Without a handle a suitcase is just a box.
A broken luggage handle compromises the essential function of the suitcase, to organize and make your travel gear easily portable. There is a simple and inexpensive solution to restore an otherwise perfectly functioning piece of luggage. Make a new handle with a used, full-grain leather belt and attachment hardware. You will need one specialized tool, a rivet-setting kit, to punch holes in the leather strap and to attach the strap to the D rings that hold the handle to the suit case.
Instructions
1. Measure and note the distance between the two pieces of handle-attachment hardware on the suitcase. Add six inches to that length to calculate the length of the leather strap needed to make a new handle. Measure and mark the leather belt to this dimension. Using heavy-duty scissors, cut a piece of leather strap to length. Mark a longitudinal line down the center of the handle strap.
2. Mark and fold the leather strap, 1.5 inches from the end. Using the hole punch from the rivet-setting kit, punch two holes near the end of the strap, through the center line and through both thicknesses of leather. Make the first hole one-half inch from the end of the strap. Punch the second hole three-fourths inch from the first, closer to the center of the strap. Repeat to punch matching holes in the opposite end of the strap.
3. Fold the end of the strap so it is right-side out and the holes are aligned. Following directions provided by the rivet-set manufacturer, install one rivet in each hole. This step typically involves placing one part of the rivet in the top hole, and one in the bottom. The aligned parts of the rivet are then compressed, using specialized pliers or a wood block and a mallet.
4. Hold a D ring with one hand, using pliers. With the second set of pliers, spread the opening of the D ring so the ends are approximately one-half inch apart. The D ring should be opened by twisting, instead of pulling the sides apart. Repeat to spread the second D ring. Thread one D ring through each loop at the ends of the handle.
5. Thread the opened D rings through the attachment hardware on the suitcase. Using two pairs of pliers, twist the D rings to restore their shapes and to secure the handle to the suitcase.
Tags: leather strap, attachment hardware, hardware suitcase, inch from, leather belt, one-half inch
