Your oldest bit of kit that is still going strong?

[wattsy]

1905 pfaff sewing machine rescuers from a skip lovely bit of kit

 

[oldtimer]

Wm Rodgers "Bushman's Friend" knife, 1966 present from my wife before trip across Europe to Crete before the tourists. Sierra cup USA 1975: we've had them in our packs ever since. Part of a WW2 parachute my dad "liberated" I've had since a child: first it was used as sleeping bag cover, then a pack cover and now its got progressively smaller over the years its usually a scarf. I've had my wife since 1962 and she's still going strong.

 

[TinkyPete]

I have an old 85 pattern metal mug had since 1991 used all over the world been in my army kit since i bought it. SOG Seal pup my main work heavy knife had since 95 used from Bosnia to Afghan still going strong and the crab air haven't confiscated it yet
My issue clasp knife had since 94 when I was working as a "liney" and completed all my class 2 liney tests even though I am an operator
My old 58 green maggot bag looking a bit thin in places and feathers starting to come out after I leant if a friend (think he washed it wrongly) had that since 1990

My old grand fathers leather knife had acquired it when I was about 10 and found it in my dads garage rusted up. cleaned and oiled and sharpened it and abused it for years but still going marked up as Herbert & Sons west smithfield, warranted.

My great uncles Jungle Kukhri he was given when he served with the Gurkha's in Burma with the two small knives but is their wood chopping/ war kukhri 12" blade, the leather perished when left in a shed for 20 years and the blade had rust on it but the wood of the sheath was ok so I have improvised something to work as a sheath for now but a long term project or going to get a Gurkha to sort out the sheath out properly.

Lastly my "Pioneer" John Hall cutler Bristol Bowie knife marked up also with Wade & Butcher, Sheffield England, and also a B in a circle an arrow and Maltese type cross was also my Gand fathers and handed down to me the year he died, I was 7. I have looked after it ever since but it has also been used on many adventures when I was young

 

[sandbender]

My fathers billycan, which must date from the Forties if not earlier.

 

[tartanferret]

My old ridge tent which is still going strong after twenty odd years,

Many dome tents have come and gone in that time.

Heres a picture of "old reliable" pictured in Edale alongside "old not-so-reliable"

http://s1103.photobucket.com/albums/g467/suggydesign/?action=view&current=ridgetent.jpg

 

[loosehead]

some great gear coming out
for me it's a buffalo shirt i got as a present when i joined up in 1990 - had some heavy duty use and abuse ( just about manage to slip into it - supposed to be figure hugging lol ) and a good old sigg bottle from the same year - wouldn't swap it

 

[ged]

... Lastly my "Pioneer" John Hall cutler Bristol Bowie knife ...

Is that the one I used to cut up the sausages at North Wood last year?

I have one a lot like it, had it since I was in the cubs so at least half a century. It lives by the wood-burner, also curiously enough with a SOG (Toolclip). That's practically new. I've only had it for a couple of decades.

Not sure if my sister's ex-WD folder that she had for the guides is older or younger than me. She could never open it, so she gave it to me when I went on DoE about 1964-66.

 

[Simon H]

Shewie your Bulldogs are still going strong, they get used a couple of times a month and are still bombproof.I think my oldest bit of kit that's still going is my grandad's issue penknife ( a Taylor's Eye Witness one without the Marlin spike) from WW2 dated 1940.

 

[Laurentius]

Old as in the sense of made a long time ago, or something you have had for a long time? I don't have anything much over a decade old, in terms of how long I have had it, which is in regular use today, I had a lot of stuff stolen some years ago and what else I have has been replaced by more up to date kit.

In terms of venerable old tools however, I have a few of indeterminate age and probably considerable vintage. I don't have my grandfathers axe, but I have my great grandfathers gilpin hammer.

I don't know whether spectacles count, The frames I am wearing now, date from WW2, but you would hardly call them bushcraft kit, although I couldn't do a lot without them.

I do have a couple of other items from WW2 which I have had since the 60's, a leather ammo case for a vickers gun and a gas mask case, both of which have served for my cameras, or sarnies before now, but they were retired a long time ago, along with my dad's original bergan which fell apart eventually.

 

[Man of Tanith]

my oldest bit of kit which is mine alone has to be my scout neckerchief had it from cubs and now wear it leading my old scout troop so about 20 plus years old

 

[Harvestman]

My oldest is a cast iron bakestone I had off my grandma, and I have no idea whether it was passed down to her. I'm counting it as bushcraft kit since I hauled the thing to a meet (uphill for a mile) once!

 

[Jackdaw]

Me at 38 years. Although I have a very old Swannie which is still going strong. My belt is ex Egyptian Army from the 20's but not really bushcraft kit.

 

[Claudiasboris]

I've still got a lot of the kit that I bought in the mid-80s: Karrimor Condor 65, Karrimor roll mat, Silva 15TDCL, non-stick mess tins from Survival Aids and various other bits and pieces. Most are still being used with no loss of performance.

As far as things that I've inherited, I've got a Wade & Butcher Boone knife from Granny. I've no idea of provenance but she's atill looking good and works very well. She shows signs of her age but that's just character. I've no doubt that she'll be around long after I've gone.

Claudiasboris

 

[widu13]

A monitor paraffin stove dated 1954, strangely Army mess tins of the same date, polish lavvu dated 1971, lots of kit from when I was in the mob mid 80s onwards including a Survival Aids Goretex bivvy bag bought pre issue for £115 in 1986!