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Discussion Forum

Am I alone in recalling tool’s history?

geoffhazel | Posted in General Discussion on January 31, 2009 04:18am

I will pick up a tool and say ‘I remember buying this tool for <the such and so job> back in 1984’. Many of my tools have histories that I know and am not likely to forget ( not all of them, but a few).

When I’m doing a project at home I’ll pick up a tool and share it’s history. My wife rolls her eyes and says “Who cares? you’re weird”.

Well, she can not care if she wants to, but am I all that weird? Am I alone in remembering the history of some of my tools?

For example:
My Estwing 20 oz straight claw hammer. Bought for the condo ceiling job in Eugene OR in 1979.
Skil multi-function 3/8″ reversible drill: tool sale at the Holiday Inn, 1979.
Skil 77: after I burned up the Craftsman circ saw working on the closet in our house in Issaquah, 1991.
Big Pliers: from the tools we got from my business partner’s wife’s dad’s tool cache, 1978.

and so forth


Edited 1/30/2009 8:21 pm ET by geoffhazel

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Replies

  1. User avater
    EricPaulson | Jan 31, 2009 04:26am | #1

    ur wierd...............

    someone had to say it!

     

    1. User avater
      IMERC | Jan 31, 2009 07:40am | #18

      but it's a cool wierd.... 

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

      WOW!!! What a Ride!

      Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

       

      "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  2. Shep | Jan 31, 2009 04:31am | #2

    wheher you're weird, or not, is an entirely separate subject.

    I remember where/what job I got my tools for, too. Not all of them, but enough.

    And ask anyone, I'm completely normal

    1. tashler | Jan 31, 2009 05:36am | #8

      Umm..... Well.....If YOU say you're normal, than that's fine.Glenn

      1. Shep | Jan 31, 2009 06:26am | #13

        normal is, as normal does

        <G>

        1. tashler | Jan 31, 2009 03:23pm | #27

          Forrest Gump moves to Wanaque.
          Glenn

    2. User avater
      IMERC | Jan 31, 2009 07:42am | #19

      can't be....

      you golf instead of fish.... 

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

      WOW!!! What a Ride!

      Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

       

      "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  3. webby | Jan 31, 2009 04:32am | #3

    I think that is okay.

    It is better to recall good memories of buying and using a tool than to recall buying the tool and not using it or haveing it break on you.

    Webby 

     

  4. husbandman | Jan 31, 2009 04:40am | #4

    You are not alone. I know where lots of my tools came from and what was going on that prompted me to buy right then.

    Aluminum framing square was purchased when I was framing in Phoenix in '87 and the black one was too damn hot to pick up. I bought a Makita hypoid saw the same day (have it, but don't use it any more). Still have a Makita sheetrock gun I bought to hang the ceiling of a warehouse in Helena, Mt in the fall of '85. I still have a number of tools I bought in'77 when I started into building trades school: 2' Sands aluminum level, set of Stanley chisels, Stanley curve claw wood handle 16 oz. finish hammer, Stanley sliding t-bevel, etc.

  5. User avater
    dedhed6b | Jan 31, 2009 04:51am | #5

    You are not alone, I can pretty much recall most of my tool's historys. Not bad for being a child of the 60's LOL

    "Shawdow boxing the appoclipse and wandering the land"
    Wier/Barlow
  6. Catskinner | Jan 31, 2009 05:00am | #6

    No, you are not alone in that.

    A trip through my toolboxes is like a family history.

  7. Jer | Jan 31, 2009 05:13am | #7

    You're not alone.

    Millers Falls cast iron miter box bought new at Sid's Hardware in Brooklyn NY 1977 for apt renovation in Clinton Hill.

    14" backsaw was bought for flooring replacement job in 1979 on W. 85 st. in Manhattan. Also for that job, my first Stanley chisel, a 3/4" ground down to about 1" now. Still works fine.

    3 Lb lump hammer bought to channel BX cable in soft brick for job on upper East Side apt in 1982.

    16 oz. Stanley leather ring handled curve claw finish hammer bought at Tarzian Hardware in 1980, Brooklyn NY.

