Longest owned continuously used item in your home?

[fell-like-rain]

Oldest item overall for me would be my dining room table. My grandpa had a furniture store through to the 60s, and took this one from stock sometime in the mid 50s. It was their dining table for a while, then my parents', now mine. The tabletop is two big slabs of (nowadays) very illegal teak, so it's pretty much irreplaceable at this point.

However, I'm probably more impressed by the fact that my 1986 touring bike is still kicking. All the hard wearing parts have been replaced (cables, bar tape, tires, chain, bearings, rear hub), but otherwise it's all original and in great shape. Let's see your '86 Camry do that!

[BlueHouse]

I have some crystal from my grandmother's that I use as water glasses.  They were her wedding glasses from 1932.  I only have 3 left, but I wasn't going to let them sit in a cabinet somewhere. 

I also have a shoe shine box that I still use to care for my shoes and lace up sneakers every day.  This was definitely in my grandparents house when I was a child, so at least 50 years old.  Probably older than that, but not sure.  Just one of those things that always stays in the garage and has always been used every morning and every night. 

[Villanelle]

I have many of the kitchen items from my grandmother's kitchen.  I got them in 2001, but some are clearly very old.  I would guess her/my mixing bowls go back to the 60s, based on their style. 

[Rural]

In my list (much) earlier in this discussion, I forgot about my file cabinet. It's a Steelcase from the early 1940s with art deco styling, and the thing is a tank.


My 1928 Singer treadle sewing machine is also now seeing regular use - I started using it to sew multilayer masks early in the pandemic and have discovered it will sew through almost anything, so I'm doing the heavy duty jobs I never tackled before.


1972 range/oven combo is still going strong in the kitchen, Harvest Gold and all.


My saucepans were a wedding gift to my mother in 1964.


What all these things have in common is that they are much, much better made than anything I could replace them with. Though I could do without the Harvest Gold.

[Jenny Wren]

I just remembered my stapler, which still sits on my desk. It's a miniature Swingline, only 2.5 inches long. I got it in 7th grade as a prize for some silly competition we did every Friday in math class. It's green but see through plastic so you can see all the inner workings, which was all the rage in 1988-89 when I got the thing. I still use it, and both the kids used it all through school. It even has a built in staple remover and a compartment to store extra staples.

[DoneFSO]

I have a seamstress’ tape measure on my desk that gets used all the time.  I got it from my mother, who got it from her mother.  It looks very old and has “DEAN Made in England Scovill” written on it.  It still works perfectly, and the tape snaps back into the reel with vigor, like it was brand new.  It has followed me all over the world since I was a teenager and looks the same as the day I got it.  They don’t make stuff like they used to.  I also have a rifle made in 1954 that has been well cared for and gets well cared for by me, and I do shoot it occasionally for sport.

[CCHQ]

Childhood dresser. So, about 40 years.

[oneday]

I have a seamstress’ tape measure on my desk that gets used all the time.  I got it from my mother, who got it from her mother.  It looks very old and has “DEAN Made in England Scovill” written on it.  It still works perfectly, and the tape snaps back into the reel with vigor, like it was brand new.  It has followed me all over the world since I was a teenager and looks the same as the day I got it.  They don’t make stuff like they used to.  I also have a rifle made in 1954 that has been well cared for and gets well cared for by me, and I do shoot it occasionally for sport.

I've been told that fabric or plastic tape measure can get stretched out over time and become inaccurate. I'd be curious if yours has.

[DoneFSO]

I have a seamstress’ tape measure on my desk that gets used all the time.  I got it from my mother, who got it from her mother.  It looks very old and has “DEAN Made in England Scovill” written on it.  It still works perfectly, and the tape snaps back into the reel with vigor, like it was brand new.  It has followed me all over the world since I was a teenager and looks the same as the day I got it.  They don’t make stuff like they used to.  I also have a rifle made in 1954 that has been well cared for and gets well cared for by me, and I do shoot it occasionally for sport.

I've been told that fabric or plastic tape measure can get stretched out over time and become inaccurate. I'd be curious if yours has.

