The documentation is good, but I find that it's a little overrated. There are lots of gaps, so spending the time reading through Django's code will pay dividends, especially when it comes to customizing it for your needs.
After years of churning through all sorts of Javascript frameworks, I know that I can build something in Django and only need to spend real maintenance time once every 2 years or so during an LTS release.
It's a breath of fresh air to write software in C to do some low level device development for someone who spends his life in high level web frameworks.
You (almost) never need any frameworks, imports, boilerplate or glue, everything that works just works.
And according to Star Trek Discovery, it will still be around in 250 years. Sadly though, SQL injections will still be a thing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7B_ZWQFsYI
http://smokingonabike.com/images/woodworking/game_cabinet/bl...
More about old Stanley planes here: http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan1.htm
[0] https://www.lie-nielsen.com/products/no-8-jointer-plane?path...
Beautiful too. One woodworker I know has a 'slick', a 4" wide so clean you can use it as a stand-in mirror and so sharp that if you're not careful handling it you'll hurt yourself and not even realize it until you see a lot of claret on the shop floor.
He helped me with the windmill blades and trimmed down the back edges with that thing until you could read the newspaper through them (later reinforced with fiber so the wood really served just to determine the outline and any thickness would increase both noise and decrease efficiency).
Amazing tool (and amazing guy).
In a similar vein, no rasp or file will outlast its user just by its nature; nevertheless, Auriou rasps are some of the finest tools I've had the pleasure of owning and run circles around mass-manufactured ones.
I own a 1967 BelOMO-produced (Soviet union, now Belarus) Helios 44 lens. It is quite small compared to modern lenses but made entirely out of metal and glass and is the thing that I would guess will outlive me. These lenses have gotten popular in the recent years because of it's "character" (optically they're quite terrible).
Peugeot Paris pepper grinder. I've seen them used in restaurants, I doubt I'll be able to make a dent in the durability of the burrs with my home use. It looks quite retro and doesn't really fit my aesthetic but it feels so damn nice to use that other pepper grinders feel like toys.
I naively bought some of my own Craftsman tools at Sears back in the 2000s - many of which are cheaply made with plastic bodies, or non-durable bits. Basically every Torx screwdriver I bought there is now stripped. The cases are plastic, and use friction to keep tools in place - not that they stay in place anymore.
Contrast that with the '60s or '70s tools with the lifetime warranties (that I inherited from my grandfather, by way of my father having his own set already), which show age only in the "vintage" look. They're just as functional as I assume they were on day one. Everything's made of either steel, lacquered wood, or in rare cases, heavy-feeling plastic.
Can't speak to what they're currently doing though
Originally produced in 1978, they still sound phenomenal. The link above is to the re-issue which is highly faithful to the original.
At a time when it feels like home audio is regressing (wireless streaming speakers coupling a specific protocol for streaming with the amp and speaker, which is building in obsolescence into the hardware), and aesthetics have meant we've moved from larger drivers to multiple smaller drivers (to recreate bass you need to push a lot of air, and a larger drive does this better but few people want large speakers in their room and modern floorstanding speakers will instead try to push the same volume of air using multiple smaller drivers).
The fact that today they still sound better than most modern speakers is testament to their design and build, and what happens when you just keep something single purposed and put the function at the top of the priorities.
I recently looked at replacing my stereo, but instead only replaced the amp to benefit from the streaming capabilities. The speakers remain timeless and will probably be the only pair of speakers I need for the rest of my life (my hearing will have gone before the speakers have any issues).
My feeling is that some things have been perfected: Speakers, the bicycle, telescopes, etc. And that fashion is the risk here, a perfected item only sells to a single buyer once... and so fashion is introduced to drive new sales, and we instead stray from perfection to dance around it as if it's unobtainable.
If you can fix it, you've kept it from the trash. That's one thing I learned a lot about as an AV service tech -- some companies are happy to sell parts or service a 10 year old unit ( a third party market for OEM parts is almost better). Some won't pick up the phone and expect a thing to be thrown away.
Tannoy speaker cabinets can be rebuilt, rattling bits cleaned up and replaced as needed, and if some punk moshes through your speaker cone, you can make him buy a new cone and learn to fix what he broke.
Doc Marten boots used to be the same and a pair lasted me through 8 Glastonbury Festival years. They then went cheap, moved offshore and were crap. Luckily Solovair took up the old tooling iirc and are just like old DMs. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solovair
The replacements didn't even last a single festival.
You can occasionally find Solovair cheaper at TK Maxx or on Hotukdeals, if it helps.
