# Hobbyist insistence on tailored products?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 21, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153 "2020-09-21T16:20:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 6
### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/101 "2020-09-24T19:56:47Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#):
>
> There’s another sub-species in the cycling world that many of you are familiar with: the Weight Weenie. Their raison d’etre is to shave every possible gram off of their bikes.
Those guys absolutely HATE my bike - it’s an old coaster-brake, weighs as much as 5 or 6 of their bikes put together.
One of the best features of my bike is that those sorts won’t even come near me. Ah, blissful peace and quiet!
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### Author:  [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/102 "2020-09-24T19:58:20Z")
> [@bump](#):
>
> I thought it was that Quaker State and Pennzoil had wax in them because of the crude oil they were refined from… (it’s “paraffinic crude”, as opposed to asphaltic or napthenic crude)
I don’t have a clue. I was just joking.
I know that back in my motorcycle days, I and my friends always used Castrol, but that was just because you could find it anywhere and it came in 20w-50, which was getting hard to find.
And none of us ever bothered with motorcycle-specific oil. Just plain old oil from the auto parts store.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/103 "2020-09-24T20:01:45Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#):
>
> I don’t know much about sewing machine oils, but I’ve had my gun out shooting when the temperature was down in the single digits Fahrenheit. I doubt that quilting machines are expected to perform in those kinds of weather conditions. I’d want to look up some specifications before assume it would function in cold or hot conditions.
Well, sure, but you have a reason for being concerned about the performance and, given the temps you use it in, paying more for an oil that performs in those conditions makes sense.
As opposed to folks who use their guns in more temperate conditions, maybe just plinking bottles in their (hopefully very spacious) backyards.
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/104 "2020-09-24T20:18:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> Those guys absolutely HATE my bike - it’s an old coaster-brake, weighs as much as 5 or 6 of their bikes put together.
That said … y’know what would make that thing just Flat Freakin’ Fly ?
Premarin – pregnant mare urine – as a chain lube.
:ducks:
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/105 "2020-09-24T20:29:03Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#):
>
> > [@Broomstick](#):
> >
> > Those guys absolutely HATE my bike - it’s an old coaster-brake, weighs as much as 5 or 6 of their bikes put together.
>
> That said … y’know what would make that thing just Flat Freakin’ Fly ?
>
> Premarin – pregnant mare urine – as a chain lube.
>
> :ducks: -
Ducks would get caught in the chain. Freshly rendered duck fat, on the other hand…
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/106 "2020-09-24T20:33:05Z")
Applied with a healthy amount of elbow geese, I presume ?
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### Author:  [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/107 "2020-09-24T21:45:07Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#):
>
> My wife’s sewing machines are in the $5K-$10K price range. She is adamant about only using “sewing machine oil” in them (per manufacturer’s recommendation). A 4 oz bottle costs $5-10 and lasts a very long time. Seems silly fretting over the cost difference between that and a $3 bottle of generic household oil, especially when compared to the other costs of feeding a quilting addiction…
@Marvin_the_Martian
We quilt here too. We have enough fabric to gift wrap the house. The recommended sewing machine oil is worth the extra few dollars
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/108 "2020-09-24T23:22:33Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Interesting fact; pure water (the kind of stuff you might find in a lab) is extremely dangerous and can do you serious harm if you drink it.
In case I’m not being whooshed, here’s an [anti-cite](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317698#What-are-the-risks-of-drinking-distilled-water).
TLDR: Unless you’re on an extended fast _and_ not replacing minerals (specifically, magnesium and calcium are the biggest worries) you should have no trouble.
Drinking nothing but heavy water, OTOH, can [lead to trouble](https://sciencenotes.org/can-you-drink-heavy-water-is-it-safe/).
> The issue is the extra mass of heavy water compared with ordinary water. Basically, the mass difference slows biochemical reactions that use water. Also, deuterium forms stronger [hydrogen bonds](https://sciencenotes.org/hydrogen-bond-definition-and-examples/) than protium, resulting in a different reactivity.
