Whats your oldest kit

[MikeLA]

This is very important to me and a topic which should be valued more in our throw away oh my kits looking shabby throw away society.

I have bivi bags looked after since 1991. Did have a berghaus Munro used daily colour was nearly yellow after about 25 years or more hard use. A mark 1 berghaus lightning knee length waterproof which eventually had to let go after many years of hillwalking use (2 items gone but lasted). Army lightweights still using, crusader mug had since they were first produced. Couple of penknives a normark and a clasp knife.

 

[Pattree]

That does look a nice vintage piece

You’ve made a happy man feel very old!

 

[oldtimer]

Not sure how wide a definition of kit the OP intended but the thread has reminded me that when making bird nest boxes a couple of years ago, my grandson used tools that once belonged to my grandfather.

 

[CLEM]

My Dads fork from his time in the Army, it’s the only thing of his I have really so it’s very precious to me.

The other would be a Swiss Medics folding candle lantern.

 

[neoaliphant]

i use an old knapsack i got from endicotts, not sure of its age, could be ww2, but it was close to an indi jones bag, thats my manpurse for everyday.

have a collection of old ww2 and ww1 pocket knives from grandparents, but dont use those.

current susrvival kit is in a ww2 US ammo pouch had since i was 12... that lives in the above knapsack....

 

[oldtimer]

Sorry, but I can no longer resist the temptation to make the claim that I am still using my great grandfather's axe which has had only three new new handles and two replacement heads since he used it.

 

[neoaliphant]

Sorry, but I can no longer resist the temptation to make the claim that I am still using my great grandfather's axe which has had only three new new handles and two replacement heads since he used it.

I wondered if someone was going was going to menton that, lol

 

[Tengu]

It was inevitable.

 

[matarius777]

A Finnish military compass from 1930s with some rare stamping. From my grandfather.

I’ve got my grandfather’s sighting compass from when he was in the Royal Artillery, WW1. Had another identical one of his that had its leather case, it was pinched by some electricians doing some work at my elderly mother’s where I kept it. Didn’t find it gone for a year. Still makes me fume thinking about it!

 

[neoaliphant]

I’ve got my grandfather’s sighting compass from when he was in the Royal Artillery, WW1. Had another identical one of his that had its leather case, it was pinched by some electricians doing some work at my elderly mother’s where I kept it. Didn’t find it gone for a year. Still makes me fume thinking about it!

Hire the same electricians for a job...and steal their equipment...

 

[matarius777]

Hire the same electricians for a job...and steal their equipment...

I would do more than that. It was complicated because the contractor, who was meant to be council approved for vulnerable clients got “fly by night” electricians in, then claimed not to know their addresses. My mother had to take the contractor to court as h is work wasn’t up to standard. We discovered a copper water tank had been stolen by them out of the attic maybe other things as well- it’s a big house with a lot of things in it. The outcome for me is,I won’t allow anybody to do any work in my house without me being present, no matter how trustworthy they might appear. Any way, apologies for taking the thread on a tangent.

 

[neoaliphant]

I would do more than that. It was complicated because the contractor, who was meant to be council approved for vulnerable clients got “fly by night” electricians in, then claimed not to know their addresses. My mother had to take the contractor to court as h is work wasn’t up to standard. We discovered a copper water tank had been stolen by them out of the attic maybe other things as well- it’s a big house with a lot of things in it. The outcome for me is,I won’t allow anybody to do any work in my house without me being present, no matter how trustworthy they might appear. Any way, apologies for taking the thread on a tangent.

Its the contractors fault for not knowing his subcontractors, thats what he has insurance for.. you need to contact council as well..

 

[matarius777]

Its the contractors fault for not knowing his subcontractors, thats what he has insurance for.. you need to contact council as well..

It was complicated, my mother took him to the small claims court and won, for badly done work. The missing things weren’t discovered until over a year later. My late mother was a very fair person, she said it was too late by the time it was discovered, it couldn’t be proved and, given her health issues, I suspect she couldn’t face the stress and hassle anyway, she’d had enough of the whole thing. After trying to get the safety certificates for the electric work done, the contractor claimed he didn’t know where they lived now. The whole thing was a mess. I always wanted to ring him and tell him what his scrimping on his workers had led to, but she wouldn’t let me. She sadly passed away a few months ago, I have decided to contact him anyway because I might need those certificates for the house sale, probably won’t be able to get them, but at least I’ll finally have the satisfaction of getting it all off my chest. He’s not actually a bad person, per se, he’s just incompetent, evidently he has a reputation amongst local plumbers and their supply outlets, his wife says “he’s a real “person” person”. I say he likes the sound of his own voice and is over bearing, supposedly one place banned him because he ”took over”, turfed their assistant off the computer and used it to select fittings. Evidently his parents are very well off and paid for him to do a plumbing course, so he’s not “time served” but thinks he knows it all, he under cuts local plumbers by using shady people to do the work, Jack of all Trade types, hence what happened to my mother. He even talked over the Saniflow engineer, claiming he’d fitted it correctly, he’d fitted loads blah blah blah. Just wish we’d known all this before. Anyway, that’s pretty much why I no longer have my grandfather’s WW1 compass, as for the electricians, I’d like to inflict WW1 carnage on them if I could find them!

