The elderly collect "extinct" hardware tools: This is a witness to the development of the times
Classification:Company News Release time:2022-05-25 15:57:31
"This is the wrench used to tighten screws in the past. The screws used to be square screws, but now they are all hexagonal screws, so such wrenches are no longer available in the market," said Wang Zhiying, 67, to reporters.
"This is the wrench used to tighten screws in the past. The screws used to be square screws, but now they are all hexagonal screws, so such wrenches are no longer available in the market," said Wang Zhiying, 67, to reporters.

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The walls of Wang Zhiying's house are covered with various tools from his collection. Photo by Zhang Yao
王志Ying is a hardware tool collector in Changchun, Jilin. On the 13th, the reporter saw various tools hanging on several walls of his home, which were the achievements of the elderly person's collection for many years. Although there were many of them, he would always be familiar with these "treasures" when introducing them to people.
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Wang Zhiying displays his collection of tools. Photo by Zhang Yao
Wang Zhiying once worked in the design of the foundry industry. He began collecting various tools in the late 1980s and has collected nearly 6000 pieces so far.
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Wang Zhiying displays his collection of tools. Photo by Zhang Yao

The reporter saw that in addition to pliers and other tools, old objects such as weights and meters are also his collection targets. "This is a trigger made in the United States in 1911, and this is an electric meter commissioned by the Qing government to be made by a German company. These two are attendance clocks that can clock in..." Wang Zhiying explained to reporters while playing with his collection of old items.

Most of the old objects collected by Wang Zhiying have disappeared from the market, and many young people are not even aware of the previous uses and missions of these tools. Wang Zhiying stated that collecting these objects is not only a hobby, but also a tribute and continuation of the work he has done.

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The walls of Wang Zhiying's house are covered with various tools from his collection. Photo by Zhang Yao

"Once you understand the usefulness of a tool, you can understand the production, lifestyle, and technological level of people at that time." Wang Zhiying said that over the years, he has invested a lot of energy and financial resources in collecting, often traveling to Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and other places to "search for treasures".

Wang Zhiying said that with the progress of the times, people's production and lifestyle continue to improve, and these old tools can be said to be the best witnesses of the progress of the times. (End)