BRETTUNS VILLAGE TRUNK SHOP
is located in the heart of the best leather products manufacturing regions
in the states - yep, right here in Maine.
No kidding - Maine used
to be the heart of shoe manufacturing in this country; in fact, many of
the old shoe factory buildings (or shoe shops, as they're known hereabouts)
are
still standing in places
like Lewiston, Auburn, Livermore Falls, Bangor, and yes, even Freeport.
We take advantage of the
local talent pool by having our own trunk handles
made here in Maine, exactly
to our own specifications, many different styles.
The leather is tanned in
the USA then cut and stitched here in Maine.
You can mail an order in
with a check, FAX your order to (207)782-7448,
or use our shopping cart
system by clicking the 'Add to Cart' boxes below, it'll walk you right
through the process.
Leather Trunk Handles All Made in Maine We also carry metal handles - scroll
down the page, please.
Don't miss our new case handles!
TH-17, TH-18, and TH-19,
and now you can cut your
own 1" wide handles to the length you need - just see TH-21 below!
Common Trunk Handles
TH-01 This is what we call common
trunk handles - they are 8 and 3/4 inches long by 1 and 1/4 inch wide and
just a hair over 1/8" thick.
Not intended for heavy duty.
The slots are 1 inch long, just right for end caps with or without pins.
We make these in three colors.
This is handle style TH-01, a common two-layer handle.
Need them without slots?
Scroll on down. These are available in Medium Brown, Dark Brown,
or Black.
$10.00 per pair. Shipping
is included for all USA locations.
Please
select:
Single Layer TH-01NS
Handles Dark Reddish-Brown Some trunks don't need heavy
duty stitched leather handles - you can get by with these single layer
handles, cut from 8 oz harness leather (about 1/8" thick), no stitching
at all.
We call these TH-01NS and
make them in dark reddish brown only (for now). 8 and 3/4 inches
long by 1 and 1/4 inch wide. Priced at $6 per pair, with USA postage
included.
Three-Layer Common
Handles TH-03 These are just like the
common handles above, except they are made from three layers of leather.
A bit thicker, just right for heavier trunks.
Available in medium brown,
dark brown, or black; same dimensions (8 3/4" by 1 1/4"), same slots.
These are handle style TH-03,
we sell them for $12.00 per pair, which includes postage for all USA locations.
Please
select:
Add our Corporate Stuff
to Your Handles Some genius in the Marketing
Department thought up this one
We're glad to add the brand
shown above to your handles.
This comes in handy when
you want to impress your friends with your good taste in handles, or,
and most of us here in the
barn like this idea best, invite your Aunt Myrtle to read the imprint on
the handle; then, when she's down on her hands and knees trying to read
the fine print, give her a barnboot to the backside.
She'll land in the trunk,
so then you can latch it shut, haul her down to the airport in Bangor and
ship her to Lambarene' in Gabon,
home of the Albert Schweitzer
Hospital. It's also about a zillion miles from civilization.
BVTS Imprint on Handles
$5er pair
$5 for stamping/branding
a pair of handles
Be sure to purchase a
pair of handles also so that we have something to stamp, please. Doesn't show up well on
dark brown nor black handles, but if you're paying, we're branding.
Important Note:
See the photo above, where it shows that the handles will say 'Brettuns
Village Trunk Shop, Auburn, Maine' on them?
That's exactly what they'll
say. This is not a custom branding service - what you see in the
photos is what you get.
If you need a custom brand
we can do that for you, but the set up fee will run you about $250 so brace
yourself firmly before setting your sights on a custom brand.
Another Important Note:
We use a heated branding iron to stamp our handles.
It's NOT the same as laser
engraving - it's rustic but readable.
Wide-End Handles Made
of USA-Cowhide Leather Medium Brown, Dark Brown,
or Black TH-02 This is trunk handle style
TH02, useful for wardrobe trunks, older steamer models, and any trunk using
a handle bracket instead of an end cap. Same high quality,
Made-in-Maine construction;
these have stitched layers of sturdy cowhide leather. These measure
9 and 7/8 inch long and the ends are 2 inches wide at the widest point;
about 1/4" thick.
