Just saw a guy trying to fix a Leica with a butter knife at a flea market in Austin
I was at the Barton Creek market last weekend, looking for old lens caps, and I saw a vendor with a table of 'as-is' cameras. This guy picks up an M3, flips it over, and just starts jamming a butter knife into the film advance lever slot. He was trying to pry something, I guess. I watched for a full minute before I had to walk over and gently tell him that wasn't a great plan. He said, 'It's stuck, I'm just loosening it up.' The sound of metal on metal still haunts me. Has anyone else had to stop a total stranger from destroying a classic camera in public?
Always feels like every hobby has that one guy who insists on using the wrong tool because it's "close enough," then acts surprised when things go sideways.
Wait, are we sure it was a butter knife? I've seen people use flathead screwdrivers for that kind of thing, which is still a terrible idea, but at least it's the right shape. A butter knife is way too thick and soft, you'd just mash up the edges of the slot. That sound must have been awful, like nails on a chalkboard but for camera nerds.