In June, my Samsung Galaxy S3 will have served me 10 years. I think that would be okay as a default age for smartphones. Instead, nearly every consumer electronic with a battery becomes useless after 24-36 months. Sure, after 10 years the smartphone doesn't run the latest mobile games anymore, but most apps like chat, browser, Spotify, etc. still work. In fact, the biggest issue are software updates (security).
However, there are also hardware factors that have made it possible to use the phone for so long:
1. wireless charging (the micro USB port is flaky since 6 years or so)
2. sd card slot for extendable memory
3. easy to change battery
The only thing that will become a problem and that was hard to anticipate 10 years ago, will be the RAM. With just 1GB it inherently limits the parallel use of apps. However, after 10 years that is fine, but other things, like software updates, are unnecessary limiting factors IMHO.
Since then I had a Microsoft phone for about 5 years. It still works fine, but AT&T warned me that it wouldn't be supported after the end of the year, so now I have an Samsung A12 that barring falls onto my tile floor, I'll probably have for another 5 years at least.
https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/18/europe/italy-bialetti-moka-ur...
https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/0311/29/snap-f5...
I had tens of thousands of dollars of Snap-On tools I bought used over the years, but Snap-On wouldn't touch any of it.
I love my Snap-On tools, and I would buy new when I needed to, but their policy on used equipment left a nasty taste in my mouth.
Kids played with it for a while until they grew up. I think I will pass it to the next generation like a Rolex.
My wife wanted to replace it with a newer model because she wanted bluetooth. But I miss my old car -- it was amazingly reliable.
if taken good care, the instrument will outlive you
the best old ones you can find still look like brandnew
edit: if you consider buying, i'd definitely recommend getting a used one
mine rarely sees the sunlight because i get tired quickly
but i won't be selling it, the value has skyrocketed ~10-20% since the pandemic
https://guitar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Gibson-Slash-L...
(The only issue was the stock nut they give you, it tends to have poor tuning stability... it would grip the wound strings while tuning in a way that makes it hard to arrive at the right pitch. But replacing it with a graphtech tusq synthetic bone nut fixed that issue completely.)
i have mine insured on lemonade.com
design-wise there's also PRS, which gives you a little of both
I do tend to agree with that, because over time the tension from the strings will pull up on a neck and make the guitar sound and play poorly. To fix that you have to take the neck off and adjust the angle of it back to the optimal position, which is a big task if the neck is glued on. With a bolt-on unscrewing a few bolts and adding a shim is trivial, using a capo you don't even need to take of the strings.
It's a main reason why I like Taylor acoustic guitars too. The bolt-on shimmed neck makes neck resets a breeze and will keep the guitar playing well for a very long time.
Where's a good place to look for one?
Iamgine how much effort could be saved if instead of every manufacturer designing their own fridge, and parts, there were some standard designs, and standard interfaces, so that you could mix and match (and replace, or upgrade), motors, compressors, shelves, doors, etc. Perhaps an open-source community trying out new designs too.
In my opinion, shoes are some of the few things you should splurge on -- but do look at build quality, and not just a brand name. For example, some of the higher end Timberlands will run you about $250-$350. Despite the high-price they are cheaply mass-produced in China, and the build quality reflects that.
And another just came to mind, I have a smallish bag I bought on eBay “Field Pack M1945”, and another is the “Swiss Army Rucksack” c1970.
It’s rare to find much “built to last”, so instead I look for good warranties.
£35 with the liner...they seem to go for about twice that these days
Not built to last in the sense that you'll hand these trousers down to your grandchildren, but built to last in that they're made with a Nylon-Poly blend that is insanely durable. I probably have 600 wears on a single pair, and while some of the stitching at the pockets has come loose, the textile itself shows no signs of blowing out in the knees.
I still cook in the cast iron I inherited from my mom. I think it was a lodge, but the branding marks are illegible. Way better than Teflon.
I have a long handled flex head 3/8ths drive Snap On driver that is the most comfortable tool I’ve ever wielded. I would be honored to pass it on to a grandchild. You don’t have to go tops end, just smooth and reliable. I encountered a very nice Milwaukee set at a client location recently.
Kitchen Aid mixers. I bake more because we have a good mixer.
A 1984 MercedesBenz 300 turbo diesel. They’ll go for a million miles, simplicity, efficiency, durability.
I broke a fastener in a plumbing part last night. I fixed it and got us going again preventing downtime and a costly plumber visit. My gear wrench tap and die set will probably continue to provide value for the next 50 years.
Another vote is for Mitutoyo vernier calipers with both inch and metric reading. No batteries, and still made in Japan. If the Japanese wanted to make something cheap, then they wouldn't make it in Japan. I view made in Japan as a mark of quality these days.
During the lockdown, I've replaced most of my kitchen items with things I expect to last a long time - like high-quality knives and sturdy stainless steel pots and pans that can be used on any cooktop (including induction).
