Leather handles

[Tweetldee]

Does anyone know of a source for the leather handles that used to adorn the
old tube-type test equipment from HP, Tektronix, etc.? Hoping to find a few
to replace broken/missing handles on some of my instruments. Also hoping
that if there are a few to be found, that I won't have to mortgage my house
and summer vacation villa to buy.
Thanks for the leads.
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

"Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time."

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Does anyone know of a source for the leather handles that used to adorn the
old tube-type test equipment from HP, Tektronix, etc.? Hoping to find a few
to replace broken/missing handles on some of my instruments. Also hoping
that if there are a few to be found, that I won't have to mortgage my house
and summer vacation villa to buy.
Thanks for the leads.

http://www.keyelco.com/kec/pdfs/p54.pdf has four different types that
might match what you need.

 

[Robert Baer]

http://www.keyelco.com/kec/pdfs/p54.pdf has four different types that
might match what you need.

Wow! Who would have thought Keystone had *leather* handles?
The catalog companies that carry Keystone products does not show
them..
...i wound up faking one from a leather belt from a pair of pants.

 

[Harry Conover]

http://www.keyelco.com/kec/pdfs/p54.pdf has four different types that
might match what you need.

Great citation. Thanks Michael!

Harry C.

 

[Tweetldee]

Thanks for the lead, Michael. That really is interesting that Keystone makes
the handles, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that the description says
that they are made from a black leather "like" material. Probably a variety
of vinyl. Not *exacxtly* what I was looking for, but in the absence of real
leather, these will do (assuming that i can find a source).
And you're right, Robert, in that most of the distributors or catalog
vendors don't list the handles in their printed catalogs. But, that's no
really big surprise, since I have seen lots of stuff in Keystone's catalogs
that can't be bought from their resellers. However, Mouser, Digikey and
Newark lists them in their online catalogs. They are non-stocked items,
meaning that they would have to backorder them from Keystone. The price at
$13 and change seems a bit high for "leather-like" material, but probably
not unreasonable for that type of handle.
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

 

[A E]

Wow! Who would have thought Keystone had *leather* handles?

They don't...
"manufactured of black leather like material"
No cows where harmed in the manufacture of these handles. Still, a good catch for
the Tek heads out there. I wonder who makes the blue plastic ones for the later
rounded blue cabinets?

The catalog companies that carry Keystone products does not show
them..
..i wound up faking one from a leather belt from a pair of pants.

So, what holds up your pants now?

 

[Robert Baer]

Thanks for the lead, Michael. That really is interesting that Keystone makes
the handles, but upon closer inspection, I noticed that the description says
that they are made from a black leather "like" material. Probably a variety
of vinyl. Not *exacxtly* what I was looking for, but in the absence of real
leather, these will do (assuming that i can find a source).
And you're right, Robert, in that most of the distributors or catalog
vendors don't list the handles in their printed catalogs. But, that's no
really big surprise, since I have seen lots of stuff in Keystone's catalogs
that can't be bought from their resellers. However, Mouser, Digikey and
Newark lists them in their online catalogs. They are non-stocked items,
meaning that they would have to backorder them from Keystone. The price at
$13 and change seems a bit high for "leather-like" material, but probably
not unreasonable for that type of handle.
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

The reason why i made my own from a leather belt, is that all of the
handles available online, via leather companies, were as expensive or
more so.
Also, none of them had the mounting clasp i needed - and none of them
could be modified either.
Good luck.

 

[Tweetldee]

The reason why i made my own from a leather belt, is that all of the
handles available online, via leather companies, were as expensive or
more so.
Also, none of them had the mounting clasp i needed - and none of them
could be modified either.
Good luck.

I can appreciate that. Can you give a brief on how you made the handles?
How did you cut, fold, stitch, etc. How thick was the belt you started
with?
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

 

[Robert Baer]

I can appreciate that. Can you give a brief on how you made the handles?
How did you cut, fold, stitch, etc. How thick was the belt you started
with?
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

I "think" leather belts for pants are "standard" in thickness; i
measure 1/8 inch.
I punched holes in the belt (not easy without a leather punch), 4 on
each end (square pattern), and used 6-32 screws to fasten directly to
the metal box (heads on outside).
Not pretty, but it works quite well and the price was right (50 cents
at Goodwill for the belt - and enough to make almost a dozen handles).

