Repair for Arendal Leather Co

Last Updated 9 November 2024

Vidar and Marius in Arendal Leather Co makes beautiful handmade leather products from their workshop on Tromøy outside Arendal (www.arendalleather.com). I felt honored when Marius contacted me and asked if I could help to repair the handle for a leather bag. Since this was a repair they were doing for a costumer I also really felt the pressure not to screw this up.

The pin in one of the buckles that attaches the handle to the bag was broken and I had to try to make a new one without braking the buckle. I know from experience that these buckles, that look like brass, usually are not made from brass. I do not know what material they are cast from, but I know they can often be quite brittle and that I had to be careful.

I decided that a 2.5mm knitting needle could be used as a pin. The knitting needle is made from aluminum with some kind off coating. First I enlarged the hole in the buckle to fit the new pin using a 2.5mm drill bit in a drill chuck and drilling the hole carefully by hand.

I then marked and cut the pin 0.5mm shorter than the buckle and cleaned up the ends with a file. This made the pin about 1mm shorter than the buckle width.

Next I drilled a 1mm diameter hole in the center of the pin while holding the pin in the drill chuck. This is to make it easier to spread the material when riveting it in the buckle hole.

I used a center punch and a hammer to carefully rivet the pin in place. The material in the pin had to be spread out enough to be properly wedged into the hole without overdoing it and cracking the buckle.

Nothing cracked and I was not able to pull the pin back out after it was installed. Hopefully this repair will last for the rest of the bags long life. Now the rest is up to Vidar and Marius, and having seen the quality of their work, I am sure they will have a very satisfied costumer.