What are some must have items that cost less than $100 but will last you a lifetime?

[1srelluc]

The list is long depending on the person but I'm thinking.

Jumper cables
Hand tools
Leatherman
A quality pocket knife
Cast iron skillet

 

[JohnDB]

The list is long depending on the person but I'm thinking.

Jumper cables
Hand tools
Leatherman
A quality pocket knife
Cast iron skillet

Hand tools are way too generic.

Certain hand tools will. Others will not.
Stanley hand tools? Not likely to last a month. Craftsman? Maybe a month but not two. Wiha? Yep....a good 6 months with heavy use. Same with Klein. Channel lock brand will last too.
But they all wear out. Phillip head screwdrivers wear, slotted do as well BUT you can regrind the point and get a bit more use. The slots and handles on pliars wear out....same with side cutters and wire strippers.

Although....I got a pair of Stake-On crimpers....black and orange handles that were my grandfather's. Great for doing control cabinets that are better and easier to use than brand new Klein. I had to remove the rust and clean them up A LOT. But are still clipping ty-wraps and crimping well.

 

[shockedcanadian]

Condoms. If they fail it could last you a lifetime...

 

[The Duke]

Hand tools are way too generic.

Certain hand tools will. Others will not.
Stanley hand tools? Not likely to last a month. Craftsman? Maybe a month but not two. Wiha? Yep....a good 6 months with heavy use. Same with Klein. Channel lock brand will last too.
But they all wear out. Phillip head screwdrivers wear, slotted do as well BUT you can regrind the point and get a bit more use. The slots and handles on pliars wear out....same with side cutters and wire strippers.

Although....I got a pair of Stake-On crimpers....black and orange handles that were my grandfather's. Great for doing control cabinets that are better and easier to use than brand new Klein. I had to remove the rust and clean them up A LOT. But are still clipping ty-wraps and crimping well.

You can boil small hand tools and nuts/washers to get rust off.

It can take up to 2 hours, but you'll know when it happens.

Once a pot's used for that, it's done though.

A good pocketknife.

 

[JohnDB]

You can boil small hand tools and nuts/washers to get rust off.

It can take up to 2 hours, but you'll know when it happens.

Once a pot's used for that, it's done though.

A good pocketknife.

Well, a good one(knife) is one that fits your hand well and is made of good steel. I've used a bunch of various knives and hand tools (electrician and chef)

The difference is astounding to me still. Cheap tools are just that. Cheap, difficult to use, and wear out quickly. If you are proficient you can use them...but if not skilled? They are a nightmare.

But others are like a dream. I've grown accustomed to using cheap cookware...but then I got some nice ones and the difference between them is astounding. Sooooo much easier. Less scorching on the bottom for difficult things. They aren't magic but almost.

 

[1srelluc]

Hand tools are way too generic.

Certain hand tools will. Others will not.
Stanley hand tools? Not likely to last a month. Craftsman? Maybe a month but not two. Wiha? Yep....a good 6 months with heavy use. Same with Klein. Channel lock brand will last too.
But they all wear out. Phillip head screwdrivers wear, slotted do as well BUT you can regrind the point and get a bit more use. The slots and handles on pliars wear out....same with side cutters and wire strippers.

Although....I got a pair of Stake-On crimpers....black and orange handles that were my grandfather's. Great for doing control cabinets that are better and easier to use than brand new Klein. I had to remove the rust and clean them up A LOT. But are still clipping ty-wraps and crimping well.

I still use teeth setting (saw blades) tools my G-G-Grandfather used.

 

[rightwinger]

I think I have T Shirts that old

 

[The Duke]

A good butcher knife is good. Pots and pans, too.

Some people have "Insta-Pot"s. I have a pressure cooker from the 40s.
It's heavy duty. Boiled leather seal. Does not wear out.

 

[JohnDB]

I still use teeth setting (saw blades) tools my G-G-Grandfather used.

But are you cutting down forests with them?

Not likely.

Don't misunderstand....the thing is likely still operating and working right. And it's a great bit of history and a learning device. And occasionally more useful than anything else at times. But...we got newer, cheaper, and better ways of doing things.

Saw blades are not that expensive anymore. Changing blades can be a PITA....but a lot of the newer ones last a good long time. Just depends upon the type.

 

[1srelluc]

But are you cutting down forests with them?

Not likely.

Don't misunderstand....the thing is likely still operating and working right. And it's a great bit of history and a learning device. And occasionally more useful than anything else at times. But...we got newer, cheaper, and better ways of doing things.

