← All collections
1975 vs 2025
Do they still make things like they used to? Nine products bought new in the seventies and bought again today, weighed, torture-tested and shaved with. The answer turned out to be: yes, but only if you pay what people used to pay.
Adjustable Wrench (1970s)
“Everything looks tighter and more accurate on the old tool. Okay, so it performed better as well as just feeling better and looking better.”
Adjustable Wrench
“It's like 0.01. Like it didn't move at all. Turns out they kind of make things better than they used to. You just got to pay the same amount that you used to pay.”
Drill Bit Set (1970s)
“$140 for drill bits. Oh, dude. It broke. You just did that with your hands.”
Original Scent Deodorant
“I think I like the first one more, to be honest. — So the first one was the new one. And you liked it better. But they do smell different.”
White T-Shirt (6-pack)
“The old one weighs 144.9 and the new one weighs 150.2. Oh my. Yeah, they're like almost exactly the same. Identical.”
Wave+
“Good job, Leatherman, for maintaining quality and integrity.”
Trac II
“When somebody says they don't make it like they used to, this is an egregious example of making a product just to try to get money out of people, cuz the experience was the same.”
Classic Vacuum Bottle
“154 with the new one. 152 and a half with the old. I think that's within the margin of error. Do they make things like they used to? Yeah, I would say.”
Leather Baseball Glove
“If you want the cool old version, you have to buy the expensive new version.”
- Chuck Taylor All Star
Chuck Taylor All Star
“This shoe feels cheap. And there is a difference between feeling simple and feeling cheap.”