Does anyone remember traveling trunks? They were very popular in the early 20th century for those who traveled via steamship and train.

A special friend of mine and her sister were given a couple of trunks from their mother. The trunks came over from Ireland, to New York, spent years in New Hampshire, years in California, and settled in a garage in Arizona for almost two decades.

After that many years, the leather handles dry out and basically disintegrate. My friend’s sister replaced the handles on her trunk and sent my friend a pair as well. Hey, guess who gets to install the new handles… yep, Mr. Project Man!

Here you can see the existing handles on her trunk. They are long gone!

Now, how to get the handle brackets off without destroying them. I very carefully pried them up using a screwdriver. I thought rivets were used, but they tuned out to be these crazy curved brass nails. Very difficult to get out. Yes, let me repeat, very difficult to get out!

Here are some of the nails. I did not bend these, this how they came out.

I used brass screws to reinstall the brackets with the new handles.

Should be good for another 100 years!