My shoes and boots can all be resoled, and I own enough pairs to rotate through them, which should help them last longer.
I'm at the point in life where I have most things I really need. If I do buy something, it's usually to replace a low-quality item with something built to last.
My Dachstein Woolwear sweater: https://www.sweaterchalet.com/dachstein-woolwear-boiled-wool...
Rancourt & Company shoes (I wear their sneakers): https://www.rancourtandcompany.com/
Redwing work boots: https://www.redwingshoes.com/work/mens/boots/
Savotta LJK modular pack: https://www.savotta.fi/collections/products
Gransfors Bruk (hand forged) Swedish axes: https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/
Bark River CPM 3v knives (specifically the Bravo 1): https://barkriverknives.com/
Benchmade pocket knives: https://www.lamnia.com/en/p/6716/backpacks-bags-versipacks/s...
PB Swiss screwdrivers: https://www.pbswisstools.com/en/
Mac Kitchen Knives: https://www.macknife.com/
Kitchenaid mixers: https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixer...
Le Creuset enamel coated cast iron (specifically the Dutch ovens): https://www.lecreuset.com/
Cambro containers (to organize a pantry): https://www.cambro.com/
Hancock and Moore chairs and couches (specifically their leather stuff): http://hancockandmoore.com/
I think the folks here on HN would be particularly interested in their selection of game chairs.
I really loved that little lathe, as long as you went easy on the feeds it would work just fine. No play at all in spite of being ancient.
12 Years of Warranty, but expect it to last well beyond that
as a constant reminder that startups fail
Of course building things to last isn't obsolete. Most things we buy are for a purpose. Typically that purpose results in them being "used up". Socks get holes, mechanisms wear -- all of that is normal and expected. Periodically through either some extra care or happenstance the item doesn't get used up in an expected period of time. It seems it was BUILT TO LAST, over time our kids and dependents will marvel at the way things used to be built. Some day in 40 years someone will look at your Aeropress and bemoan, is "built to last" obsolete?
My 1987 Porsche 911. The design and build quality is visible and tactile. Air-cooled, simple, albeit not effortless to maintain. I'll never part with it.
In case you aren't aware just how influential this design is: specifically the mk2 as it was manufactured to (almost) the same design all the way from 1979 to 2010; despite newer 'mk' revisions being also available.
Weighing 11kg, mine is 30 years old and I expect it to last for as long as there is the right voltage from the mains supply and records to play on it.
This was one of the first wave of CNC machines made and priced for a smaller job shop environment. It's not large (axis travels are 20" X, 16" Y) and it's not fast by modern standards (slow travel, max 10k rpm spindle speed). However, it's easy to use, not over-complicated, rigid with box ways, and DIY repairable. There are several places to get affordable parts and support. I have yet to encounter a component that is "no longer available," a common occurrence on other machinery. I've had a specialist out to inspect it when I got the machine, but other than that I've been able to fix and maintain it easily. Besides, very little has gone wrong with it, and I started running it hard straight out of a 20 year hibernation.
The control electronics are built with a backplane design that makes it extremely simple to swap and upgrade components. The control boards themselves are made with all through-hole components, making board-level repairs easier. I upgraded the main control board from a '84 version to a '95 version in about 30 minutes (gaining speed and a lot of UI improvements). If I wanted, I could retrofit a fully modern control system in a couple hours. If you're not in the industry this may not sound significant, but if you're familiar with CNC machines this is huge for prolonging the life of a machine. For comparison, older Haas control boards are known to fail and the only current recourse is to pay Haas about $20k for a full retrofit by a factory tech.
The interface is text based and runs on a CRT but it's incredibly simple, ergonomic and easy to learn. Discoverability is excellent, with built-in documentation and useful error messages. If Siemens and Fanuc CNC controllers are emacs and vim, Fadal is nano. If the battery backup goes bad, I can restore the control parameters using a human-readable menu with meaningful variable names in about 5 minutes from memory. On my Mazak lathe, this takes hours of entering hex codes into numbered fields. In comparison to other machines I've used, the Fadal feels like it's made to be used by machinists, not gatekept by factory service techs and expensive training courses.
The worst part of the machine is that it has a total loss mist lubrication system for the spindle, which requires added ventilation otherwise it will fill the shop up with oil mist. I would also like a full enclosure, which mine doesn't have but later ones do. But other than that it's incredibly resilient, high quality and simple machine, the likes of which simply aren't being made anymore.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magimix-11581-Multi-Functional-Brus...
I had around 3 plastic ones before this, which last about a year or two.
I have had this around 10 years.
Cast iron pan.
Gillette Slim Adjustable DE safety razor.
Our steel bedframe from Room and Board.