It's funny how our fathers' tool obsessions / quirks shape us. I always remember my dad's work bench was a total mess. His tools were mostly an assortment of whatever cheap garbage he needed for the current project, because he could never find the one from the last one. We could count on finding steak knives in the toolbox because he was always too cheep to get a proper razor cutter. Flathead screwdrivers were used as chisels when the chisels couldn't be found in the mess. There were about a half dozen rolls of electrical tape in the various equally shitty toolboxes, which were constantly used in place of duct tape for some reason. It was kind of ironic because at work he was obsessed with only using good quality German made equipment, and constantly decried made in USA vehicles (only drove Toyotas). The only exceptions to the sea of crap that I recall were a Stihl chainsaw and Makita power tools (although he'd use them with the cheapest, crappiest saw blades and drill bits of course).
Now I am pretty obsessive about keeping my work bench and tool chest organized. Not to the extent of Kaizen foam cutouts, but everything has a logical place and I know where to find it. I'm a sucker for Wera hexes and Knipex. I care about getting the best quality grease and rim tape. I have dedicated shop scissors and a folding razor cutter. My skis get waxed with a dedicated iron, not the one from the laundry room. I drive a made in Detroit Ford pickup truck that is better made than my last Toyota pickup (which was actually made in Mexico).
I wonder if my son will appreciate my tools, or take after my father and use whatever cheap crap is on hand.
May 10, 2023, 9:55 a.m. - Andeh
It's funny how our fathers' tool obsessions / quirks shape us. I always remember my dad's work bench was a total mess. His tools were mostly an assortment of whatever cheap garbage he needed for the current project, because he could never find the one from the last one. We could count on finding steak knives in the toolbox because he was always too cheep to get a proper razor cutter. Flathead screwdrivers were used as chisels when the chisels couldn't be found in the mess. There were about a half dozen rolls of electrical tape in the various equally shitty toolboxes, which were constantly used in place of duct tape for some reason. It was kind of ironic because at work he was obsessed with only using good quality German made equipment, and constantly decried made in USA vehicles (only drove Toyotas). The only exceptions to the sea of crap that I recall were a Stihl chainsaw and Makita power tools (although he'd use them with the cheapest, crappiest saw blades and drill bits of course). Now I am pretty obsessive about keeping my work bench and tool chest organized. Not to the extent of Kaizen foam cutouts, but everything has a logical place and I know where to find it. I'm a sucker for Wera hexes and Knipex. I care about getting the best quality grease and rim tape. I have dedicated shop scissors and a folding razor cutter. My skis get waxed with a dedicated iron, not the one from the laundry room. I drive a made in Detroit Ford pickup truck that is better made than my last Toyota pickup (which was actually made in Mexico). I wonder if my son will appreciate my tools, or take after my father and use whatever cheap crap is on hand.