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Anthop t1_j65db08 wrote

For me, besides quality, BIFL is also about minimizing waste. One downside to BIFL that I don't see talked about a lot is that, once you've bought it, you have it for a really long time. For example, I have some kitchen knives that have lasted me over 10 years, and they still work great. But now that I've gotten more into cooking since when I bought those knives, I wish I could upgrade to nicer ones. But the moment that I do that, I'd have to find a way to get rid of the old knives that are not wasteful. So, BIFL isn't just about buying the nicest quality things, it's also a bit about making a commitment to the things that you buy.

That means trying to figure out how the thing you buy might be maintained and repaired into the future, buying things that have a design appeal that is timeless, or at least not so aesthetically tied to a trend that they become undesirable or unfashionable in a short amount of time, and spending the effort to find appreciative homes for the objects that you do want to get rid of. And, it also means, if you can't make that commitment for a specific purchase, to try to just not buy it, and buy less stuff.

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knowhow_LM OP t1_j65i4ns wrote

>For me, besides quality, BIFL is also about minimizing waste. One downside to BIFL that I don't see talked about a lot is that, once you've bought it, you have it for a really long time. For example, I have some kitchen knives that have lasted me over 10 years, and they still work great. But now that I've gotten more into cooking since when I bought those knives, I wish I could upgrade to nicer ones. But the moment that I do that, I'd have to find a way to get rid of the old knives that are not wasteful. So, BIFL isn't just about buying the nicest quality things, it's also a bit about making a commitment to the things that you buy.

this is awesome. what a good point!!

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complywood t1_j674k0k wrote

Agreed. This also means you need to put a lot more care and intention into your purchases. I have put way too much time into thinking about what combination of pots and pans I'd like to own, so that I end up with enough to cover all the things I'd like to do with them, but not too much. Would be easier if cast iron worked better as a pan for infrequent use.

I'm in a similar situation with kitchen knives. I have a very nice 5 year old 8" german chef's knife, which is amazing as a single knife for everything. I've gotten a little more into cooking now, and would like to get more specialized knifes: a slightly larger japanese chef's knife and a cleaver… but that would render the one I have redundant.

I've found no-longer-wanted bifl items make great gifts to friends or family who share the same values (i.e. who wouldn't be offended by getting a secondhand item as a gift).

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CMYKoi t1_j65kycu wrote

I mean...where are you located? If you're local, I've not managed to thrift anything better than a wusthof with a broken tip thus far.

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