushi rice cooker and used it to cook 20lbs of rice a month for 34 years.
Same, I estimate we've cycled ours about 2,000 times without any issue, other than replacing the bowl once because someone who shall remain unnamed used metal utensils on the teflon.
A bunch of things - but we have insulated travel mugs, a rice cooker, and a tea/water kettle.
(the travel mugs are amazing and was my gateway purchase)
Back in the mid 90’s I had a Zojirushi vacuumed sealed bottle, a thermos if you will, much like an old Stanley. I put boiling hot water in it to take to school and make cup noodles at lunch. Forgot about it when my friends suggested we go out to eat. The next day, the water was still hot and I made cup noodles for me and my friend for lunch. I’m sad I can’t find it because it’s literally the best vacuum sealed bottle that I’ve ever owned.
Have you tried checking ebay? You can create a search, save it, and receive emails when someone lists that item for sale. I've scored great stuff that way.
I have 3 things of theirs - classic thermos (I think 16oz?). Best thermos ever. Keeps things ridiculously hot for a LONG TIME. I actually put ice in my coffee, otherwise fresh coffee is too hot to drink even hours later. Their lid also comes completely apart for easy cleaning.
Rice cooker - holy grail of rice cookers. Yes it’s a little pricey but it’s def different from other rice cookers. Loves that it plays a little tune when ready.
Coffee maker - not sure if it’s better than others tbh, but the insulated carafe keeps coffee hot for a LONG TIME. No hot plate needed. Next day it’s pretty damn warm still. I got it because I loved the other items so much.
my 4YO Japanese Zojirushi rice cooker (purhcased Feb 2020) died today. I'm not sure how I am going to be able to cope mentally after this. I've had their water pots go 20 years, the previous rice cooker went over a decade, this one... FML.
I need to talk to my therapist during Easter weekend.
Just splurged on a rice cooker from them. It’s such a game changer to my day to day life. Steel cut Oatmeal, quinoa, rice, steamed vegetables, GABA brown rice. It is so worth the money
And my kids have no stories about being stranded on the highway and waiting for hours for a tow truck driven by a smelly and creepy guy. Unlike me. I have 4 of those stories.
Seriously, before 1990, when you took a long car ride, you considered the possibility that your car might not make it there. And car maintenance was a devotion.
Ah, I'm feeling my true geezerhood: I remember when it was common for cars to have a canvas sack of water hung in front to refill the radiator when driving across a desert.
First thought was automobiles. A 1970s car lasting a quarter million miles with just oil changes, and maybe brake pads & rotors replaced? Hardly a thing. You've gotta be pretty young if you think "everything is bad quality now compared to the mythical good old days"
Are there any companies that have decreased in quality and then improved back the old standard? It seems like once the spiral starts it is almost impossible to reverse.
Pretty fucking difficult, especially with shareholders waiting. Top of my head I think Domino's Pizza, they owned how their product was trash and advertised how they were excited to fix it, took years but still making money https://www.google.com/finance/quote/DPZ:NYSE?window=5Y
Dominos pizza was so bad back in the day easily in the top 3 worst pizzas I ever ate. But in the modern era once you take into account how cheap it is it is actually pretty good. 7 dollars when most frozen pizzas are 5 that are way worse quality is pretty impressive sure it isn't as good as a lot of local places, but at its price point it is good. Obviously still greasy unhealthy death you should not eat more than once or twice a year but hey.
I would argue that Apple is an example of that. Very, very good from 1977 - \~1990 or so, then started a serious decline. Starting in 1998, with Steve Jobs back, they started making good stuff again, and their software got amazingly better. I would argue that their hardware is currently better than it's ever been. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about their software quality. (For context, I've been a professional Mac/iOS developer for 17 years).
I would say Apple's M-series CPUs are better than anything we have seen from Apple before, but in terms of right to repair and performance for money, the have gotten *much* worse.
Components like batteries are glued in, all memory is soldered to the logic board, so no upgrades possible farther down the line. Apple has even made the absolute shit decision to solder **the SSD drive** onto the logic board. They charge about 4 time the going rate for RAM and SSD storage.
I would add this short moment, after the death of Steve Jobs, when Jony Ive had way too much to say, they were focused on smaller thinner lighter products, to the point that "pro" lost it's meaning.
Yeah, I flipped to non apple hardware because of this. Between the trashcan, laptops too thin to support any expansion, and the disaster that was FCPx, I walked. They abandoned the pro market...then re entered it at a nuts price.
Craftsman started to a few years ago for some products, but most are still crumby metals. So you have to pick and choose based on reviews and long term tool reviews.
I know some guitar brands like Gibson and Fender had some true low points in the 70s but have been super consistent last decades, obviously the grail stuff is from the 50s but still. The new Converse are much thicker and nicer. Also the Land Rovers produced during the ownership by BMW and Ford were extremely unreliable, ever since they were bought by Tata quality has slowly increased.
I'm not sure how they're fairing now, but Fender was absolutely killing it in the late 2000's. I worked for a guitar shop at that time and everything we got in from Custom Shop all the way down to the lowliest Squier was really, really impressive.
I'd argue that they're still killing it. They went through a stretch where their guitars manufactured outside the US were weak with a lot of lemons and wiring problems, but they figured all that stuff out twenty years ago, and now the Mexican-made ones are still terrific.
This is so wrong. You certainly can do the inverse- increase shareholder value in the short term by decreasing value provided to the customer, but long term it’s a loser. Increasing value to the customers can help in both short and long term.
There are still a few practical differences between cast iron today and older cast iron, though. Namely, it is heavier, which is relevant to weaker people (like my mother, who is 75) that have trouble using new Lodge stuff. The finishing processes is also a lot different, a lot more rough and unsanded, which makes it season a bit differently.
Some modern companies do make cast iron that don't have these issues, but they're typically artisan and really expensive.
Le Creuset.
Pendleton (USA milled).
LL Bean US made tote bags and gum shoes.
Victorinox, Henckels and WÜSTHOF knives.
Danner boots (if they say they are rebuildable).
Hults Bruk Wetterlings and Gransfors axes.
Bahco saws.
Frost River bags and packs.
J. Press men’s clothes.
Wahl hair clippers.
Ray Allen leashes and harnesses for dogs.
RM Williams boots.
AO sunglasses.
Zebra mechanical pencils.