Available in Medium Brown,
Black, or Dark Brown and believe us when we say the dark brown is dark
- it's almost black.
See the picture below for
additional dimensions. The center portion of the strap is 1 and 1/8
inch wide at it's widest point.
These dimensions duplicate
the original handles that used to be made by leather shops in Boston and
the Big Apple.
TH02 handles are priced
at $15.00 per pair, which includes shipping costs in the USA. We
sell the loops (brackets) for these on our End
Caps and Brackets page.
TH-02 $15.00 per pair
Color
Our Biggest Sellers! Black, Dark Brown, or
Medium Brown Handles with No Slots Available in Three Layers
or Two Layers of Leather TH-04 Same dimensions (8 3/4"
by 1 1/4") as our common slotted handles above (TH-01 and TH-03).
These have no slots and
are available in three colors, as shown. Three layers stitched together,
a little over 1/4" thick. Cover the ends with our endcaps.
8.75 x 1.25 inches
$12 per pair, includes USA shipping.
Please
select
Don't Need Them So Thick? Use our TH-04 2-Layer handles:
TH-04 2-ply handles are
$10 per pair, USA postage included
Please
select
How About Just a Single
Layer of Leather? Use our TH-04NS handles
TH-04NS (the NS stands for
'no stitching') single ply handles are $6 per pair, USA postage included
1/8" thick, cut from 8 oz
belting leather.
Dark reddish brown only.
Curved Handles for Saratoga
Trunks TH-05
In the early to mid-1800s
when you wanted a trunk you went to see the saddler in your town.
This person would generally be able to make you a saddle,
just about any type of harness
you could dream up, a hat box, or a trunk. Somewhere in the Philadelphia
area (we think) one of these shops started making this type of
curved handle to put on
their trunks, and then some shops in other towns copied the pattern, and
now, well, I guess we've copied them.
These are very sturdy handles,
stitched from three layers of belting leather, and they're big. 11
and 3/8" long overall, from tip to tip. and 4" high.
About 5/16" thick.
Put three nails in each end - that's all there is to it. Just nail
them on nice and flat; the bow part will flex out so that you can slide
your hand between the handle and the trunk.
Or nail it on upside down
and tell your friends that the trunk is smiling at them (rimshot).
This is a Brettuns Village exclusive - can't get them anywhere else on
the planet.
TH-05 Sold per pair
$25.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Please
select
These TH-05 handles replace
the old originals that looked like this:
Just Right for Saratogas
and Jenny Linds TH-06 Style TH-06 is an arrowhead
shape, exactly like the original handles on Jenny Lind and many Saratoga
style trunks from the early to mid 1800s. We don't know of
anyone else that offers
these handles for sale, they're very difficult to stitch. We figured
it out though. These are 10 and 1/4" long, from end to end, and about
2" wide at the arrowhead.
Made with three layers of
thick leather, the handle is a full 1/4-inch thick. These attach
in a very simple manner - just hammer two or three trunk nails through
the narrow end into the trunk,
then attach a single loop
about an inch to an inch and a half behind the arrow head. The arrowhead
end slides back and forth through the loop,
so that the handle can lay
flat against the trunk until it's time to lift the trunk, then it slides
into the correct position for your hand to get in there. Miraculous.
These are $20 per pair,
postage included for destinations in the USA.
Pair of TH-06 Handles -
$20.00 Choose Medium Brown, Dark Brown, or Black.
:
We also offer a package deal
- two handles and two no-pin loops for $26, postage included (USA).
Please note that each handle
only gets one loop or bracket - as shown in the photo above on the left.
Pair of TH-06 Handles and
Two No-Pin Loops - $26.00
Options
Longer Handles for Larger
Trunks TH-07 Handle style TH-07, also
made right here in Maine by our shop, available in black or the same medium
or dark brown color as many of our other handles,
and these are also stitched
from three layers of harness leather. These are 10.5 inches long
and 1.25 inches wide,
and about a quarter of an
inch thick. Slots are one inch long, set back from the end of the
handle about 1.5 inches.
