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The 20 Most Important Tools Ever

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 8:58 pm
by Thomcat
From Forbes - http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/15/technology-tools-history_cx_de_0315intro.html

No. 1 The Knife
No. 2 The Abacus
No. 3 The Compass
No. 4: The Pencil
No. 5: The Harness
No. 6: The Scythe
No. 7: The Rifle
No. 8: The Sword
No. 9: Eyeglasses
No. 10: The Saw
No. 11: The Watch
No. 12: The Lathe
No. 13: The Needle
No. 14: The Candle
No. 15: The Scale
No. 16: The Pot
No. 17: The Telescope
No. 18: The Level
No. 19: The Fish Hook
No. 20: The Chisel

And for Duct Tape fans:

http://www.forbes.com/2006/03/14/tools-duct-tape_cx_de_0315ducttape.html

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:31 pm
by MrPenguin589
...
Is this a suggestion?
Doesn't seem like it to me...

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:00 pm
by Hellzon
Wrong forum, I guess... Anyway, eeeenteresting. :) Have some random thoughts:

Knife is about right in cantreality.
Abacus, compass, watch, telescope, level, scales and pencil is built into our chars.
We keep whining about domestication of animals, so harness is probably right.
Scythe... Well, we can farm anyway. Or we went directly to harvesters. You choose. :D Same for saw.
Rifle gets suggested every once in a while. Personally, I hope we never see it (since it would pretty much have to better than all existing weapons).
Sword... Ayup, important. :twisted:
Eyeglasses... Well, cantrians don't need them... yet
Lathe: A very specific tool in cantreality, supposedly much more useful in reality?
Needle: Mandatory for much of Cantr's clothing, so yeah.
Candle: Well, SOMETHING is lighting up the insides of our houses, right? ;)
Pot: Not actually necessary to cook in cantreality.
Fish hook: Well, fishing sucks even with it.
Chisel: Not really (in cantreality, that is).

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 10:04 pm
by Marian
In Cantr you need chisels for swords, so they're still important.

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 11:31 pm
by Agar
1: The bone knife
2: The stone hammer
3: The shield
4: The axe

Beyond that, what is important in cantr?

That Forbes list was obviously written my a man. Women would have included the Lavatory. :lol:

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:28 am
by TatteredShoeLace
Agar wrote:1: The bone knife
2: The stone hammer
3: The shield
4: The axe

Beyond that, what is important in cantr?


The sabre, the lock, and the crowbar

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 12:42 am
by Marian
Actually I think locks and crowbars, and screwdrifers too I guess, are THE most important tools in the game. More important than sabers and shields, definitely.

I guess it all starts with a bone knife though, and if you don't have a hammer you can't build a house to put a lock on, but then I guess most stuff is interrelated like that.

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:23 am
by TatteredShoeLace
Marian wrote:I guess it all starts with a bone knife though, and if you don't have a hammer you can't build a house to put a lock on, but then I guess most stuff is interrelated like that.


Buildings only need a trowel. :wink:

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:28 am
by Marian
That's stone buildings your thinking of. Wood ones are better because you don't need iron for a trowel.

The only thing better than a wooden building is a wooden boat. Nice safe place to store your stuff and no lock required. :)

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:40 am
by Sho
The mud hut and shack do not require tools to make.

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:42 am
by Marian
Yeah, but they're ugly. :(

And do they hold as much as a cottage or building?

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:45 am
by Sho
No, but they're quite adequate for stashing a lone character's belongings and machinery, or locking up and killing one hated enemy, which are the only things I'd expect a character for whom tool expense is an issue to need a building for.

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 2:47 am
by Sunni Daez
Moved to General Discussion as it is not a suggestion.

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 3:02 am
by Marian
Sho wrote:No, but they're quite adequate for stashing a lone character's belongings and machinery, or locking up and killing one hated enemy, which are the only things I'd expect a character for whom tool expense is an issue to need a building for.


Of course, if you've got a screwdriver and 200 grams of iron there's a good chance "tool expense" isn't that big a deal and you can get a trowel too, so you might as well make something bigger.

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 3:24 am
by Rustoleum
While not as utterly vital as the bone knife, stone hammer, and shields, I think shovels might crack a top 20 list. I definitely would have put them up there when they were required for a firepit.