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shredsickpow t1_iztfpxu wrote

Reply to comment by cherlin in Are all those old alarm clocks really anything special? by LowerSurplus

Todays products are designed for a global market and shipping weight is an absolutely huge concern, which comes at the expensive of longevity. You can argue w me if you want I’m literally a product designer and creating stuff that people buy is literally my career. We can’t use the same materials and methods we could 50 years ago because of shipping costs. Older stuff is in general going to last a lot longer than anything available today.

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cherlin t1_iztlzy3 wrote

You can't take a one size fits all approach. Just because you design products that aren't Bifl doesn't mean every designer and company takes the same approach.

Look at modern mechanical watches, the movements in modern watches are literally refined versions of 60 year old movements and require far less maintenance and last longer than old movements due to many iterative changes over the years. A new oris 400 caliber watch is going to be better than an old Rolex at 1/10th the cost.

Look at textiles, modern waterproof materials work sooooo much better then what we had even 20 years ago. You can't compare a coat from the 60's to a modern waterproof jacket from a company like Patagonia or Arc'teryx. Yes lots of fast fashion exists, but there are also items out there where the quality of those items literally can't be matched by old products.

There are lots of older products that work well and will last a lifetime, I agree with that, but there are also lots of modern products that will last a lifetime and be better then some.of those older items. Metallurgy/textiles/technology/electronics/etc have all come a LONG way and if you seek out the quality items (which is what I use this sub to do) you can still find truly generational items that are built better than they were in the past.

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shredsickpow t1_izum1oo wrote

For boutique shit like watches, okay.

Textiles are not BIFL unless it’s leather. No real advancements there. Are todays textiles better? Sure. Still not BIFL tho.

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cherlin t1_izuro8b wrote

I work in utility construction in the mountains and spend a good chunk of my time hiking through tough terrain and brush/forests and I have some Patagonia jackets that have held up remarkably well through snags and tears/etc, add onto that their lifetime warranty and I feel like it meets the spirit of BIFL (in that I only have to buy it once and it will last me for life or get replaced for free).

That being said, I use "buy it for life" as more of a "this is the highest quality product in a given category". Sometimes that really does mean heirloom items (nice knifes/cookware/watches/etc) and sometimes it means that it's a high quality product that will possibly be heirloom quality, but If not the company will take care of you (darn tough/Patagonia/peak design/Popov leather/Mitchell leather/ etc).

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Zentaury t1_izthym4 wrote

As a designer is there brands or items that you admire for they “quality”, sturdiness, or aesthetic+durability?

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_Gigante_ t1_izvk8a5 wrote

Yeah, most products are but this sub is exactly here to help people find the few products that aren’t. That’s like saying most restaurants are fairly standard so high quality ones don’t exist.

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