{"id":289,"date":"2009-02-03T10:57:39","date_gmt":"2009-02-03T18:57:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/?p=289"},"modified":"2009-02-03T10:57:39","modified_gmt":"2009-02-03T18:57:39","slug":"pragmatic-gear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/2009\/02\/03\/pragmatic-gear\/","title":{"rendered":"Pragmatic Gear"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neil Gaiman, in his excellent \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sandman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d series wrote that tools can be the subtlest of traps.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still not sure what I think about this, but if there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a practical way to drive a nail barehanded, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d love to see it.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Tools, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been mentioned, are petty much essential for performing certain functions.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re looking to julienne an onion, whittle down a stick for tinder, or fix a rip in your clothes or backpack, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re likely to need some kind of implement to get things done. \u00c2\u00a0<\/span>Where Gaiman starts to make sense (to your author, anyways) is in the extremes of said implements.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>At one end of the scale, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen the bargain basement \/ dollar store tools.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>They work, in theory.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>They are the shape of something that COULD perform a tool like function, but the actual functionality and quality is a crapshoot.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>The cheap hammer technically works; it applies physics admirably, but may shatter due to the temperature of the steel being off when it was drop – forged.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>The pry bar that you can bend by hand?\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>NOT going to be much use on a stubborn joint if you can warp it with puny human muscles.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>The cheap tools have their use, where excessive wear or expendability is needed, but they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not the ones I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d keep in the car repair kit.<\/span><\/p>\n

The other end of our spectrum features a marvel or modern implement distinguishment, the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Gear Nuts\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Other less flattering names apply).\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Add the words \u00e2\u20ac\u0153tactical\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153military spec.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153professional grade\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, to any item, and someone will likely buy it for that sake, but may rarely have use for it.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>High powered flashlights, absurd folding knives, and futuristic boots abound.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>They certainly have high \u00e2\u20ac\u201c quality tools, but few have a use for them, taking preparation, even CRAZY PREPERATION into absurdity.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>A tool you do not need is dead weight.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>(If you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to take my word for it, carry around a 10 pound sledge for a day.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Unless you work on a farm or in construction where you need it, it gets old fast.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Be pragmatic when acquiring tools.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Of course with utility razors, markers, or drill bits, you look at a limited life span regardless of what you acquire.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Things you expect to use hard, for a long time, do your homework on as far as features and potential maintenance.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>A wooden handle will need eventual replacing, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve yet to see a pair of boots that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t benefit from regular cleaning, oiling and waterproofing, for example.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Where you need it, seek out well crafted stuff, shell out what is practical for your use \/ means, and take care of it.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>(Cain had a great example with his long \u00e2\u20ac\u201c lasting hiking boots.)<\/span><\/p>\n

As a closing thought, while some things just seem AWESOME, resist the temptation.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>(Yes, the 64 oz. engineer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sledge may look fun as all hell, but for the occasional project it won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be as easy to use or precise as a 20 oz. claw hammer.)\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Utility first, then novelty.\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span>Good luck! <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Neil Gaiman, in his excellent \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Sandman\u00e2\u20ac\u009d series wrote that tools can be the subtlest of traps.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still not sure what I think about this, but if there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a practical way to drive a nail barehanded, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d love to see it.\u00c2\u00a0 Tools, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been mentioned, are petty much essential for performing certain functions.\u00c2\u00a0 If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re … Continue reading Pragmatic Gear<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crazy-prepared"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=289"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":290,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/289\/revisions\/290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.principiadiscordia.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}