This is not a conversation about guns. This is a conversation about items that have withstood abuse that are near unbreakable.
Some items I have heard referenced as AK47 of:
Gerber MP600: It’s a multi tool
Old Thinkpad Laptops
Mag lights
Toyota Hilux
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Casio G-Shock GWM-5610 – the current model number of the original 1981 G-Shock digital watch. Resistant to dust, shock, water, and up to 20 bar pressure. Self-charges via solar power. Self-synchronizes to GMT by passively receiving continent-spanning radio time signals. Little bastards cost less than a hundred dollars and are effectively bombproof.
Self-synchronizes to GMT by passively receiving continent-spanning radio time signals.
Why don’t other watches do this?
I’ve been interested in this subject for a while and have a few recommendations.
Stanley Thermos. It could get hit by a fucking train and would still outlive you. Don’t recommend putting cofee/milk products etc in them though because it will make the gasket smell. Excellent water container though.
Double edged straight razor. The handle piece is virtually indestructible. I bought a package of like 500 blades for like 30 dollars and haven’t had to buy new ones for actual years. Fun fact as well, once you learn to use one it’s better for sensitive skin because you’re only dragging one razor across your skin per stroke instead of 5 or 7 or whatever the fuck the “better” ones have. Can confirm the “more blades = better” shit is just pure predatory marketing.
Buck knife. Multi tools are cool but if you tend to use the knife often, invest in a higher quality knife and stones to sharpen it. Sharpening stones (not the crap ceramic stuff they try to sell) will last a lifetime and will also keep all your kitchen knives beautiful for years. While you’re up to it, get a piece of raw leather, like the back of of an old belt, and use it as a strop to polish off the blade when you’re done sharpening, it really does make the cut smoother.
People say Mag light, but I’d personally recommend Olight as well for flashlights. The Olight Baton 4 is a ~600 lumen adjustable brightness flashlight with strobe which will blind you if you aren’t careful and its smaller than a pill bottle and comes with a reversible clip and inset magnet in case you need to stick it somewhere to keep the light steady.
A graphite metal “magic” pencil. Instead of using normal graphite, these metal bodied pencils have end pieces you screw in as a tip, are erasable, and one nib takes forever to run out, something like 5 pencils. They dont draw as dark as a regular pencil due to the hardness but for general usage they are handy.
Mighty plugs ear plugs. Want to know what it’s like to be deaf? Buy these. They aren’t too costly, completely seal the ear, and I only have to get a new package once every few years. They’re so effective I had to purchase an alarm clock built for deaf people which shakes my mattress instead of making a sound because I couldn’t hear any normal alarm clock after I started using these. This combination is unbeatable if you have awful neighbors or live on a busy street with night traffic.
Any self winding watch. Stop fucking around with button cell batteries and evolve. If it’s cheap, that’s probably better, if it gets scratched you don’t have to care. Seiko is a good brand in my experience.
If you’re into camping get a decent mid sized carving hatchet. I have a mid sized Hultafors swedish steel one. People like splitting axes because they do what they’re advertised to do, but theyre huge, heavy, and you cant carve or skin with them. A lighter smaller carving axe will do the same job splitting a log if you baton it with a medium sized stick. If you need something bigger to cut down a tree, go for a curved folding saw to bring with the hatchet. The Silky Saw Big Boy is great for that. Also buy a wool blanket. That shit will keep you warm in -35 C if you use it correctly. Also tents are neat but cumbersome, instead invest in a tarp and learn to make a lean to/other tarp configurations in combination with a ground sheet. If you expect you’ll be facing inclement or extremely wet weather, get an oilskin tarp (or make one yourself its literally just a cotton sheet which you have ran through a few dryer cycles as hot as possible, and then soaked through in a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits and hung outside until completely dry. Don’t put an open flame near it at any point in that process).
I probably have a bunch more, but can’t think of them off the top of my head.
I’m totally fed up with the usual 5-bladed razor crap from Gillette and especially Wilkinson. But I’ve always been to afraid to use an old school double-edged razor because I only, blindly, shave my head with it and maybe my pubes. Seems more risky. Any advice / recommendations?
It’s like anything, you get used to it after some practice. Definitely not as daunting as you think.
You can either start with one of the milder razors sold by Edwin Jagger, Muhle or Merkur and pair with a moderate blade such as the Gillette Silver Blue OR get a good adjustable razor such as the Merkur Progress or Merkur Future and again pair with a moderate blade. Do not start with Feather blades.
I’ve been shaving my head and my balls with safety razors for like 15 years. Get some nice soap like sandalwood, cedar, lavender, frankincense, sasquatch or whatever name they’re calling it these days and make a lather on your body in the shower. A lather from actual soap is critical to avoiding nicks, cuts, and especially razor burn. Use a new blade and gently drag the razor across your skin. Use short strokes, not long passes. Clean the razor. Add more lather when needed. Don’t press hard or move the razor sideways or diagonally. That’s how you cut yourself. Watch out and take care for any bumps and rounded corners, like warts, the back of your jaw, or any sagittal crest you may have. Hold the razor with one hand and use the other to feel for hair and smoothness. Make a pass with the grain and another against the grain. Reapply lather between passes.
