Ever ditched a fancy tool once you understood the principle behind it?

Last month I realized I'd been hoarding brush pens. Like, an embarrassing number of them. Different tips, different ink flows, different brands. I kept thinking the next one would finally give me the line variation I wanted.

Then I spent a week just practicing pressure control with one single Pentel pocket brush. Slow strokes, fast strokes, ghosting the pen barely above the paper before committing. Turns out the "thick to thin" I was chasing had almost nothing to do with the tool and almost everything to do with how I was using my arm and wrist together. One pen now does what I thought I needed five for.

It got me thinking about how often we reach for a new supply when the real unlock is just understanding the mechanic underneath. Has anyone else had a moment like that? Where learning the principle behind something made a tool or technique you thought was essential suddenly unnecessary? I'd genuinely love to hear what it was and how it clicked for you.