Reply With QuoteThe house. The swimming pool. The several Kindles gone through. Weight bench. La Sportiva trail runners.
I have too much stuff. I have less stuff than I used to have. But still too much. I have too many watches. Fewer than I used to have. But still too many.
Most stuff? I wanted it, searched for it and bought it. Eventually, it just became more stuff.
This repeats, until you cannot open an interior door due to the stuff behind it, or a cupboard door due to the stuff within it. Then you have a clear out. Then you start again.
But...
Some stuff actually lasts.
TZ-UK could never be accused of having the youngest membership. What may we lack in TokTikWazzupInstaFace coolness, we recoup in wisdom that can only be gained through age and the deep furrows of knowledge ploughed in the vast field of life by the battered blade of experience.
So, the thread is, note something you own that did not cause a whiff of buyer's remorse.
Something you would seek out again were it to go missing.
Something that within a heaving sea of just stuff, is a little island of authenticity and lasting joy.
I will start with these two:
Feuerhand 276 Storm Lantern
Bought for evenings outside on the terrace. A simple design from years ago, and much copied. Not a great deal of light, but a nice light. Should last a long time. Made in Germany. They offer it with an LED element now too, if you like the look but not the history. But I'd suggest the original paraffin model.
Olivetti Lettera 32
Designed by Marcello Nizzoli in 1963. Fans included Cormac McCarthy, Bob Dylan and Tom Hanks. Mine is from 1967, and still working. Ink ribbons are available.
It is roughly the same size as a laptop:
...but will last longer. And no software subscription required.
What do you have, new or old, expensive or dirt cheap, that passes the Real Stuff / No Buyer's Remorse test?
The house. The swimming pool. The several Kindles gone through. Weight bench. La Sportiva trail runners.
Last edited by Passenger; 12th December 2023 at 12:23.
Some of my Nikon stuff.......
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
i buy lots but i dont sell the important stuff, first is the car, owned for some 53 + years next year( bought for £900 at one year old ), second is the 1970s bike of my childhood well not actually as my parents could not afford one ! so made up when i restored one some 20 years ago, still own them and always will, considering a Viking funeral in the car when the time comes
Those typewriters made my heart all-a-flutter, I wanted one so much when I was a kid. In a way I'd love to own one now, but I certainly wouldn't use it and it would definitely become just more stuff in no time. Just like my old Ericsson "cobra" rotary dial phone did, and a few dozen similar once-desired objects.
The Feuerhand prompted me to post what mine usually illuminates, my Tent(ipi):
This pic features the latest acquisition, the stove that makes it cosy in artic conditions (and a sauna in most others, but that is irrelevant when considering the comfort of slipping out of your sleeping bag to a warm, dry tent).
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
My Fender Strat.
Bought new in 1989 and still used most days.
I've had so much enjoyment from it over the years.
If it ever went missing I'd have to replace it, although I do have others.
Cheers,
Neil.
I had to really think about this… and was surprised that my list ended up with a handful of items that I have ‘upcycled’ over time. If I were to sell any of these, I’d likely go straight back out to source bits and bobs to make another similar item.
My hallway lights (made a pair, the other one is further down the hall).
My floor standing lamp.
My piano bar.
My table lamp.
Appreciate these are not everyone’s cup of tea.. but hey, that’s cool.
Andy.
Loving them Andy.
Andy,
I contend your real name is Rene Magritte and I claim my £5!
Cheers,
Neil.
Originally Posted by mitch1956
i buy lots but i dont sell the important stuff, first is the car, owned for some 53 + years next year( bought for £900 at one year old ), second is the 1970s bike of my childhood well not actually as my parents could not afford one ! so made up when i restored one some 20 years ago, still own them and always will, considering a Viking funeral in the car when the time comes
Simply Well Done Sir!!!!
Agreed, love the piano bar! Would get more use than a piano for sure!Loving them Andy.
There's a few things, but top of the list has to be my Klepper sea kayak:
I bought it second hand, and already decades old, when I first went to Uni and didn't have room for my hard kayak. The great thing about the Klepper is that it comes apart and can be carried moderate distances in a large rucksac:
It's the only Klepper with an ultralight aluminium frame, rather than the more traditional, and heavy, wood. Over that, there is a heavy cotton deck with a hypalon hull.
Quite apart from the pleasure in the engineering, materials and design, it's fast, tracks beautifully and, with a spray deck, can be grudgingly rolled. it's at home in a wide range of sea conditions from the sublime:
to the ridiculous:
Nowadays, while I could do it with my eyes closed, rigging it for the water still takes takes a good fifteen minutes or more and it remains an absolute bugger to recover from a wet exit if you can't get it upright before you run out of breath. As a result, these days it's often passed over in favour of more modern drop stitched inflatable craft, that don't need bailing and can be in the water in five minutes and out in two. However, nothing has the purity, or indeed pedigree, of the Klepper.