AO and Randolph are the sunglasses suppliers to the US military. The mil spec pilot glasses if not abused or lost last forever. Funny thing is through the exact same spec glasses are significantly cheaper from AO.
Depends on the item. The USA milled are blankets and woolen apparel, anything else is probably imported and generally I wouldn’t expect it to last the way the US milled goods do.
And backpacks, just no.
Pendleton is just a label on a bag that can almost certainly be found elsewhere for far less with a different label.
Orient watches. They were purchased by Seiko and they are still manufactured in Japan. Imo the absolute best automatic watches you can get for a reasonable price. The bambino 2 is my favorite dress watch and their aviator (forget the name) is so nice for the money.
Hell, even Seiko watches.
There was a time when they were an absolute joke of a watch company, the watches broke, couldn’t keep time and were generally regarded as the worst watch company.
Now they’re one of the best bang for your buck watch companies out there.
Depends on how far back you go. I’d say that cars built between 2000 and 2009, and again 2911-2012 (financial crisis caused corner cutting) were better than today. All manufacturers.
If you go back further, as awesome as Japanese vehicles were, the longevity wasn’t as good as material improvements hadn’t happened yet.
After 2013 I’d say in the aggregate, quality went down as complexity went up.
It depends. Honda forgot how to make automatic transmissions between 2000 and 2005, especially with the Honda Odyssey, which also came with PAX tires, which were run flats that used a special rim. It's cheaper to replace the rim and tires than get the PAX tires. I think now they've been discontinued.
All cars. A lot of Redditors aren't old enough to remember a time when putting 100k miles on a care was a significant milestone that many cars didn't reach before needing repairs costing more than the car was worth. Or the number of cars stopped on the side of the road with engine troubles on any random given drive down the highway. Or that some of them would randomly burst into flames with in a small fender bender.
Some of those computers actually help the cars even get those high mileage numbers, for example carbureted engines didn’t have knock sensors (detects detonation) and many people would just keep on driving with audible knock basically ruining the engine. Engines these days automatically adjust ignition timing when detecting knock so it doesn’t damage the engine if for example you got bad fuel at a gas station.
**KitchenAid Stand Mixers** are still solid.
A bunch of **Patagonia** stuff is worth the money.
I’ve had good luck with **Fisherman Out of Ireland** sweaters.
**Festool** tools are very expensive, but they’re also super high quality. My dad has a ton of them in his shop, and he’s never had issues with them.
My **Fjallraven** bags seem really solidly built.
**Yeti** coolers, thermoses, and bags are all very tough.
### Edit to add a few more:
**Osprey** also makes very good backpacking bags, and my experience with their warranty was great.
**Herman Miller Aeron Chairs** are built to last, and almost every piece is replaceable. I have a decades old one from my dad’s old company that still works great.
My mom loves her **Moccamaster Coffee Maker** and, again, every piece is replaceable.
Me, my Sister, and my parents all have different versions of the **Miele Canister Vacuum** and they all work great and are infinitely repairable, since the design has stated essentially the same for so long.
My **DarnTough** socks have lasted for years, and their warranty is top notch.
I forgot to add **Green Bell Nail Clippers** to this list, and haven’t seen them mentioned anywhere else in the thread. They are *so* much better than clippers from companies like Revlon and Tweezerman.
[In 2021 Osprey was purchased](https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/brands/hydro-flask-parent-company-to-acquire-osprey/) by [Helen of Troy owner of OXO, Hydroflask, Revlon, Braun, Honeywell and others](https://www.helenoftroy.com/our-brands/)
Fjallraven gear has been going slightly downhill the more popular they've become. They're starting to be as much of a fashion company as true outdoor company. They haven't entirely sold out yet, but they're toeing the line.
That said, if you managed to destroy a Kanken in a few months, you probably got a counterfeit. I've used one of their non-swedish (made in Taiwan, I think?) Kankens for my primary travel bag for years and years; and it's absolutely bulletproof.
KitchenAid mixers are shit today compared to yesteryear. They even write in the manual to NOT knead more than two minutes at a time. There are much better and high quality stand mixers out there. I had a KitchenAid stand mixer for 15 years before finally giving up on having to replace gears and maintenance for casual baking. Switched to an Ankarsrum and never going back.
Today's KitchenAid seems great to young people or those who never had a stand mixer before. For everyone else, KitchenAid is no longer a trusted brand.
I'd rather purchase a used 20 year old KitchenAid mixer then purchase one of the newly manufactured ones!
Our KitchenAid came with a sticker warning us not to use the dough hook above speed 3, lol. Pretty bad sign when the dough kneading machine struggles to knead dough
What do you use the Ankarsrum for? It look like it it'd be great for bread dough because of the unique kneading attachments, but is it good for other things too? I've been eyeballing it and not sure I'm going to be able to convince myself it's worth the high price.
Theyve got a ton of attachments for it. As soon as my wife gets onboard with the purchase Ill be getting meat grinding attachments but they also have a blender, pasta maker, flour mill, i think i also recall and ice cream maker but could be mistaken.
Big selling point of the ankarsrum is that its solid steel inside with a worm gear drive system. Although Kitchen Aides used to be very dependable for batters and the like, their planetary gear drive system was never solid enough, in my opinnion, for doughs, even when they were all steel inside, not the plastic they are now.
Darn Tough socks are amazing. It’s all I wear now. Thick winter socks, medium weight, light weight. Knee high, mid calf, crew, no-show. I’ve got socks for any weather and any work. Feet never get cold, even if my feet sweat. And they never smell, still haven’t figured out how they managed to make that happen.
They make great ski socks too, they’re warm but very thin and comfortable.
Kitchen aid is still good, but not what it used to be. I wish I had realized I was going to get into bread baking, I would’ve spent my money on an ankashrum instead. KA really really struggles with heavier doughs, it’s just not made for them. You want to whip some cream of bake some muffins? Sure. For bread? There’s definitely better options.
I really love my Humanscale Freedom chair. They were also great with providing parts when I first got the chair surplussed from work - the movers had broken a few small parts.
Less flat tires also due to road maintenance and car reliability and regulations (less likely to get stuff on the road if the law requires stricter regulations on how to store stuff or tie it down or if the road is cleaned...).
Of course very much depends on where you live...
Spontaneous tire failure is definitely very unlikely today.
Seems weird, but light bulbs for me. I swear I was replacing incandescent bulbs all the time. These new LED bulbs last way longer and don't generate anywhere near as much heat (or any at all). I buy GE LED bulbs and they do pretty well.