I never even thought of that, but reaching a conclusion presents a challenge:  in order to determine if my old tape measure has stretched over time, I would need a very accurate reference because we're probably talking about fractions of an inch.  I do have other tape measures, but they are cheap, modern ones, and I'm not sure if they are a useful benchmark.

[Ape86]

I was just impressed today with how long my Swissgear backpack has lasted and is still in seemingly perfect condition. I bought it in 2006 and brought it with me to the west coast. Still use it constantly when biking or traveling. It's nowhere as old as some of the items other people are talking about in this thread. But it was clearly a good purchase.

[oneday]

I have a seamstress’ tape measure on my desk that gets used all the time.  I got it from my mother, who got it from her mother.  It looks very old and has “DEAN Made in England Scovill” written on it.  It still works perfectly, and the tape snaps back into the reel with vigor, like it was brand new.  It has followed me all over the world since I was a teenager and looks the same as the day I got it.  They don’t make stuff like they used to.  I also have a rifle made in 1954 that has been well cared for and gets well cared for by me, and I do shoot it occasionally for sport.

I've been told that fabric or plastic tape measure can get stretched out over time and become inaccurate. I'd be curious if yours has.

I never even thought of that, but reaching a conclusion presents a challenge:  in order to determine if my old tape measure has stretched over time, I would need a very accurate reference because we're probably talking about fractions of an inch.  I do have other tape measures, but they are cheap, modern ones, and I'm not sure if they are a useful benchmark.

Do you have a yardstick?

Where I heard this was in the context of knitting. Mostly I use the first half foot of my tapes, so that is where I'd worry about accuracy. Maybe it's less relevant to sewing, which is what I assume you use yours for.

[crowinghen]

One of the things I have had  and used for quite a while is an All American Pressure canner. I "borrowed"  it from my Mom when I was in my early twenties,  she had gotten it from her grandma, so it's my Great Grandma's. I  just bought a bigger one so we can do more jars at a time, so now we do both of them at the same time.  I also borrowed a heavy duty cutting board that my sister made in shop when she was in Junior high.

[DoneFSO]

I have a seamstress’ tape measure on my desk that gets used all the time.  I got it from my mother, who got it from her mother.  It looks very old and has “DEAN Made in England Scovill” written on it.  It still works perfectly, and the tape snaps back into the reel with vigor, like it was brand new.  It has followed me all over the world since I was a teenager and looks the same as the day I got it.  They don’t make stuff like they used to.  I also have a rifle made in 1954 that has been well cared for and gets well cared for by me, and I do shoot it occasionally for sport.

I've been told that fabric or plastic tape measure can get stretched out over time and become inaccurate. I'd be curious if yours has.

I never even thought of that, but reaching a conclusion presents a challenge:  in order to determine if my old tape measure has stretched over time, I would need a very accurate reference because we're probably talking about fractions of an inch.  I do have other tape measures, but they are cheap, modern ones, and I'm not sure if they are a useful benchmark.

Do you have a yardstick?

Where I heard this was in the context of knitting. Mostly I use the first half foot of my tapes, so that is where I'd worry about accuracy. Maybe it's less relevant to sewing, which is what I assume you use yours for.

Ah, no, I do not sew.  I use it as a general tape measure/ruler.

[Loretta]

I have two manual can openers and this morning thanks to insomnia I removed the rust from both using CLR and water with a 1:1 ratio.  I believe one was a graduation gift and the other one belonged to my grandparents.  I’m a middle aged lady person. 

[readwalksave]

I have a cast-iron skillet that my Great great grandmother bought in 1905. It was passed on to me in 2005. I have used it multiple times a day since then.

[pasadenafr]

Had to think long and hard about this one, then I realized it's a no-brainer: I have a terracotta coffee container that I got from my Grandmother when she moved to live with my parents. I use it to store often-used cooking ustensiles (as she did). Not sure of its age, probably bought in the 80's? I've known that thing all my life.

I also have her sewing box, which is full of STUFF, some of it older (including some ribbon thingies with my mom's name on them, they used to sew those on kids clothes for school, so dating back to the 50's, or random buttons in random medication boxes from the 60's), but none of it has been used in years. I mostly keep it for sentimental reasons, and will keep it forever.

