These Interesting Photos Of Things Worn Down Over Time Are Utterly Fascinating

A picture can tell a thousand words about someones life

Elana

• Published in Interesting
• June 24, 2019

There are obvious ways to tell time, like clocks, the stars, the weather, etc. There are less obvious ways to tell time, and that's where the subreddit r/wellworn comes in. It sounds so niche when described, a subreddit dedicated to the mildly aesthetically pleasing sight of an item worn down over years of subtle, daily use. Sometimes decades. Sometimes centuries. This simple concept tells a fascinating story of things from every day objects to historical objects and they're surprisingly... utterly fascinating to look at.

There's a story behind each image in this series, but some of the stories are unknown and shared merely because someone saw and appreciated the implication of a long-standing history.

"My Grandma's Carpet After Moving Her Bed For The First Time In 60 Years"

Excuse me, where does one acquire a bed that is comfortable for 60 years??

"14 Years of Scratches"

AKA 14 years of other things in the house NOT destroyed!

"The Wear Indicators On My Tires Show A Percentage Representative Of The Amount Of Tread Left."

You're supposed to use this feature to change your tires at appropriate times, dude.

Passed down through time:

"My Sheaffer Reminder Ballpoint Pen. This has been in my pocket every weekday for the last 15 years. It used to belong to my grand-father. I know he used it because the brass was already starting to wear through when I got it. They still make refills for it."

"Pigment Stripped From Leaf Because It Spent So Much Time In A Pool"

Utterly fascinating.

"Our Local Barber Has Been In Business For As Long As I Can Remember. The Metal Floor Is Worn Down Where He Walks Round The Only Chair Each Day"

Good people, good at their jobs, stay in business a long, long time.

"This Key After 10 Years Of Entering Orders At My Grandmothers Shop"

Alright, I can forgive the broken key but why hasn't anyone cleaned the keyboard in ten years?

"Fake door at IKEA"

IKEA's got jokes that last the test of time.

"The Cover Of George Orwell's, "1984," Becomes Less Censored With Wear"

There's a lot to appreciate about this.

"Fax Machine/Scanner Used So Heavily, The Paper Has Cut The Plastic Over Time"

Paper is tougher than we give it credit for.

"Stairs Built In 1829 vs. 2005"

A collection of feet can do a lot over time!

"Cobb’s Mat From Eager Tapping When He Hears The Car Pull Up"

Good Boi

"The Wire Has Worn Into This Rock After Years Of Hikers Walking Over It"

Becoming one with nature in unnatural ways.

"Moving Around Dumbells With My Foot Wore My Shoes Into Showing My Foots Skeletal Pattern"

Well worn shoes aren't usually well-received in the r/wellworn community, but this is by far one of the coolest shoe pictures the subreddit has ever hosted.

"The Flooring In The Waiting Area At This Pizzeria Is So Worn You Can See The Old Floor"

Clearly, the best waiting spot.

"All The Letters On My Gf's Lotion Bottle Started Falling Off"

I don't even understand this one but it's fascinating.

"This Dog's Favorite Spot."

He's a good boi, full of adventure.

"These Knives At My Work Have Been Used So Much They're Almost Gone"

Someone is either too cheap to replace knives or dedicated to a genuinely high quality, favored set of knives.

"My Dad Has Had The Same Wallet For So Long His Driver's License Photo Is Imprinted On The Plastic"

This is weirdly impressive.

"The Way The Sun Has Weathered This Sign So It Looks Like Its Heavy Metal Style"

METAL ASF

"Staples From Posters After Four Decades"

The people have spread a lot of messages over the last four decades, apparently!

"My Mom Bought The Same Stuffed Animal For My Sister In Case She Lost It. After 16 Years, We Found All Four Of Them"

Kids and their toys are one of my favorite portions of the r/wellworn community.

"The Comparison Of Right Handed And Left Handed People At My High School"

Righty vs Lefty

"This Wall Broke Exposing Years Of Layers Of Paint"

This looks like a jawbreaker!

"Store Doorbell"

A well-visited store, indeed!

"My Brother And I Each Received Identical Teddy Bears When We Were Born. I Loved Mine Just A Bit More..."

Brothers & Teddy Bears

"My Girlfriend’s Cat Paces Using The Same Steps Each Day"

Cats are both unpredictable and creatures of habit.

"The Glass Globe Of This Light Focused The Sunlight Enough To Burn The Suns Path In The Grass"

It's actually quite impressive this has never started a small fire!

"Good Boy Spotted In Prague"

Everybody appreciates a good dog.

"I've worn each hole in this belt."

Now, this is truly fascinating!

Elana