Asklemmy

S-trap / P-trap (Eg in sinks and toilets)

And zip ties 👍

Sharpening stones.

you need an edge so many times in your life. When you're using scissors, slicing veggies, pruning trees, harvesting mushrooms, posting online, mowing grass, carving wood, cutting roots, trimming nails, scraping stoves/ovens, shaving, digging, trimming, pealing whatever.

There are so many dumb fancy arse awful tools that butcher edges and work in one specific case. No! For millenia people have been grinding edges, it is not difficult to learn it just takes practice.

Modern manufacturing means we can enjoy extremely consistent stones in well characterised grades. Go use some, and enjoy how much less effort life requires when everything that cuts, cuts easily.

A fountain pen is just a controlled leak

Manual can openers are better than electric can openers

Do vinyl records count? I really like that they make beautiful noise from a simple electromechanical process.

INDOOR PLUMBING

I live in an apartment complex. The thought of having to share an outhouse (more than 1 if lucky) with hundreds of strangers TERRIFIES ME. And/or use chamberpots. FUCK NO

A BLESSED ETERNAL AFTERLIFE OF BLISS FOR ALL HUMANS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO INDOOR PLUMBING SCIENCE 😩

String/rope. With a couple of knots, loops and tension you can make a lot of things with it.

Wheels are pretty cool

Partially buried housing (ground cooling effect)

Lathes. You spin a thing and cut it, which sounds unimpressive, but from there you can bootstrap to pretty much all modern technology.

Dice.

Automatic (mechanical) wristwatches.

I love the idea of a truly symbiotic relationship between a thoughtfully and carefully designed mechanism and a human. I walk around and live my life, and by doing so, I give it the kinetic energy it needs to keep its mainspring wound, and in return it tells me what time it is. Always. Without fail. I just have to tweak the time if it starts to get too far off, but that’s barely even an imposition. After a good long while, it’s prudent to have them serviced, but if you’re not observing any problems, it’s generally perfectly fine, and will keep ticking along as long as you wear it regularly.

Rock.

Siphons

Consider the humble pillow.

I bought a can opener years back that doesn't cut the can, instead it separates the lid from the can with no sharp edges. It's dumb but I love it.

Axes, I have four and I will get another next year.

I have a hatchet for small tasks, a midsized axe for cutting small trees down and chopping, a Pulaski for landscaping/ digging tasks and I have a splitting axe/maul for splitting rounds.

There is something incredibly rewarding and fun about swinging an axe.

I like to get all up in my snuggie. Get a little weird.

Hand tool woodworking. It's amazing what you can make without a single electron. Its also amazing to feel the tools, the resistance and subtle vibrations as you use them. Like an extension of your own body. I love chiseling, especially large mortises. Hearing that sharp, deep thud, and seeing it sink in as it bites into the wood is so satisfying. Especially when using metal hammers, they are so responsive.

I love sawing, especially when relaxed and working at a slow pace, seeing all the sawdust fly out with each stroke. Sawing isn't fun when working on difficult pieces of wood, when working in a relaxed manner with softwood, the hoarse sounds of the saw starts to sound like purring and it begins to cut exceptionally well.

I love the finish of handplanes, so smooth it becomes water resistant.

Overall very spiritual and relaxing (as relaxing as you allow it to be at least)

Maps and compass. I like the reliability of finding my way no matter where I am. Plus it’s fun!
Especially the trick of using two landmarks to pinpoint my location on a map makes me feel like an old-fashioned navigator :)

Sleeping pad shnozzle bags (pump sacks).

I'm a huge coffee drinker. Used to have a machine. It broke. Bend using an aeropress and French press for awhile and find that I really don't miss the machine.