Wait @amycarr checking your phone counts as mindful now

I mean the funny thing about those old clippers is the noise kinda forced you to talk through the whole cut. You'd have to stop buzzing just to hear what the client wanted next, so you ended up having these weird, shouted conversations. It was awkward but idk, maybe it made you connect more because you both had to figure things out together.

Hey wait, isn't saying it's "800 years old" from seeing a similar one in Arizona a bit off? I mean, a tool type can last for thousands of years. Dating comes from the layer of dirt it's found in at that site, not just from looking at the object. So your friend's tool could be way older or way newer, it totally depends on the specific dig site context. But you're totally right that a real find beats a souvenir any day.

Sticking with a torque wrench set real low is what saved me. Like @tara642 said, those threads strip way too easy if you just crank it. I used to go by feel and wrecked a couple clamps before I wised up. The manual isn't joking about that 10-12 in-lbs range, it feels like almost nothing. Now I just snug it up to spec and never have leaks or ruined parts.

Saw a leak last year from a shortcut test.