Hi there, I came here to the BIFL Lemmy out of suspicion that the reddit posts are just unlabelled marketing, and I was wondering the possibility of sourcing goods that are more to a BIFL standard? In my area, second hand goods tend to be really quite poor in quality (reselling fast fashion) or otherwise not present, and I have not inherited anything that does last. So I would apprecite advice or reccomendations for finding goods at a BIFL standard. I was also wondering if maybe there would be anyone with good advice for finding sustainable, local textile production so that I may be able to tailor what I need without having to buy from the poor selection aforementioned, does anyone know of any of this?
TL:DR I am suspicious that a lot of what is claimed as ‘BIFL’ has been enshittified, and would like advice on being able to search for sustainable goods for a local area (not specified because I’m hoping for advice with searching, not exactly for specific reccs)
You must log in or register to comment.
My tiny contribution here is to look things aimed at commercial use, not consumer grade. For example, next time you need to buy a can opener, buy it from a restaurant supply shop instead of Amazon or Walmart.
Same with electronics - instead of a smart TV from Amazon get an industrial TV from B&H or similar (they’re the kind used in store displays like the menu at burger king etc)
Bonus is they likely won’t have “smart” features or AI
Yoooo, that’s the best! Fuck smart tv’s sideways
And when doing home repairs don’t get contractor grade. It’s the worst quality possible. I do extensive amounts of cooking and most of my stuff has been from restaurants supply stores, antique shops or handmade by me.
Your first two sentences were promising, but then the following sentences didn’t lead me to where I thought you were taking me, haha
So if “contractor-grade” sucks for home repairs, what grade is actually good?
Unfortunately most items don’t have standardized labeling. You can frequently find “contractor grade” or 'builder grade" listed but you won’t find much beyond that because no one wants to put 'retail grade" on anything. You have to look at the items. Does it look like metal but it’s plastic? Trash.
It’s a bit like how you’ll see things advertised as being made of “aircraft grade” aluminum.
I’m an aircraft repairman, there is no such thing as “aircraft grade” at least in the United States; the aviation industry does not maintain its own standards for metallurgy, it uses SAE standards, and a lot of different alloys get used in aircraft for various applications. Sheet metal skin and structures is usually 2024-T3, you’ll see 6061 or 6065 in castings, hell they make pure aluminum rivets for fastening placards. So most things that say “aircraft grade” on them usually mean they’re 6061-T6 or similar. which is legal for use in aircraft construction if its properties are called for in the design. It’s just some wank they can legally get away with putting on retail packaging.
For me aircraft grade aluminum is right up there with space age technology. The space age was 50 years ago.
Ugh I always hated that phrase. Like, space age technology is ball point pens, Tang, and those MPET blankets you find in first aid kits. Oh and freeze dried ice cream.
It really really does not mean shit at this point.
To a large extent I tend to think the same way I was taught with cars, simple is sturdy. Skip the fancy features and WiFi widgets and you’ll replace things a lot less often. It’s not always practical, but I’m willing to bet my cast iron cookware is going to be in roughly the same shape far longer than some stamped sheet metal with anti stick coating and a glass lid.
practical minimalism, adopting it as a life philosophy has made things way easier.
Military and police gear tends to be local, high quality and available as second hand. If you can tailor and it somewhat suits your style then it is a good option.
If you are able to tailor, try to find a group. They will have local knowledge and know where to find quality cloth and other products.
I am suspicious that a lot of what is claimed as ‘BIFL’ has been enshittified
Sadly, I’m sure this happens a lot in the name of “marketing”.
There are a few things that I look at to help ensure the best chance of getting something that’s BIFL:
-
Does the company or product have a good track record? I’d trust my Leatherman to be BIFL over whatever no-name clone you see on Aliexpress.
-
Does the company offer a lifetime warranty (or one that’s 20+ years)? If so, has the company been around for decades?
-
Is the item repairable and easy to maintain? Even if something isn’t marketed as BIFL, you can likely extend the product’s life by decades through simple maintenance and care.
-
Does the item have any built-in planned obsolescence features? Proprietary built-in battery? Components that are glued in place? Sealed shut so you can’t open it without destroying the item? etc…
-
Is the product simple or complex? The more complex, the more likely it will fail, but this isn’t always the case if you are able to maintain/repair components.
-
Textiles can be tricky, but not impossible to keep going for decades if the quality is good enough.
Sadly, I do think that many companies aren’t interested in making BIFL products because PROFITS!!! I think the market for BIFL will be more with custom fabricators and small businesses.
Does the company offer a lifetime warranty
jansport backpacks. but when i sent them a backpack i’d been using since the 90s that started coming apart, they replaced it with the shittiest cheapo version they have
so unless the product only has one version of a thing, don’t be surprised when they replace your $80 thing with the $20 version
That sucks!
I support a company out of Quebec that makes bike panniers. They ended up sending me free replacement parts to fix a SECOND HAND bag I purchased locally.
Some companies have certainly enshittified their warranty, but hopefully that’s not too common.
-