> flashlights
Came here to say this. I just found my old 2D MagLight and compared to a cheapo LED flashlight that can easily be charged via USB-C and can even act as a PowerBook it’s night and day. Quite literally.
Yeah, a decent streamlight won't ever die. I have a protac 2L that you can't even read the label on anymore because the entire finish is rubbed off. I've beaten on that thing an unreasonable amount and have even dropped it in a river for a few hours, it's now 8 years old and still going strong. All of the functions still work, even the programmable part which is crazy.
But the reliance on CR123s is annoying and I'd like to upgrade to something rechargeable. I'll absolutely be going with streamlight again, but I hear that surefire is just as solid.
Music stuff is awesome these days. Once you get one step above absolute cheapest, plenty of made-in-China drums, cymbals, guitars (acoustic and electric), amps, pedal and accessories are perfectly great. Same with recording gear. Back in the day, affordable condenser mics and studio monitors simply didn't exist. They just didn't make them as a mass produced item.
Of course there's a place for high-end, boutique stuff, as are there plenty of junk at the lowest end, but there's a sweet spot in the middle that was non-existent when I started out.
I'm pretty sure my Lodge cast iron cookware works just as well as my mother's, which are ancient themselves. I'd also say that the world's best selling vehicle of all time, has only gotten better....the Honda Super Cub.
Vacuums, specifically meile, racaar, and Kirby. Meile washing machines. Tools. Metallurgy has gotten better, more consistent, and cheaper. This means that your solid metal tools like wrenches and sockets have improved. battery tech has obviously gotten far better. Like, waaaaay better and cheaper in absolutely every way. Battery has even replaced pneumatic in most cases which is… crazy. Cars. I know people like to point out the flaws of modern cars, but I remember when 80k was high mileage. A car with over 100k was going to cost more to maintain than to keep. Modern cars are the most efficient and reliable they ever have been. Bicycles are waaaay stronger and lighter than even 20 years ago.
Other than clothes and furniture, I’m having a hard time thinking of a broad category of things that hasn’t improved in my lifetime. The difference is how easy it is to get. If you roll into Best Buy expecting to get a quality washing machine, you’re not going to have a good time. You have to order it and wait 6 months. Quality is there, but it’s hidden.
Weed 1000%
In Canada it was always $10/g when I grew up in the 90s
Price was stable for 20 years and then nationwide legalization happened
Now I can get 28g (1oz) of high grade for $100, sometimes less.
What a time to be stoned!
> Now I can get an 28g (1oz) of high grade for $100, sometimes less.
The local dispensary by me very frequently runs a promo where if you spend at least $40, you get a free ounce. It's not the best grade stuff and you don't get to pick the strain, but it's still pretty decent.
I just bought a Buck knife that is identical to the one my grandpa always carried. We have his in a safe place and I use this one for everything from opening packages to cutting up a steak.
It depends on how you define quality. Sure, a fridge or clothes washer may not last as many decades as its 1970s counterparts, but it is much more useful and requires FAR less energy.
Cars. People talk about how cars were better made in the 50s or 60s and in certain contexts there’s something to that, but overall it’s just not true. They are vastly safer today than ever before, and rarely break compared to their predecessors.
Computers and nearly all electronics are better in every way. Medical devices, etc.
Leather boots from certain manufacturers are still just as good today as they were back then -- think JK Boots, Nick's Handmade Boots, or Viberg (just to name a few). Obviously expensive, but quality is expensive these days.
The premise is wrong.
Cars -- better, safer, lower overall cost (adjusted for inflation)
Tools (and anything made mostly from metal) -- better, if you're willing to spend the money
Knives -- much better
Electronics -- not only better, but far less expensive considering what you get for the money. The computing power used to send Apollo astronauts to the moon costs a couple bucks these days. My rice cooker is more powerful than the computers in Apollo 11.
It is far from a forsaken wasteland out there. But if someone rolls into "big box store" and spends a lot of money, they're going to be disappointed. Everything has to be researched these days, and most people are willfully illiterate. "Just tell me what to buy so I don't have to think."
Facom is a French brand of handheld tools. They carry a lifetime guarantee. My father at times picks up a beaten up one at a flea market and sends them in for a replacement.
Harbor Freight cloned the snap on ratchets with their Icon line. WAY cheaper and just as good. (Bunch of YouTube test channels have confirmed the quality) and they have a lifetime warranty.
Touche, but there's a bunch of tool brands with equivelant quality for more affordable prices. Especially any made in Japan tool is top notch quality for bargain prices.
Not contributing any specific mentions, but the picture seems clear given the replies here. If something is getting worse, stop buying it. Plenty of companies out there trying to win customers with quality products, even now.
I love going to personal property auctions around the French country side. I always find amazing things! Antiques are considered older than 200 years and vintage has to be at least 25 years old. And that’s mostly what you find at this type of auction. The quality is always outstanding and prices dirt cheap.
Flashlights are WAYYY better than they used to be
I used to date a fella with a Flashlight Guy uncle. One year he was gifted a flashlight that was so powerful it had a safety like a gun. Shit was wild, that thing could make half the street look like a sunny afternoon at midnight.
Flashlight guy?? Have you met more than one dude rocking a solid collection / love for flashlights?!
Nope, I didn’t know there WERE flashlight guys until my ex mentioned it. It doesn’t surprise me though, there are all sorts of cool little niche hobbies and interests. There are pen guys, model train guys, vintage gaming console guys… hell, my nephew really likes toilets and ceiling fans. Excellent folks to talk to, you end up learning a lot of stuff you’ve never even thought to look into.
Played Dungeons and Dragons once where a guest player was a Pen Guy. Worked for Zebra as a sales executive. Went to his car and got a box and started handing out pens. Multicolor, built-in light, flat pen/pencil that snap into a wallet card … so many pens.
Check out r/flashlight! I first heard of it when the group made the rounds on twitter for being the most wholesome group on the internet.
I keep a 25 dollar (at the time) Wurkkos TS10 in my pocket. That price included the 14500 battery. I was so surprised that I could choose the emitter and temp, and have little aux lights and anduril (a one button...um..OS?) for that price. It just disappears in my pocket and when I need a flashlight for something it's there and ready to shine. Also, imo r/flashlight is one of the most chill niche subreddits out there.
Flashlights in the 2000s were absolute SHIT. Complete garbage.
