"foggytown" wrote in message
oups.com...

Leon wrote:

IMHO an heirloom is a piece that is functional and built well enough to
last
generations. Appearance has nothing to do with it.

Then we disagree. To me, an heirloom piece is an above-average example
of craftsmanship and attractiveness. It goes beyond utilitarian. Take
pocket watches, for instance. The best examples look as good inside
the case as they do from the outside. Why? Nobody looks at the
insides to tell the time.


If you like to think that. I don't know of any watch that does not look
pretty darn good in side. They have to be pretty darn close to perfect to
actually function. Furniture is an entirely different matter with tolerance
requirements that are quite lax by comparison.




n.
A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.
An article of personal property included in an inherited estate.
..
The noun heirloom has 2 meanings:
Meaning #1: (law) any property that is considered by law or custom as
inseparable from an inheritance is inherited with that inheritance

Meaning #2: something that has been in a family for generations