Useful for many wardrobe-style
trunks or larger steamer trunks.
Price includes shipping
for USA locations.
TH-07 $15 per pair
Color
Another Type of Longer
Handle TH-09 This is handle style TH-09,
made for large wardrobe trunks, large steamer trunks or tool boxes.
Has a sharper point on the end than our style TH-07 (above)
and looks like many of the
handles found on Hartmann, Belber, and many other trunks. Sold singly
or in pairs.
These are stitched from
3 layers of harness leather, available in black or medium brown, and measure
10 and 1/4" long by1 and 1/8" wide.
About 1/4" thick.
Distance between the slots is 6" (inside) to 7 and 3/4" (outside), so the
pins on your handle brackets should be somewhere in that range for these
to fit.
TH-09 Pair of handles
$15
Please
choose:
Need em quicker?
We can send handles by priority mail so that they reach you in 2 to 3 days.
Costs an extra $5 for each group of up to 12 handles.
Thought we'd offer this
just in case you find yourself in a trunk emergency, short for time, back
to the wall, make-it-or-break-it, now or never, do or die, put up or shut
up, sink or swim, fish or cut bait - you get the idea.
Can't for the life of me
imagine why you'd need trunk handles on an emergency basis, but never let
it be said that we don't try to accomodate your needs here.
Shorter Handles for Footlockers
or Doll Trunks TH-08 These are stitched from
three layers of leather and have 1" long slots cut in them. The handles
are 1.25" wide and 7.5" long.
Available in medium brown
and black. These run about 5/16" thick, which is quite thick for
most doll trunks - better suited for use on footlockers.
Handle style TH-08, sold
by the pair for $10 which includes postage for all locations in the USA.
TH-08 Handles $10
per pair
Color
Leather Strap Handles TH-10 With or Without D-Rings Our handle style TH-10 is
die cut from a single layer of 8 oz harness leather, medium brown in color,
1.25" wide (the strappy ends are only 11/16" wide) and is about 9.5" long
overall.
The ends are pre-punched
with holes so that they can be double over, then run a nail, rivet, or
Chicago Screw through the two holes to attach to your box's existing hardware.
The d-rings or loops on
your case should be no further than 7" apart for this handle to work.
TH-10 handle only,
no hardware
$5 each, includes USA shipping
Need d-rings on the handle? We can do that too. We can attach 1" brass plated
steel d-rings to the handle for you using our steel (brass plated) rivets.
Or, we can just send the parts so that you can assemble it onto your trunk/box/case.
To set the rivets you will
need a splash tool, which splits the ends of the rivets out like flower
petals. We sell these on our Leather Craft site, on the Tools page,
which is here.
TH-10 handle with hardware
attached
$12 each USA shipping
included
Tapered Leather Handles TH-12 Our handle style TH-12 is
a rectangle of stitched cowhide that measures 9.5 inches long by 1.5" wide
(24 cm by almost 4 cm), and its tapered at each end, thickness-wise.
These are meant to be nailed
directly to the trunk with no end cap or bracket at all.
About 5/16" thick in the
middle, tapering to 1/8" thick at each end. Stitched with white thread.
Available in Dark Brown or Medium Brown.
TH-12 Sold per pair
$12.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Color
Don't want to use your credit
card online?
No problem - you can print
out our
order
form and mail or fax in your order
Big Handles with Wide
Ends TH-13 TH-13 Large wide-end handles
are 11 and 7/8" long with a mushroom that's 2 and 1/4" wide at each end.
The neck of the handle, just before the mushroom, is 1-1/4" wide,
and the middle of the handle,
at its widest point, is 1-3/4" wide. Stitched from three layers of
heavy harness leather.
Available in Dark Brown,
Medium Brown, or Black
Sold per pair or individually
(some wardrobe trunks use this style of handle, and only need one handle
at the top of the trunk).
