Switzerland flea market finds 🇨🇭

[CGarage]

Due to the popularity of my tool shopping in Europe posts, I thought I’d do a post showing some recent finds over a few weeks going to a weekend flea market in Genevé.

Genevé is considered the most expensive city in the world in which to live. That said, the Swiss mindset is twofold: First, thrift is generally practiced regardless of income / social status. Second, environmental consciousness is a way of life and even the most well to do will donate unwanted goods rather than throw them out. This is admirable, because good and reasonable environmental stewardship is important.

The weekend markets are sort of a meeting grounds for friends. I often go antiquing here, and occasionally will find an interesting tool (once in a blue moon), or ancient camera part, rare books and manuals, etc After an hour or two of browsing, it’s off for coffee (Swiss tradition) and then maybe back again to see if anything was missed.

 

[CGarage]

A few finds…

Vintage, west German Picard hammer

 

[CGarage]

Switzerland armed forces hand saw. This is a neat tool. It comes with a wood cutting and a metal cutting blade, with both sides of the blade sharpened.
A wing-nut allows the handle to be rotated for use in tight confines and at difficult angles. The blade itself can also be adjusted on its arc.

 

[CGarage]

I have been going to markets for years and generally find only one or two things to buy every trip. Most of the fun is in the searching and negotiating.

Not so about a month ago. I saw a closed box on the ground in the corner of the vendor’s stall. I opened it up, and it was full of German wrenches, Hazet, Stahlwille, etc

The vendor told me, in French, he was tired of lugging it around, and he wanted 40 Francs from me to “take it off his hands”.

I happily paid up and then had to carry the box, by hand, to where I had parked, about 2 kilometers / a mile away.
My friend and I opened it up once we got to his atelier, and discovered it was a very good find. But not something I have ever had happen to me previously in Switzerland. The Swiss are great preservationists, and they value tools too highly to get rid of them “by the box full”.