TIL the spanner set I bought 8 years ago actually had a hidden size

This week a customer brought in a Pentax K1000 with a stuck lens ring. I was about to order a new tool when I flipped the case liner in my spanner set and found a size I never noticed. Anyone else find useful stuff they forgot they owned?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jessica14d ago

Huh, that's a good reminder about checking the deeper layers of cases. I think the real hidden tool here might be your way of thinking about camera repairs themselves. You probably bought that set back when you were still figuring out the basics, never knowing you'd need that specific size for a Pentax down the road. It makes me wonder how many other "extra" features in our gear we just overlook because we think we already know everything about it. Maybe the best tools are the ones that grow with your experience, not just the ones you buy new.

wendy7214d ago

Ever notice how the stuff we buy cheap and forget about ends up being the most useful? My old socket set from Harbor Freight has saved me three times now on things it wasn't made for. You're right, it's not the tool, it's the way you see its possibilities. That cheap set taught me more about improvising than any expensive kit ever could.

oscarb7114d ago

Thats a solid point from the_jessica about how tools can grow with you. I think about all the times I bought something cheap not knowing what id really need later, and then years down the road it clicks into place. Its like you get this mental inventory of stuff thats collecting dust until a specific problem comes up and you remember oh yeah, that weird bit or adapter actually has a use now. The real skill is just keeping an open mind and not tossing stuff just because you dont see a purpose for it right away. Over time, even the cheapest junk can teach you something new if you let it.