    Stanley #93 shoulder plane given to me in 1990 in Congers NY from a lady who's father had been a carpenter and came from Hungary.

    Milwaukee hammer drill for front porch job on Polinsky's house #125 River Rd Grandview NY, about 1990.

    12" Wustoff French knife Dad bought back in 1940 while at the Hotel School, Cornell U. and gave to me in 1979. I put a new handel on it in 1983.

    Delta Sawbuck bought 1987, mail order for a job on River Rd Nyack NY.

    Bosh 3 hp plunge router bought for router table when I made built in cabinets for Streeps (yes, that family), in 1996.

    I could go on...

    13" titanium hawk bought in 2000 for large plastering job redoing City Hall in Kingston NY.

  8. RedfordHenry | Jan 31, 2009 05:44am | #9

    I can relate.  What eat's me up is wondering what ever happened to a specific tool.  One day, my favorite 6" taping knife and a hand-sander just vanished.  I remember the last time I used it like it was yesterday (was about three yrs ago).  I think I left them on the bumper of the truck, but I'll never know for sure

  9. LIVEONSAWDUST | Jan 31, 2009 05:59am | #10

    I cant even remember everything I have, let alone why/when I got it!

  10. bmovies | Jan 31, 2009 06:00am | #11

    I have a similar knack, as well as a variation on this theme. Up until 2004, almost all the power tools I owned were either A.) Hand-me-downs B.) Christmas or birthday gifts or C.) purchased with gift cards from Christmas or birthdays. The one exception is a 1/2-inch Craftsman drill I purchased at Sears in 1984 for $75. I use it still as my thinset mixer. In 2004, my carpentry avocation became my primary vocation, and I've bought a bunch of tools since!

  11. nycarpenter | Jan 31, 2009 06:18am | #12

    Hey my dad's old metal toolbox rides with me everyday.  It always seems that it has the tool in it that get's me out of a jam- Just today it was a 3/8 x 16" drill bit.  Funny how that happens sometimes.....I miss that guy.

    1. Catskinner | Jan 31, 2009 07:52am | #22

      Same here -- my Dad has been dead almost 24 years; I have more tools on any one of the trucks that I own than he ever owned in his life, and it's still the odd chisel or saw or star drill or wrench of his that is always just the right tool when you need it.I have no idea how or why that works the way it does, but I'm grateful for it.

  12. joeh | Jan 31, 2009 06:26am | #14

    My memory tools are the ones given by friends now passed.

    I remember them when I pick up a tool.

    Joe H

  13. john7g | Jan 31, 2009 06:57am | #15

    I'm with you.  Some of my stuff my Grandpa used and it's got a lot of memories. 

    Have a mattock from my other Grandpa that I don't let anyone else use.  It's still got the same handle on it that he used; Dad nor any of my brothers broke it but it's getting weaker.

    we're weird but it's a good weird

  14. User avater
    Ted W. | Jan 31, 2009 07:18am | #16

    Makes me feel a little better about naming my tools, having inteligent discussions with them, and scolding them when they don't behave. In fact, Pete the recip. saw is currently having a time-out for picking on Joe the jigsaw. Why can't they just play nice and get along like Bob the hammer and Tom the screwdriver.

    Well, it's getting late... Time to tuck the tools in for the night.

    ~ Ted W ~

    Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.net
    See my work - TedsCarpentry.com

    1. User avater
      IMERC | Jan 31, 2009 07:43am | #20

      that gets a world class rez's ROAR!!! 

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

      WOW!!! What a Ride!

      Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

       

      "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

    2. geoffhazel | Jan 31, 2009 09:12am | #23

      Ted W wrote:"Makes me feel a little better about naming my tools, having inteligent discussions with them, and scolding them when they don't behave. In fact, Pete the recip. saw is currently having a time-out for picking on Joe the jigsaw. Why can't they just play nice and get along like Bob the hammer and Tom the screwdriver."Oh no! Another person who talks to his tools like they were alive. I was working on some outdoor stairs and had to "adjust" the location of a concrete pier block 2" in rocky soil. My tool of choice for this is the straight claw Estwing hammer.I was telling a friend who was watching "yeah, the hammer doesn't really like doing this work, but he knows he's good at it, and as long as I wipe him off after I'm done, he's OK with it."And I've found that chisels don't like it when you open paint cans with them.

