I have been beekeeping for quite a while. I got started when an 80 year old church member, John, who I had helped in his bee yard decided he was too old to continue. So he gave me his bees and equipment and I have enjoyed it ever since.
I am particularly proud of my smoker. It was John's fathers before him and has been in continuous operation for nearly a hundred years. So far the only maintenance required has been to replace the leather of the bellows, but I put beeswax/linseed mixture on it every year to keep the leather soft.