I struggled for months and months over the prospect of buying an expensive mandoline, to help make those holiday-season potato dishes easier on the hands, but my procrastination paid off as we were the recipients of one for Christmas.  And unlike the $80 stainless steel jobs made by Oxo, Le Mandoline and the like, the truth is that a reasonably priced plastic mandoline works just fine.  Added bonuses include way less to clean and the ability to treat it badly to no ill effect.