So the idea of “buy it for life” is to buy items that are durable and last for a long time, things you could buy once and have your whole life, which can save money and be good for the environment
What are some of the top items you recommend for this?
This is my jam. I love buying only quality gear. I’ll just rattle off some of my personal favorite.
Thorogood American Heritage waterproof wedge sole work boots. Around $300. I’m a tradesman, so I actually chew through them enough to keep a fresh pair for indoor jobs, and my outdoor pair for rough conditions. If you don’t work in heavy construction like me, they’ll last you a lifetime, and when tradesmen like me see them on you’re feet we’ll give a nod/grunt of approval. They’re even union made.
An old school mechanical can opener from OhSay. I’ll never own another can opener.
Pocket knife. Benchmade Bugout in s30v steel. Get a water stone and learn to sharpen it on YouTube. A sharp blade should be in everyone’s pocket. Some minimal care will keep it going for most of a lifetime.
Trayvax element, ascent, or venture wallets. The one my wife carries is my old one, 15 years on it and it’s easily got 40 more.
A hanks leather gun belt. It’s made to be strong enough to support a firearm in a holster, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be used without one. Extremely high quality, thick durable, great hardware.
A quality mechanical watch. A tool watch. I run a Sinn, but there are many brands where you can find a serviceable mechanical watch for anywhere from $300 to $3000 and much much higher. The glycine combat 6 is a great starting point, you can find them used for maybe 275, their sapphire crystal is almost impervious to scratching and the stainless steel case is as well. I just had my old one serviced and hand polished to look like new, and I have no doubt with a service every five years it would last me a lifetime of daily wear. Looking for sapphire glass and a sellita or ETA movement from any number of brands will afford you plenty of aesthetic variety.
I might post more later if I’m not busy. Let’s hear some more!
To clarify for others:
Hanks makes many belts that are not specifically gun belts. The one I have came with a 99 year warranty (I think they all might?) and after several years of daily wear, sometimes in rough work conditions, I pretty much believe it’ll last that long.
To further clarify, the only thing that makes it a “gun” belt is that it’s built like a brick shit house. There’s nothing “tactical” or meal team sixxy about them. Just good tough belts.
Love my Thorogoods. I don’t need them for work, just for awesome, and I have no doubt I will never have to do anything but minor maintenance on them.
A “quality” mechanical watch can be had for far less than that. Get a frickin’ Invicta for $100 or less. A Pro Diver uses the exact same Seiko movement you’ll find in TONS of watches upwards of $1,000. Watch snobs will shit their pants in anger, but the movement is what it is and it can be serviced as readily as anything.
The reason invicta watches usually cost around $100 dollars is because they generally, though not always, lack a sapphire crystal. Mineral crystals scratch very easily and are unsuitable for daily wear unless you work from home or something. Shit I ruined one changing my laundry once.
So you destroyed it to the point of not working, or you put a tiny scratch that only a total bitch would care about into the glass which can be easily replaced?
BIFL does not mean “maintenance free for eternity.” Shit needs to get fixed sometimes.