‘for life’ is a pretty tall order for shoes, but with available refurbishing, I have had two (identical) pair of Mephisto cap-toe shoes for… About 22 years?
Both have been sent back, rebuilt and returned more than once.
Also, about as comfortable as running shoes. If you are stuck in a suits-required career field, do yourself a favor.
Didn’t know you could get Mephisto in the US! Very French company, their shoes are absolute tanks
They’re starting to push nicer women’s shoes here, but they’re still a bit “old-person-y”
Thanks for the recco, I’ve been looking to get a better pair of boots for awhile.
Also, I feel like this is a good example of
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boots_theory
Spend $400 on a reputable pair of shoes from this company, keep them for 20 years, refurbishing for $155 occasionally.
Or buy a cheap pair of shoes for 40 bucks every 6 months for 20 years
I always see this shit and laugh. It’s sound logic, sure, but not applicable to most people living paycheck to paycheck in America. Which bills should I skip for multiple months in order to have excess money to buy $400 footwear that I HOPE stands up to the test? I usually get a year or two from my shoes and spend about 50 on them on average, and that sucks, but say least I can then also still get groceries and my bills paid. I think a lot of you guys who post these comments think you’re extremely clever and no one else understands long term investments, but it’s way more often the case that you guys have better lots in life and can afford to dump a wad of cash on stuff like this and not break the bank.
I think this is meant to highlight how expensive it is to be poor, not to serve as financial advice for purchases.
I completely agree with you that it’s unhelpful as financial advice but I think the idea behind it is to point out that because poverty forces people to buy substandard products or not products in bulk, it ends up more expensive in the long run
Student loans
I have a whole set of older Craftsman handtools that were made in the US and they are excellent. I have some other Dewalt tools that were made in Taiwan which are less so, but still much better than tools made in China.
Those old craftsman tools were fucking legit. And if they ever did break, you could just go get another one at Sears. Craftsman was a god damn national treasure. Crap now tho.
I agree I’m not a stickler for made in the USA so much as not made in china when possible
I saw a quasi-infomercial on youtube that cast Shopsmith as just that (esp against planned/forced obsolescence). IIRC, they are the only in-usa manufacurer of bench-grade power tools, or something. If only i had a bunch of extra cash and garage space! :)
I associate Shopsmith with that awkward transforming “It’s a lathe! It’s a drill press! It’s a table saw!” thing that can only be described as “cockamamie.”
Lodge cast iron cookware. my pan is 20+ years old and literally better than new.
Lodge is pretty good, but the best cast iron is the old stuff. Most of mine has come from thrift shops.
Yes. I had a pan for almost 20 years and it was never great. In desperation I sanded it smooth.
Turns out that was the problem. New pans aren’t sanded as part of their manufacturing.
I fucked up the seasoning on a newer lodge and just sanded it down with 80 then 120 sandpaper then seasoned from scratch. It is now as smooth as any older pan I’ve found.
I’ve seen some available that are polished smooth from the factory, but I think they’re made in China. Quality seems good though.
Colt 1911 Government Model. Accept no substitute.
I cannot imagine wearing this thing out, no matter what. TWO WORLD WARS!
I joke, but BIFL and “made in the USA”? That one fits the bill to a T.
Dynavap dry herb vaporizer
I used my MFLB for over a decade and it still works but now weed gives me horrid anxiety D:
Same here, I’ve recently been experimenting with 2.5mg edibles. Still a decent amount of anxiety but somewhat tolerable. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to enjoy weed again
I always wanted an MFLB. Those were dope. I haven’t thought about the MFLB in a decade, thank you
They’re trusty little devices! I had one break and they replaced it for free, then I bought a fancy one because I liked them so much.
I’ve had some 5mg drinks and OCCASIONALLY I have an awesome time. The last time I drank one I bought a huge bundle of games off’a itch.io and started Cow Life Sim RPG… played for like six hours. I cannot begin to deceive how much I love that game.
Kirby vacuums. They’re pricy because they basically do door to door selling and there’s a huge markup. For example the starting price the guy quoted was 2k, I declined a few times and he went down to 1k. I later got one from my parents who bought one but didn’t like how heavy it was.
They are monsters. It’s basically a small shop vac with a ton of attachments, including a carpet shampoo scrubby thing. Replacement parts are easy to find 3rd party and I’ve never really had to repair it except replacing a belt and removing hair from the brush. Pretty sure they have lifetime warranties too.
Redwing boots
some redwing boots
Mine are over 10 years old and still look great. I wear them everyday and walk several miles a day in them.
I’ve got some pretty good wooden kitchen utensils still going strong. My cast iron skillet is pretty solid as well. I can’t tell you if they were e in this country though. Probably not.
Debt
Medical debt
in the u.s.?
I’ve always wondered what the limits are for headstones, since you’re supposed to own the land. Can you erect a giant veiny phallus and just make your eternal neighbors jealous?
Yes
So, the Washington Monument?
Like this?
The good news is that with the lowering life expectancy more and more products will fit this description
Socks from Darn Tough Vermont are about as long lasting as it gets for socks. They are pricey but I’ve bought a pair or two a year starting in 2018 and I have yet to have a hole in any of them, and they’ve been worn a lot and have seen some things.
I’m tempted to buy a pair every time REI has a sale. Merino wool is amazing.