It's one thing I will never sell and on the occasions that I use it, it is always an occasion; the whole ritual of rigging it has become a pleasure in itself. More to the point, the first time you power off the top of a decent wave and get your arse firmly slapped by the sea on the way down is a reminder of just what a thoroughbred you are in.
That’s a beauty, I’m guessing your an experienced, seasoned paddler, just learning myself and dreading the time I’m ejected out of the cockpit
You are about to embark on a brilliant exciting sport. Being able to roll is a real bonus for both confidence and the water you can go on. For less than the cost of a beer buy this book
The Bombproof Roll and Beyond: Mastering Balance and Boat Control Paperback – 1 July 1993
by Paul Dutky (Author)
Its listed on Amazon for about £2.50. It talks about how to safely exit a boat and the methods to “ eskimo” up.
The first time you succeed its like being born! One minute you are thrashing around under water, the next you are upright.
Sorry for derailing Toky’s original thread, but that Klepper section got me going.
Steve
I think his stuff is worth considerably more than my efforts !!
Here’s another bit of junk I upcycled (actually got this back playing music as well)... even found a buyer who was over the moon !!
There’s more rubbish in my garage waiting for a new lease of life when I get around to it. I’ve got 3 old photo enlargers in the attic as well to join this little chap:-
Andy.
Nope, can’t think of anything.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Brilliant, I love repurposed stuff like this.I had to really think about this… and was surprised that my list ended up with a handful of items that I have ‘upcycled’ over time. If I were to sell any of these, I’d likely go straight back out to source bits and bobs to make another similar item.
My hallway lights (made a pair, the other one is further down the hall).
My floor standing lamp.
My piano bar.
My table lamp.
Appreciate these are not everyone’s cup of tea.. but hey, that’s cool.
Andy.
Well done!
I think this thread is going to prove to be very popular.
My thoughts on the 'passes the Real Stuff / No Buyer's Remorse test' have initially turned to old-ish tools, the use of which give me inordinate pleasure when compared to their modern equivalent.
I will admit to having a small and modern multimeter for it's convenience when working on the cars/boats/bikes outdoors, but in my workshop this old boy reigns supreme.
Screwdrivers: I rarely 'get on' with the powered versions, preferring the 'feel' that handed ones give but will use ratcheted for longer, laborious work.
Callipers: digital have their place, but I rarely need that much accuracy anymore.
This is a big old beast, but I can't remember the last time it failed to ignite.
This will give me much more torque than any electrical equivalent.
These are real old-school, but I'm comfortable using them without having to read xxx pages of a poorly-translated instruction manual.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
There is no better feeling after a good throw out of all the "Stuff" you don't need, that you thought! once needed so much!!.
That's where all the Bargain Hunt stuff goes to
Play bass and guitar, but started on bass and it’s my first love. Bought my first bass (a cheap Japanese Westone) in Sound Control in Glasgow in 1985 with my first student grant cheque. While I was in, the assistant let me try a MusicMan Stingray (legendary bass used by Bernard Edwards, John Deacon, Flea, Cliff Williams and others) which was way out my price range at the time (£700-ish).
I now own a MusicMan Stingray Classic and it’ll be going to my son (who’s been playing since 7-8yo) when I pass on…
i have many things that fit the OP's criteria,top of the list is this old girl,bought when i was 21 still riding it at 68.
Ralphy an Avo and a Yankee, really reminds me of my apprenticeship
Some proper stuff here
My guitar might also make my list, but I'm not sure. I'm rubbish at guitar, but have contented myself that 'rubbish' is arguably one level above 'unable to play at all', and thus it's now simply a matter of degree. For now the guitar lies somewhere between just stuff and real stuff.
Similarly my (modern) IMCO Triplex Super 6700 lighter. I like it. It holds fuel longer than my Zippo. It is much nicer than a drawer full of disposables. But it hasn't yet the years to claim its place.
Also, it can't hold a flame to the Dunhill trench beast.
That's a lighter.
TT
Thanks for link Steve, caravan/kayaking is done around Treadhur Bay and Rhoscolyn, hug the coastline and mostly calm days, not that brave as yet
Sorry to derail thread but some lovely memory lane gear popping up, brilliant thread
I remember using the exact same meter during my apprenticeship many moons ago ... wonderful to see it still in operationI think this thread is going to prove to be very popular.
