This is off-topic, so please skip if you're just here for the toolbox pictures.
I always shake my head at people who shake their heads at people who have unused tools. Like their imaginations can't come up with any of a hundred legitimate reasons someone may have clean tools. It's funny, because I don't even have to use my imagination for that, given how many explanations I've seen on these forums. Like, their tools were stolen and they recently replaced them, or they keep them pretty clean due to working primarily in clean workspaces like labs or jet engines, or because they just like keeping their stuff in nice condition, or they just gave their toolset to their kids and rebuilt it with nicer tools they've wanted their whole lives, or because since they bought them their family has kept them out of the garage, or any number of other scenarios.
I don't even understand why anyone cares to be honest. I couldn't imagine going to a car meet and ragging on someone for having a well maintained car. "Wow, you must never drive this, because it's not completely beat up, dented, and dirty like my car over there."
We should all be happy when we see someone with nice tools, regardless of their use. It's not like anything in that person's toolbox is in extremely limited supply and their purchases prevented the tools from going to someone else who would have used them more. In fact, it's the opposite. The more high-quality tools someone buys, the more the manufacturers will continue to serve the market of high-quality tools. I salute everyone who buys nice tools, because it means the market will continue to exist.
I wonder if it's primarily envy. Like, why do they deserve nicer tools than I have when I'm the one that obviously uses and needs them more? I could understand that feeling. But in response, I guess I'd just urge everyone to remember that the other person buying those tools is still good for you, regardless of whether they use them or not, since it builds and perpetuates the market. That is even assuming they don't actually use the tools, since it's possible the tools are just new and they still will use them.
We're already a relatively small community of people who share an enthusiasm for tools and the possibilities they enable. I don't understand why we insist on dividing ourselves based on the reasons we like tools or the amount that we realize those possibilities. Especially when dividing ourselves based on the brands we like is way more fun.
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And I still have that scarred socket.
