I still have my old Nikon FE2, variety of lens, motor-drive, & flash packed away in its case somewhere in my closet. I haven't used it in YEARS, & need to break it out again!
I totally agree! Did you know the Pantheon in Rome was built partly using precast concrete and that it is earthquake proof? I've even seen evindence that they used iron reinforced concrete (in a different building).
I did not know that! I suppose there's no need to retrofit! When in Israel, near Cesarea on the Mediterranean, the Roman-built aqueduct I saw there was a marvel of engineering technology. It spans over 10 miles with only slight variance to allow the water to flow 'downhill' to the city from the Mt. Carmel springs.
I had a Nikkormat EL, gave it to my son. He still has got it, but has to have a digital camera for school.
It's not really old school, but many ham radio operators can't run one any more. (It glows in the dark! ) Kenwood TS-520 Has some transistors, but transmitter is tube type. 80-10 meter ham bands only. (not a general coverage unit) Original hand microphone Straight key for Morse Code (yes, I passed the 20 words/minute exam. Yes, I still use the straight key) Home built antenna tuner (I need to take a picture) housed in a home built cabinet. Most of my antennas are home made from copper wire or aluminum scrap from a salvage yard.
We do this on our thank you cards at our jewelry store. It adds a unique and personal touch. My favorite part is burning the wax and squishing the stamp, lol.
It's not in perfect cosmetic condition, but the big beast is a Montgomery Ward "Airline" Console. AM broadcast and Shortwave. Has a repair receipt in the back of the cabinet dated December, 1946. It still works. Not long ago on a Saturday evening I turned it on and tuned in WSM from Nashville. You know, the Grand 'Ole Opry is still there. The small radio setting atop the Airline is a home built kit that requires an "A" and a "B" battery. Yes, It works.
I was in an antique store today (buying razors, duh) and saw several hand crank coffee grinders. I grind my own beans with an electric grinder and thought hey, there's a neat idea... until I saw some of the prices. There were probably 20 or more grinders scattered amongst several different vendor booths and the cheapest was over $50 and a few were over $100 (I bought 4 razors, an Old Spice mug, and a brush for $35). If I can find one in my price range that works I'm thinking that might be a fun "old-school" item to have on the kitchen counter and use every morning. Interesting note, the lady who took my money today was quite shocked to discover that I planned to shave with the razors I was buying.
Those hand-cranked grinders are quite cool. My lovely wife bought a couple for me several years ago sand I've used them on & off at times. Definitely 'old school.' It still does the job quite nicely—however, be advised. One gets quite a workout spending 5-8 minutes grinding the necessary amount of coffee (versus 30 seconds in an electric burr grinder) for a single pot. Two oldies in need of a good cleaning & polishing….no electricity required!
"5-8 minutes" ... okay, bad idea. I guess I could have one on the counter and keep tea bags in the little drawer or something. Of course it is faster than churning butter.
I think that many of us may be caught up in the pace of today's society and forget that most things "old school" did, indeed, take more time than they do now. Just take a look back through this thread: Taking pics with the old camera, then developing, is certainly more labor intensive than today's point and click digitals. My shaving has gone from a five minute scrap-my-face-with-a-cart to a half hour relaxing, enjoyable time in the mornings. Fountain pens have forced me to slow down with my writing. Consequently my hand writing (cursive ) has improved. Roasting a pound of coffee takes about 45 minutes, considerably longer than grabbing a can off the shelf, but the taste of home roasted is beyond compare. I, for one, enjoy slowing life down and "doing other things old-school", to quote the thread title
I trimmed (did not remove!) my 'stache Dec. 31st. Tomorrow will be two weeks into of "Return of the Bars"
I have a manual transmission in my car. Does that count? When I have the time and energy, I bake bread from scratch, by hand.