[JoePublic3.14]

This one is way on the lower scale, but I am still impressed with it.

Stainless steel travel mug. Got it as some freebie in about 2007. Not so old, but it has experienced a lot. First, the plastic slider had a tab break off that kept it in the lid at about year two. A little spot of glue has kept it working since. Then two years after that, it took a tumble off the truck when I forgot it was there. Not off the top of the cab, which is more typical, but from the corner of the bed. And of course I made a right turn out of the drive as first turn. Got to work before I noticed it. Drove back home and there it was in the gutter. Some bumps and bruises caused me to have to remove the rubber pad on the bottom. Took about a year for the sticky glue to finally fully wear off the bottom.

Add that to how many times it has been left in conference rooms, labs offices, test cells, and so on, it’s remarkable to me it has survived. I am always nervous that the handle is going to pop off.

So about 14 years, about two years per washing….

[GuitarStv]

So about 14 years, about two years per washing….

Two years per washing is pretty clean.

I've used the same water bottle at work for about a decade and a half.  The last time I washed it it had grown a green algae that stuck to the clear sides at the bottom.  I figured the algae was a sign that the water was clean enough.  A co-worker made me wash the algae out though.  Kinda miss the gentle green swaying after each sip.

[JoePublic3.14]

So about 14 years, about two years per washing….

Two years per washing is pretty clean.

I've used the same water bottle at work for about a decade and a half.  The last time I washed it it had grown a green algae that stuck to the clear sides at the bottom.  I figured the algae was a sign that the water was clean enough.  A co-worker made me wash the algae out though.  Kinda miss the gentle green swaying after each sip.

Yeah, I hear ya…the only truly legitimate reason for a washing is if you start suffering volumetric efficiency.

Love the thought of the gentle green swaying…

[Alternatepriorities]

So about 14 years, about two years per washing….

Two years per washing is pretty clean.

I've used the same water bottle at work for about a decade and a half.  The last time I washed it it had grown a green algae that stuck to the clear sides at the bottom.  I figured the algae was a sign that the water was clean enough.  A co-worker made me wash the algae out though.  Kinda miss the gentle green swaying after each sip.

15 years! Now I feel like an amateur. I only make  disposable water bottles last four or five years I like them because they are lighter than nalgenes attach to my filter and fit in my bike water bottle holder. I was pretty upset this summer when I kid through one that was only two years old into the river. He legitimately thought it was trash, so I focused on teaching him not to dispose of plastic that way…

[Plugra]

I have a heavy-duty aluminum (restaurant-grade) frying pan that I acquired, used, in the early 1980s.  It's in perfect condition.

I have a steel kitchen knife that I found on the side of the road when I was out jogging in about 1986. The handle had completely disintegrated but the blade was still fine.  I still sharpen it regularly and use it all the time, although the fact that it's missing an actual handle often invites comments from people.

[marion10]

I have some pyrex bowls and some Johnstone Ironware plates that I got my junior year in college. So 41 years ago? Using my Revereware I got when married 39 years ago. We have a dresser made by my husband's grandfather in the 1930's? My daughter has the matching bed.

[Jesticle]

We have a Piano passed down for several generations. My Great Grandpa played it in his Church as a Minister, then it was in my Grandma's house for a few years where she used to play it, then moved to my Parent's house where I learned to play on it. Now it's in my house and my 3 year old daughter puts on concerts for us, and plays it every day.

It's about 120 years old, and one of the keys sticks. About time for me to take up piano refurbishing.

[BicycleB]

We have a Piano passed down for several generations. My Great Grandpa played it in his Church as a Minister, then it was in my Grandma's house for a few years where she used to play it, then moved to my Parent's house where I learned to play on it. Now it's in my house and my 3 year old daughter puts on concerts for us, and plays it every day.

It's about 120 years old, and one of the keys sticks. About time for me to take up piano refurbishing.

How cool!

