A skill or expertise learned long ago that one still has and can use — an idiom meaning to draw on past experience or an old skill.
料理教室で、彼女は昔取った杵柄を見せて、手早く刺身をさばいた。
At the cooking class she showed her old skill and quickly prepared the sashimi.
久しぶりにギターを弾いたが、昔取った杵柄で簡単な曲なら弾けた。
I played the guitar after a long time, but thanks to skills from long ago I could still play simple songs.
昔取った杵柄とは言え、プロの前では緊張して思うようにできなかった。
Even with my old skill, I got nervous in front of the professionals and couldn't perform as I wanted.