      Edited 1/31/2009 1:15 am ET by geoffhazel

      1. User avater
        Ted W. | Jan 31, 2009 10:13am | #24

        Oh no! Another person who talks to his tools like they were alive.

        I know my tools aren't alive, but they think they are. So, after they've been so good to me all these years, I feel obliged to play along. =)~ Ted W ~

        Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com

        1. Huntdoctor | Jan 31, 2009 05:45pm | #33

          Well Ted, I know my tools are alive.
          Because the tools I put in the back of the trailer are in the front of the trailer the next day. The tools in the front have moved to the back and the screws and nails are all mixed up.
          They must do nothing but party all night long.
          What a life.

        2. User avater
          IMERC | Jan 31, 2009 07:44pm | #34

          but they are alive...

          they have souls and character... 

          Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

          WOW!!! What a Ride!

          Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

           

          "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

          1. User avater
            Ted W. | Feb 01, 2009 07:47am | #44

            And funny voices, like cartoon characters. =)~ Ted W ~

            Cheap Tools - BuildersTools.netSee my work - TedsCarpentry.com

      2. Dave45 | Feb 01, 2009 04:27am | #42

        So who the h3ll are Pete, Joe, Tom, and Bob!!?? All of my misbehaving tools are named "You SOB!!" If I'm really annoyed, I use their first names.........."Dirty" or "Miserable".

  15. DanH | Jan 31, 2009 07:25am | #17

    I think she's a little irritated because you can't remember when you found her.

    The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
  16. JMadson | Jan 31, 2009 07:52am | #21

    Ask your DW if she remembers why she bought that blue dress at the end of the closet that she hasn't worn in 15 years. When she gives a detailed description of the night and how she felt the next day, the argument will be over.

    We're all weird, just about different things.

     
  17. gordsco | Jan 31, 2009 02:46pm | #25

    Yes them tools bring back memories....

    Ryobi B-2000 tablesaw, missing end of left index finger.

    20oz Estwing, smashed thumb, took months for thumbnail to return,

    Snap blade utility knife, 7 stitches.

    Bosch 1/2" drill, broke left pinky finger using 4" hole saw.

    Extension cord, took female end in left nut while wrapping cord with legs open.

     

    1. Jer | Jan 31, 2009 03:01pm | #26

      "Extension cord, took female end in left nut while wrapping cord with legs open."Think I'll let that one go...

    2. DanH | Jan 31, 2009 04:08pm | #29

      You should borrow some pants from T -- he's not using them.
      The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

      1. gordsco | Jan 31, 2009 04:35pm | #30

        Yeah, a pair of them pants with the crotch starting just above the knee would reduce my vocabulary significantly. 

        1. DanH | Jan 31, 2009 04:40pm | #31

          And likely your IQ as well.
          The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

    3. geoffhazel | Jan 31, 2009 09:09pm | #35

      Well, if you're remembering that kind of thing:The Skil belt sander that tried to eat the tip of my index finger. The nail grew back but is thin and ridged, and that joint never has bent right ever since.

      1. User avater
        Sphere | Jan 31, 2009 10:00pm | #36

        I've observed once they taste blood, they want more. Keep an eye open.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

         

        They kill Prophets, for Profits.

         

         

        1. DanH | Jan 31, 2009 10:39pm | #37

          Feed me, Seymour!
          The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

        2. Shep | Jan 31, 2009 11:34pm | #38

          I've found utility knives and chisels are the most blood thirsty

  18. User avater
    Jeff_Clarke | Jan 31, 2009 03:49pm | #28

    Dear Geoff:

    Two words:   Old Fart

    Questions?

