The chip on my old thermos mug finally made sense today

I've had this steel thermos mug since my first job at the plant in Gary, about 12 years now. The chip on the rim happened when I dropped it on the concrete floor back in 2018, never threw it out because my dad gave it to me before he retired. Today I noticed the coffee stays warm longer than my new $30 mug, and I realized the chip actually creates a tighter seal with the lid somehow. Anyone else notice a damaged mug perform better than a brand new one for no logical reason?

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emmajackson5d ago

My dad’s old Stanley from the 80s has a dent on the side that makes it impossible to set down without wobbling, but that thing keeps ice for a full shift. Meanwhile my coworker bought a fancy new one with all these features and the lid leaks after two weeks. I bet it’s all about how the metal gets work-hardened or something, like the drop actually changed the material’s structure. Same thing with my thermos, the chip probably bent the rim just enough to grip the lid better. Old stuff just gets broken in, not broken. That’s why I never toss something that’s still doing its job, even if it looks rough.