Hardware anxiety

[Handstitched]

15 hours ago, Spyros said:

it's practically indestructible

Yeh I agree.  I'll be stocking up on leather & supplies  in the coming months as theres so much uncertainty  with costs, fuel,  freight etc. , I'll stock up while I can get it.   Our shop shelves are still mostly empty too. 

HS

[Klara]

On 3/21/2022 at 2:37 PM, Spyros said:

What is your hardware buying strategy?  Do you guys also find it difficult to keep stock of everything you might need or am I the only idiot?

Given that I just ordered some 30 watch band buckles before I found out that I'm actually quite happy with the band I made (with a buckle that I had cut off from a watch at some point in my life. Btw, the spring bar was rusted, so hardware can "go bad"!) - no, you are not the only idiot. 

In my excuse: From Lithuania 5-packs were considerably cheaper than singles, and from China I only bought one each, but in different colours and styles. Don't know what I'll need before I make the item, do I? And with 6 weeks shipping I want stock on hand. 

My favourite supplier for pet hardware only sells 10-packs minimum for most items, and for the cheap stuff like (D-)rings often 50 cost about twice as much as 10. You're not going to say no to 30 free rings, are you?

Besides, during our lockdown(s) I was extremely happy to have things on hand.... (during the first one mail order wasn't a good idea as the postal services cut back as well) 

 

[Handstitched]

15 minutes ago, Klara said:

Besides, during our lockdown(s) I was extremely happy to have things on hand

There was  some anxiety for me here in (west) Oz during our lockdowns*,   and not knowing when I can get anywhere near my supplier in Perth again ( 2hrs away) . But I was able to get through it with the hardware I already had . *It also gave me a chance to finish off some unfinished projects.  That period seems so long ago now . 

HS

[fredk]

A slight deviation; I want to buy some EVA foam, to put into boxes, with cut outs for holding game pieces. The cheapest I can get is a piece 50 cm x 50 cm for £15 delivered. Or, from the same supplier, a piece 1m x 1m for £18 delivered. At the moment I want only a small [about 25 cm x 20cm] piece to check if my idea will work out, but if it does I'll use the rest of the EVA, but if it doesn't I'll have to find a use for it all!

[Klara]

There is no way to scrounge some used packing material? When I cleaned up a bit yesterday I found a foam-padded knife box - the foam looked good enough to keep (even if the usable parts are small).

Today I experienced Murphy's law of hardware supply: No matter how big and varied your stock - when you build something new the exact piece(s) you need is not in there.

Which is particularly sad because Thursday I was at Lidl's, and they had the stuff. Only I didn't buy it because I was convinced I had done so when they sold it last time.

 

[suzelle]

Somehow this thread makes me feel better about the little bobbles I buy. LOL.  Look at the photo I've attached, see the prices on these things? I had to get the whole box, I think it was $2 at a garage sale. The box had about 20 of these cards of button covers in it, included tools and all. Great for furniture upholstery jobs. I just could not resist!

[sbrownn]

On 3/21/2022 at 4:03 PM, Spyros said:

I had a look Fred, I don't think I could shop from there.  For example lets say I want my typical order: a solid brass set with a matte metal finish for a bag:  loops, dees, roller buckle, rivets, trigger snaps, sliders.  All 1 inch, but the finish needs to match because (maybe it's just me) I think it's a bit of an eyesore to have an expensive bag with a shiny buckle with matte snaps and sliders on the same strap.   You go to buckleguy, you select the finish and size you want, and boom everything they have in that size and finish is there, with only very slight variations in finish, a selection of 3-4 options for most things, and big photos with a ruler in the background so you can understand every dimension.   In LePrevo not everything has a clear description of the finish and I can't always tell from the photo (if there even is a photo).  Maybe it's a simple matter of shopping from there a couple of times and then it all gets clearer but I already have too much redundant hardware from doing exactly that: experimenting with various hardware vendors' archaic websites, and I just don't want to do it any more.  And then it's their variety which is not great, if one thing I want is missing I have to go through the same process somewhere else.  And then hope their shipping times are reasonable and their mail service reliable.

The issue with buckleguy is their crazy int'l shipping prices for small items, I can't be paying USD$68 shipping for what is probably a third of a shoebox worth of hardware.  I've contacted them a couple of times to tell them they need to offer cheaper options for smaller packages but no luck, they've linked their system to a couple of couriers that give them automatic quotes which then flow through real time to your online order, and they don't want to touch it.

Good post.