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Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

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Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#261

Post by codebeaker »

quanticle wrote: post #238
artimaeis wrote: post #78

Seiko 5 automatic watch - Simple, timeless, affordable. It's just a great watch and it always will be. rOtring 600 mechanical pencil - the feel of this pencil is unlike any other writing implement I've found. It's a legend. My new goal is to find a fountain pen that I can enjoy as much as I enjoy this. Though I fear that will be a notably more expensive purchase. Yamaha Custom Series Bb trumpet - before becoming a de…

>Though I fear that will be a notably more expensive purchase. Not necessarily. There are quite a number of good pens in the sub-$100 range. I personally recommend the Pilot Metropolitan or the Lamy Safari. Both are less (much less) than $100, and can either fit ink cartridges or converters.

I love my LAMY Safari (€12 in most stationers in Germany, it's a cultural phenomenon that's unfortunately slowly dying out, the previous generation learned "Schönschrift" (cursive) in school with theirs and take their pen through life with them). That said, of the two that I own, I can't use either without getting grubby inky nailbeds, I assume the problem lay with me, not the pen.

Also, seconded the rOtring series mechanical pencils are astoundingly good, I'm always close to mine, I never travel without it.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#263

Post by codebeaker »

kampsduac wrote: post #165

I really enjoy my aeropress ( https://aerobie.com/product/aeropress/ ) coffee press. The modern take on a French press, price, and availability on Amazon made me realize anybody can have a great idea, print it in plastic, and sell it to people - arriving two days later. Plus the coffee that comes out is dope.

Fun fact, it's made by the same people who make the Frisbee :)

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#265

Post by mjlee »

dcw303 wrote: post #209

The Casio F-91W Digital wrist watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W Keeps better time than a Rolex, and is a fraction of the price. Waterproof. Has an alarm, stopwatch, and timer; all things missing from traditional wind ups. Interface is easy to use and discover. The battery last almost forever. Now, if you're asking if it's aesthetically pleasing, that's a different story. But we were talking about design…

Everybody I know in the military owns a few of these, normally tied to bits of gear. They're robust enough to rely on and when they do get destroyed they're cheap enough to replace. An n+1 configuration is pretty affordable.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#266

Post by zatkin »

patmcguire wrote: post #254

Google Reader. It actually let me add feeds, read them, and mark them read reliably. Everything after is focused on value-add instead of just fucking working.

I think OP meant physical objects, but nonetheless, I agree with you. You know a product is very well designed when people are still missing it years after its closure.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#267

Post by MisterKent »

badtuple wrote: post #148

The Tom Bihn Synapse 25 backpack: https://www.tombihn.com/collections/backpacks/products/synap... I went nomad earlier this year and decided I needed a good backpack. After much research, I landed on the Synapse. It's simply amazing that something as simple as "a bag" can be so well designed. So clearly better. It's the only product I've ever owned where I notice myself stop and admire it regularly.

I recently purchased one after a few months of research. I was also impressed at the amount of engineering that went into this bag.

Recently, I had someone notice just how well the bag hides how much stuff it is holding without looking bulky.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#268

Post by grzm »

codebeaker wrote: post #263
kampsduac wrote: post #165

I really enjoy my aeropress ( https://aerobie.com/product/aeropress/ ) coffee press. The modern take on a French press, price, and availability on Amazon made me realize anybody can have a great idea, print it in plastic, and sell it to people - arriving two days later. Plus the coffee that comes out is dope.

Fun fact, it's made by the same people who make the Frisbee :)

Nit: Aerobie, not Frisbee. Both are fun!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frisbee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobie

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#269

Post by nsenifty »

quanticle wrote: post #241
traek wrote: post #124

Pentel Graph Gear 1000: https://www.jetpens.com/Pentel-Graph-Gear-1000-Drafting-Penc... Best mechanical pencil I've ever used. You can tell a lot of thought has been put into every aspect of its design. The Rotring 800 is similarly well-designed, but I prefer the grip of the Pentel.

How do you transport drafting pencils? I have a couple of Rotring 600s. They are very nice, but I basically can't take them out of the house because I'm worried about bending the lead sleeves.

The Pentels have retractable tips unlike the Rotring 600.

Re: Ask HN: What're the best-designed things you've ever used?

#270

Post by mixmastamyk »

FreakyT wrote: post #27

Another odd one, but my Honda Fit 2nd Generation. So many things about that car are so well thought-out, and even more expensive/luxurious cars miss things that the Fit designers included. Some examples: - Cup holder on the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel. As a left-handed person, this is amazing. - Window power remains on after turning off the car as long as doors haven't been opened, allowing you to clo…

> the fuel tank is below the front seats.

Doesn't sound like a good idea in an accident.

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