Found this at Urban Ore for $5 — I bought it because I needed a scale to weigh various wood working projects. For no other reason than to be able to know what things weigh. It is accurate — I took a 30 oz mallet (from Wood Is Good Co.) and placed it on the scale, and it read 30 oz, on the nose.

It has quick tare just by rotating the front dial, and a calibration knob under the pedestal (for moving the zero position, though the quick tare makes that pointless, unless you like to clock your dial to true North for some reason — maybe you zero at South because you mounted the scale up high, it’s up to you).

Was not surprised to learn that these go between $45 and $70 on eBay.

I got this one for $5 because, well, let’s just say that Grunge is not only a type of music, but also the initial state that I found this in.

It cleaned up rather nicely. It had some kind of grease or oil all over it and was super nasty. Just used 91% isopropyl. Cleaned it inside and out. It is very well made, I have to say.

Also, the kid loves playing with it. He seems to be fascinated with the idea that “things weigh something, this thing seems to tell me what that is, because each time I lift up the object and put it back down, the needle settles in the same spot! Brilliant!” Or, at least that’s what I imagine him thinking.