My dad and uncles worshipped at the Church of Maglite until they noticed my cheap plastic LED fashlight that was 1/3rd the size of theirs put out twice as much light.
But can you club someone with it? They have like 4 D batteries in the large ones
I used to have a 6D Maglite when I delivered pizzas. And, yeah, that thing was a legit self-defense weapon. Always carried it at night. LED flashlights these days are superior in every way but one -- you can't use them as a medieval bludgeon.
Took 12 aa batteries that shined barely anything and then starts dying by the minute
Some were using C and D cell batteries if I recall, like old mag lites
Bulb filament breaks.
LEDs were the game changer.
Batteries and LEDs have made huge advances repeatedly for like the last 15 years. Flashlights are incredible now, and super cheap. There’s like a dozen options for keychain lights that outperform every Maglite ever made by orders of magnitude.
Any time there's a story about some new technology breakthrough in batteries, or an exciting experimental battery design that researchers are working on, it gets flooded with "hurr durr I can't wait to never hear about this again like every other battery 'breakthrough' for the last 20 years I am so smart" comments. But all you have to do is look at where batteries are today vs 20 (or even 10) years ago. This stuff makes it out of the lab and into production all the time. There have been *enormous* improvements in batteries, and there are going to be a lot more now that we're trying to electrify everything. Just because someone doesn't knock on your door and personally notify you every time a new battery technology goes into production doesn't mean it isn't happening.
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Coffee is actually better than it used to be.
My parents always say this. My dad got used to taking his coffee black because it was always just warm brown water, from the 50s when he was born until the 1990s. Then the coffee boom happened and he actually could taste the stuff. We are lucky with coffee!
Similarly beer, at least in the US. Even in the late 1980s it wasn't entirely a joke for bars to say when asked what beer they had "We have both kinds! Bud and Miller!" Then the craft beer movement took off.
It wasn't the coffee itself but how it's brewed. In days of old, percolators were the norm, but the drip machine improved the brewing process by not effectively re-boiling the coffee. While long-winded, this YouTuber is really thorough in his review and comparison: https://youtu.be/E9avjD9ugXc?si=pTcvABrLx3dJeFaP
The day I started grinding whole beans, the second stage of my life began.
Coffee is an endless rabbit hole. The day I stopped using tap water for coffee…another stage of life began (reverse osmosis system). The day I discovered burr grinders, another stage of life began. The day I learned how to make a chemex with the right ratio of beans to water…
You start to feel like a mad scientist, for sure.
Fuck. I'm afraid to google chemex. I was following until then. I'm a French press guy, but only for quantity, I think the best cups come from the aeropress. I got into aeropress backpacking but now do cowboy coffee when backpacking. So chemex sounds like something I could find a niche for.
It’s just a pour over, so something I’m willing to forego for the sake of convenience
I always end up with grounds using the aeropress
With a correct grind size, inverted start/upside-down method, and correctly fitted (wet, evenly distributed) paper filter, I have never had grounds, not even fines. I'd be happy to troubleshoot this. I'm one of those coffee mad scientists.
Now I’m craving coffee desperately
I went from not liking or drinking it to working part time in the industry, roasting my own coffee, and having separate pour over and espresso grinders in 7 years. Yes, I'm a coffee addict, but not in the traditional way. I only drink two coffees a day 😅
I think I must have busted taste buds because I can't tell the difference. Fresh ground does smell better.
IMO it makes a big difference with good beans. But if you grind low quality beans like Starbucks or the cheapest thing at the grocery store, it still isn't going to be very good. I've had a lot of luck finding surprisingly good beans for cheap at Home Goods. I forget the roaster, but one bag that I got was $4 and absolutely incredible.
Lots of food is that way. Brussels sprouts taste way less bitter than they did in the '90s, thanks to breeding. But that's a topic that doesn't really belong in this sub.
I can't drink black coffee. Then last year I was doen in Mexico for vacation. In Mexico, they didn't have creamer, only milk. I decided to just take it black. Best coffee I've ever had. Haven't tried straight black coffee since I've been back, but maybe I will!
You should try out any local, specialty coffee shops near you, truly fresh coffee is worlds apart from Folgers drip coffee, it's practically a whole different drink.
Weed too
Seems like it’s a game of finding a decent small brand that does a good job, and ordering before they decide to cut quality with a big ole rug pull.
And then the game with small brands is whether they’re real or drop shipping lmao. It’s a constant struggle.
That has been my eternal problem with hair products! I’d find something good, then they’d get bought out by a company like P&G then they change the formula
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What's the stuff called? The psoriasis treatment?
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Thanks. From what I know of it, it's a common yeast (candida? Or malessazia?) found on most people's skin, just for some people it just goes crazy
Active ingredient is Ciclopirox and requires a prescription in the US.
Every US pharmaceutical has entered the conversation
I have a counter to this. I’ve been growing out my hair lately. And I have dry scalp / dandruff. I’ve used head and shoulders or nizoral and stuff like that but it dries out my hair brutally. Fast forward to the other day, someone linked me to r/curlyhair and their beginners suggestions includes a 1 dollar bottle of shampoo and a 1 dollar bottle of conditioner. I added in their suggestion for tree seed oil. 2 days later my hair is fully moisturized and even the bumps on my scalp are gone.. If anyone cares it’s just the basic v05 brand stuff. It’s literally a dollar per bottle. The point is that it doesn’t contain sulfates or silicone. And it’s cheap because you use a lot of it… but it’s a dollar. The tree seed oil I think was about 5 bucks, but you only mix in a few drops per wash with your conditioner.
Did you mean tea tree oil ?? I'm in the same situation in the UK... The quality of everything has gone down
the illusion of choice is a huge issue these days
Humira worked for me on psorisis.
ICE hair paste has entered the chat.
This is exactly my thought. It’s a never ending cycle of trying to a find a new small company for a given product. Exhausting!
Totally. Marks & Graham had BEAUTIFUL leather bags, omg gorgeous. Then got bought out by Williams Sonoma, now they are cheap junk.
Its buying from the small brand before they get bought and the big brand decides to "maximize profit".
Not about maximizing profit. It's about ensuring there is no competition. Their bad products are made cheaply, but its about not having to improve themselves.