    Jeff

  19. MSA1 | Jan 31, 2009 05:25pm | #32

    All my mempries were taken to the pawn shop when we were robbed about four years ago. Still, I know what you mean. You pick up a tool and maybe remember having to run to go buy it so you could finish some job that was driving you crazy.

     

    Family.....They're always there when they need you.

    1. fingersandtoes | Feb 02, 2009 12:09am | #46

      "All my memories were taken to the pawn shop when we were robbed about four years ago."You probably use your hands instead like I do. Each scar or break evokes memories just as surely as any tools.

      Edited 2/1/2009 7:27 pm ET by fingersandtoes

  20. fingers | Jan 31, 2009 11:44pm | #39

    I do that all the time. It drives my wife nuts. Not only with tools but with everything i've got. I find it's easier to remember where you got something if there's a bit of a story behind it. Like, "Honey, do you remember in 1989 when we went to that auction, and it snowed, and I bought that box-lot of old rusty tools for $5 at the very end. Well, I think of that every time i use this bevel square" or whatever the item is.
    Drives her absolutely nuts because I've got so many stories like that. Yet, I often can't remember stuff (that she thinks I should remember) from two weeks ago. It's weird how your brain works.

    1. dovetail97128 | Feb 01, 2009 04:22am | #41

      Speaking of remembering things... anybody remember when valentines day is? I always seem to forget that. The where and when of tools is as easy as riding a bike, I never forget.
      They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.

      1. DanH | Feb 01, 2009 05:14am | #43

        If I forget when V-day is I catch holy hell -- it's our anniversary.(And if a friend ever tells you they're thinking of getting married on V-day, do all you can to talk them out of it -- it causes all sorts of grief (and I'm not talking about with the wife).)
        The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

  21. oldhand | Feb 01, 2009 04:21am | #40

    I have an open end Thorsen wrench [7/16 x 1/2] I bought to work on my bicycle. Open stock item at one of the world's first wallymarts, think it cost 77 cents. Seems like some things have change since but I forget........ .

    .
  22. User avater
    popawheelie | Feb 01, 2009 08:30am | #45

    When I die I want my tools buried with me.

    No, you can't have them!

  23. JeffinPA | Feb 02, 2009 01:58am | #47

    I dont share with people much but I remember.

    my vaughn 22 oz framer I got when the hardware store in Sicklerville NJ was going out of business.  I think it was around 93

    My turbo torch was for a plumbing rough on a job at the delwarare beach in 90

    My 1st Mil sidewinder was a christmas present from my brother back in the 80's (just replaced it this year cause it has a dead spot somwhere in switch or windings)

    My Hitachi recip saw I bought after my framer burned out my mil in 91and I just replaced the hitachi with a new mil.

    Some of my tools  I acquired when I was a teenager (I am in my 40's now) so I dont remember specifics on all them but I can give you a history on most of them.

    Dont ask me to tell you where we went on vacation last year or what year my daughter brought her friend with her on vaca.  I dont remember any of that stuff with any clarity.  Dont know why, but I just dont.

  24. barmil | Feb 04, 2009 05:48am | #48

    Assigned to the 82nd Airborne in 1973. Job was to get helicopters aboard C-130s for deployment. The specs said they wouldn't fit, but you had to try it anyway. Problem was that the rear ramp on the C-130 had too much of a downward degree angle to tilt the helicopter into the plane, so we thought of building plied ramps of plywood to reduce the approach angle to the plane's deck. We'd place them under the C-130's ramp toes. Well, we had plywood, but what about a saw for it? You only wait minutes in the 82nd, so I ran to the PX and bought a $25 Skil saw and a few plywood blades, and we ripped plywood for hours to build the ramps. Our new ramp system made it into the Army's field manuals. But what about the saw? I kept and used it for another thirty years, hoping it would eventually die, but it wouldn't. Finally, I said to hell with it and bought an anniversary Skil (Bosch) saw that's soooo much better. For $100 or so. Given inflation, it was probably cheaper than the first one, but I love it. A $25 Skil saw and a few hundred dollars of plywood solved a difficult deployment problem. I understand that the Army later contracted out for aluminum replacement ramps that cost thousands each.

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