Repair or replace? What do you do?

Repair or replace?

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The Xmas Furry

The Xmas Furry

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Following on from CPT's thread with out of date/fashion items & reading a post about mending jodh boots several times, made me think. We have a throw-away society, but in that thread a lot of people still use the older items they like :)

So, my question is; do you repair a broken or damaged item or do you replace?

Obviously depends on the item, but I know some who chuck out a barrow if it has a flat tyre, throw a rug with a tear or broken strap. New bridle part instead of old one being re-stitched perhaps?

Obviously not hats/safety gear, but what do you do mostly?
 
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I'd like to say I repair, but often that means bodge or keep until I can find someone else to repair (I have at least five leather headcollars in need of repair :( )
 
Depends what it is. I briefly looked at that other thread and I didn't realise some of those things were out of fashion (or should I say out of use?), and I don't actually think some are at all, just because someone hasn't seen something around doesn;t mean others haven't/don't.

I will happily do some pretty major rug mending myself, but if it was something like putting straps back on that's just hard and a nuisance and I won't attempt that anymore. If it's financially viable to have a really damaged rug mended I would, but sometimes you're better off buying a new one for what the repairs would cost you.

Boots. Usually beyond repair! I did have the sole repaired on my Barbour field boots recently, but the repair guy was a bit doom and gloom if the mend would work, which wasn't reassuring!
I've also got some long boots that I've had about 15years + that the leather lining is knackered in, but it wouldn't be worth the cost of having the lining replaced.
Mostly footwear is only fit for the bin after a while, and not repair.

Leather work. Get it mended. Eventually. I've got a small bundle of stuff that needs repairing right now. New buckle on a noseband, new stud billet on a pair of reins, old stitching replacing on some leather brushing boots and leather fetlock boots. Couple of other bits and bobs. Problem is finding somewhere to have them mended! My local saddlery used to have a man on site that took in repairs, I haven't found anyone in this area that does that. So I'm stuck for the present.
 
I repair my own tack, but am lucky in that leatherwork is part of what we do for a living (as is forging, woodwork, etc.). We also make a good bit of what we use on the horses in the first place.
 
Depends on what it is!

Eg; a tatty leadrope with a malfunctioning clip, yes replace with new, and it's quite nice having a new rope every so often :)

Tack and rugs, repair like for like. We have good local saddlers and rug wash/repair people.

My clothes and shoes/boots tend to be quality items off ebay 2nd hand, such as Aigle, Le Chameu and the like, or from charity shops.

I never buy new, unless of course underwear and base layers!

I would be an easy keeper if I was a horse!! I can live off scraps from the fridge and hate food going to waste!

Ive just binned my 16 year old Harry Hall shoes that had come apart at the soles and had next to no heel left. I finally scraped them off my feet with much reluctance and have put them in the garden to become compost.
 
I volunteer at a place which stores museum collections while they're not being displayed. Having the incredible ability of being able to find the top of a bridle, and not minding getting mucky, I've sort of taken over the working life collection, and I've spent hours assessing, cleaning and packing lots of old workhorse kit. The repairs done on those are something else! I've seen bridles fixed with pieces of wire, and a saddle (harness saddle, with a sort of metal trough through it, I'm not sure of the correct name) that had been mended so many times it was more nail than leather! It's really amazing how much this stuff must have been mended and bodged back together, but of course a lot of it was in use during the Depression and the War years, when there was no choice but to fix what you had, and a lot of it must have been second, third, fourth-hand then!
 
Most I replace which I loathe but the reality is a lot of rugs are cheaper to replace than wash thenmmend and no one round here will mend without it being washed first.

Anything I can stitch I will.
 
I don't mind paying to get stuff mended if it is worth it - but these days a rug that has had three seasons use, is just not worth paying $50 to patch when it is nearly at the end of it's life anyway and I can buy a new one for $150.00.

The important stuff I tend to buy good quality and looking around my tack shed, some of it I have had for a long time. And lets face it, quality never goes out of fashion!
 
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