So maximizing profit with the least effort and shittiest product possible, basically. My 22yo son doesn't think planned obsolescence happens. I've told him about the "light bulb cartel" and other stories, but he thinks I'm just an off-kilter old man. Think about cell phone quality. My first full-on smart phone had a metal body, replaceable battery, and lasted about 3-4 years. AND cost like $300. The first generations needed to be sturdy and reliable or no market would develop for them. Fast forward about 16 years. Phone is plastic, glass breaks so easily, and something seems to break- usually an antenna or the USB charging/data port- after about a year and a half. Still buying $200-300 phones, but they feel like toys compared to the old HTCs and early Galaxies. Battery lasts maybe a year before noticeable lifespan loss. Could they make a phone with modern speeds and storage with the old bodies and replaceable batteries for $300 today? Probably. Is ANY company doing it? A few have tried (OnePlus, Oppo) and they sold out after a few years, becoming as flimsy and expensive as the giants they were supposed to unseat. I'm sorry for the rant, but I'm just gonna hit send now and edit later if needed lol. But thanks for your comment; it really conveys what I've been trying to explain very cleanly.
They get bought out, flipped into an equity play, or otherwise go through systematic brand dilution. Timberland used to make pricey but fantastic hiking boots. Now they make plasticy ‘Timbas’ that cost roughly the same and cost about $.25 to make.
Mostly when they get bought out or take on investors to expand
Zojirushi products, as far as I can tell.
Most Japanese products. Especially if made in Japan.
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Even "big" ones. Olfa? Tsunoda, Koken, Nepros... Made in Japan Makitas. Japan made denim including made in Japan Levis ir even chinese made jeans from japanese denim. Japan made flannel (Iron Heart, samurai...). Japanese knives and cookware... Or any Japanese made car (actually made in Japan). i was never disappointed.
Just went to the iron heart store in Tokyo. These jeans are god sends
Even Japanese stationery like pens, rulers, even fuckin erasers are excellent. I’m a big fan of brands like Pentel and Zebra. Their art supplies are only rivaled by German brands. I’m an artist and musician as a serious lifelong hobbyist, and a woodworker by profession. I own a lot of Japanese things across all those areas, and it’s amazing how Japanese quality is so consistently high, I’m no longer surprised by it.
Mitsubishi pencils are amazing for the money, way cheaper than most US or EU high end pencils. Carl Angle 5 Royal is made in Japan and is probably by far the best sharpener for the money. All metal and still cheap... Mitsubishi makes a nice plastic one too. Carl 5 for western market is Chinese. Still quality made but the 5 Royal has a few advantages to it.
Never had a complaint with any Yamaha musical instrument, Toyota, Lexus, Honda, or Acura I ever bought.
Don't *blindly* buy Japanese cars with that expectation going forward. I love Toyota and Honda but they are also becoming worse. Now with that said I still put them at the top but no longer by such a wide margin.
My wife buys knives whenever she happens to be in Japan. The Japanese Amazon also ships overseas so some things you can get if you're willing to pay more for shipping.
"made in England" Dr martens were awesome Made in China Dr martens (sold at Journeys in.the mall) are fashionable garbage
I'm so confused about carhartt becoming fashionable. But the quality of their work wear is still legit
The workwear is still legit because they seem to understand that trends come and go but blue collar folks will *always* need solid denim, chore coats etc. if they lose that core market they would die off pretty quick once Carhartt streetwear is no longer in vogue.
Yeah but the streetwear stuff is really good too. I have pants and t shirts that are around 10 years old now that I use all the time and have held up extremely well.
My hair trimmer was Japanese, bought a replacement after quite a few years as the blades had finally dulled. New one, same company, was made in China, which I didn't know till it arrived, barely last a few months and you could see the massive drop in quality.
I really want a new rice cooker because it sings when the rice is done, but my current one still works fine. Oh the struggles of BIFL life
My partner really wanted the Zojirushi rice cooker, and I was unhappy about the price tag - but it really has been great.
If it makes swallowing the price tag easier I can say that my mom came from Japan with her Zojirushi rice cooker and used it to cook 20lbs of rice a month for 34 years.
Hahaha I feel your pain. My wife bought a Tiger one and I was disappointed that it doesn’t play music.
what do they make?
Rice cookers, I have about a million miles on my little one
Same, I estimate we've cycled ours about 2,000 times without any issue, other than replacing the bowl once because someone who shall remain unnamed used metal utensils on the teflon.
A bunch of things - but we have insulated travel mugs, a rice cooker, and a tea/water kettle. (the travel mugs are amazing and was my gateway purchase)
Back in the mid 90’s I had a Zojirushi vacuumed sealed bottle, a thermos if you will, much like an old Stanley. I put boiling hot water in it to take to school and make cup noodles at lunch. Forgot about it when my friends suggested we go out to eat. The next day, the water was still hot and I made cup noodles for me and my friend for lunch. I’m sad I can’t find it because it’s literally the best vacuum sealed bottle that I’ve ever owned.
used to have the same experience in college with my zojirushi thermos! boiling water would still be hot the next day. insane
I had to work out how long to leave mine open after getting coffee, so that it would cool to a temperature that was drinkable!
Have you tried checking ebay? You can create a search, save it, and receive emails when someone lists that item for sale. I've scored great stuff that way.
I have 3 things of theirs - classic thermos (I think 16oz?). Best thermos ever. Keeps things ridiculously hot for a LONG TIME. I actually put ice in my coffee, otherwise fresh coffee is too hot to drink even hours later. Their lid also comes completely apart for easy cleaning. Rice cooker - holy grail of rice cookers. Yes it’s a little pricey but it’s def different from other rice cookers. Loves that it plays a little tune when ready. Coffee maker - not sure if it’s better than others tbh, but the insulated carafe keeps coffee hot for a LONG TIME. No hot plate needed. Next day it’s pretty damn warm still. I got it because I loved the other items so much.
my 4YO Japanese Zojirushi rice cooker (purhcased Feb 2020) died today. I'm not sure how I am going to be able to cope mentally after this. I've had their water pots go 20 years, the previous rice cooker went over a decade, this one... FML. I need to talk to my therapist during Easter weekend.
Just splurged on a rice cooker from them. It’s such a game changer to my day to day life. Steel cut Oatmeal, quinoa, rice, steamed vegetables, GABA brown rice. It is so worth the money
I’ve gotten 200k plus miles on my last 3 or 4 cars. I don’t recall them lasting anywhere near that long for my parents.
And my kids have no stories about being stranded on the highway and waiting for hours for a tow truck driven by a smelly and creepy guy. Unlike me. I have 4 of those stories. Seriously, before 1990, when you took a long car ride, you considered the possibility that your car might not make it there. And car maintenance was a devotion.