Maybe before you begin, shave a little hair off your arm or leg to test the angle you hold the razor. The sensation of individual hairs being cut will be tactile and satisfying. When it’s right, it’ll feel right.
Get a sharps container for used blades. It’ll take a lifetime to fill. Blades only cost like a dime, so just treat yourself and use a new one every time.
It ain’t too difficult. Just be gentle, take short and slow strokes, feel your way around, and don’t shave dry skin. You may be surprised how easy it is. They’re called safety razors for a reason.
Guess I’m getting a safety razor for Christmas then. It really sounds easy enough. I usually combine showering and shaving so lather really shouldn’t be a problem. Thanks!
You won’t regret it. Safety razors, and if you decide to, straight razors are far superior. I used a safety razor for a few years and then decided to get a Dovo straight razor and I love it.
I use a Merkur shaver, and Feather blades. Feathers are possibly the sharpest, but they only stay super sharp like three shaves. It coasts me like 0,03€ a shave, and it’s the best shaving experience. Also, wet shave. Cream or soap nad a brush until thick. A neat trick. Turn the blade upside down every shave. Your skin kind of acts like a strop.
Not all blades are for everyone. Some find Feathers too sharp. When starting get a multibrand pack, with Astra, shark, etc. Youll discover which work best for you.
(Off-Topic) Does anybody have “anti-planned obsolescence” communities?
Maybe where good products are discussed or recommended? Similar to r/buyitforlofe but without the shilling of socks
Edit:
Old Thinkpad Laptops
This.
Maybe the Nvidia GeForce 10xx cards? Super cheap compared to the 9xx cards, and still going strong!
Straight razor, either the big blade or the razor blade holder
Pinecil soldering iron. Cheap (only $26!), open source, portable, usbc powered. Even more powerful than $100 ones. I love that thing
Stainless steel or cast iron in general. Let go of your nonsticks.
Rice cookers.You can get really simple ones that just work and due to little components they will last a while. IMO they’re really worth it if you cook rice often or can’t for the love of god not mess it up while cooking. They’re really cheap as well.Other people are saying “cast iron” or other broad brands/categories, but this is the only one that doesn’t fall under OP’s request?? Nonsense.
The AK-47 is a specific product from the class of assault rifles, whereas “rice cooker” product class, not a specific product of a class.
To be fair there’s probably almost no moving parts in a rice cooker. Someone mentioned cast iron pans. I think that’s a fair example.
Ah right, the post confused me a bit.
I recently bought a zojirushi rice cooker because of their reputation for making perfect rice and lasting decades. So it’s the AK of rice cookers. Or more like the AR because it was $200.
My man… 200 for a rice cooker, does it at least give you a reach around?
It even plays a happy little tune while it does it.
Okay, I’m sold.
Cast iron skillets.
If you season and clean them the right way they will outlive you.
I’m using the same one that my parents owned for 30 years and hope I will get another 30 years of usage out of it.
We have one my great-grandma got before WWI that we use several times a week.
Unless you put them in the dishwasher
If someone puts my cast iron in the dishwasher the cast iron will still outlive them
Fruit of the Loom men’s briefs.
I buy a six-pack from Walmart every year. I don’t think I’ve ever been so loyal to a brand.
How do six briefs only last you a year?!?for my benchmark, If any set of underwear lasts leas than three years, it’s not a good deal.
I would assume that they have more than six briefs in total.
Yeah, exactly.
They last two or three years and I throw them out as they wear out. Six briefs is my annual top up. They come in packs of six.
Mate I’ve got briefs that are two decades old, and they were from Primark! (Cheap shit clothing shop)
If I had to buy a new pack of 6 every year I’d drop the company like a hot turd 😂
At the moment I quite like Dim ones. Shit name, but I’ve had them 5 years and they’re still going strong
Mate I’ve got briefs that are two decades old
I don’t think I would do that. I kinda like having new-ish underwear.
Washing machines are a thing
Ah, but which brand of washing machine, that’s what we’re all about here in this thread!
Bodum French Press
Dynavap DHV
Buffalo Bicycles
Vitamix Blender
I can’t find “DHV”, I guess that’s an old model? What would you recommend for something modern that “just works”?
DHV = dry herb vape.
All the dynavaps share the same rip so pick any one you like. I just use the basic stainless one.
If I were to get a new one today I would likely get the TinyMight v2. However I cannot speak for its reliability as I don’t have one.
Damn that’s a pricy toy! Anything more entry level but still good? I think I might be down for a manual one with a torch.
Yeah… That’s why I haven’t gotten one yet. But I heard it rips.
If you’re fine with a torch you won’t be disappointed with the dynavap.
I got an 18mm adapter and run it through a waterpipe. It rips harder than the plain bowl if you gave good flower imo
Hey hey, I’ve made the switch to the M7XL like 2 weeks back and it’s great, bit of a learning curve but once I got it, it’s perfect! I use maybe 1/3rd the stuff I used to and really enjoying it. Thanks for the tip!
Pre-2010 Toyota Corolla
Camry too.
Salt.
- Nearly every recipe uses it
- infinite shelf life (durable)
- cheap as heck.
- Keeps demons away
There is a Sub-Lem for that: https://slrpnk.net/c/buyitforlife
I thought we called them communities, but honestly I like sub-lem better. Let’s switch if we haven’t already.
Thank you!