 

[neoaliphant]

It was complicated, my mother took him to the small claims court and won, for badly done work. The missing things weren’t discovered until over a year later. My late mother was a very fair person, she said it was too late by the time it was discovered, it couldn’t be proved and, given her health issues, I suspect she couldn’t face the stress and hassle anyway, she’d had enough of the whole thing. After trying to get the safety certificates for the electric work done, the contractor claimed he didn’t know where they lived now. The whole thing was a mess. I always wanted to ring him and tell him what his scrimping on his workers had led to, but she wouldn’t let me. She sadly passed away a few months ago, I have decided to contact him anyway because I might need those certificates for the house sale, probably won’t be able to get them, but at least I’ll finally have the satisfaction of getting it all off my chest. He’s not actually a bad person, per se, he’s just incompetent, evidently he has a reputation amongst local plumbers and their supply outlets, his wife says “he’s a real “person” person”. I say he likes the sound of his own voice and is over bearing, supposedly one place banned him because he ”took over”, turfed their assistant off the computer and used it to select fittings. Evidently his parents are very well off and paid for him to do a plumbing course, so he’s not “time served” but thinks he knows it all, he under cuts local plumbers by using shady people to do the work, Jack of all Trade types, hence what happened to my mother. He even talked over the Saniflow engineer, claiming he’d fitted it correctly, he’d fitted loads blah blah blah. Just wish we’d known all this before. Anyway, that’s pretty much why I no longer have my grandfather’s WW1 compass, as for the electricians, I’d like to inflict WW1 carnage on them if I could find them!

If you could fine the names aat least of teh elctricians, you could bad review them
The safety certificates should ahve been provided straight away, or at least sent a few days afterwards, you chouldnt have to chase the contractor years later, I would get him to supply, and if he cant, then he ought to pay himself for the work to be safety certified as say the solicitors say you need it for sale, and he is in breach....

 

[matarius777]

If you could fine the names aat least of teh elctricians, you could bad review them
The safety certificates should ahve been provided straight away, or at least sent a few days afterwards, you chouldnt have to chase the contractor years later, I would get him to supply, and if he cant, then he ought to pay himself for the work to be safety certified as say the solicitors say you need it for sale, and he is in breach....

Another plumber got involved and evidently, at first he said he knew where they lived, then when he realised it was going to cause him problems, he backtracked and claimed he didn’t. At this stage there’s not an earthly chance of finding out and, to be honest, I’d rather not know as I feel so furious about it, even now, 10 or more years later, I really don’t need the hassle or repercussions- her death is still very raw, I was her carer in her last years. It’s that feeling of personal space invasion that people get when they’ve been burgled, plus the betray of trust, even though it was my mother’s house, we’ve always been a close family, the thought of them rooting through her possessions (and mine as a lot of my things and family heirlooms were there).
Anyway, we’ll leave it there and continue with the original theme of the thread. Thanks for your suggestions though, it’s much appreciated!

 

[GNJC]

...My oldest piece of kit that still gets used on some static camps, is a John Linwood clockwork roasting jack, dating from 1815-1825.

Yep, I have a few of those and some by Salter too, very good kit. I forged myself a copy of a much earlier - pre-clockwork - version called a dangle spit, as featured in Seymour Lindsay's 'Iron and Brass Implements' book

It is more robust than a the brass ones, but needs twisting every 15 mins or so, rather than every 30mins+. The rings under your flywheel were used to hang small hooks on, the hooks were for hanging fat on to 'self-baste' the main joint underneath. That Idea was copied from the earlier dangle spit.

Being clockwork myself, I can't seem to copy and paste images as usual... so below is something that was copied form the book I mention:

Google Image Result for https://yvesforges.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/seymour-lyndsay-100.jpeg

 

[Tengu]

But then you would need a little turnspit dog.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Yep, I have a few of those and some by Salter too, very good kit. I forged myself a copy of a much earlier - pre-clockwork - version called a dangle spit, as featured in Seymour Lindsay's 'Iron and Brass Implements' book

It is more robust than a the brass ones, but needs twisting every 15 mins or so, rather than every 30mins+. The rings under your flywheel were used to hang small hooks on, the hooks were for hanging fat on to 'self-baste' the main joint underneath. That Idea was copied from the earlier dangle spit.

Being clockwork myself, I can't seem to copy and paste images as usual... so below is something that was copied form the book I mention:

Google Image Result for https://yvesforges.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/seymour-lyndsay-100.jpeg

Thanks for that info.

 

[Ystranc]

My oldest item is a Jaeger camel sleeping bag. I’m unsure of its age but it is the first iteration of the Jaeger label so around the start of the 1900’s similar to the Price-Jones Euklisia rug. I also have several army pocket knives and stag handled Royal Navy rigger knives from the late 1800’s

 

[forrestdweller]

having had a (semi) nomadic lifestyle for many years meant sadly leaving items behind on more than one occasion (==due to weight/ space limits), but i tend to use items as long as possible and usually don't buy new stuff unless an item has worn out or been lost...

●my oldest item is a plastic canteen i got almost 40years ago from my long-dead aunt. i use it only on very special occasions (like my climb of Mt. Fuji) nowadays due to it's personal value and the "plasticky" taste of the water
● my magnifying glass for pyrography is over 30years old
● i had a small "Victorinox" SAK for 27years and a Leatherman "Supertool" for 19years until lost suring an armed robbery in nicaragua
● my faithful walking stick has been with me since 2005 but he's honorably retired now (and writing his memoirs)
● Gransfors SFA over 20 years
● in 2005 i got a slingshot from my host when spending 10unforgettable weeks with the inventors of survival (Nyul Nyul, Bardi and Jawuru to be exactly) on Dampier Peninsula -- it belonged originally to his daughter, so was several years old already when i got it
etc...

●technically not gear but in 2005 i found a small statue of Groundskeeper Willy near Kununurra-- a few weeks later i forgot it and my alarm clock for a week on the dashboard of my car. upon return the heat had melted the clock but Willy was fine -- he's still with me!