Were tools better in the 80s?

[crank39]

Discovered a variety of old tools around the hayloft, garages, workshop and cellers when cleaning the place out. The original owners of the house were a family of miners from the 1920's who died out in the 70's. Ive got about 5 old pick axes and a variety of chisels and digging implements and other stuff. I wonder if any of them are genuinely old or belonged to the second owner of the house before me, there is a lot of similar old knick knacks around like a Wehrmacht issue oil lamp, ale bottles from the 30's and farming and fruit growing magazines from the 50's.

Ive been using these old chisels and picks to dig out the ground for water pipes and destroy concrete. The old chisel and lump hammer have once again bested a new German tool, an Einhell pneumatic drill, or boring hammer. I keep resorting to these old heavy tools better then the modern stuff I brought from my previous house, apart from the Fiskars axes, the Finns have cornered the market in the best quality axes.

In my experience tools from before WWII seem to be made of better steel than those made later. I don't know why but the older it is the better edge it seems to hold.

Probably something to do with the war effort during the war and quite possibly a shortage thereafter

 

[Dave54]

^Could well be that.