Tools Never Die. Waddaya mean, Never?

[James White]

This was shared on one of the Yahoo hobby groups I belong to. I figured that the group here may be able to help. This may need to go in the neader forum but I thought that all may be interested.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/02/01/133188723/tools-never-die-waddaya-mean-never?ft=1&f=1007

James

[ken gibbs]

Yes tools die. And I can give you a reliable estimate exactly when they will die. Its when you are at the 90% completion point using your router table and you have about two hours of work left, and you have to use this particular router bit to finish up. So you have to remover the bit so you can extract the router from the table and find somebody who has the parts and smart to actually fix it if possible. This never happens if you have an easy set up. It always happens with the bit that takes three hours to set up by trial and error and is just about impossible to get the bit reinstalled precisely like it was after waiting three weeks to get your router out of the repair shop.

[David Thompson 27577]

I'm thinking that neither the claimant, nor the commentator, have thought very much about medical technology. I'd give good odds that there is no one manufacturing scarificators for the purpose of bloodletting.

And perhaps they didn't think too much about the field of criminal punishment -- I'd bet some big money that it's impossible to buy a newly made guillotine off the shelf.

And here's an example much less morbid -- ever heard of a latch string? Maybe some preservationists, restorers, and reproduction-makers; but no door in the past century has been made with that as the central plan.

[Ed Hazel]

ever heard of a latch string? Maybe some preservationists, restorers, and reproduction-makers; but no door in the past century has been made with that as the central plan.

Back in the 70s my dad built a pool house that incorporated a latch string. Also our barn had a latch string door but that may have been pre-1900.

[Paul Steiner]

I'm thinking that neither the claimant, nor the commentator, have thought very much about medical technology. I'd give good odds that there is no one manufacturing scarificators for the purpose of bloodletting.

And perhaps they didn't think too much about the field of criminal punishment -- I'd bet some big money that it's impossible to buy a newly made guillotine off the shelf.

And here's an example much less morbid -- ever heard of a latch string? Maybe some preservationists, restorers, and reproduction-makers; but no door in the past century has been made with that as the central plan.

They definitely did not think at length about these items. On pawnstars I saw a set of handcuffs for the palm and hands, they were like steel gloves. No way are those being made. Zip cuffs and modern handcuffs are way to prevelant. What about the fabled iron mask?
Also what about Laserdiscs? There may be people still watching laserdiscs but I highly doubt anyone is making new lazerdisc players.

[Van Huskey]

I think some of you may want to listen to the point, he didn't say the exact item just the flavor of the invention.

Guillotines are available to cut cigar tips off.

Laser disc are just one of a huge line of optical discs, the major difference is size and the fact they were analog.

I won't go so far as to say nothing has died since that is pretty bold, but I think if you look around you will still be able to find pretty much anything if not in its original form a similar new version.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I think some of you may want to listen to the point, he didn't say the exact item just the flavor of the invention.

Guillotines are available to cut cigar tips off.

Laser disc are just one of a huge line of optical discs, the major difference is size and the fact they were analog.

I won't go so far as to say nothing has died since that is pretty bold, but I think if you look around you will still be able to find pretty much anything if not in its original form a similar new version.

I agree, and they specifically used an old Montgomery Wards (tool section)
catalog as an example. I doubt you'd find a guillotine there.
(maybe an old Sears and Roebuck) :p

[James White]

I think the blood letting tools would be worthy of submission. Why not!

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I think the blood letting tools would be worthy of submission. Why not!

I'm OK with that since blood letting is coming back.:D

[Van Huskey]

On the subject of blood letting I am pretty sure you could find genes of that old art in modern venipuncture tools.

[John Coloccia]

I want a dovetailing saw blade like Frank Klausz has in his bow saw. As far as I know, that's no longer made commercially. Now I know I can commission someone to make it, or make it myself, but as far as I can tell that's a legitimate tool that was in wide spread use up until recently, and is now no longer commercially available through any source.

