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Bow saw, folding saw: cutting firewood and poles without bleeding

A hand saw won't take your leg off like a chainsaw. It'll still open your thumb, and almost always the hand that's holding the wood.

StoryOutdoorsDean ShawOct 12, 20266 min

Nobody has improved on the hatchet, and plenty have tried

It's a wedge on a stick, and it's been doing the same job at campsites and woodpiles for generations. Here's how to buy one that outlives you.

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Pressure-test my business idea

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StoryPreparednessWes DunbarOct 11, 20266 min

Nobody has improved the hand-crank can opener

It has two moving parts, needs no power, and still beats every gadget that tried to replace it. Here's how to buy one that lasts.

CancerDefying.com — The research, protocols and reading in one place

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Survival & Self-Defense6 min read

Your survival kit doesn't fit on a wrist

Bracelet kits, credit-card tools and hollow-handle knives sell the feeling of being prepared. Here's what to skip and what to carry instead.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

StoryCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 10, 20266 min

Nobody has improved on the plunger, and plenty have tried

A rubber cup on a stick has outlasted every gadget built to replace it. Here's why, and how to buy one that outlives you.

GuidePreparednessNina CastellanOct 11, 20265 min

Four hours, forty-eight hours, forty degrees

The USDA numbers that tell you what's safe in the fridge and freezer after the lights go out, and the ten-dollar tool that settles every argument.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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StoryGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

The square shovel and the hoe have nothing left to fix

Two flat blades on two long sticks do most of the work in any yard. Here's why nobody has beaten them, and how to buy ones your kids will inherit.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

StoryFoodWes DunbarOct 10, 20265 min

The cast iron skillet has nothing left to prove

It sears, fries, bakes and rides from campfire to oven. Here's why nobody has improved on it, and how to buy one that outlives you.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

Miracle sprays and magic tapes fix the demo, not your house

The as-seen-on-TV repair aisle sells speed. Six gimmicks to leave on the shelf, what to do instead, and the one case where each earns its keep.

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Rehearse the raise conversation with me

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GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The kitchen drawer you can't close is full of these

Seven single-job gadgets that take up space and do worse work than a knife, a pan, or a fork you already own.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarOct 6, 20265 min

Your Mower Sat All Winter and Now It Has Opinions

The box says pull the cord. The box hasn't met your shed. How to wake a hibernating mower without wrecking your Saturday or your shoulder.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 9, 20265 min

The multimeter worth owning is rated CAT III 600V

One handheld meter, a few safety markings, and the checks it lets you make before you call an electrician or touch a wire.

GuideHomeWes DunbarOct 6, 20266 min

Hanging a heavy picture straight on the first try

One frame, two hooks, zero extra holes. The way it really goes, plus the bathroom scale trick nobody mentions.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideCountry BroDean ShawOct 3, 20267 min

Set up the block so your worst swing hits wood, not your shin

Most splitting injuries are decided before the maul leaves the ground. Get the block, the stance and the wedge right, and a bad swing costs you nothing.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarOct 3, 20267 min

Sweating a Copper Joint Is Mostly About Getting the Water Out

The torch is the easy part. A dry pipe and clean metal decide whether the joint holds, and most first-timers skip both.

GuideSelf-Employed WomenNina CastellanOct 3, 20266 min

Your home is your office now, so own a real drill

Every jammed disposal and sagging shelf costs a home business a morning. A dozen basic tools, and what each one actually does, fix most of it.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

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GuideBRO for HerNina CastellanOct 3, 20266 min

The anchors that came in the box are why the shelf fell

A cordless drill isn't hard. The clutch, the pilot hole and the right wall anchor are the whole game, and almost nobody explains them.

Delicious.com — Nine thousand recipes and a plan for tonight

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Be a Man5 min read

Apologize for what you did, never for what you are

Men have picked up a reflex of shrinking on request. Real apology is a tool worth keeping. The hedging is dead weight, and it costs you more than you think.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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