Really Expensive Stuff that is Definitely Worth the Money

Had discussion at work about a Notebook that starts at £50 and goes up to an incredible £250 but is seemingly money well spent if you like nice notebooks. I was wondering what other very expensive things there are out there that are definitely worth the money. Excluding cars and bikes.

Tools (mostly).

Knives.

Hot cross buns,

iPads, though it hurts me to say it.

For me, power tools for work. They’ve been abused but just keep on going. My cheaper stuff I started out with just didn’t last.

I’m a fan of speakers.
Ruark Mr1s, Q Acoustics M20s and a Dali Oberon surround setup currently being the devices of choice.

Also, coffee grinders, I have a Niche and a Commandante c40, both overkill and totally lovely.

The Patagonia R1 air I got as a present at Christmas, it’s been amazing on frosty dog walks this week.

Festool Countersink Bit

Cost more than the dill driver – I’ve had mine for 16 years, used for every job (I buy screws in boxes of 2000) – I’ve replaced the pilot bit once and given the the countersink a little re-sharpen once too in that time

Imperia pasta maker

Coke and Hooker’s?

Rega Planar 2 turntable. Bought new for nearly a month’s wages forty years ago. Never failed to work perfectly, no maintenance other than 1 belt and a few styluses. It will outlive me for sure and my kids have their eyes on it as part of their inheritance.

A pair of Agile Parcours wellies. 15 years old, used and abused every day in the winter. Look as good as new.

A Gerber lock knife, now at least 25 years old. Used loads, abused and neglected a fair bit, also looks as good as new.  It still locks so tight it’s like a fixed blade despite occasionally being used to pry stuff (don’t judge).

A few licks with a stone every few months and it stays shaving sharp. Come to think of it, it may not qualify as it wasn’t particularly expensive. About $40 on a trip to the US.  I’m guessing around $80-$100 now?

Heli skiing/biarding. One day 13 years ago cost me over £600 for six runs with maybe 45 minutes total boarding time. Still one of the best days of my life. 

I think on many things if you appreciate the marginal gains or using something that you perceive to be better quality (like a notebook) you can justify it. 

Sometimes spending more does get you better quality. 

I follow someone from here’s wife on Instagram (bramble cottage, she’s been posting crows of late) , she draws with Caran d’Ache pastil pencils. I have a few of them but at £3.20 a pencil they’re pretty dear good for deep rich colours between pastel pencils and soft pastels. 

If you’re going to be using something regularly then a lot of the time it’s worth paying more IME. Buy well and buy once.

If you’re only using it intermittently then something cheaper will often suffice.

If it’s just going to be a one off use then bargain basement will be fine.

With more expensive stuff, a lot of the cost goes on hidden features such as design and testing, which tends to make it more durable and easier to use.

Proper Goodyear Welted shoes and boots will last you a lifetime with a decent cobbler.

Kitchen Knives.

Apple stuff tends to last longer than the alternatives IME.

Mattresses and furniture.

Some technical clothing. KJUS make very good and very expensive ski wear.

Ti Honey stove https://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/bushcraft/RD106.html.

I’ve had one for 10+ years, used it loads both as a twig burner and with meths penny stoves.

So well thought out, light and showing no signs of giving in.

Tomatoes 

I bought a very expensive Frahm jacket a few years ago and was a bit sceptical. I now have probably half a dozen of them !

Out walking the dog 3 times a day in all weathers, so they all get a fair bit of use and are as good as new.

Surely an expensive notepad is the opposite of something that is ‘definitely worth the money’ as it serves no purpose other than to show to other notepad fans how much you’ve spent on a notepad?

Some things where there’s a notable difference in quality between budget and expensive: power tools, waterproof jackets, hiking boots.

Imperia pasta maker

Ohh yes, that reminds me that I need to use ours more. I also have the ravioli attachment for ours (picked up for an absolute bargain from Ebay).

Exposure lights

Marino wool base layers

Agree about hifi / speakers

Hilleberg tents. They aren’t perfect but they are better than any other tents I have used. 

Marriage; the wife has proven repeatedly handy to have around.

Surely an expensive notepad is the opposite of something that is ‘definitely worth the money’ as it serves no purpose other than to show to other notepad fans how much you’ve spent on a notepad?

I wouldn’t buy one myself but I understand why someone might. These days most people’s experience of paper is cheap printer paper. Good writing paper is expensive but worlds apart in quality and is a joy to use with a nice fountain pen. Add that to a nice tactile leather binding and you have something which gives pleasure to own and use in the same way as any other quality ‘accessory’. See also handbags, watches etc. Nothing to do with just showing off imo.

I get that you might not want one, but surely it doesn’t take much imagination to see why others might like to own nice things?

