[emeritus]

Re #55, rewireable plugs similar to the 2.5A Europlug, but lacking the pointed sides that are probably necessary for use in Swiss sockets, used to be on sale in the UK. Here's one I bought in a small hardware store in Great Baddow, near Chelmsford, around 20 years ago. Although it has the small 4mm diameter resilient pins, the body says it is rated at 10A. It fits both a German Schuko socket and the French earthed socket, and will easily plug into the early version of the MK 13A socket where the shutters are operated by the simultaneous insertion of the L and N pins and do not have the recesses of the later version that prevent use with Europlugs. The photo also shows a conventional moulded 2.5A Europlug for comparison.

I believe that modern plugs use resilient plastic for at least the cover to comply with an EC regulation.