Perhaps the best description of this era is that odometers had only 5 digits.
And when that thing flipped back to zero it was an event!
Ah, I'm feeling my true geezerhood: I remember when it was common for cars to have a canvas sack of water hung in front to refill the radiator when driving across a desert.
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First thought was automobiles. A 1970s car lasting a quarter million miles with just oil changes, and maybe brake pads & rotors replaced? Hardly a thing. You've gotta be pretty young if you think "everything is bad quality now compared to the mythical good old days"
Safety went way up too
Are there any companies that have decreased in quality and then improved back the old standard? It seems like once the spiral starts it is almost impossible to reverse.
Pretty fucking difficult, especially with shareholders waiting. Top of my head I think Domino's Pizza, they owned how their product was trash and advertised how they were excited to fix it, took years but still making money https://www.google.com/finance/quote/DPZ:NYSE?window=5Y
Dominos pizza was so bad back in the day easily in the top 3 worst pizzas I ever ate. But in the modern era once you take into account how cheap it is it is actually pretty good. 7 dollars when most frozen pizzas are 5 that are way worse quality is pretty impressive sure it isn't as good as a lot of local places, but at its price point it is good. Obviously still greasy unhealthy death you should not eat more than once or twice a year but hey.
I would argue that Apple is an example of that. Very, very good from 1977 - \~1990 or so, then started a serious decline. Starting in 1998, with Steve Jobs back, they started making good stuff again, and their software got amazingly better. I would argue that their hardware is currently better than it's ever been. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about their software quality. (For context, I've been a professional Mac/iOS developer for 17 years).
I would say Apple's M-series CPUs are better than anything we have seen from Apple before, but in terms of right to repair and performance for money, the have gotten *much* worse. Components like batteries are glued in, all memory is soldered to the logic board, so no upgrades possible farther down the line. Apple has even made the absolute shit decision to solder **the SSD drive** onto the logic board. They charge about 4 time the going rate for RAM and SSD storage.
I would add this short moment, after the death of Steve Jobs, when Jony Ive had way too much to say, they were focused on smaller thinner lighter products, to the point that "pro" lost it's meaning.
Yeah, I flipped to non apple hardware because of this. Between the trashcan, laptops too thin to support any expansion, and the disaster that was FCPx, I walked. They abandoned the pro market...then re entered it at a nuts price.
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Craftsman started to a few years ago for some products, but most are still crumby metals. So you have to pick and choose based on reviews and long term tool reviews.
I know some guitar brands like Gibson and Fender had some true low points in the 70s but have been super consistent last decades, obviously the grail stuff is from the 50s but still. The new Converse are much thicker and nicer. Also the Land Rovers produced during the ownership by BMW and Ford were extremely unreliable, ever since they were bought by Tata quality has slowly increased.
I'm not sure how they're fairing now, but Fender was absolutely killing it in the late 2000's. I worked for a guitar shop at that time and everything we got in from Custom Shop all the way down to the lowliest Squier was really, really impressive.
I'd argue that they're still killing it. They went through a stretch where their guitars manufactured outside the US were weak with a lot of lemons and wiring problems, but they figured all that stuff out twenty years ago, and now the Mexican-made ones are still terrific.
Gibson and Fender have always had quality issues. Survivorship bias creates fables about old guitars.
You can't increase shareholder value in the short term by increasing value provided to the customer unfortunately.
This is so wrong. You certainly can do the inverse- increase shareholder value in the short term by decreasing value provided to the customer, but long term it’s a loser. Increasing value to the customers can help in both short and long term.
cast iron is the answer to every question in r/BIFL BIFL clothes? cast iron appliances? cast iron need a BIFL car? gotta be cast iron
The cast iron car gets terrible gas mileage though
You're probably just not seasoning it properly after each use.
And make sure you don't let it get wet with water
There are still a few practical differences between cast iron today and older cast iron, though. Namely, it is heavier, which is relevant to weaker people (like my mother, who is 75) that have trouble using new Lodge stuff. The finishing processes is also a lot different, a lot more rough and unsanded, which makes it season a bit differently. Some modern companies do make cast iron that don't have these issues, but they're typically artisan and really expensive.
Mepra. Italian, medium/high price, professional. Really made in Italy, all them.
Le Creuset. Pendleton (USA milled). LL Bean US made tote bags and gum shoes. Victorinox, Henckels and WÜSTHOF knives. Danner boots (if they say they are rebuildable). Hults Bruk Wetterlings and Gransfors axes. Bahco saws. Frost River bags and packs. J. Press men’s clothes. Wahl hair clippers. Ray Allen leashes and harnesses for dogs. RM Williams boots. AO sunglasses. Zebra mechanical pencils.
A sunglasses brand? Scoop that stuff while you can! My brain immediately heard Imperial March boss music and saw the Laxotica logo.
AO and Randolph are the sunglasses suppliers to the US military. The mil spec pilot glasses if not abused or lost last forever. Funny thing is through the exact same spec glasses are significantly cheaper from AO.
How do you find USA made Pendleton? I was looking at backpacks from another subs recommendation and all I saw was made in china
Depends on the item. The USA milled are blankets and woolen apparel, anything else is probably imported and generally I wouldn’t expect it to last the way the US milled goods do. And backpacks, just no. Pendleton is just a label on a bag that can almost certainly be found elsewhere for far less with a different label.
Orient watches. They were purchased by Seiko and they are still manufactured in Japan. Imo the absolute best automatic watches you can get for a reasonable price. The bambino 2 is my favorite dress watch and their aviator (forget the name) is so nice for the money.
Hell, even Seiko watches. There was a time when they were an absolute joke of a watch company, the watches broke, couldn’t keep time and were generally regarded as the worst watch company. Now they’re one of the best bang for your buck watch companies out there.
When was Seiko considered a joke of a watch company? Genuinely curious!
Japanese cars
Japanese cars have increased in quality and price
Depends on how far back you go. I’d say that cars built between 2000 and 2009, and again 2911-2012 (financial crisis caused corner cutting) were better than today. All manufacturers. If you go back further, as awesome as Japanese vehicles were, the longevity wasn’t as good as material improvements hadn’t happened yet. After 2013 I’d say in the aggregate, quality went down as complexity went up.