> One key issue is that heavy water disrupts mitosis, the type of cell division used to repair injuries and grow new cells. The mitotic spindles of cells containing too much heavy water simply aren’t able to equally divide a cell to form two identical new ones.
> But, you have to continuously drink and eat only heavy water for several days to see an effect. Replacing 20% of regular water in cells with heavy water is survivable for humans and other mammals (although not recommended). Swapping 25% of water with heavy water causes (sometimes irreversible) sterilization. Replacing 50% of water with heavy water is lethal. It’s not a pretty death, either. Heavy water poisoning resembles radiation poisoning or cytotoxic poisoning from chemotherapy.
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### Author:  [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/109 "2020-09-24T23:30:41Z")
Yikes.
So … just to be clear … I’m good with single-malt Scotch ??
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/110 "2020-09-24T23:31:36Z")
> [@DesertDog](#):
>
> In case I’m not being whooshed, here’s an [anti-cite](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317698#What-are-the-risks-of-drinking-distilled-water).
They’re talking about distilled water, which is different than pure water. You don’t see pure water in stores; it’s a product that’s used in scientific experiments and high-end manufacturing. [cite](https://nuscimag.com/water-so-pure-it-will-kill-you-2615d5ca116e) [cite](http://isciencemag.co.uk/features/fact-of-the-day-1/) [cite](https://www.fastcompany.com/1750612/dangerously-clean-water-used-make-your-iphone) [cite](https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-purest-of-them-all/)
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [September 24, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/111 "2020-09-24T23:41:50Z")
Now I have to wonder, how many contaminants are left in ordinary distilled water.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/112 "2020-09-25T00:59:44Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#):
>
> Applied with a healthy amount of elbow geese, I presume ?
That was fowl.
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### Author:  [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/113 "2020-09-25T02:10:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> > [@DavidNRockies](#):
> >
> > There’s another sub-species in the cycling world that many of you are familiar with: the Weight Weenie…
>
> Those guys absolutely HATE my bike - it’s an old coaster-brake, weighs as much as 5 or 6 of their bikes put together.
>
> One of the best features of my bike is that those sorts won’t even come near me. Ah, blissful peace and quiet!
That’s my bike, too!
I tell my friends (as they blow past me on their thousand-dollar bikes that weigh less than their weenies) that I’m getting a lot more of a workout than they are.
And you know who else won’t come near my bike? Thieves! I often don’t even lock it (or just use my quick’n’skinny cable) and park it near some nicer bikes.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2020, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/114 "2020-09-25T02:23:36Z")
> [@digs](#):
>
> I tell my friends (as they blow past me on their thousand-dollar bikes that weigh less than their weenies) that I’m getting a lot more of a workout than they are.
[Cycling calculator.](http://kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm)
On the flat, they’re getting the better workout.
10 mph=41 watts of power, 15 mph=113 watts
On a 5% grade You put out 105 watts @ 5 mph, they put out 98 watts
I used 30 lbs for your bike, 16 lbs for your buddies.
At 22 lbs, your wattage drops to 101
ETA: same rider weight, type of bike and tires and seating position.
27 lb mtn bike-107 watts
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/115 "2020-09-25T02:31:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#):
>
> On the flat, they’re getting the better workout.
> 10 mph=41 watts of power, 15 mph=113 watts
Same bike/rider at 25mph=464 watts
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2020, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/116 "2020-09-26T00:03:05Z")
> [@digs](#):
>
> And you know who else won’t come near my bike? Thieves! I often don’t even lock it (or just use my quick’n’skinny cable) and park it near some nicer bikes.
All bicycles weigh 30 pounds
- A 10 pound bike needs a 20 pound lock
- A 20 pound bike needs a 10 pound lock
- A 30 pound bike needs no lock
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### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2020, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/117 "2020-09-26T01:00:22Z")
One other area for extreme hobbyist specificity, Knives.
