"Cheap" Things You've Bought That Turned Out To Be Surprisingly Good

Kissing Crane manual stiletto...

Bought a small one of these, black wood scales, 3" flat ground blade...Kissing Crane is an old German company, several hundred years old, factory now in Taiwan...About $18 shipped...
Far better quality than I expected - a fairly heavy, solid, usable little knife.
No looseness or wobble to the blade. A good design, and very smooth after the traditional oil to the hinge. Has "that" look...
If you like this sort of knife, these are very good ones, and as fancy or plain as you like, and in various sizes.
They formerly made switchblade knives, but those are illegal in many countries in Europe and in many states here in the US...these are manually opening knives with single edge flat ground blades, a usable pocket knife that looks evil...
 
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shouldazagged said:
I've never owned a Rough Rider knife so far, but the Opinal and Mora knives are fantastic values for the money. The Victorinox Pioneer and Super Tinker are very useful for little money. But my all-time favorites for superb, inexpensive working knives were the good old U.S.A.-made Schrade Old Timers. Well heat-treated 1095 carbon steel, and sawn Delrin scales that gave a good grip even with wet hands. They took a fine edge and held it well, but were easy to re-sharpen. I still have a few, and treasure them.
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I lost exactly such a knife. An Old Timer skinner that had been my grandfathers. Somehow fell out of my sheath while deer hunting. The loss was heartbreaking. It was really wonderful patina'd steel, and a perfect working knife. I bought the Buck 119 in 'replacement' as the current Chinese shrade steel is just a far-cry. The 119 has somewhat consoled my loss of the irreplaceable.

I went on a little grief bender, and also bought a pre '60 Puma Skinner off the ebay, with the high carbon, Old-recipe, "Pumaster Steel" and Red Stag handle (it has a lanyard hole in the tang, unloseable!!). You can imagine what I paid for that in un-used condition. Haha, shoulda just bit the bullet for a few more bucks and ordered a Randall. It's a nice knife. It's a great knife. The blade shape/design is ideal for my personal preferences, even more so than the 119, but is it any 'better'?....

I wear the buck 119 in the field and on the boat. I admire the Puma. And i'm Not sure that the higher carbon steel is significantly better at taking and retaining a finer edge.
 
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Ibanez Talman Bass, I was not expecting a lot from it when I ordered it. I just wanted something to learn on, it turns out this is an amazing Bass under for $200, it blows away any other bass in it's price range. Fit and finish is superb and the tone from the P/J pickups is full and rich, it plays like butta, plus it has a sweet retro vibe. Even though this is the low end model, with the solid mahogany body and real rosewood fretboard it is stage ready.

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I didn't actually know buy it, it was a Christmas present. But years ago I recieved one of those electronic crescent wrenches, as seen on TV branded. Every place was selling them as stocking stuffers for like $10 that year. Having worked as a mechanic and having plenty of high $$$ tools, I never even opened the bubble wrapping to check it out. Just stuck it in the closet, waiting its turn to be re-gifted.
Well...several years later, working on something and needing a adjustable wrench in a hurry,, I grabbed it from the closet instead of heading to my toolbox in the garage.
I cut open the package, thinking for sure the battery had to be dead after all these years, nope..damn thing worked like a champ. It had a two way switch on the grip located in the perfect position. Stuck it on the pipe fitting, hit the close button and zip, it adjusted itself to the perfect size. What's more, as everyone know, with an adjustable wrench, you have to keep thumbing the adjuster for every turn, because they work themselves open everytime you put pressure on the jaw....but not with this little dandy, that jaw didn't budge until you hit the switch. It stayed locked in at the size you selected until that button was pushed.
Next thing you know. I'm parading this wrench all over the place, singing praises of how it's the next best thing since sliced bread. I guess I sang too loud though, becouse not long after, it disappeared.
If your ever so lucky to see one for sell, snatch one up for me please.
 
Ribwizzard said:
I didn't actually know buy it, it was a Christmas present. But years ago I recieved one of those electronic crescent wrenches, as seen on TV branded. Every place was selling them as stocking stuffers for like $10 that year. Having worked as a mechanic and having plenty of high $$$ tools, I never even opened the bubble wrapping to check it out. Just stuck it in the closet, waiting its turn to be re-gifted.
Well...several years later, working on something and needing a adjustable wrench in a hurry,, I grabbed it from the closet instead of heading to my toolbox in the garage.
I cut open the package, thinking for sure the battery had to be dead after all these years, nope..damn thing worked like a champ. It had a two way switch on the grip located in the perfect position. Stuck it on the pipe fitting, hit the close button and zip, it adjusted itself to the perfect size. What's more, as everyone know, with an adjustable wrench, you have to keep thumbing the adjuster for every turn, because they work themselves open everytime you put pressure on the jaw....but not with this little dandy, that jaw didn't budge until you hit the switch. It stayed locked in at the size you selected until that button was pushed.
Next thing you know. I'm parading this wrench all over the place, singing praises of how it's the next best thing since sliced bread. I guess I sang too loud though, becouse not long after, it disappeared.
If your ever so lucky to see one for sell, snatch one up for me please.
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Was it called the tiger wrench, you can buy them on line, 2 for 19.99.

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk
 
HAPPY FEET!!!

Back to harbor freight. I've been using HF's boot driers for at least 15 years now & going strong. Not so much for hunting/hiking boots anymore as for sneakers, AND YES even CROC'S. :eek: Putting on footwear still damp from the day before is the pits. :o
 
Bought a Tasco World Class 1.75x5 scope for my Rem 788 carbine 7mm-08 way back in the early 80's. Still had it when my son "procured" it. Held zero perfect and glass was decent enough to make some rather impressive shots. Also had a Tasco target scope with a dot reticle on my old Rem 700 22-250. It too held zero perfectly. Friend used it to shoot the eyeball out of a whitetail buck at about 250 yds. My son said where did you hit him? My partner said "right in the eyeball where I was aiming". Sure enough left eyeball and DRT.
 
HF has a knife sharpener, it is a black plastic housing that contain two crossed (assuming) ceramic rods. For $3, I keep one in the shop, garage, basement, boat, backpack, etc. It doesn't put on a fine edge like a stone or strop, but for down and dirty, it can't be beat.
 
A "as seen on TV" Copper Red fry pan.

I need a cheap pan I could toss if ruined for a hunting trip. I saw one of those Copper Red pans at Wally. I figured it would cleanup easily and I could toss it after being ruined by rough treatment while camping.

I have abused the heck out of that pan in the last year and half. I use metal utensils on it all the time it and it is scratch free. I is still slick and completely non-stick. I've got my $20 worth of use out of it and then some.
 
The only thing I can think of is a cheap wall clock I bought for my apartment 34 years ago.

It's still keeping time over our breakfast nook today.
 
My cheapest firearm, bought in 1972 for $35.00. A 1932 Enfield No. 2 Mk 1. All original.
When I needed a new mattress in May 2015 I went to an antiques/used furniture shop I have been going to for years. Found a perfectly good one, little uses if any. $21.60 out the door.
 
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