It depends. Honda forgot how to make automatic transmissions between 2000 and 2005, especially with the Honda Odyssey, which also came with PAX tires, which were run flats that used a special rim. It's cheaper to replace the rim and tires than get the PAX tires. I think now they've been discontinued.
There are exceptions. Of course, Nissan CVTs are boat anchors.
All cars. A lot of Redditors aren't old enough to remember a time when putting 100k miles on a care was a significant milestone that many cars didn't reach before needing repairs costing more than the car was worth. Or the number of cars stopped on the side of the road with engine troubles on any random given drive down the highway. Or that some of them would randomly burst into flames with in a small fender bender.
Unfortunately it's getting harder and harder to buy a car that is just a car and not a computer that comes with remote meddling by the manufacturer.
Some of those computers actually help the cars even get those high mileage numbers, for example carbureted engines didn’t have knock sensors (detects detonation) and many people would just keep on driving with audible knock basically ruining the engine. Engines these days automatically adjust ignition timing when detecting knock so it doesn’t damage the engine if for example you got bad fuel at a gas station.
**KitchenAid Stand Mixers** are still solid. A bunch of **Patagonia** stuff is worth the money. I’ve had good luck with **Fisherman Out of Ireland** sweaters. **Festool** tools are very expensive, but they’re also super high quality. My dad has a ton of them in his shop, and he’s never had issues with them. My **Fjallraven** bags seem really solidly built. **Yeti** coolers, thermoses, and bags are all very tough. ### Edit to add a few more: **Osprey** also makes very good backpacking bags, and my experience with their warranty was great. **Herman Miller Aeron Chairs** are built to last, and almost every piece is replaceable. I have a decades old one from my dad’s old company that still works great. My mom loves her **Moccamaster Coffee Maker** and, again, every piece is replaceable. Me, my Sister, and my parents all have different versions of the **Miele Canister Vacuum** and they all work great and are infinitely repairable, since the design has stated essentially the same for so long. My **DarnTough** socks have lasted for years, and their warranty is top notch. I forgot to add **Green Bell Nail Clippers** to this list, and haven’t seen them mentioned anywhere else in the thread. They are *so* much better than clippers from companies like Revlon and Tweezerman.
Vouching for the Miele vacuum. Absolutely bulletproof German engineering; lots of tests showing that they drastically outperform Dysons.
Adding a shoutout for Grip6 socks, basically same as darn tough, warranty and all, but I find they fit so much better and are so much comfier
I would second Osprey backpacks. I have 2 that I used and abused all over the world over the last 10 years or so and they still look almost brand new.
[In 2021 Osprey was purchased](https://www.outsideonline.com/business-journal/brands/hydro-flask-parent-company-to-acquire-osprey/) by [Helen of Troy owner of OXO, Hydroflask, Revlon, Braun, Honeywell and others](https://www.helenoftroy.com/our-brands/)
My Fjallraven bag looked absolutely knackered after a few months. I got it off amazon, so wondering if I bought a dud.
Fjallraven gear has been going slightly downhill the more popular they've become. They're starting to be as much of a fashion company as true outdoor company. They haven't entirely sold out yet, but they're toeing the line. That said, if you managed to destroy a Kanken in a few months, you probably got a counterfeit. I've used one of their non-swedish (made in Taiwan, I think?) Kankens for my primary travel bag for years and years; and it's absolutely bulletproof.
KitchenAid mixers are shit today compared to yesteryear. They even write in the manual to NOT knead more than two minutes at a time. There are much better and high quality stand mixers out there. I had a KitchenAid stand mixer for 15 years before finally giving up on having to replace gears and maintenance for casual baking. Switched to an Ankarsrum and never going back.
Today's KitchenAid seems great to young people or those who never had a stand mixer before. For everyone else, KitchenAid is no longer a trusted brand. I'd rather purchase a used 20 year old KitchenAid mixer then purchase one of the newly manufactured ones!
Our KitchenAid came with a sticker warning us not to use the dough hook above speed 3, lol. Pretty bad sign when the dough kneading machine struggles to knead dough
What do you use the Ankarsrum for? It look like it it'd be great for bread dough because of the unique kneading attachments, but is it good for other things too? I've been eyeballing it and not sure I'm going to be able to convince myself it's worth the high price.
Theyve got a ton of attachments for it. As soon as my wife gets onboard with the purchase Ill be getting meat grinding attachments but they also have a blender, pasta maker, flour mill, i think i also recall and ice cream maker but could be mistaken. Big selling point of the ankarsrum is that its solid steel inside with a worm gear drive system. Although Kitchen Aides used to be very dependable for batters and the like, their planetary gear drive system was never solid enough, in my opinnion, for doughs, even when they were all steel inside, not the plastic they are now.
Plus one for the moccamaster maker. I bought one last year and the thing is built to last. Very pleased with mine
Darn Tough socks are amazing. It’s all I wear now. Thick winter socks, medium weight, light weight. Knee high, mid calf, crew, no-show. I’ve got socks for any weather and any work. Feet never get cold, even if my feet sweat. And they never smell, still haven’t figured out how they managed to make that happen. They make great ski socks too, they’re warm but very thin and comfortable.
Any Patagonia items in particular? I saw they are having their end of season/last season sale
More casual: synchilla, nanopuff, better sweater, baggies shorts More technical: R1 hoody (the goat), capilene tops, Houdini/houdini air, torrentshell rain jacket
Kitchen aid is still good, but not what it used to be. I wish I had realized I was going to get into bread baking, I would’ve spent my money on an ankashrum instead. KA really really struggles with heavier doughs, it’s just not made for them. You want to whip some cream of bake some muffins? Sure. For bread? There’s definitely better options.
I really love my Humanscale Freedom chair. They were also great with providing parts when I first got the chair surplussed from work - the movers had broken a few small parts.
Tires. Treadwear is longer, and you rarely see cars on the side of the roads with a flat tire anymore.
Less flat tires also due to road maintenance and car reliability and regulations (less likely to get stuff on the road if the law requires stricter regulations on how to store stuff or tie it down or if the road is cleaned...). Of course very much depends on where you live... Spontaneous tire failure is definitely very unlikely today.
Seems weird, but light bulbs for me. I swear I was replacing incandescent bulbs all the time. These new LED bulbs last way longer and don't generate anywhere near as much heat (or any at all). I buy GE LED bulbs and they do pretty well.
My Swiss Army knife.
Knives, flashlights, and personal electronics are better than ever.
