Recovery!

[Brokenolmarine]

My wife was going thru the closet and was going to throw out or donate a couple of old (leather) purses and / or wallets.  I told her to give them to me and I would look them over before she tossed them.  It has always been our practice to "Double Check" such things for IDs or information.  "I checked them twice." 

"Nope, I want to see what I can salvage for the leather bench."

"Oh, okay, fine." 

I took them out to the shop, and went through them, every pocket and every slot, and found... 

Brass Rings to reuse

Some cool latches to reuse

and some magnetic closures I was going to order for my next project.  ($10 each.)

I didn't find any cards or IDs.  (NOT that I was looking.) 

 

I don't know about the rest of the gang, but this is not the first time I have recovered hardware.  Old Belts, holsters, and the like.  I started checking that stuff as soon as I started doing leatherwork.  Chicago Screws, adjustments for dog collars, and the snaps and D-rings are all things you normally buy.  If they still look okay, or if you are making a working collar, or harness and aren't concerned with the looks or a d-ring, why not save them.  Some items, like the magnets below, will be hidden from view.

[Bert03241]

nice save you grumpy old jarhead

[chuck123wapati]

oh heck yea !! I always cut off any good hardware, i also check the thrift stores and some garage sales for old leather goods and belts with good buckles.

[fredk]

Thats excellent

A good source for these sort of parts and buckles too is 'Thrift stores (known as Charity shops in UK). 

You buy their cheap 2nd hand goods, you get cheap parts and they get more funds

$10 for a couple of magnetic closers?!?. I get. literally, 10 for £8. Just bought some recently for that price. Shop around friend

[rleather]

A dollar saved is a dollar earned, I like saving and re purposing what I can. Why re buy something if you don't have to,that's profit sitting there.

[Mulesaw]

I try to do the same. 

I do it because I am cheap and because I believe in trying to set an example for my kids in respect of repurposing/reusing as much as practically possible.  

Since I repair a lot of horse tack such as horse blankets etc. the repurposed hardware often is just what I need if a blanket has got some  special type of closure.

[tsunkasapa]

Living in an area that still had horse powered farming when I was very young, I find a lot of old harness and other tack that I recycle hardware out of. I especially like those 'REAL BRASS' brass spots, not brass plated crap.

[Mulesaw]

6 minutes ago, tsunkasapa said:

Living in an area that still had horse powered farming when I was very young, I find a lot of old harness and other tack that I recycle hardware out of. I especially like those 'REAL BRASS' brass spots, not brass plated crap.

Not that there is much really old harness left where I live, but generally old horse tack has got some pretty good hardware

[tsunkasapa]

I'm almost 69, and when I was in Jr. High (55 years ago) the neighbor lady still used a team of mules around the farm, as did another person further up the canyon. And there were still a few horse logging operations around in those days.