Dieter Rams and similar objects

December 20, 2023 6:24 PM

I have a lust for beautiful functional objects. Things with good knob-feel. Things that are beautiful to fiddle with. Things with heft. Importantly, things with switches and buttons. This sort of thing. What other gorgeous tools could I surround myself with?
posted by dmd to Shopping (37 answers total)

Isn't this what fancy cameras and vintage sewing machines are for?
posted by amtho at 7:05 PM on December 20, 2023 [4 favorites]

Handheld game device with a hand crank: https://play.date

Digital camera with manual dials and focus ring: https://fujifilm-x.com/en-au/products/cameras/x100v/

Remote control aircraft transmitter with analog sticks: https://www.spektrumrc.com/product/dxs-transmitter-only/SPMR1010.html
posted by riddley at 7:12 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

things with switches and buttons

Do they need to be electronic or can they be mechanical? (Also - new or vintage?)
posted by trig at 7:14 PM on December 20, 2023

A Curta calculator.
posted by tim_in_oz at 7:18 PM on December 20, 2023 [11 favorites]

Synthesizer. Maybe something like the Medusa Black or a Torso T-1 midi controller (this is just a controller, you need to hook it up to other hardware or into a computer to use software synths).

Plenty of other options out there and also... modular, if you want to go really crazy. Synth hardware is probably the the buttoniest, knobiest, and fiddliest type of object you could ever get your hands on.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 8:08 PM on December 20, 2023 [5 favorites]

Yeah I think this kind of guy also gets into electric guitar and has a weird collection of vintage tube amplifiers
posted by potrzebie at 8:19 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

Ooh or maybe get a Moog theremin and an amp
posted by potrzebie at 8:19 PM on December 20, 2023 [1 favorite]

Coffee and Espresso machines. Braun did make one during Rams' tenure, but it allegedly doesn't make great coffee. Plenty of machines and related equipment with functional and minimal design in the coffee space, though. You might like what Fellow puts out. For actual espresso machines, I can't think of any that are particularly Rams-esque. I personally think lever style machines are the most beautiful. If you have a stupid amount of money to spend, there's the Manument Leva.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 8:21 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

A Leica Q3
posted by jonathanhughes at 8:32 PM on December 20, 2023

Lots of the old CRT oscilloscopes have nice knobs and buttons, and would play well with any synthy stuff you may go for. Dreadbox products mentioned above are all cool, this PERfourMER has a goofy name but features a stunning array of smooth weighty knobs.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:35 PM on December 20, 2023

You'd probably also enjoy a good mechanical typewriter, they can feel amazing.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:38 PM on December 20, 2023 [3 favorites]

You could get a mechanical keyboard, or just a switch tester if you sit next to coworkers that you don't hate
posted by credulous at 9:05 PM on December 20, 2023 [2 favorites]

The driver controls of pretty much any Saab vehicle between 1980 and 2011 will scratch your itch (example).
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:12 PM on December 20, 2023

I'm also pretty into beautiful functional objects. In order of economic damage:

The Rotring 800 mechanical pencil is the best mechanical pencil.

Mechanical keyboards are a deep rabbit hole, but I think this Keychron is at a good inflection point. I was genuinely shocked at how heavy it was when I got it and it is *very* satisfying to type on.

Perhaps a mechanical watch? Generally beautifully functional and depending on your style they can have a lot of buttons to play with. The Nomos Tangente was the one for me.

Modular synths have unlimited knobs and unlimited cost.
posted by davidest at 10:40 PM on December 20, 2023 [2 favorites]

I once bought, and still have, a Canon-AE1 for the lever. It's a wonderful 35mm camera.
posted by socky_puppy at 12:28 AM on December 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

Sony ICF-2010 shortwave receiver.

Lots (and lots!) of buttons, fair number of switches, and only one knob-like control, but with an infinite capacity for fiddling around.

Funny that they got the voltage wrong; mine was 4.5V, not 8V.
posted by jamjam at 12:44 AM on December 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

I'm assuming you're familiar with the whole design catalogue from Teenage Engineering? They also worked on the Impossible I-1 instant camera, which was the first new analogue instant camera made for Polaroid film in 2015. Impossible has now merged with Polaroid, and earlier this year they released the I-2 which is significantly more user friendly, so it's much easier to take a better photo. But the I-1 rewards tweaking, twiddling and patience, which IME makes it a lot more fun to play with.
posted by guessthis at 3:16 AM on December 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

As above, learn electric guitar and grab some good amps and pedals. They usually have super satisfying knobs and buttons and metal switches that thunk, plus you get the reinforcement of an instant sonic change happening. Totally unlike doing music on a computer program like Studio One. Stomp that stomp box! I mean look at this. My old one came in a wooden box with a sliding lid!
posted by caviar2d2 at 4:49 AM on December 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Also, I work from home and frequently have to do quick calculations around budgets and such. Instead of using the Windows calculator or Excel to do basic add/sub/mult/div stuff, I have an $8 Casio desk calculator that I pick up and punch numbers into. It's hardly an heirloom object, but it's one more place to add the pleasure of pushing buttons. I'm also left-handed so the numpad on the right of my keyboard annoys me.
posted by caviar2d2 at 5:00 AM on December 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

A Questar telescope. They were the unchallenged champions for years, but now the very best from some other boutique telescope builders are up to a similar standard.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:10 AM on December 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

A Nanu Nudge?