[srrb]

Hmmm. We've bought three estate sale houses and have kept various hand tools and kitchen items they came with -- like hand drills and hand mixers, pyrex bowls, mending kits, etc. For things I've bought ... a 21-year-old car, 20-year-old jeans (still fit, but not in the same way, lol, and relegated to dirty work), 25-year-old MEC Gortex coat I keep waterproofing, Tupperware I took from my mom's collection when I moved out in 1993. Lots of things are "old" in my home.

[theninthwall]

Not that special, but I have a brown suede jacket that I bought when I was at college. I think it was like $120 back in 2004, and for some reason it got my attention. Excuse my lack of modesty, but I think it looks better and better on me as I get older. My wife loves it, and it makes me feel good when I wear it. I checked the other day to see where it was made, and it was a nothing special label from China, but kudos to the factory that produced it because it has stood up really well.

[sonofsven]

I was thinking hard about this, as I have a lot of old stuff but I don't use it every day. Some old tools I hardly ever use.
The one thing I came up with is my silverware set (flatware, actually. It's not silver). My folks got it in 1963 when they married, and it was our everyday set of knives, forks, spoons.
My mom gave me the set twenty years ago. So I've used it most of my life, with about a 17 year break.
The flatware is Dansk Odin (username fits). I love it because the forks are sporks.
The other thing I thought of is my mom's house. It was built by my grandfather in 1947. My dad grew up there, and he bought it in 1964 when grandpa wanted to move to town, then I grew up there, and my mom still lives there.
So the house has been used continually by my immediate family since 1947.

[roomtempmayo]

Every day I hang my jacket in a freestanding wardrobe that was likely built in the 1860s.

Our dining room table came west in a covered wagon, circa 1880s.

Our house was built in the 1890s.

One of the lamps in the living room was built by my grandfather in the 1950s.

There's a woodblock print on the wall that my uncle made and framed in the late 1960s.

My road bike frame was made in 1981.

The rocker in the living room was salvaged by my mother-in-law in 1983.  It's been reupholstered twice since then, but never needed to be reglued.

I'm currently wearing a pair of shoes that are at least 15 years old, and have been resoled multiple times.

[jim555]

Panasonic microwave oven from 1994.  Used daily.

[Firehazard]

I have a hairbrush that I bought 42 years ago at a salon when I was 15 years old.  I still use it every day.  I have tried to replace it a few times, but I always end up going back to old faithful.  The bristles are starting to break, so I'm not sure how many more years I'll get out of it.  If anyone ever needs my DNA, this brush will be a great resource.

[BicycleB]

I have a hairbrush that I bought 42 years ago at a salon when I was 15 years old.  I still use it every day.  I have tried to replace it a few times, but I always end up going back to old faithful.  The bristles are starting to break, so I'm not sure how many more years I'll get out of it.  If anyone ever needs my DNA, this brush will be a great resource.

(nods soberly) screen name checks out

[Metalcat]

I have a halogen Ikea desk lamp that I stole from a guy in high school in 1997. I don't know how long he had had it by that point, probably a few years.

I've used it every single day since I stole it because I've always used it for getting ready in the morning, and my makeup and hair routine used to be rather intensive, so it was on A LOT, but the damn thing is still going and still on the original bulb.

I have some nearly 100 year old hair forks that got a ton of use when I had long hair, but they're metal with no moving parts, so I'm actually more impressed by the Ikea lamp.

The Ikea lamp I posted about in this first page of this thread finally died! Granted, the cat knocked it on the ground several times, so that might have been what killed it, but still, that bulb lasted at least 30 years of every day use, and it wasn't an LED

[TreeLeaf]

I have a halogen Ikea desk lamp that I stole from a guy in high school in 1997. I don't know how long he had had it by that point, probably a few years.

I've used it every single day since I stole it because I've always used it for getting ready in the morning, and my makeup and hair routine used to be rather intensive, so it was on A LOT, but the damn thing is still going and still on the original bulb.

I have some nearly 100 year old hair forks that got a ton of use when I had long hair, but they're metal with no moving parts, so I'm actually more impressed by the Ikea lamp.

The Ikea lamp I posted about in this first page of this thread finally died! Granted, the cat knocked it on the ground several times, so that might have been what killed it, but still, that bulb lasted at least 30 years of every day use, and it wasn't an LED

Oh wow - I have several LED bulbs that have lasted 10+ years in daily use. I've never heard of a halogen bulb lasting 30 years.

