Picked up a tool wrong at the hardware store and a stranger set me straight

I was at Ace Hardware yesterday grabbing a paint scraper and some old guy just walked up and said 'you're gonna bust your knuckles holding it like that'. He showed me a different grip and now I can scrape paint way faster. Has anyone else had a random stranger teach them something at the store?

3 comments

3 Comments

emmaclark7h ago

Dismiss the guy and keep holding it your way. That old timer probably learned one trick thirty years ago and thinks it applies to every tool in existence. Chances are his grip only works for that one specific scraper while yours works fine for everything else. Unsolicited advice from strangers is usually just them trying to feel important. You probably would have figured out a better method on your own without some random dude butting in.

parkerbrown7h ago

My neighbor Bob spent 40 years as a machinist and still insists the only way to sharpen a chisel is with a wet stone on a Sunday afternoon. But @emmaclark, you're right that most people handing out advice are just trying to feel important, even if they mean well.

rowan_thomas845h ago

I get what you're saying about unsolicited advice being annoying, but I see it a little different with the old timer. Thirty years of using one trick usually means he's tried a bunch of other stuff and settled on what actually works best for him. Even if his grip is specific, there's usually some wisdom buried in there that's worth at least a quick listen.