I encountered the following line in volume 2 of ハクメイとミコチ:
鋭い目付きの男は、年季の入った道具を携え卓越した技術を振るった。
How does 年季の入った characterize the tools the man used? Does it mean that they are reliable tools that stood the test of time, or just old worn-out tools?
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Sign up to join this communityI encountered the following line in volume 2 of ハクメイとミコチ:
鋭い目付きの男は、年季の入った道具を携え卓越した技術を振るった。
How does 年季の入った characterize the tools the man used? Does it mean that they are reliable tools that stood the test of time, or just old worn-out tools?
年季の入った道具 means it's an old and well-used tool. That is, the tool has worked sufficiently for a long time at least for this man, but this phrase does not directly say it's a high-quality tool in a general sense. For example, even a very cheap hammer can be 年季の入ったハンマー if someone used it for a long time.
EDIT: To clarify, when 年季の入った modifies a person or an action, it tends to have a positive connotation similar to 円熟/熟練. But when 年季の入った modifies an inanimate object, I think it just refers to something that has been used for a long time and is showing its age, but is still perfectly usable. Depending on the context, it may have a value as a vintage, though. See this thesaurus entry, too.