Story of my gear: Velbon UT43D tripod

Welcome to the first in a series of posts where I tell you what I think about gear that I either already own, or which I've recently rented. Hopefully, the confirmation bias shouldn't kick in, but just in case, don't expect impartial shopping advice nor a thorough review. The reviews are based almost exclusively on the way I use the gear, even though I'll try my best to extrapolate.

At the end of the review, rather than giving the item a score, I'll answer some questions: if it's a rental item, I'll tell you how badly I want to buy the item (if at all). If it's a piece of gear I already own, I'll tell you if a) I'd buy an extra copy of the item and b) I'd replace it with the same model should I lose/break it. Now onto the review.