A decent chair for working from home. My back and bum are both very grateful for the expense

Nice pens. Functionally the same as a Bic, but my Wingback ballpoint is a beautiful thing to hold and use and that makes it worth the money to me. Totally understand that most sane people would think a hundred quid for a Bic is slightly bonkers. Then there’s the other 70 or 80 ‘nice’ pens and pencils I own…

Conversely, unlike most other shutterbugs, I’m an anti-gear snob when it comes to photography. Cheap, crappy gear for me every time. My ‘good’ camera is a second hand 12 year old M43 body with a selection of ’60s and ’70s Eastern European lenses. Most of my photos are taken with old phones and compact/action cameras.

But all the responses to this thread are going to be deeply subjective and subject to the whim of personal circumstances.

+1 the regs planar 2, mine is also about 40 and only needed one new drive belt.

Is this thread an attempt to coax out the strange watch thread folks?

regular physio appointments.

trips away with friends or wife

Overtone beers

Experiences (that don’t help destroy the planet) not things.

Bread. Proper hand made bread. Preferably sourdough.

Yeah, £4 or £5 is really expensive in my book. I’m a cheap date 🙂

Flying old fighter planes.

It’s all relative isn’t it?

I mean a Rega Planar turntable would be considered entry level to some people.

To me a Moleskine is a very nice, expensive notebook.

I tend to stick around the “105” level, not cheap but not crazy expensive with 80-90% of the functionality.

Steiner binoculars, not Zeiss, for example.

something which gives pleasure to own and use in the same way as any other quality ‘accessory’. See also handbags, watches etc. Nothing to do with just showing off imo.

The thread title was “definitely worth it”, but this argument kind of comes down to “I just really like it”.  Which is fine but I’m not sure that’s what the poster meant? Anything can be justified as “definitely worth it” in those terms.

Is a high fashion t-shirt ‘definitely worth’ £600 if you just really really like it? It’ll probably have a certain cultural cachet, and maybe even resale value.

See also the watch thread – absolute madness IMO, but I’m sure I’ve spent money on stuff that the watch fans would consider equally pointless.  I would struggle to say it was “definitely worth it” but I’m happy anyway.

Merrell for my feet but hate it when they stop making your favourite pair as I don’t want to look rugged like Ive just read Wainwright or I’m busy doing next week heading up to Mullguy for 5 days

I used to always buy de Walt boots now to they are pretty crap and so many models to choose from

I’ve heard you can spend thousands on a bicycle.

My PHD sleeping bags. UK made, top quality. Unlike most suppliers there is a choice of several different lengths and widths to get a perfect size if you are not average size.

My Shand really does not do anything that a bike 1/6th the price does not (infact you can probably buy more capable bikes for less)- but it makes me feel good riding it.  Makes my heart sing just to look at it.  an example would be the hope brakes.  Not really functionally superior to shimano at many times the cost but boy are they beautiful

Vitamix Blender.

Not only better than all other blenders but lasts forever.

SEBO vacuum cleaners. See above.

Kenwood Chef – my mum’s one from 1962 is still going strong.

Oakleys – may seem overpriced but their backup is second to none.

Hope Tech. Likewise.

Most overrated expensive stuff. That would be a good thread.

Here’s a couple:

Park Tools.

Exposure Lights.

“Bread. Proper hand made bread. Preferably sourdough.”

Absolutely worth it IMO. If you’re a bread fan, some of the best bang for your buck around.

What else can you get for £4.50 that makes you go ‘**** hell, this is absolutely brilliant’, every time, as you stand in the kitchen eating bread and butter on a Saturday morning? Absolute bargain

Second decent wellies. Le Chameau. Bought 10 years ago. Used, abused, dog walks, garden. Price per hour of toasty dry feet is very low and they are still going strong.

Second also tools of any kind.

Having just got an exposure light, after **** about for years with ones that were not quite as good in many small but hugely significant ways ways, I agree with that one.

also: I’m an astronomer, visual only and preferably as analogue as possible (though I do have DSCs on the Big scope to find the really faint and fuzzy), I have 2 Dobsonians made by David Lukehurst (amongst other scopes currently in the garage, and I have been through a quite a few in my life so far)

I was out with them with the cub scouts in the local park this week, and reminded just how utterly perfect they are. One is 20yrs old, the other 10, they are as aesthetically and functionally perfect as they were when I got them. And they are perfect. The movements are absolute perfection, they balance perfectly irrespective of sizes of eyepiece, although rarely needed colimation is a breeze, they both break down and build up easily and consistently, they are rock steady so focusing is accurate and stress free, vibration is non existent, and the views. Oh my, the views.

I’ll chuck in a Glatter collimating laser and Tublug as utterly perfect at their jobs as well.

David Lukehurst suddenly, and very sadly, died last week, which makes them even more special and their use more meaningful.

The best wellies (longest lasting) I have had have been (and still are) my Dunlop 10 quid ones. They refuse to die.

I really miss my Dualit toaster and kettle from the UK, but the cheap ICA toaster works and kettle duty is now the responsibility of a Le Creuset induction/wood stove. I’m going to say Le Creuset, I have some pans that my dad bought when I was a very young kid and they are amazing to cook with.

I kind of agree about expensive/knife is a good thing, but then I look at my collection of work-related Moras and realise they were all about a tenner and are amazing.