Interestingly enough, I heard this exact story on NPR this morning driving into work. That bow saw blade immediately came to mind. I'm sure I can think of more given a few minutes.


edit: others I've thought of....I'll add as they occur to me. What most will probably have in common is that the need for the tool has been superseded by new technology. I'll try to stay away from tools like old medical implements, torture devices, etc. I'll try to keep it to things that were useful to the everyday man, and commonly available, but yet I think no longer exist :)

-Oil can spout. I bet no one's make oil can spouts anymore. That's certainly a tool!
-Floppy disk notchers. This is especially relevant as floppy disks are still available, though 5 1/4" are rapidly becoming extinct.

[hank dekeyser]

Does stabbing yourself with a utility knife count as "blood letting" ? I'm pretty sure their intention was that the specificity of the "tool" isnt important. (Dovetail saw blade is pretty much considered a "saw blade") It would be like saying they don't make lug nut wrenches for a 1908 Ford model T (actually they do)

[John Coloccia]

I can't be any more broad than "oil can spout". That's like saying "screwdriver", or "can opener". :)

[Greg Portland]

The shoe fluoroscope is a definite winner. This is a 1940s and later item that allowed people to see their feet/bones while inside the shoes. The downside was that they are extremely radioactive and ended up killing people (primarily shoe salesman who were constantly exposed).

[Glenn Vaughn]

I'm thinking that neither the claimant, nor the commentator, have thought very much about medical technology. I'd give good odds that there is no one manufacturing scarificators for the purpose of bloodletting.

And perhaps they didn't think too much about the field of criminal punishment -- I'd bet some big money that it's impossible to buy a newly made guillotine off the shelf.

And here's an example much less morbid -- ever heard of a latch string? Maybe some preservationists, restorers, and reproduction-makers; but no door in the past century has been made with that as the central plan.

scarificators http://www.gemmary.com/instcat/15/15-025.html

guillotine - the technology is still in use - for cutting metal and paper etc.

Latch strings are still used for some gates.

[Van Huskey]

For those coming up with examples I think you should listen to the segment again, one of us is missing the point. The shoe florouscope was an offshoot of X-ray technology which is alive and well last time I checked. John probably has the best idea with the oil can spout, no need to support a legacy market there, but in keeping with the flavor of the hypothesis as I understand it, one would have to show there are no implements that pierce, self seal and dispense a product from a sealed container. I didn't bother but I am sure many "tools" have kept the gene lineage of this tool alive.

The bottom line is how narrowly you construe the hypothesis, which I understood to be very broad. There are plenty of tools that are no longer made exactly like they were in the past, a floppy disc notcher is nothing but a specifically sized hole punch, hole punches are available at every Walmart in America, just not with the function of making a "flippy" disc.

[John Coloccia]

For those coming up with examples I think you should listen to the segment again, one of us is missing the point. The shoe florouscope was an offshoot of X-ray technology which is alive and well last time I checked. John probably has the best idea with the oil can spout, no need to support a legacy market there, but in keeping with the flavor of the hypothesis as I understand it, one would have to show there are no implements that pierce, self seal and dispense a product from a sealed container. I didn't bother but I am sure many "tools" have kept the gene lineage of this tool alive.

The challenge is "Invention, tool or technology", not "Invention, tool AND technology", right from the article and the interview. He simply mad a silly statement.

For example, as far as I know you can no longer purchase an Ondes Martenot, nor is there any other instrument that resembles it except superficially.

His point is well taken, though, that much of what we've invented over the years probably exists in a similar form today. Of course, there's no telling how many things we've completely forgotten about, so we don't even know to mention it :)

[Van Huskey]

The challenge is "Invention, tool or technology", not "Invention, tool AND technology", right from the article and the interview. He simply mad a silly statement.

For example, as far as I know you can no longer purchase an Ondes Martenot, nor is there any other instrument that resembles it except superficially.

His point is well taken, though, that much of what we've invented over the years probably exists in a similar form today. Of course, there's no telling how many things we've completely forgotten about, so we don't even know to mention it :)


As I see it his true hypothesis is "I say there is no species of technology that have ever gone globally extinct on this planet." Also note that he is keen to point out he means globally, which includes all the third world countries so proving him incorrect would be a life long quest.

Ondes Martenot, doesn't Jean-Loup Dierstein still make 'em?

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