Remember when we used to cut everything by hand?

I was cleaning out my van and found my old hook knife from maybe 15 years ago. Back then, a big room could take a full day just for cutting and fitting. Now, with a good power stretcher and a sharp rotary cutter, I can do the same job in about four hours. The biggest change was when those wider roll goods became common around 2010, so we had way fewer seams to deal with. It just made the whole floor look cleaner and saved so much time. What's the one old tool you still keep around but never really use anymore?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_thomas1mo ago

My buddy still has his old knee kicker in the garage. He says it's a reminder of how much his back used to hurt after a day's work.

michaeld481mo ago

Man, those old knee kickers were absolute back breakers. My uncle did carpet for years and his stories about using one make me wince just thinking about it. You can still see the way he moves, all stiff from a lifetime of that pounding. Makes you really appreciate the power stretchers they use now, doesn't it?

miles_hall1mo agoMost Upvoted

Gotta disagree a bit there. A good knee kicker in skilled hands could lay carpet just fine. My dad's friend still uses his for small repairs and says the control is better on tricky corners. The new power stretchers are great for big open rooms, but they're bulky and overkill for a lot of jobs. Sometimes the old way just fits the work better.