A Yetch Calendar?
posted by dobbs at 6:36 AM on December 21, 2023 [6 favorites]

Fluke multimeters have a solid heft and a "chunky" knob feel. (caveat: mine is now 20 years old so YMMV) They are also practical in the sense they are used for real work by normal workers every day, they aren't specifically meant as an art piece.
On the other hand, Bridge City makes woodworking tools that are designed to look amazing but aren't what you find in everyday woodworking shops.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 6:37 AM on December 21, 2023

You can get high quality slide rules inexpensively; they have a good feel.
posted by theora55 at 6:45 AM on December 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

I was also going to suggest a mechanical keyboard. I use the Moonlander, but, as davidest noted above, this can be a real rabbit hole and there are a lot of options. I like this one in particular because it's ergonomic, it looks non-standard (and cool in my opinion), it is solid (especially with the Platform addon), I love the tactile and audio feedback (I got the Kailh Box White switches, but there are many options), and the software for configuring the layout is top-notch. I'm a software engineer and I spend 8 hours/day on the computer, so it's worth it to me to have a high-quality primary interface for interacting with it.

Like many of the other items people have listed above, this one isn't just cool-looking, it's a practical, use-every-day kind of thing.
posted by number9dream at 7:26 AM on December 21, 2023

How about replacing your light switches with chunky retro knobs or toggles?
posted by bassomatic at 8:35 AM on December 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: This list is making me laugh about my life choices because I have, or have had, a ridiculously large number of the suggested items already. Like... close to half of them. Maybe I should stop? But also, that means you're all on the right track! Thank you!
posted by dmd at 10:02 AM on December 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

Here's one I bet you don't have: the Last Chance Vane Master Pro has the most satisfying heft and feel, which is probably why it costs two or three times what other fletching jigs cost.
posted by The corpse in the library at 10:39 AM on December 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

Before I let my amateur radio license lapse near the end of my teens (the 1960s, you do the math) I used this microphone which definitely has "heft" and a switch and chrome and a heavy cable and its shiny. Granted now I just have it as a memento in my home office, but thought I'd post a photo at least.
posted by forthright at 1:26 PM on December 21, 2023 [1 favorite]

vintage HiFi gear. For me that means 1970s-1980s Kenwood stuff with the hefty machined knobs. they are making look-alike stuff now, but don't be fooled it's plastiky garbage. I saw one in a best-buy or something and instinctively twiddled a knob, but had to recoil in horror after touching it.
posted by Dr. Twist at 3:01 PM on December 21, 2023

1980s ham radio sets were the pinnacle of knobs and buttons. Things like the Icom IC-761.
posted by automatronic at 8:36 AM on December 22, 2023 [1 favorite]

Mod note: [btw, this question has been added to the sidebar and Best Of blog.]
posted by taz (staff) at 1:20 AM on December 26, 2023

Japanese knives, good ones. A pleasure to use.
posted by theora55 at 5:15 PM on December 26, 2023

Nothing says heft better than a Hammond organ.
posted by ashbury at 5:47 PM on December 28, 2023

I rarely use mine anymore, but the keys on old hp calculators had a great feel. Plus RPN (or should I say RPN ENTER plus?).
posted by clark at 5:39 AM on December 29, 2023 [1 favorite]

Old semi-pro audio gear can be had for cheap (under couple hundred dollars) and often has quite robust and nice knobs. I very recently bought a dbx Graphic 2215 Equalizer/Limiter for fifty euros, to use with electric guitar gear, but it can also be used in a home hifi setting or anywhere really. VERY nice smooth sliders, nice rubbery bits on them.
posted by fridgebuzz at 9:46 AM on December 30, 2023

A wood plane. You can track down a vintage Stanley, or get a new Lie-Nielsen or Veritas. They don't have buttons, but they do have a knob and a couple of levers, and they have oodles of heft.

There's a learning curve to getting them properly set up and sharpened, but once you do that there's something about a tissue-paper-thin ribbon coming off a nice piece of wood...
posted by clawsoon at 5:06 PM on December 30, 2023

Response by poster: Just realized this is a self double post ...
posted by dmd at 5:09 PM on January 17