I have a pair of Dumont tweezers gifted to me by Rocco Manfredi of Watchworks, who used them when he was an apprentice. They're probably around 40 years old and I've used them every day at work for the last 10 years and they feel an extension of my fingers.
Gary
I have a full set of stainless steel pots and pans I bought 38 years ago and are still used daily l
I went through a bit of a buying spree in the 1980s and have subsequently loaded myself with stuff I don't need but am reluctant to get rid of. Here is a list of just some of them.
My favourite bit is a 3 drawer arts and crafts side table placed on the upstairs landing. It is oak and has 8 barley twisted legs and is around 1880- 1920.
I have a long case clock by Thomas Prew of Tewkesbury dated around 1710-1720. It is good for gaining about half a minute over a month thanks to a long pendulum. The tick tock resonates throughout the house and it is strangely very hypnotic and restful.
I have a 1710ish flintlock shotgun over the mantle piece made by Griffin of Bond Street. I also have a percussion shotgun made by Banks of Chippenham dated around 1820/30. Both guns shoot well but I last fired them about 10 years ago.
I have a couple of prints by Michelangelo Rook of Oxford Colleges dated 1795ish. I also have a map of Wiltshire dated 1680 by Bob Morden a well regarded Map artist but it may well be a fake which is a bummer.
I also have a Kurdistan rug which has been dated about 100/120 years by two different dealers and it looks beautiful. I shipped it over to Spain.
My father was a toolmaker and I inherited a massive amount of his tools, mostly dating from the 1940s, all good makes and many handmade but all imperial sizes. They were useful when I ran motorcycles but I gave them up about 2 years ago. However I could never sell them and the kids don't want them.
Probably my great grandfather's memorial death "penny" and letter from the King which I guess is from around 1918.
Cheers,
Neil.
Ahhh! You are right.
Was not in a position to check the old paperwork when writing (have had it since a kid so memory fades!) but looked and it stated Carboniferous, so youd be bang on the money with that 300-odd million.
Thanks!
Although you win geology top-trumps!
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I have a Thorens TD125 which is early 70s I guess. Also a Rega Planar 3 which I know exactly how old it is as my Father bought it for my 21st birthday (so from 1985). Sadly one needs to go due to downsizing the house (see below!) and it will be the Thorens sadly, it is by far the better turntable but no way can I sell the Rega my Dad bought me!
As for the house it is 16th century if not older, somewhat smaller than our previous modern 4 bed but we love it albeit a bit expensive to run in these energy challenged times!
About 60+ years ago, my uncle gave me a Catholic rosary he bought at the Vatican in Rome. Inside the Crucifix is supposedly dirt from Mt. Calvary. The rosary was blessed by Pope John XXIII.
My three boys have all slept in the same cot, which my parents originally bought for my younger brother 28 years ago
Ross and Kershaw WW1 and WW2 6x30 and 6x25 vintage porro prism binoculars which are still used / lent out / displayed at astro star parties —*The two binos on the RHS of the table
The 1914 Kershaw binos have surprisingly bright imaging for a 108 years young instrument and observers are always very surprised how sharp / clear astro phenomena appear.
British ex-military binos can be bought for less than 50 (sometimes 10 or less) and will likely out-last and often out-perform cheapo Chinese binos. Chinese binos need careful checking to make sure they're in collimation.
The WW2 Ross binos were fully serviced and nitrogen filled / purged by Tony Kay at Optrep ... highly recommended for binoculars servicing and reasonable charges https://www.opticalrepairs.com/notices.htm
dunk
Last edited by sundial; 20th September 2022 at 12:54. Reason: typo
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
Do you have the guts to utter that straight to the member's face?
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
After a week of national misery is it too much to ask that members don't turn a light-hearted fun thread into a childish bitch slapping competition?Pigeons playing chess springs to mind.
Nothing...........divorce took care of anything I once owned in the 80s............never let anything in my life be worth more than a few quid after, till 20 years ago and realised my latest missus is made of different stuff and a proper keeper
Hmm... Where to start? I have a Myford ML7 lathe which I use most weeks - that was made in 1947.