 

[Tweetldee]

I "think" leather belts for pants are "standard" in thickness; i
measure 1/8 inch.
I punched holes in the belt (not easy without a leather punch), 4 on
each end (square pattern), and used 6-32 screws to fasten directly to
the metal box (heads on outside).
Not pretty, but it works quite well and the price was right (50 cents
at Goodwill for the belt - and enough to make almost a dozen handles).

Thanks for that.. sounds easy enough. I have several old belts around that
have shrunk and no longer fit. I'm going to try to make one that's a little
closer to the originals just to see if I can do it. Oh, just had an
idea... pull one that's still in one piece off, & take it to a leather
shop. See what they can do, or at least give me some advice on how to
attempt to make it myself.
Thanks for the tip,
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Thanks for that.. sounds easy enough. I have several old belts around that
have shrunk and no longer fit. I'm going to try to make one that's a little
closer to the originals just to see if I can do it. Oh, just had an
idea... pull one that's still in one piece off, & take it to a leather
shop. See what they can do, or at least give me some advice on how to
attempt to make it myself.
Thanks for the tip,

I had talk a guy that made custom belts into making some replacement
leather handles. He had a space right across the isle at a flea market
I sold at, but when I came back the next weekend, he was in the hospital
from a heart attack and was never able to come back to the market. He
had quoted $5.00 to $10.00, including taking the hardware from the old
handles, and putting it into the new ones.

 

[Tweetldee]

I had talk a guy that made custom belts into making some replacement
leather handles. He had a space right across the isle at a flea market
I sold at, but when I came back the next weekend, he was in the hospital
from a heart attack and was never able to come back to the market. He
had quoted $5.00 to $10.00, including taking the hardware from the old
handles, and putting it into the new ones.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Wow!! That's really too bad... Hope it wasn't fatal. I would really be
sending him some business right now.. I have 5 handles that need
replacement... two on a Tek 549 scope and three on small HP instruments.
Was that flea market in or near Ocala?
Well, if he said he could do it for that low price, then it must not be a
difficult process... just have to get some advice on materials and
technique.
Thanks, Michael
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Wow!! That's really too bad... Hope it wasn't fatal. I would really be
sending him some business right now.. I have 5 handles that need
replacement... two on a Tek 549 scope and three on small HP instruments.
Was that flea market in or near Ocala?

The last I heard he was at home, and needed help with almost
everything.

The market was at Renniger's in Mt Dora.

Well, if he said he could do it for that low price, then it must not be a
difficult process... just have to get some advice on materials and
technique.
Thanks, Michael

Maybe you can find someone at a local flea market who makes custom
leather goods? I can't stay on my feet long enough to wander through the
local flea market anymore, or i would check the ones around Ocala. If
you do find someone who can make good copies, they could put up a
website and sell a lot of them.

 

[Fred Abse]

Tweetldee wrote:

Maybe you can find someone at a local flea market who makes custom
leather goods? I can't stay on my feet long enough to wander through the
local flea market anymore, or i would check the ones around Ocala. If
you do find someone who can make good copies, they could put up a
website and sell a lot of them.

There must still be saddlers in business.

Dammit, there's enough horses

 

[Tweetldee]

There must still be saddlers in business.

Dammit, there's enough horses

Yup, there sure are... one just a few miles from my humble abode, and a
couple more on the route to work.
Great idea, Fred... I'll check it out right away.
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

There must still be saddlers in business.

Dammit, there's enough horses

--

So, You've been to Ocala before?

 

[John Fields]

Does anyone know of a source for the leather handles that used to adorn the
old tube-type test equipment from HP, Tektronix, etc.? Hoping to find a few
to replace broken/missing handles on some of my instruments. Also hoping
that if there are a few to be found, that I won't have to mortgage my house
and summer vacation villa to buy.
Thanks for the leads.

---
If you have a summer vacation villa, then a few handles prob'ly won't
break you!^)

Try these guys:

http://www.americanhandle.com/flat.htm

 

[Tweetldee]

---
If you have a summer vacation villa, then a few handles prob'ly won't
break you!^)

Try these guys:

http://www.americanhandle.com/flat.htm

Well, that is true. However, I exaggerated slightly about my summer
vacation villa... it's more like a fishing cabin on the banks of a
vanishing lake in northeast Florida.
But (and this is no exaggeration), I appreciate the URL. Upon first look
at that page, it looks like they have a few basic models that they prefer to
customize per a customer's order. I've sent an email.. waiting for a
reply.
--
Tweetldee
Tweetldee at att dot net (Just subsitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill at the same time!!