My thoughts on the 'passes the Real Stuff / No Buyer's Remorse test' have initially turned to old-ish tools, the use of which give me inordinate pleasure when compared to their modern equivalent.
I will admit to having a small and modern multimeter for it's convenience when working on the cars/boats/bikes outdoors, but in my workshop this old boy reigns supreme.
Having too much ‘stuff’ isn’t the problem.
It’s not having enough space you need to address!
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
i have many things that fit the OP's criteria,top of the list is this old girl,bought when i was 21 still riding it at 68.
That's a beauty - you've had your money's worth out of that!
Cheers,
Neil.
Some lovely stuff there Ralphy.I think this thread is going to prove to be very popular.
My thoughts on the 'passes the Real Stuff / No Buyer's Remorse test' have initially turned to old-ish tools, the use of which give me inordinate pleasure when compared to their modern equivalent.
I will admit to having a small and modern multimeter for it's convenience when working on the cars/boats/bikes outdoors, but in my workshop this old boy reigns supreme.
Screwdrivers: I rarely 'get on' with the powered versions, preferring the 'feel' that handed ones give but will use ratcheted for longer, laborious work.
Callipers: digital have their place, but I rarely need that much accuracy anymore.
This is a big old beast, but I can't remember the last time it failed to ignite.
This will give me much more torque than any electrical equivalent.
These are real old-school, but I'm comfortable using them without having to read xxx pages of a poorly-translated instruction manual.
R
Nostalgically reminds me of my Dad's old shed/workshop.
Cheers,
Neil.
Oh okay then.
Perfectly pocket sized programmable scientific with a long battery life and that lovely tactile well laid out keyboard.
And RPN.
The HP15C is an absolute classic, and still sees regular use.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Looking really nice!i have many things that fit the OP's criteria,top of the list is this old girl,bought when i was 21 still riding it at 68.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
We need mechanical, you can only put it off so long.......Oh okay then.
Perfectly pocket sized programmable scientific with a long battery life and that lovely tactile well laid out keyboard.
And RPN.
The HP15C is an absolute classic, and still sees regular use.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
A lot of the stuff on here is quality and will stand the test of time, BUT is functionally inferior to the modern stuff.
I mean, who would REALLY want to use a typewriter over a piece of Word Processing software?
Cameras? Yeah, 35mm has a quality all its own and those F2s make me weak at the knees (I have a near complete set of Nikonos dive cameras, too, all but the SLR one), but I remember going to Le Mans, going through 3 36 exposure reels of film, getting the prints back and having half a dozen semi-decent shots!
I have a pair of orange wellies that were nicked (not by me, a now long-deceased relative) off the M25 building site and they're still watertight - I use them whenever I clean my car!
Likewise, a good quality penknife will serve you well for decades (I've just refurbished the one my Dad and I found in the town centre fountain in Le Mans one year, still perfect working order).
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
I don’t have face to face meetings anymore, but would loved for someone to bring out such a classy, classic calculator while the rest of the room is on an iPhone.Oh okay then.
Perfectly pocket sized programmable scientific with a long battery life and that lovely tactile well laid out keyboard.
And RPN.
The HP15C is an absolute classic, and still sees regular use.
Until 7 years ago, I had my old scientific Casio from school days, nothing as old as smart as that, but it went missing one lunchtime. A shame as had it 30+ years, but the day rate & longevity of contract wasn’t worth kicking up a stink over calling a member of staff a thief.
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My 11C will not be sold. Just wished I could have afforded the 15C but it was a no go at the time
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
A thread of the highest quality and interest, well done to all contributors!
In 1971, Cleveland Petrol stations - rebranded Esso in 1973 - gave away little plastic busts of footballers with so many gallons of petrol. They gave you (or you had to buy, I don't know - I was 11 at the time) a base to plug them into.
We never had the full set. If I remember correctly we were missing Terry Cooper and Mike England. My mum binned them some time in the '80s.
Anyway about 15 years ago I bought an incomplete set with a base in very good condition on eBay, and started buying the figures individually or in small sets until I had the lot. Can't tell you how satisfying it was to insert the final missing player (Alan Mullery this time).
https://cartophilic-info-exch.blogsp...ers-great.html
My slide rule. Acquired the same year as the petrol heads above, mandatory equipment at the grammar school I attended. I was delighted to find out just now that the company that made it still exists, and is still known as the Hemmi Slide Rule Co. Ltd.
https://www.hemmi-inc.co.jp/english/
This is the A.P. Besson version of Telephone No. 284, a linesman's test telephone. Many test sets are a triumph of function over form, however this model ticks all of the features boxes whilst also being perfectly balanced and comfortable to operate. It is an ergonomic pleasure to use.
