Thrift Store Survival

DaleW

DaleW

Joined
Dec 22, 2006
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2,194
Any thrift store and garage sale junkies out there? I get a lot of my outdoor stuff that way and today was a good one:

Victorinox Huntsman $3.99
Victorinox Climber with "Budweiser" on one scale, also $3.99

Both were filthy, but cleaned up nice. I'm missing one pair of tweezers. I need to find a good system for polishing SAK scales-- they really get beat up.

That Huntsman is pretty cool for a PSK-- large and small blades, can an bottle openers, wood saw, awl, scissors and the usual ##$%^&* useless corkscrew. This one doesn't have the package hook that the current model has.

The Climber is about the same-- but no saw. Both made the trip to the Sharpmaker and now they are ready to go to work!

I also got a pair of Ex Officio quick dry nylon pants for $6 and an Eddie Bauer down sweater for $5. You know those down sweaters with knit cuffs and a short knit collar? It's one of those. I washed and dried it and threw it on the scale-- 17 ounces, which really isn't bad at all and it packs small.

Anyway, I come up with a decent kitchen knife once in a while too, I keep watching for high budget paring knives for PSK and neck knife possibilities.

I got my daughter a nice Kelty mummy bag for $7 the other day.

Every once in a while I find a nice pot or mess kit. I can't remember how many Nalgene bottles I've picked up for $0.99 (SMELL THEM FIRST). Luggage can be a great deal and I'm always on the look out for packs and ditty bags.

Oh yeah, I got an Olympus Stylus Epic with a case for $3. Perfect hiking camera and weatherproof too. I also keep an eye out for small radios. I got one of the Sony SRF-M80V AM/FM/TV/Weather jogger style rigs for $3-- they went for over $50 new.

I got three Patagonia silkweight polyester base layer tees for $0.99. They all have some camp logos plastered on them, but seeing how new ones are around $24 each, I can live with "Camp Minnehawhaw" on them.

How about you?
 
A good way to make the handles look like new is to first remove most of the deep scratches with either a scotchbrite pad or some fine grit sandpaper (I go upto 800/1200 grit) this gives it a very good grip but if you want a good cheap way to polish it you can dab a smooth piece of cloth in some methylated spirits and give it a brisk polish. Beware that it does stain the cloth a little.
 
I love yard sales & flea markets. I got a nice machete with a very nice sheath for $4.00,at a flea market the machete is a Garza no:66 with a pic of a crane on it never heard of it but it is nice & the sheath is leather with designs & tassles. I find a lot of cast iron cookwear at sales.
 
Sounds like some great finds!

I polished up some of my used and worn sak scales the other week, I just used what I had on hand, 400,600,then 800 grit sand paper, then polished with happich metal polish, a huge improvement, even finer paper would have made them look like new, though you can see yourself in them now!
 
I do all my shopping for outdoors clothing in the local thrift shops. About time for me to start making the rounds again. Have a closet full of excellent wool (pendleton) shirts a few cruiser jackets and a Norwegian wool coat w/hood that is as warm as they get. They don't get much in the line of the modern nylon pants, fleece vests or knives though.
 
Haven't had much luck in thrift stores here myself except for clothes. I got a couple of old stansfield wool shirts that are labelled 100% wool but they're really thin and I swear there's lycra in there. They make an awesome base layer - 5 bucks for both IIRC. Wool sweaters, same thing.
Surplus stores are a great place to find the wool German army surplus pants that are great for a cold wet winter. Rugged as hell and always warm - needs suspenders though cause they've got no real shape to them. I just wish I could find a couple more pair !

I think my biggest 'thrift scores' were a well seasoned 10" cast iron skillet for a buck and a Le Creuset 2qt pot with the lid for about 10 bucks IIRC (they sell for about 10 times that).

I'm always cautious about deals at yard sales because that's how a lot of stolen stuff gets 'liquidated', at least here. I'm not worried about legal ramifications, I just think thieves are the bottom-feeding scum of the earth (next to poachers...) but I feel a rant coming on so I'll stop.
 
I like the Goodwill store a lot. I got a nice LLBean back pack for something like four bucks (monogrammed with someone else's initials. LOL), and a pair of like new Sorel boots for $4.50. Numerous pairs of jeans, a German army belt for a couple of bucks, even a few nice books.
 
I've gotten some nice scores from Goodwill. The one that's coming to mind off the top of my head is a Woolrich jacket for 5 bucks. I haven't done much shopping around at yard sales in the last couple of years, but that's where I've picked up most of my cast iron cookware. I've never had any luck finding decent knives at yard sales, and Goodwill doesn't seem to sell such things in their stores, or if they do I've never seen them.
 
i'm also a thrift store and flea market junkie.... i've scored a lot of really nice gear... for cheap....:D camlebaks,patagonia clothes, rei gear, mtn. bike jerseys and some cool old broadheads....

i'm bummed they just closed down the flea market here in santa cruz... it's been there forever... i've scored so many nice pieces of gear from there...:thumbdn::(
 
DaleW said:
Any thrift store and garage sale junkies out there? I get a lot of my outdoor stuff that way and today was a good one.
Click to expand...

Hey Dale I seem to recall that it wasn't too long ago that you did a closet purge. :D
 
You guys are lucky... we don't have any kind of garage sales here in Spain... I went to a few of them when I was 16 and went to USA for a whole year and I remember buying a leather awl... great tool for sewing heavy duty stuff! But that is about it.
Mikel
 
Yard sales/Garage sales are great but if your not early most of the man toys are gone....thrift stores are cool as well...great bargains can be had.
 
theonew said:
Hey Dale I seem to recall that it wasn't too long ago that you did a closet purge. :D
Click to expand...

You bet-- I do that a couple times a year. I end up with too much stuff and it gets to me and I do a clean up. I sell a few things on eBay, the forums here and a hiking forum and I trade with a local hiking store that does new and used. It's kind of a constant parade of upgrading my own gear, keeping the kids outfitted and running into bargains that just can't me left behind-- morally wrong you see :) When you see a new-with-the-tags pair of $50 shorts for $2.99 what is the right thing to do? BUY 'EM!

Quality knives are next to non-existent. SAK's pop up now and then, but it's actually rare. Chinese knock-offs, sure. I've come across a couple Henkel chef's knives and some Victorinox/Forschners. By and large the outdoor gear I find outdoor gear is clothing and packs. Sunglasses can be good. And then there is the "luck of the draw" find that makes you keep going-- a $200 soft shell for $9, a $1500 enlarger for $29, or a choice camera, radio, software, etc, etc. My motto: "thrift stores are like a box of chocolates, you never now what you will get."
 
As a knifemaker, I don't pass up thrift stores. Too much good stuff that can be made into lanyard tubes, and various other parts there.

Good stuff.
 
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