Maintenance and Repairs

The lull in between seasons is a good time to inspect your clothing and accessories for things that can be repaired – when caught early, small holes, tears, and loose stitching can be easily fixed and extend the life of your items. In many cases, a needle and thread can get you pretty far, and even an inexpensive sewing machine can be handy for the more difficult tasks.

One such item of mine that I found in need of a fix was my Superior Labor Engineer bag. Despite lots of wear and tear over the past three years that I’ve had it, it’s still in remarkable shape. The problem I found though, were small tears caused by abrasion in two spots near where the leather strap attaches to the brass o-rings. To fix this, I just simply sewed on small patches of denim.

It’s a bit of a hack, but it works and adds to the overall appearance of the bag I think.

Another item that needed to be repaired were my Stronghold jeans, which had started to develop a few holes over this last summer. It would have been better if I had sent these to a specialist with a darning machine, but I opted for the cheaper at-home method and just sewed on patches to the inside of the jeans where the denim had worn through.

The little Singer that could. Having a small sewing machine around has been convenient and I no longer get large bills from my tailor for alterations. I have the 4411 model, and it’s strong enough to sew through the heavy canvas that Superior Labor uses for its bags.

Over this last summer when I knew I wouldn’t wear them as often, I also sent some pairs of Alden boots back in for overhauls. The Alden restoration service is expensive, but in addition to getting new soles and heel inserts, you also get shoe trees and the convenience of having the company take care of shipping (they send you a prepaid mailing bag).

Now set for another four years.

Mister Crew

A collection of things on men's clothing and culture