Life time warranties do contribute significantly to a buy it for life decision. Lets take automotive tools. I use mainly Gedore tools to maintain my vehicles. A few years ago I found a clapped out, worn, ratchet in a second hand toolbox I bought. Took it to my local dealer to find out about replacing the mechanism and they outright replaced the ratchet with a brand new one. At no cost to me and I was not even the first owner.
My own set Gedore of sockets and spanners are still in perfect condition after 20+ years of use. Yes I paid double store brand prices back in the late 90s for them, but I am sure they will be heirloom tools one day.
It really depends on what you are buying, but lifetime warranties does contribute to the decision.
I work in the clothing space and most people are moving away from them because there's been a sudden very sharp uptick in abuse. We had a product that we made for a major retailer that have a lifetime guarantee against defects in workmanship. Certainly, there were always some consumers who'd legitimately wear it out and ask for a replacement every 5 years, but the number that would actually follow through was comparatively small.
However, the returns skyrocketed a few years ago and we actually went to the trouble of having all the product collected and shipped back to us so we could analyze it.
Lots of it was filthy like consumers would get it dirty and then return it rather than washing it
A significant portion was different products, some even from other stores. I guess store employees aren't willing to push back on customers, and frankly, I don't blame them
Some were weirdly damaged - we've been in this industry a long time and know what normal wear looks like and know exactly where holes are going to show up if a product is badly made. I've seen things that were obviously cut with scissors or looked like they'd been dragged across concrete.
A good chunk looked brand new, perhaps people bought it for a weekend event and returned it. Certainly, they could be dissatisfied with the purchase, but that typically only amounts to 1-2% of our buyers.
I don't really understand the shift, but it really feels like a few shitty people ruining a good thing for everyone else.
I would not have thought lifetime warranty even existed on clothing. First time I have heard about it. Agreed that it mayl be abused.
Tools are in a different position, where the company rep can usually spot signs of abuse easily and then rhey will probably refuse warranty. It also helps if you are a frequent customer and is known by the store staff.
Usually it's phrased as a warranty against defects in workmanship. I had American Giant replace a hoodie where one of the seams started to come unstitched, but I infer that they wouldn't have covered it if it were due to regular wear and tear. (also pretty sure they moved away from lifetime warrantis too)
Probably the hug of death is more due to most other clothing businesses not doing the lifetime guarantee than customers abusing. I see no motivation for buying at one place and taking it to another if both offer the same guarantees.
I don't think the other returned products were lifetime guaranteed. Look like they found a worn out piece from their closet and returned it to the retailer claiming it was an older version of the product they were trying to replace it with - maybe they genuinely believed that but it seemed more deliberate
Lots of that stock is made specifically for Rack - there's definitely some returns and end of line product that ends up there, but many of the branded goods at "outlet" stores is specifically designed for that market.
I think more important than which knife to get is how to properly sharpen them. It doesn’t matter which knife you purchase, it will need to be sharpened at some point.
My personal favorite are Duluth Trading Buck Naked. I’ve had a few pair have the elastic waistband start to stretch to a point things don’t stay put. But those are ones I’ve had for about 10 years. Never had any other part wear out. Keeps me cool, since I run hot. They have both boxers and boxer briefs (and maybe briefs). They are somewhat expensive at ~$22/each, but you can wait for sales to get them about $16/each.
I'm very happy with the orka brand silicone tipped tongs I got back around 2008. I think they may be the same as the ones made by mastrad now, but I can't be sure without seeing them in person.
The set I have has held up extremely well over the years, and still looks and works like new.
Is there a reason that you'd prefer to not have exposed metal? Unless you have PTFE (Teflon) coated cookware, that's not an issue. I mean, I've got stainless steel pots that have gotten dinged up over the years, but I can buff that out with 400 grit sandpaper, and when I manage to burn something to cast iron and have to scrub it, I can freshen up the surface with any drying oil. And if you do have PTFE coated pots, I'd be more worried about the PTFE than about the utensils. Pots and pans that are PTFE coated are more or less disposable, and I would recommend against them in most cases. PTFE frying pans can be a real risk, because when heated, PTFE can release toxic gasses.
This feels like the wrong place to shout out plastic IKEA utensils, but I have had a FULLÄNDAD ladle and pasta spoon for years now and they show no signs of wear.
They are made of a single piece of smooth plastic, so there is nowhere for gunk or water to get trapped, and they are heat proof up to around 400*F.
The worst things I have found for the longevity of kitchen utensils are seams, and hollow handles which trap water, and having non heat proof handles because the end that's not supposed to touch the pan will at some point touch the pan.
I haven’t found a one-brand-fits-all, really. I’ve found that it’s good to go by certain design concepts.
As an example, especially for stuff like scoops and ladles, I vastly prefer when the utensil is one continuous piece of material. If it is made of different materials joined together, water might get in, or the material will detach/delaminate over time. A lot of utensils have handles that are like that, and they always eventually fail for me.
Not regular boxes, but I’ve been using the Costco Champion boxer briefs for years. Super comfy and durable. They don’t get all stretched out like other brands. Highly recommend them.
I have a set of 6 virtorinox steak knives from the 90s, that turned into general purpose kitchen knifes. They are now finally starting to become blunt. The black platic handles are smooth from use. 30 years on, ithink the time is approaching for them to be replaced. And that is only because I cannot sharpen the serated blades.
I don't think a guaranteed replacement is the reason why warranties can contribute to something being BIFL: rather, the lifetime warranty is the manufacturer putting money on the durability of the item, which increases my confidence that they genuinely believe their product is actually durable.
It's still no guarantee and there are lots of other factors to consider, but I think taking a warranty into account is reasonable.
I have a decent headphone collection, and I'd say I'd rather get some decent IEMS rather than a pair of koss. I don't like the koss sound or design. For the price of these I got the kiwi ears cadenza which are some of my favorite IEMS for cheap listening and use. I have much more expensive IEMS but the cadenzas are great still.
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