Handle Style TH-13
$20 per pair or $12 each, USA shipping included
Color:
European Trunk Handles
TH-14 TH-14 handles are 11 and
1/4" long with wide ends, similar to the handles used on may European trunks,
such as Goyards, Vuittons, and many Swiss trunks.
Dimensions are as shown.
Stitched from three layers of heavy harness leather. Available in
Dark Brown or Medium Brown.
Sold per pair ($25), with
USA postage included in the price.
Mount these using the brackets
on your trunk, or you can use our no-pin handle loops.
Handle Style TH-14
$25 per pair
Color:
6" handles for Doll Trunks TH-11 These handles are 6" long
and 1" wide, die cut from 6/7 oz harness leather. The leather is
about 1/10" thick.
These can be nailed directly
onto small trunks or doll trunks.
TH-11 Sold per pair.
Medium Brown or Dark Brown
$6.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Color
Simple Wide
End Strap Handles TH-15 TH-15 handles are made from
a single layer of heavy harness leather. Available in Dark Brown
or Black. About 1/8" thick.
Sold individually, with
USA postage included in the price.
Mount these using small
brackets or nail right through them directly to the case
Handle Style TH-15
$5 each
Color:
Sewing Machine and Typewriter
Case Handles TH-16 Sold per handle, not by the pair
These smaller handles are
typical for use on old sewing machine cases, typewriter cases, some suitcases,
and maybe even a lunch box or two.
Made by stitching too layers
of harness leather together. About 3/16" thick.
Sold individually, with
USA postage included in the price.
Mount these using small
brackets or nail right through them directly to the case
Handle Style TH-16
$6 each, shipping included for USA locations
Color:
We sell pairs of brackets
in bright brass over on our End
Caps/Brackets page - look for the TH-16 Brackets or just click here.
CASE HANDLES! These fit a lot of old suitcases,
artist's boxes, musical instrument cases, and other cases that have 3/4"
or 1" wide brackets on them.
TH-18 is 10" long, TH-17
is 9-1/8" long. Both are stitched from three layers of harness leather
and are very sturdy. Choose medium brown or black.
Sold individually
TH-17 $10 each
TH-18 $12 each
Please
choose:
We sell pairs of brackets
in bright brass or bright nickel over on our End
Caps/Brackets page - look for the TH-17 Brackets or just click here.
Handles for Purses, Bags,
Carrying Cases, and Long Stuff TH-19 Made in response to popular
demand (two people), Brettuns Village now offers these Made-in-Maine leather
purse/bag handles.
Made with a single layer
of USA cowhide, medium brown, folded in half and stitched lengthwise around
a nylon core that prevents stretching
and gives a round shape
to the leather. Single solid brass rivet at each end to protect the
ends of the stitching - this makes a big difference in
how long a handle like this
will last. The leather is 1-5/16" wide before it gets folded/stitched,
and the finished width is 9/16".
Overall length is 25-3/4",
length of the stitched portion (rivet to rivet) is 20". The flat
tab at each end is 1-5/16" wide by about 2" long.
You'll need to have a plan
for how you intend to attach these to your purse, bag, case, nephew, etc.
The intent was for them to be machine
stitched, but you can stitch
them on by hand, or use a combination of glue, rivets, screw posts, etc.
Get creative.
TH-19 handles $10
each, USA shipping included
Cut Your Own 1" Wide
Handles! TH-21 Every now and again we get
a request for trunk handles that are 1" wide. One customer in NY
needs handles that are 1" wide and 6-43/64" long; another
customer in Utah needs them
1" wide but 7-13/27ths long, and Charlie out in our work shop says he needs
some that are 1" wide and reach from here to there.
Here's our answer - these
stitched handles are comprised of two layers of harness leather, and each
strap handle is 1" wide by 24" long. Just cut them to
the length you need.
Well, as long as the length you need is 24" or less. Available in
medium brown, dark brown, or black. Sold one strip at a time
The ends will likely be
hidden under your trunk's end caps - just cut to length, nail them into
position, and put the end caps back on. Bingo.
TH-21 strap handles
$15 each, USA shipping included. These also make good heavy duty
bag or purse handles.
