BIFL Stuff !

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C40
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Post by C40 »

This is a cheesy / whimsical / show off post but what the hell. I’ve been trying to get BIFL type things the last year or two. I definitely enjoy having things that are of good quality and made to last. Here are some of mine.
What kind of BIFL stuff do you have / enjoy?
Redwing logger boots.




Faribault wool blanket







Henkels knives.




Stainless steel glasses. These are from back when I drank a bit more. I actually had TWO drink mixers. What!? I rarely ever made drinks using these. Glad I got them though.




Cast iron tea pot and cups. Paid too much for these (bought them at a store in the MALL!!). They are nice though.




Double edge (Safety) razor gear. I like using this. (It’s a Merkur)




For food storage. My Tupperware. Sometimes I batch cook (soup, chili, beans/rice/meat, pot pie, etc..) and store it in jars.




Not BIFL, but a nice elegant solution: I used to have very annoying allergies and pills I’d take every day in the summer (and sometimes way more than recommended doses). Now I have $12 per year of local raw honey that is great to eat – and no more allergies! (A spoonful a day and I have no more allergy issues)




Refillable leather notebook I’ve been using since 2001.




Nice pens. Something I’ve been getting into recently. Starting to look for some classics to buy now.







I mostly use the journal for keeping lists of action items and taking notes from books.




One of the better pens I have.






Recent acquisition. 1979 Pilot Murex.




Really like this one. More:

1, 2, 3 .
Cast Iron pan. This is a Griswold No. 8.




If I would’ve paid for all the drinks I used this guy for at bars, sporting events, etc. I’d have thousands of dollars less.



Samsonite hard luggage. Working awfully nice so far. I also have a Sampsonite duffel bag (carry-on size). I’d gotten a cheap bag for Christmas and one of the snaps on it failed quickly. I took it back to the store and they didn’t have any more of the cheap bag in stock so they gave me a Sampsonite. Awesome!




Steel bicycle. Single speed. It should be good for 20 years at least. I put very nice parts on it, other than going a little cheap on the drivetrain (used some 3/32” parts that I already had. Eventually I will replace them with 1/8” stuff. Other than that and wear parts it should only need new hubs and bottom bracket every 10 years or so.)






spoonman
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Post by spoonman »

Would music count? I'm almost done gathering all the Soundgarden albums, singles, and EPs. It's the only thing I've found myself spending money on these days.
I might buy that Samsonite hard luggage you pointed out. I'm still getting the most out of some cheap luggage I got in grad school.


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C40
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Post by C40 »

Yeah, with BIFL things there is definitely an art to combating temptation, to buying things at the right prices (patience!), and to assessing value/quality in the first place.
While perusing reddit.com/r/buyitforlife I saw a post about pens and got into the whole fountain pen thing. Now I've been spending a lot of money on them and buying more than I need. Like many hobbies, with patience, creativity, and expertise it could become a source of money (buying pens cheap at auctions and reselling, restoration / nib modification, etc.)


m741
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Location: Seattle, WA

Post by m741 »

I have a cast-iron skillet (Lodge), Merkur razor, and Redwing boots (which I use daily - much more than I predicted). Other BIFL stuff I own:
1. Deuter backpack

2. Edmund Allen work shoes

3. Vitamix blender

4. Leatherman Micro

5. Darn Tough socks

6. Victorinox kitchen knives
Maybe not BIFL but I also love my Sansa e280 MP3 player (with Rockbox). Been using it nearly daily for 7 years, dropped it countless times, left it powered on at work for 6 weeks, and it still handles like a champ.


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jennypenny
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Post by jennypenny »

- a pair of Teva leather sandals from the 90's

- a pair of Doc Martens made from the same era

- a large Sony boombox from '82 (I miss electronics that can be repaired)

- a down comforter from '95

- Toledo scissors from '65

- pfaltzgraff dinnerware from the 70's and 80's (very sturdy--we use it as our everyday dishes)

- Blaupunkt radio from the 30's

- shaker blanket chest from 1850's

- swatch from '84

- Coleco football game :)
I'm in search of a BIFL desk if anyone has any suggestions.


m741
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Post by m741 »

@jennypenny -
Different people have different requirements for desks... I want a really large work area and no storage to bang into underneath, so something closer to a kitchen table. What works great is just getting some high-grade plywood, reinforcing it with two 2x4s underneath and putting a finish on the top. Ikea sells just legs+screws for cheap, and they look nice.
With this I ended up with 8'x3' of desk space for ~$60 and I consider it BIFL.


bulgaria
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Post by bulgaria »

herman miller aeron:


The cool thing is that this design will exist for ever and therefor you can always get replacement parts.
I'm a programmer and sit behind my desk all day and with this chair I never have back problems and with some other chairs I had. I payed $1300 for the most expensive aluminium brushed one.. but it was a refurbished one.. new price is more than $2000. Sounds like a lot of money.. but if I can't work..I won't make any money.
I also love my samsonite:



It is build like a tank.. has been thrown around by lame airport guys.
But the best thing.. I can see it from a million miles.. Almost nobody has a green suitcase. Most are black, brown, blue, gray.. But this one pops out. So I love its color because it is so damn practical.


OTCW
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Post by OTCW »

Zippo lighters. Mine is older than I am. Got it in a $5 box of junk at an estate sale.


OTCW
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Post by OTCW »

C40,
What is your opinion of vintage sheaffer fountain pens?


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C40
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Post by C40 »

@ffj

Come to think of it, I do have some BIFL bicycle tools:

- Big Park pedal wrench

- T-Shape Hex keys/wrenches

- A very nice portable axle nut wrench / tire lever (for the single speed)

- A Lyzene pump (well made, metal and wood, parts are serviceable and replaceable)

- Very nice leather riding gloves from Rapha. So nice I bought 2 pairs. Won't last forever, but they have lasted much longer than normal cloth gloves. They stretch into the shape of my hands and are much more comfortable than other gloves. Plus they look awesome.
@OTCW:

I know very little about Sheaffer pens. Vintage Sheaffers are very popular. I'm guessing they must be very nice pens.


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jennypenny
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Re: BIFL Stuff !

Post by jennypenny »

I needed a new file folder this morning so I pulled one out of my stash. When I pulled off the old label, I noticed the original handwritten name of the file. It was a PECO file (our electric company) ... from 1989! I also use my dad's old stapler from his first job in the early '70s. Even my office products are BIFL. :lol:

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Farm_or
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Re: BIFL Stuff !

Post by Farm_or »

@C40-. The honey trick works for me too. It doesn't take much, I put about 1/2 t in my morning coffee in spring and summer. I think it's important to have local honey. You want the bees making it from the familiar irritants...

Red Wings loggers were great for a couple of years, but I wore them out. Could have them repaired at a good boot shop, but was cost prohibited. My problem with boots is getting them wet during irrigation. Even the good ones won't stand for that abuse.

BIFL- Kitchen knives. Two in particular that I use every day. High quality, initially expensive, but enduring. Lodge cast iron skillet+1. Stainless sauce pans+2.

Tools? Yeah, but don't get me started. I have really been impressed with my welders. Hobart handler 140 wire feed and therna arc 300 for the big stuff. It can melt 1/4 7018 like butter.

Makita chop saw. Had to buy a quality tool for that job. Anything less doesn't have enough power or last long.

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