What items have you had for years that are still servicable/in daily use?

[longearedbat]

When I first left home and moved into rented furnished accomodation I bought a set of tins, one of which was a tea caddy. That caddy has been in daily use since, and that is coming on for 40 years. At the same time I also bought some kitchen utensils. The potato masher is still going! Every time I use it I idly wonder how many tons of potatoes I have mashed with it over the years.
What have you got that has lasted well? Not necessarily kitchen stuff, just anything.

My kitchen scales. They used to be in the family shop so most of the weights have assay stamps on them - I think 16 (as in 1916) is the oldest. I use them all the time, as does DD. I think she's the fifth generation.

My breadboard was old when DM acquired it and gave it to me, and that was 30 years ago.

Our nicest tablecloth came from DGM and dates from the 1920s.

Basically I'm a tightwad who retires nothing till it falls apart.

Another kenwood! Grandmas wedding present in 1955. It’s a turquoise monstrosity that sounds like a jet plane taking off. But it (and it’s opaque glass bowl) make the best cake ever.

I’m a keeper anyway. I try not to replace perfectly serviceable stuff. My kids play with toys that were mine (the dolls cot my dad made for me, palitoy tree house, fisher price camper van and school, etc) and I have some kitchen implements which have been with me since I was 21.

A cheap stick blender from Tesco or Sainsbury’s about 10 years ago that still makes the smoothest soups ever. Beats my fancy Kitchenaid blender hands down.

A baby blanket my grandma made my mum who passed it on to me and now my dd has it. Still looks lovely.

A pair of wellies that I bought from the local market 15 yrs ago for £5! I love my wellies

A potted bay tree that has been with us for 13 yrs maybe that has seen three gardens/house moves (including moving from one end of the country to another).

Both my parents were extreme hoarders. Dad was great at finding bargains at second hand shops, flea markets etc. We have loads of their furniture and odds and ends. After dad died, I took a very old lamp from his house that hadn't worked for years and got the local electrician to fix it for me.

A portable CD player. Bought it in 1992. Still works well.

Original hunter wellies - 18 years old and still perfect
Ariat grasmere boots - 10 years maybe? And I don't take the best care of them
A cotton flat sheet that I use in summer when it's hot, was my parents and is about 25 years old I think

Dualit toaster.

Everything has been bought before or for our wedding so 20 +years ago -

9 stacking bowl set from Lakeland
bits of our wedding crockery
Grater in incredible condition and was very cheap
Mermaid roasting tin

My Dualit toaster is still going strong after 25+ years and gets used every day.

I also use a Sabatier knife every day that I got free from collecting tokens on boxes of Alpen when I was a student (so 30 years ago!)

A set of prestige kitchen utensils bought in 1972.

Terry nappies that we’re passed on to me by my auntie. They were new for her 1st child. They have been used for 9 children overall and the last of them are now floor cloths. (18 or 20 out of 36.)

Loads of books that I had as a child, that my children and grandchildren have read and sent back to me.

My daily dressing gown is at least 30 years old.

Some plates that are probably 40 years old.

A hand whisk that I got in 1971.

My first washing machine lasted 25 years and nothing has done as well as that Zanussi.

That’s all I can think of for now.

My friend gave me a going away present when I was off to uni of some kitchen bits and bobs-mugs, sieve, cheese slice and other things.

Just used the cheese slice to make sandwiches for lunch today. It is 27 years old.

I’m using my grandmothers rotary hand whisk which is over 40 years old.

I have a quilted throw my mother made for me 25 years ago.

I still have a working gameboy I play Tetris on that I have had for 27/28 years.

My Braun ‘multiquick’ stick blender I bought in Argos in 1997 (I remember because it’s when I bought my flat).

The Miele vacuum cleaner that was my grandmother’s (she died in 2008 and lived in a care home for 4 years before that).

So much kitchen stuff - in fact yesterday I was contemplating starting a very similar thread! I have an old serving spoon that has a wooden handle, metal shaft and plastic scoop with a flattened end that's somehow rigid and flexible. It's perfect for serving up things out of dishes as you can scrape round with the flat end and then scoop up. Was my Nana's, probably 1970s. Also just used her old fish slice to prize a pizza off the baking sheet - the pattern is very 1950s. I use a little punch ladle of Nana's to spoon pancake mixture into the pan as it's the perfect size for scotch pancakes.

DH and I lived in their house for a while after they both died while we were getting our own house sorted and ended up taking a lot of their stuff with us - glasses they saved up petrol tokens for, candy stripe pillowcases that were barely used and must be 1960s/70s, the washing basket that is pretty ancient, old garden tools that could date back to the 1940s.

Most basic stuff will last decades if looked after well. My grandma used to have a box grater that still had the cardboard surround on from the 1950s when she got married - she would put it back after every use. She had to move out if her house about 4 years ago and I expect it was still intact then.

I have several items of clothing that I bought at 16/17 that I still wear now nearly 29 years later! They weren't even expensive things! Pair of Lee Cooper jeans. Wrangler Steel toe Cap boots. Couple of band t-shirts. Couple of coats from Lee Cooper and Dorothy perkins. And a tshirt my uncle bought me from the canaries when I was 8! It was baggy me then, its nearly faded out but I still wear it, although obviously it's tight on me now. I wore it to a party the other day 😂

20 years later. Not 29. Although I wouldn't be surprised if I was still wearing them in 19 years time!

Bourgeat Tradition Plus pans. Had them nearly 20 years and they still look brand new.

My dining plates and a sharp knife, given to me by my grandmother over 30 years ago.

My mum has one cup from a whole dining set she bought when she first got a house I think maybe 30 years ago or something the cup is disgusting but she will not throw it out it's tiger print and has more chips than the local fish shop but she adores it

A kenwood electric handheld mixer that was bought for us as a wedding present 36 years ago. It gets used at least twice a week.

kenwood mixer that is about 50 years old

My ‘best shoes’ were bought for my 40th birthday party, I am now 6O & still wear them regularly.
Still have my silk dressing gown from my honeymoon (30 years ago) which I use in the summer.
By coincidence my DH & I had the same Habitat china before we got married & still use it daily .

Prestige cookware bought as a wedding gift for my parents in 1972, I do need to replace a handle on one of the pots if that is possible.

My mum has loads of pans/kitchen equipment that is older than me (37). Really well made stuff that she uses regularly.

My bike. 😁it's 16 years old.

Also kenwood mixer from the 1970s.
It's noisy, but bulletproof. Traditional engineering. Love it.