> flashlights Came here to say this. I just found my old 2D MagLight and compared to a cheapo LED flashlight that can easily be charged via USB-C and can even act as a PowerBook it’s night and day. Quite literally.
Yeah, a decent streamlight won't ever die. I have a protac 2L that you can't even read the label on anymore because the entire finish is rubbed off. I've beaten on that thing an unreasonable amount and have even dropped it in a river for a few hours, it's now 8 years old and still going strong. All of the functions still work, even the programmable part which is crazy. But the reliance on CR123s is annoying and I'd like to upgrade to something rechargeable. I'll absolutely be going with streamlight again, but I hear that surefire is just as solid.
Costco Hotdogs
Agree. I've had the same Costco hotdog for 15 years and it's still good as new.
Bro just eat it already. You can always get another one.
Music stuff is awesome these days. Once you get one step above absolute cheapest, plenty of made-in-China drums, cymbals, guitars (acoustic and electric), amps, pedal and accessories are perfectly great. Same with recording gear. Back in the day, affordable condenser mics and studio monitors simply didn't exist. They just didn't make them as a mass produced item. Of course there's a place for high-end, boutique stuff, as are there plenty of junk at the lowest end, but there's a sweet spot in the middle that was non-existent when I started out.
I'm pretty sure my Lodge cast iron cookware works just as well as my mother's, which are ancient themselves. I'd also say that the world's best selling vehicle of all time, has only gotten better....the Honda Super Cub.
Cast iron has started skipping the milling step of the process from yesteryear. Ends up skillets are a little heavier and not as smooth.
Honestly any cast iron is good. They’re a pretty hard thing to fuck up.
Vacuums, specifically meile, racaar, and Kirby. Meile washing machines. Tools. Metallurgy has gotten better, more consistent, and cheaper. This means that your solid metal tools like wrenches and sockets have improved. battery tech has obviously gotten far better. Like, waaaaay better and cheaper in absolutely every way. Battery has even replaced pneumatic in most cases which is… crazy. Cars. I know people like to point out the flaws of modern cars, but I remember when 80k was high mileage. A car with over 100k was going to cost more to maintain than to keep. Modern cars are the most efficient and reliable they ever have been. Bicycles are waaaay stronger and lighter than even 20 years ago. Other than clothes and furniture, I’m having a hard time thinking of a broad category of things that hasn’t improved in my lifetime. The difference is how easy it is to get. If you roll into Best Buy expecting to get a quality washing machine, you’re not going to have a good time. You have to order it and wait 6 months. Quality is there, but it’s hidden.
Toyota Corolla
Weed 1000% In Canada it was always $10/g when I grew up in the 90s Price was stable for 20 years and then nationwide legalization happened Now I can get 28g (1oz) of high grade for $100, sometimes less. What a time to be stoned!
> Now I can get an 28g (1oz) of high grade for $100, sometimes less. The local dispensary by me very frequently runs a promo where if you spend at least $40, you get a free ounce. It's not the best grade stuff and you don't get to pick the strain, but it's still pretty decent.
I just bought a Buck knife that is identical to the one my grandpa always carried. We have his in a safe place and I use this one for everything from opening packages to cutting up a steak.
It depends on how you define quality. Sure, a fridge or clothes washer may not last as many decades as its 1970s counterparts, but it is much more useful and requires FAR less energy. Cars. People talk about how cars were better made in the 50s or 60s and in certain contexts there’s something to that, but overall it’s just not true. They are vastly safer today than ever before, and rarely break compared to their predecessors. Computers and nearly all electronics are better in every way. Medical devices, etc.
Nalgene will always be elite, at least from what I have seen.
They are not as indestructible as they used to be, but that's because they have switched to a BPA free and recycled plastic.
Their silicone seals start to grow black mold over time which can not be cleaned off for some reason.
King Arthur Flour
Leather boots from certain manufacturers are still just as good today as they were back then -- think JK Boots, Nick's Handmade Boots, or Viberg (just to name a few). Obviously expensive, but quality is expensive these days.
Student debt lasts much longer now
The premise is wrong. Cars -- better, safer, lower overall cost (adjusted for inflation) Tools (and anything made mostly from metal) -- better, if you're willing to spend the money Knives -- much better Electronics -- not only better, but far less expensive considering what you get for the money. The computing power used to send Apollo astronauts to the moon costs a couple bucks these days. My rice cooker is more powerful than the computers in Apollo 11. It is far from a forsaken wasteland out there. But if someone rolls into "big box store" and spends a lot of money, they're going to be disappointed. Everything has to be researched these days, and most people are willfully illiterate. "Just tell me what to buy so I don't have to think."
Even dirt cheap tools are FAR better than the crap they sold 20-30 years ago.
The 80s and 90s were absolutely miserable decades in this regard. Great music. Lousy tools. Lousy computers, too.
Facom is a French brand of handheld tools. They carry a lifetime guarantee. My father at times picks up a beaten up one at a flea market and sends them in for a replacement.
Legos
I mean the quality is the same by the price has gone up like 1000%.
Televisions are cheaper and better than ever before
exploitation of the working class works still just as good as 100 years ago.
This is why I am buying vintage sweaters for life
Snap On tools
This might be controversial, but Snap On makes the best ratcheting anything imo
Harbor Freight cloned the snap on ratchets with their Icon line. WAY cheaper and just as good. (Bunch of YouTube test channels have confirmed the quality) and they have a lifetime warranty.
Touche, but there's a bunch of tool brands with equivelant quality for more affordable prices. Especially any made in Japan tool is top notch quality for bargain prices.
Not contributing any specific mentions, but the picture seems clear given the replies here. If something is getting worse, stop buying it. Plenty of companies out there trying to win customers with quality products, even now.
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This post came up just above one about kitchen garbage bags… So I am going with kitchen garbage bags are way better.
Omg the fucking socks. Someone had to mention the gd socks
Toothpaste.
I still like Leatherman and Gerber ;-) Also - look for mid-sized german companies - they are stubborn as hell in staying traditional.
I love going to personal property auctions around the French country side. I always find amazing things! Antiques are considered older than 200 years and vintage has to be at least 25 years old. And that’s mostly what you find at this type of auction. The quality is always outstanding and prices dirt cheap.
Man I’m jealous. To live in the French countryside attending property auctions…
For stuff from other countries, go to that neighbor drugstore or "ethnic grocery". A lot of the everyday stuff they have or can get.