A guy named Walt in Sacramento showed me his 40 year old hand grinder and I finally got why he never upgraded
Met him at a garage sale on Folsom Blvd where he was selling off most of his gear, but he kept one wooden box grinder from 1983 and wouldn't let it go for any price. He said the burrs were worn in so perfectly that a new $150 grinder would taste worse for at least 6 months. I bought a cheap electric one that weekend anyway and I still think about his face when he watched me do it.