There is still a lot of analogue telephony in use for niche applications across the globe, and although pulse signalling has been pretty much phased out this set also supports tone dialling so should see out a few more years. The sensible hanging loop combined with the colour makes hard to mislay, and something of a beacon of delight when spotting one within an unfamiliar telephone exchange.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
I had a phase of collecting and restoring vintage 80s bikes but eventually concluded its was just too much stuff and sold it all apart from this one which I have built with modern components so I ride it.
I will never be without a bicycle, although mine is Trigger's broom of parts from newish to 30+ years old (TA crank, Nitto stem). The "real stuff" component would probably be the Schmidt SON hub...
...which I built into a wheel and has been lighting my way for years now. It's a simple thing but well designed and made.
Speaking of which...
For those interested, an amateur restoration of one of the originals:
This is my own programmable calculator, bought in 1985 when I started my Computer Science degree course. It doesn't look a lot like vintage equipment despite being nearly 40 years old, does it? I think calculators have reached a sort of evolutionary plateau, like sharks.
It was used often for regular calculating duties but I programmed it only once, in 1986. It had a language similar to assembler and I wrote a program to solve linear equations using Gaussian elimination, showing all the steps (I'd been studying this on a numerical methods course). I wrote the code out on paper, then typed it all in. A few dozen lines of it, as I recall. It's a long time ago now but I seem to remember that it worked first time.
Thinking about it, this must have been my first Seiko. Bought this in 1983.
The white lines on the slider knobs rubbed off after a few months so I repainted them with enamel modelling paint which as you can see, has stood up rather well.
Still works fine but I don't use it now. The modern clip-on units are a lot more convenient. Apart from not having to run the guitar cable through them, you don't need to set the unit for the particular string.
When I was about to be 21 my Dad asked me what I would like for a birthday present. I asked for a Rega Planar 3 turntable, but he didn't like the idea, he wanted to get me something i would keep. Nevertheless I persuaded him to get it.
Here it is 38 years later...
It gets used pretty much every day, it's had the odd new belt, a new motor and the bearing relubed from time to time, but otherwise as I got it.
It's not the best turntable ever (I have owned better), but it's the one my Dad got me.
That takes me back, a real game changer from a tuning fork or those awful pitch pipes!Thinking about it, this must have been my first Seiko. Bought this in 1983.
The white lines on the slider knobs rubbed off after a few months so I repainted them with enamel modelling paint which as you can see, has stood up rather well.
Still works fine but I don't use it now. The modern clip-on units are a lot more convenient. Apart from not having to run the guitar cable through them, you don't need to set the unit for the particular string.
I had the JHS version like the one below. Not mine but the same. Still got it but it will never be used again.
Cheers,
Neil.
Another old (at least 25 years?) tuner that's no longer used but keep out of nostalgia.
Good HiFi equipment lasts forever. Technics direct drive turntable from the early 1980's. Other than a few replacement styluses it's working as good as new.
And at the other end, a pair of Acoustic Research AR25's bought at the same time. I reconed them a few years ago and they're still sounding great.
All the bits in between however have been replaced, some more than once.
Both the wood burner and the hatchet - but mostly the hatchet.
Not sure I would feel whole without cutting implements - I love a knife and have a couple that I would prefer not to have to replace, same for the hatchet.
And a fire in a house makes it a home. The rigmarole, the joy of all the things you need to do to have it and work it well - the sourcing, felling, splitting, drying, stacking, then building, lighting and enjoying a fire.
Not sure what to pick out of that, but without a hatchet I can’t do most of the above, and I’m never happier than in the woods. More so when tooled up.
In the house, I didn’t balk at having the chimney lined and buying a brand new wood burner, professionally installed. Just threw the money at him and would do so again.
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.
This is my own programmable calculator, bought in 1985 when I started my Computer Science degree course. It doesn't look a lot like vintage equipment despite being nearly 40 years old, does it? I think calculators have reached a sort of evolutionary plateau, like sharks.
It was used often for regular calculating duties but I programmed it only once, in 1986. It had a language similar to assembler and I wrote a program to solve linear equations using Gaussian elimination, showing all the steps (I'd been studying this on a numerical methods course). I wrote the code out on paper, then typed it all in. A few dozen lines of it, as I recall. It's a long time ago now but I seem to remember that it worked first time.
Think I had one of those, not sure what happened to it TBH. Prompted me to take a look at eBay!
Partially agree about the evolution - modern calculators put a lot of store into the display, especially graphing which think has limited use apart from school maths What is useful though is the multi-line display (esp. of calculation 'history').
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