Perhaps if you put LED bulb in the lamp it will last 60 years. :)

[Metalcat]

I have a halogen Ikea desk lamp that I stole from a guy in high school in 1997. I don't know how long he had had it by that point, probably a few years.

I've used it every single day since I stole it because I've always used it for getting ready in the morning, and my makeup and hair routine used to be rather intensive, so it was on A LOT, but the damn thing is still going and still on the original bulb.

I have some nearly 100 year old hair forks that got a ton of use when I had long hair, but they're metal with no moving parts, so I'm actually more impressed by the Ikea lamp.

The Ikea lamp I posted about in this first page of this thread finally died! Granted, the cat knocked it on the ground several times, so that might have been what killed it, but still, that bulb lasted at least 30 years of every day use, and it wasn't an LED

Oh wow - I have several LED bulbs that have lasted 10+ years in daily use. I've never heard of a halogen bulb lasting 30 years.

Perhaps if you put LED bulb in the lamp it will last 60 years. :)

The lamp itself died from being dropped on a tile floor about 20 times. The cat had a hard-on for that lamp.

I was okay with losing it. It was an ugly lamp from the early 90s that I stole from a highschool ex who I hated. I kept it for so long because it was small, super bright and great for doing hair and makeup, and I was just used to it. I just kept thinking that I would replace it when the bulb died, and then it just never bloody died!

[TreeLeaf]

I have a halogen Ikea desk lamp that I stole from a guy in high school in 1997. I don't know how long he had had it by that point, probably a few years.

I've used it every single day since I stole it because I've always used it for getting ready in the morning, and my makeup and hair routine used to be rather intensive, so it was on A LOT, but the damn thing is still going and still on the original bulb.

I have some nearly 100 year old hair forks that got a ton of use when I had long hair, but they're metal with no moving parts, so I'm actually more impressed by the Ikea lamp.

The Ikea lamp I posted about in this first page of this thread finally died! Granted, the cat knocked it on the ground several times, so that might have been what killed it, but still, that bulb lasted at least 30 years of every day use, and it wasn't an LED

Oh wow - I have several LED bulbs that have lasted 10+ years in daily use. I've never heard of a halogen bulb lasting 30 years.

Perhaps if you put LED bulb in the lamp it will last 60 years. :)

The lamp itself died from being dropped on a tile floor about 20 times. The cat had a hard-on for that lamp.

I was okay with losing it. It was an ugly lamp from the early 90s that I stole from a highschool ex who I hated. I kept it for so long because it was small, super bright and great for doing hair and makeup, and I was just used to it. I just kept thinking that I would replace it when the bulb died, and then it just never bloody died!

Oh wow - maybe you can put the bulb in a new lamp then and keep running it?

This reminds me of a 65 year old guy I used to work with who had a small desk fan he bought in college 45 years ago that he used daily. I tried to buy the fan off of him because it had a proven track record of reliability, but he wasn't interested in selling at all.

[GuitarStv]

I have a halogen Ikea desk lamp that I stole from a guy in high school in 1997. I don't know how long he had had it by that point, probably a few years.

I've used it every single day since I stole it because I've always used it for getting ready in the morning, and my makeup and hair routine used to be rather intensive, so it was on A LOT, but the damn thing is still going and still on the original bulb.

I have some nearly 100 year old hair forks that got a ton of use when I had long hair, but they're metal with no moving parts, so I'm actually more impressed by the Ikea lamp.

The Ikea lamp I posted about in this first page of this thread finally died! Granted, the cat knocked it on the ground several times, so that might have been what killed it, but still, that bulb lasted at least 30 years of every day use, and it wasn't an LED

Oh wow - I have several LED bulbs that have lasted 10+ years in daily use. I've never heard of a halogen bulb lasting 30 years.

Perhaps if you put LED bulb in the lamp it will last 60 years. :)

The lamp itself died from being dropped on a tile floor about 20 times. The cat had a hard-on for that lamp.