Saw blades are not that expensive anymore. Changing blades can be a PITA....but a lot of the newer ones last a good long time. Just depends upon the type.

 

[the watcher]

The old Penn reels if you keep them clean. A model 12, a good axe.

 

[1srelluc]

The old Penn reels if you keep them clean. A model 12, a good axe.

Yep, I have Peen reels from the 60s and they still are going strong in the surf.

LOL....Some of them look like a patchwork quilt due to the different colors of replacement parts.

Hell, it's a testament to the quality that you can still get replacement parts from Penn for the old 700 series of reels.

 

[Arlette]

Plan B One Step. 20 bucks at Amazon

 

[JohnDB]

A good butcher knife is good. Pots and pans, too.

Some people have "Insta-Pot"s. I have a pressure cooker from the 40s.
It's heavy duty. Boiled leather seal. Does not wear out.

Speaking of knives....
Good steel formulations have been around since before WW2. English, German, and Swiss steel leading the pack. American steel gained excellence after WW2...and crushed the competition. But then between unions, EPA, and energy costs....US steel industry just about has died. We still make some....but not like we once did. Tube steel and sheet steel compromise the bulk of what we produce today.

But....
I have an 8" chef's knife that weighs a few ounces more than a 10" I have. And the 10" has better steel so it stays sharper for longer than the 8". Both follow the same patterns with full tang and curvature profiles and the handles are comparably the same. But the 10 just has lighter and stronger steel. (Same mfg for both)

The current rage for good knives is hand forged knives. And they can get pricey. But before I plunk my money down I want the bladesmith to be really tested as far as consistency and quality. (Many are not)
Then the interchangeable handles can get expensive too. Up to a couple thousand dollars a piece. (Yeah...my eyes bugged out too)

 

[1srelluc]

Speaking of knives....
Good steel formulations have been around since before WW2. English, German, and Swiss steel leading the pack. American steel gained excellence after WW2...and crushed the competition. But then between unions, EPA, and energy costs....US steel industry just about has died. We still make some....but not like we once did. Tube steel and sheet steel compromise the bulk of what we produce today.

But....
I have an 8" chef's knife that weighs a few ounces more than a 10" I have. And the 10" has better steel so it stays sharper for longer than the 8". Both follow the same patterns with full tang and curvature profiles and the handles are comparably the same. But the 10 just has lighter and stronger steel. (Same mfg for both)

The current rage for good knives is hand forged knives. And they can get pricey. But before I plunk my money down I want the bladesmith to be really tested as far as consistency and quality. (Many are not)
Then the interchangeable handles can get expensive too. Up to a couple thousand dollars a piece. (Yeah...my eyes bugged out too)

My grandfather made a set of kitchen knives for my parents as a wedding gift.....I still use them today.

In fact that was the first thing I carried home after my mom passed.....I use them every day.

He made them from saw mill blades.

 

[The Duke]

My grandfather made a set of kitchen knives for my parents as a wedding gift.....I still use them today.

In fact that was the first thing I carried home after my mom passed.....I use them every day.

He made them from saw mill blades.

My favorite knife is a sawmill knife. It's from a German sawmill blade.
It holds an edge the best. It's carbon steel so you gotta wash and dry it right away.

 

[Mikeoxenormous]

The list is long depending on the person but I'm thinking.

Jumper cables
Hand tools
Leatherman
A quality pocket knife
Cast iron skillet

 

[Innocynioc]

My grandfather was born in 1871. I still use a drawing knife he used professionally as a pattern maker.

 

[toobfreak]

What are some must have items that cost less than $100 but will last you a lifetime?​

The complete works of Richard Simmons on DVD?

 

[g5000]

The list is long depending on the person but I'm thinking.

Jumper cables

Jumper cables are so 20th century. Go to Amazon and search for "Car Jump Starter". They fit in the palm of your hand and will jump start any car or pickup even if you kept it in your trunk for over a year.

I kid you not.

The best part is if you are jump starting someone else's car, you don't even have to pop your own hood.

The whole process takes about a minute.

These things are worth every penny, and I bought one for each member of my family.

A quality pocket knife

A quality pocket knife which lasts a lifetime will cost you more than a hundred bucks in most cases.

I do have a 110 Buck knife which cost me $60, though.

I have dozens of knives. My favorite is the Mikov leverlock automatic. Nice!