I have always been fond of knives, and love gadgets in general. And now that YouTube exists, there are dozens of channels of various knife reviewers, edge testers, etc. Most of the channels are pretty good and informative, but the comments are amazing. The EDC(that’s every day carry to the plebes ;)) groupies know everything about the properties of 30 varieties of steel, and the heat treating capabilities of 2 dozen countries. And fight with each other about which modern supersteel is so much better than other modern supersteel because of the .1 percent vanadium difference in the specs.
Mostly from people who shove the knife in a pocket before sitting behind a desk all day, then using it to cut the tape from an Amazon packet when they get home. Meanwhile most chefs I know who use their knives professionally 4 hours a day, have no idea what steel formulation they have, and don’t really care. Or the couple of rescue guys I knew who carried $15 Gerber Paraframes, because half the time they needed to use them, there was no time to do anything but drop the on the ground and leave them behind afterward.
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### Author:  [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2020, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/118 "2020-09-26T09:43:40Z")
However, one of the great things about Photographers is the understanding that the pro equipment is SUPER expensive, so you don’t get any photographers saying to people just starting out to spend insane amount of money. “What’s the best camera? The one you are carrying, even if it is just your mobile” is a constant mantra. As is “a more expensive camera won’t magically make your pictures better”.
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### Author:  [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/119 "2020-09-26T13:44:32Z")
I think part of the issue is that we live in a world full of complicated products and we aren’t in a position to accurately determine the consequences of each of our choices. For example I remember hearing automobile engine oils can cause expensive damage depending on whether you choose synthetic or ordinary oil, and whether you later change to the other one, by making all the seals and gaskets swell or soften or something like that. How am I supposed to get to the bottom of that mystery, when I can find so many people who spend much more time than I want to spend on it, and they disagree with each other? I imagine the oil prices couldn’t be $20 different, and I imagine replacing all the seals and gaskets could easily cost $2000. I don’t have the time or motivation to reinvent some discovery process here.
And I don’t think bicycle chains are an easy job for lubricants. The chains wear out and get looser and stretch and flex differently, and derailleur shifting is finicky when that happens. Automobile engine oil may handle high temperatures for thousands of miles at thousands of rpm, but you don’t put water and sand and grit into them.
There may be important differences in tailored branded products, or there may not be, they may be merely hype. But the challenge isn’t to know for sure that the tailored product is worth it. The challenge is whether you know for sure the tailored product is NOT worth it.
Now, hobbies, that’s special. There can be a kind of pleasure from having things in a hobby be kind of perfect, having all the tools match, getting the color you want, or seeing something shine. If you’re enjoying that, why, have fun! But on the other hand, if you’re not, or if the feeling just lasts a little while, fine. We each have our reasons why we might like to engage in special interest debates.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hobbyist-insistence-on-tailored-products/921153/120 "2020-09-26T15:19:02Z")
Re plant fertilizers, there’s certainly a lot of BS out there.
Hydroponics stores carry a bewildering array of fertilizers and supplements with outlandish names, designed to convince gardeners (cannabis growers in particular) that it’s worth paying $50 a bottle for something that probably doesn’t work as well as Miracle-Gro at 1/10 or less the cost.
It _does_ make some sense to tweak NPK fertilizer numbers according to what you’re trying to do - high nitrogen content works a lot better for lawns in fall than for tomato plants in summer, when you want fruit and not just luxuriant leafy growth. A limiting factor is what nutrients your soil has in the first place (few of us know). Also, “experts” disagree on what’s best for specific situations, so trial and error often wins out.
Someone previously mentioned Superthrive, which I’m mildly embarrassed to admit I’ve used for years despite not knowing exactly what’s in it or whether there’s any solid evidence behind its use. Transplants seem to do well with it, and I like the old-time snake oil hype on the bottle and promotional materials (“Won Gold Medal at the 1939 World’s Fair, Preferred By Thousands of Universities And Botanical Gardens”).
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