Wes Bucey
Prophet of Profit
Every so often, I pick up and examine tools and gadgets for sale at stores which are intended for the "casual" user (versus the professional.) These are obviously inexpensive copies of professional grade tools and implements. Even so, while not expecting such products to meet NIST standards, I would expect them to be serviceable for casual use.
Such is rarely the case. In the past week, while visiting friends and acquaintances and some business establishments like saloons, restaurants, dry cleaners, a lawyer's office, I came across the following examples of things these folks were using in their homes and businesses which were either very shoddy or actually unsafe.
The list from just this week, with my comment in parentheses"
Such is rarely the case. In the past week, while visiting friends and acquaintances and some business establishments like saloons, restaurants, dry cleaners, a lawyer's office, I came across the following examples of things these folks were using in their homes and businesses which were either very shoddy or actually unsafe.
The list from just this week, with my comment in parentheses"
- stainless steel kitchen scissors (held together by a plain steel rivet which had rusted to the point the scissors wouldn't work)
- screwdrivers (tip hadn't been hardened and was chewed up and warped)
- desk stapler (with sharp metal edges - owner admitted having been cut, but hadn't thrown it out)
- stainless steel kitchen knife set (all rivets in handles were plain steel and were severely rusted)
- drill bits (plated, with plating chipping off, not hardened, bendable with hand pressure)
- padlocks (rusting badly)
- stainless steel tea kettle (knob on lid held on with plain steel rivet which had corroded badly)
- spatter screen for stovetop cooking (plain steel mesh and frame badly rusted from water vapor from cooking)
- unbranded plastic party cups (brittle plastic, cracking open with little hand pressure while gripping one full of beverage)
- metal forks at a restaurant (stamped from soft stainless alloy which hadn't been completely deburred or which picked up nicks in use - able to injure diners' mouths)