On reflection, that seems quite modern compared to my railway carriage - it sits in the garden and I'm currently building a model railway layout in one of hte compartments. How old? Well, my dad played in it as a lad, and he's approaching 80. Mind you, it was quite old even then - we've not been able to get a definitive age on it, but we believe it's around 150 years old.
That's still relatively modern though... I wind my grandfather clock every single day, and when we bought it 18 years ago, it was just coming up for it's 4th centenary.
I play hickory golf and my clubs range from 1905 to 1933 (you can date them based on the name of the pro/club stamped on them).
Also wear a 1968 Tudor Oysterdate in my rotation, and a Patagonia synchilla fleece top is still going strong (bought it in 1986).
My car has "one careful owner" (LOL) from new ... originally registered on 9th September 2002, so turned 20 years old recently ...
Probably a load of other stuff, but those are the ones that immediately come to mind ...
Until recently, I had a 25+ year old Marin Bobcat Trail that I still rode despite it having a slightly bent front fork and never having had a service other than the occasional puncture repair. It was a teenage birthday present. Was pretty sad when I had to skip it and took a picture of me giving it a final sendoff at the household waste recycling centre. Moving to a new bike I realised just how knackered the old one was and how important servicing the drivetrain is!
Talking about binocs, we've got a couple of pairs(?) that we found in my parents flat when they died in 2000. One is Russian the others from Sears USA and they had them for at least 20 years. I'll do pics if anyone interested. We still use them for spying on the neighbours.
Casio scientific calculator, bought either in 1991 when starting A levels or 1993 for Uni, cant remember. As an engineer it sits on my desk and gets used most days. It's a solar & battery duel power jobby, pretty sure i've never put a new battery in it, so must have been going on solar only for the last 25 years or so
Ive got an old American milkshake maker from the 50s that gets some summer use.
In a similar vein - or in this case nodule, I have a good slice of Garnet lherzolite picked up over 25-years ago.
It reminds me that little is worth getting worked up over.
1780 I think. Morning coffee.
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Mostly kitchen stuff, I think - I've got a couple of Le Creuset pans I bought (as seconds from their outlet store) to take to uni in the late 90s that are still in service and some more Le Creuset my Mum no longer uses that she likely bought in the mid-80s that are doing just fine. I've got my Dad's pastry rings that are from '84 if the crow's foot is anything to go by. I imagine there's less of a demand for military issue kitchen tools than watches!
I have a sofa that my parents had made in 1972, been recovered twice. The upholsterer told me that it will outlast my children.
Oldest appliance is my old audio amp, a Cyrus one which I bought from my uncle in 1981 when he upgraded.
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Leak Stereo 20 valve amplifier, early 60s and a Thorens turntable c.1966. Use them most days.
I cooked dinner for 10 last night in a cast-iron stew pot that dates from the 1940s - the lid is mild steel that has been hot-dipped in tin and painted army-green, so suspect it's ex-military. It was left in the house by the previous owner. Works perfectly on the induction hob, too.
Our dining room table is over 100 years old, has marks in the centre where my grandma used to plonk a teapot on a mat on it many moons ago. I believe my great grandfather made it, extendable leaves and detachable base and all! Wife has mentioned getting it French polished but all those marks are family history to me.
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
What is your oldest possession or appliance you still use?
Definitely the Wife
relate but dont use mine much nowadays , looked nice when i first got it ,somethings dont get better with age, tends to cause me a pain in my gluteus maximus most days ,all the joints are worn out and moves very slowly now, and tends to make me late for most of my activities/appointments, comes in handy on wash day though, cant afford to replace it now i am retired and on a pension. LOL
my favourite old thing is a socket set my dad had ( i remember him buying it)and use it most days in the garage .:-)
I have a jumper from about 22 years ago that I still wear, a grey Armani jumper that I got with one of my first wages at 18. Got several other items of clothing that are 15+ years ago.