Too much choice

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Today it finally hit me. I have been wondering what the heck has gone on with me since coming to North America. It takes me forever to make a decision when i am looking to buy something. Originally i thought it was age and the procrastination that goes with it.

But today i finally worked it out. TOO MUCH CHOICE.:rofl::eek:

I remember being in Malawi once and meeting a local architect that had a job designing steel buildings. We had noticed there were only two sections ever used. We thought this was for economies of scale, but in actual fact he said thats all that was available.

Now things were not like that in South Africa and in fact you can get pretty much everything we can here, but it just seems there were less skus in each category. Its absolutely marvelous that we can get such variety but i wonder how many are plagued with procrastination because of it. Some of it i know stems from having been burnt one too many times before.

When faced with A or B well its simple. If it will do whats needed then the choice is easy which will do the job.

But when faced with A, B, C, D, E , etc then one needs to understand each to evaluate which one will do the job best and then of course at what cost. Man life used to be simple.

On the flip side there is nothing i like better than having a tool that was specifically designed to do a job and does it properly. Only recently found out there were wrenches called a line wrench or flare nut wrench or tube wrench depending on what you call them. But the difference between using one of these on a brake line and not is day and night and all for a few bucks for a set that covers all the sizes. That's just one thing i can think of off the top of my head that i had not seen ever.

I remember back in school when in shop class we were taught to use a bench hook to hold a piece of wood while cross cutting it. There was only one tenon type saw (never mind the fact that in all its life it had never seen sharpening or setting). Now have you taken a look at the range of "tenon style" handsaws around from any of the many manufacturers.

Take LN LV and Wenzloff & Sons and thats just three manufacturers with each having i dunno at least 4 per category next level down. LN has 4 dovetail saws in their dovetail saw category. I mean hows a man to choose. :rofl:

And they say gambling is a problem, I can see tools being a bigger one. LOL
 
Its an oversimplification but, I could see myself being happier selecting from 3 quality products as opposed to 117 poor ones :thumb:.
 
On top of that, I would add the trap that most of us have fallen in at least once, when we see some tool being used by one of the ww gurus, (I spare you the names) subconciously assuming that for any reason that tool will bring embedded the practice and skill needed to make it perform as we see them doing.

OK, sure, sure... nobody from this forum has fallen in it except me. ;):eek::(
 
On top of that, I would add the trap that most of us have fallen in at least once, when we see some tool being used by one of the ww gurus, (I spare you the names) subconciously assuming that for any reason that tool will bring embedded the practice and skill needed to make it perform as we see them doing.

OK, sure, sure... nobody from this forum has fallen in it except me. ;):eek::(

So true. :yes: I bought a set of carving chisels because I'd seen some beautiful carving work done by a Spanish friend of mine, and here's what I got...

Carved%20Stick%20Cropped%20600.jpg
Carved%20Stick%20Detail.jpg


Pretty amazing detail, huh? :rofl:
 
So true. :yes: I bought a set of carving chisels because I'd seen some beautiful carving work done by a Spanish friend of mine, and here's what I got..

So it is a perfect replica of an ancient stone carving? Drill a few holes in it and it could be a mash paddle :D.

I too have sent a few "this must be cool since so-and-so uses it" tool purchases down the road.
 
Things sure have changed since the good 'ole days when candy meant a penny's worth of rock candy............ On the other hand there are many ways to skin a cat and I am a believer of learning at least some of them and then settling in on the one you feel the most comfortable with. Some "innovative" tools are no more than gimmicks. I get a laugh out of some of the infomercials where the person is fumbling with some task and then showing how their new product will make you glamorous and talented, blaa blaa blaa. The display of inept fumbling is at best an insult to normal people.

If this issue bothers you too much Rob I have a solution. Go make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and watch the grass grow. :D This isn't the last lingering vestiges of winter blues is it? Sure has been a hard one.
 
So true. :yes: I bought a set of carving chisels because I'd seen some beautiful carving work done by a Spanish friend of mine, and here's what I got...

Carved%20Stick%20Cropped%20600.jpg
Carved%20Stick%20Detail.jpg


Pretty amazing detail, huh? :rofl:

Maybe there was some communication mistake or something was lost in translation. Although I can see that you are specialised in minimalistic and essential pieces.
 
Maybe there was some communication mistake or something was lost in translation. Although I can see that you are specialised in minimalistic and essential pieces.

:rofl: Very diplomatic of you, Toni!

I think I was about 10 years old when I did that "piece". Sad to say, I doubt my carving skills have improved much in the years since. :rolleyes:
 
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