I was okay with losing it. It was an ugly lamp from the early 90s that I stole from a highschool ex who I hated. I kept it for so long because it was small, super bright and great for doing hair and makeup, and I was just used to it. I just kept thinking that I would replace it when the bulb died, and then it just never bloody died!

Oh wow - maybe you can put the bulb in a new lamp then and keep running it?

This reminds me of a 65 year old guy I used to work with who had a small desk fan he bought in college 45 years ago that he used daily. I tried to buy the fan off of him because it had a proven track record of reliability, but he wasn't interested in selling at all.

Lamps are really easy to re-wire.  You could probably retrofit it to work with a different type of lightbulb if you've got some wire, a multimeter, a socket, and a couple hours of time.

[marion10]

We have a chest of drawers that my husband's grandfather made- maybe in the 1940's? I have dishes I bought when I was a junior in college- so 42 years ago.

[Dicey]

I mentioned on another thread that I used to work for Scripto-Tokai Corporation. When I left in 1989, I kept a box of deluxe mechanical pencils with extra lead. I still use them.

[JJNL]

I am typing this sitting at the table I use for a desk. This table was bought by my parents in 1979 just before I was born, it was my changing table then. I've used it continuously for 43 years now. It's been sanded down and revarnished a few times, but other than that it's still good as new. In case anybody is curious: it's by Lundia, and they're still in business: https://lundia.com/

[ATtiny85]

My outer layer during my run today was the long sleeve t-shirt from the 2002 Indy Mini Marathon. Still going strong (the shirt, not my running…)

[sonofsven]

My outer layer during my run today was the long sleeve t-shirt from the 2002 Indy Mini Marathon. Still going strong (the shirt, not my running…)

That's funny, I still have my shirt from the 2001 Cycle Oregon; I'm just realizing how old that is, yikes!

[MandyT]

The most surprising thing is an electric popcorn popper a friend gave us in the early 1990s… And it wasn't even new then! I don't use it quite as much as I used to since our son now has braces and can't eat popcorn. But normally we all love popcorn and I use it quite often. I see the same brand it still has poppers on Amazon and people complain that they don't last like they used to. :-)

[Alternatepriorities]

The most surprising thing is an electric popcorn popper a friend gave us in the early 1990s… And it wasn't even new then! I don't use it quite as much as I used to since our son now has braces and can't eat popcorn. But normally we all love popcorn and I use it quite often. I see the same brand it still has poppers on Amazon and people complain that they don't last like they used to. :-)

I just inherited one of these from my father. I think it's the one he bought soon after getting electricity at the house in the late '80's. Still works great, we used it last night and only one kernel didn't pop! It's a lot more efficient than I can do on the stove or in the microwave.

[Sugaree]

I love my air popper.  My MIL gave it to us several years ago and it's aesthetic is very much late-80s to early 90s.

[vand]

I got some boxer shorts that are still going since 1986.  Still plenty of mileage in them, I reckon.

[MandyT]

Wow, @Alternatepriorities and @Sugaree ! It sounds like your 
air poppers are even older than mine. I don't know how they last so long! But I just love mine. Throw some olive oil, grated Parmesan, and fresh rosemary on the popcorn afterward and it's a special treat!

[LD_TAndK]

Our Maytag dishwasher was manufactured in 1995.... pretty amazing it's still chugging along.

[Sugaree]

My HVAC unit was manufactured in 1989.  We found the sticker with the date on it two years ago when we more or less replaced every component in it.  I know that a newer unit would be more cost effective, but I'm afraid that installing a new unit will require installing a newer, larger air intake and I'm not entirely sure where it would go.  I'd probably end up losing a closet. 

[okisok]

My 1928 Singer treadle sewing machine is also now seeing regular use - I started using it to sew multilayer masks early in the pandemic and have discovered it will sew through almost anything, so I'm doing the heavy duty jobs I never tackled before.

I have a 1918 model that I've refurbished. I hadn't tried it on anything thicker than two layers of cotton fabric. After reading this, I'm inspired to try it on something more challenging.

[itsallgood]

A John Deere riding mower purchased in 1986.  My husband has taken immaculate care of it.  Some parts of been replaced but still works great.