Color
1" Wide Dark Brown Harness
Leather Strips TH-22 Cut your own straps,
handles, lifters, etc We cut strips of heavy harness
cowhide latigo leather 1" wide and either 12 or 18 inches long, so that
you can cut
your own smaller handles,
lid lifters, straps, etc. This leather is 8-10 oz harness latigo,
between 1/8" and 1/4" in thickness,
dark reddish brown in color.
Choose 12 or 18 inches long
TH-22 strap handles
12" TH-22 $6 each, USA shipping
included.
18" TH-22 $8 each, USA shipping
included.
HEAVY-DUTY CAST TOOL
CHEST HANDLES These are reproductions
of chest and trunk handles from the early 1800s, made in what we believe
was a very authentic manner.
The backplates measure 6
inches wide by 2.75 inches tall, and attaches to your box with 6 nails
per handle (not included).
Heavy cast construction,
the handles lay flat until you need them, then they rotate upwards 90 degrees
so that they stick straight out from the side of the box.
These are pretty similar
to many old tool box handles we've run across, and also do a good job of
replicating handles from early hide-covered trunks like so many that were
made in Boston.
A pair of these handles,
delivered (USA) is priced at $30. Wish they were cheaper, but the
blacksmith won't hear of it and he's a big guy.
Stock Number CH98
$30.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Don't want to use your credit
card online?
You can print out our
order
form and mail or fax in your order
HAND MADE
HEART-SHAPED CHEST HANDLES Hand made in the USA by
a very talented blackmsith, these are very good reproductions of the handles
used by many saddlers and blacksmiths in the USA in the late 1700s and
early 1800s.
Set includes two backplates
and two handle bails, along with four wire handle holders. Also included
is an instruction sheet that explains how to attach them (it's easy -
drill two holes, stick the
connectors through, bend the ends over, put the ends of the handle through
the loops, tap into place with a hammer).
What's great about this
style is that no nailing is required. The connectors hold everything
together.
Backplates measure about
3.25" wide and 3" tall. Distance between handle bail holes is 2.25".
Heart Handles
Stock Number CH-99
$60.00
Black or Brass-Plated
Steel Tool Chest Handles Black Enameled steel tool
chest handles are sturdy and made for heavy lifting.
These handles attach with
four nails or screws (not included) and swing upwards until they stick
out about 90 degrees from the box.
They measure 3 and 3/8"
wide by 1 and 3/4" tall.
Priced per pair, USA shipping
included in the price.
The BLACK handles are brand
new, not used.
The BRASS PLATED handles
are OLD STOCK and are dirty, scratched, marred, aged, etc. They're
old and they look it - not like what the photos above show.
CH-97BLK or CH97 BRS
$20 per pair, USA postage
included
Color
Light Duty
Machined Brass Chest Handles Original old stock handles
from the 1950s, not reproductions.
These handles attach with
four nails or screws (not included) and swing upwards only in the holding
bracket.
They measure 2 and 3/4"
wide by 1 and 3/4" tall. Best used on light weight cases, boxes,
or trunks.
These are made from machined
brass but are not too shiny. Priced per pair, USA shipping included
in the price.
Machined Brass Chest Handles
CH-96
$6 per pair, USA postage
included
SCH-09 Strap Handles, Large
or Small Black strap plastic molded
handles have a spring steel strip running through the center to give them
strength, and black anodized or nickel plated mounting caps..
These do not come with any
screws or nuts/bolts, so you'd better make sure you've got some that will
work with these handles (a screw, bolt, or rivet that anchors through the
slot in each end).
Large SCH-09: Length
= 10" overall, width = 1", thickness = 5/16", distance between holes =
7-5/8"
Small SCH-09: Length
= 7.5" overall, width = 3/4", thickness = 1/4", distance between holes
= 6"
Priced at $6 each (one handle,
two end brackets), free shipping to any USA location.
Small SCH-09 $8 each,
USA shipping included Choose black or nickel end caps
Large SCH-09 $10 each,
USA shipping included Choose black or nickel end caps
