Tinker, tailor, cobbler
My grandfather was a cobbler. Is “cobbler” a trade even known to people under a certain age? Have you ever tried to find a cobbler–shoe repair shop–in the north country? Not easy. Whether you wear leather, rubber or synthetic shoes, most can be repaired when soles grow holes or uppers tear; most will not be repaired. Most broken appliances and tools will not be repaired. We do, indeed, live in a throwaway society. I wonder what my grandfather would do for a living today? He liked to gamble–perhaps he’d be a dealer in Vegas, the Hungarian Shoe his casino moniker.
Well, this cobbler’s granddaughter was delighted to find an article about a growing movement in Europe to return to the notion of repair vs. throwaway. (Unlike so-called “third world” nations where repair is part of the culture, extending the life of stuff vs. throwing it away–think Cuba and vintage American vehicles.) This new effort addresses everything from clothing repair to appliance and computer and engine repair. They’ll try their hand at fixing anything.
A couple of years ago, I really did spend months looking for a local cobbler to repair my boots. I finally gave up. Now, if I need shoes repaired, I bring them to NYC when I visit family.
Here’s my question: what repair shops and service people have you used to fix clothing, appliances, tools, machines or equipment? And, what kind of repair services do you wish you could find locally?
Tags: cobblers, repair services
A couple of years ago, our 35-year-old Maytag washing machine developed a problem; it stopped running because the timer unit which controls the wash cycles had finally conked out. Calls to 2 or 3 local repair shops all brought the same answer (I’m paraphrasing): “A 35-year-old Maytag? You got to be kidding; there’s no way we can fix that; you’ll have to buy a new washing machine”
Determined as I was to hang on to something that hails from the hey-day of American manufacturing (in Iowa, no less), I searched the internet and, lo and behold, found some obscure on-line shop in Toronto that fixed broken washing machine timers (including old Maytags).
One week and $120 later I had a repaired timer and the machine continues to run as flawlessly as it ever has. I will probably expire before it does.
Hank, you’re smart to keep the old washing machine! My repair guy says the new ones will never last like the old stuff. He is especially contemptuous of new refrigerators, which he said were hunks of expensive junk, these days. Alas, my guy retired. But neighbors say Andy Braid will still come do appliance repairs, and he’s good at it too.
In my old-fashioned mind, any major appliance should last at least 5-10 years (minimum). Ten to twenty years shouldn’t be that unusual either. They are counted as ‘durable goods’ right? I gather the definition of durable is contracting.
Ellen, last summer one handle on my 10-year-old wheelbarrow snapped under a heavy load. I imagined it wouldn’t be too hard to get a replacement handle. Was I ever wrong!
Most small places didn’t carry any. The closest “big box” hardware store had them. That is, I could see and touch them. But they could ONLY be sold in pairs, with whole new wheelbarrows. (I already had a wheelbarrow, thanks anyway – it just needed one silly handle!)
The staffer I spoke with said she was personally very sorry, that she hated not being help, hated the waste of not enabling simple repairs, but selling one handle simply wasn’t allowed.
Eventually I found a single handle (the very last one in stock that day) at Ritchie Seed and Feed. After all that hunting, was I ever pleased to be able to buy only what I needed, at a reasonable price. (Thank-you, Ritchie Seed and Feed!)
I believe there are still a few shoe repair shops in Ottawa, usually run by immigrants, many of whom are nearing retirement. Such a loss!
It might help if we were more grateful for old-style service and repair skills and more vocal about wanting stores to serve clients interested in repairing/recycling.
As a builder, I own a number of small and large woodworking power tools. Every now and then, I’ll pick one up and try to remember how long I’ve used this particular too…where did I get it? was it new or used?…Some have been with me a long-long time. Good stuff lasts. Really good stuff can be repaired. The fellows at Lawton Electric have kept my power tools running for decades.
Just a little FYI: I frequently pass by the shop of a cobbler in Ottawa — Canadian Shoe Repair. This is in the Westgate Shopping Centre, right off the food court. I’d rather it be in the north country, but it is in the ‘hood, depending on your definition.
— (magyar) Bob.
What interests me in the responses so far is that three come from Canadians. Is Canada better at repairing and recycling, than the U.S.?