BRETTUNS VILLAGE TRUNK
SHOP
TRUNK HANDLES
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, six different styles.
The leather is tanned in
the USA (either Maine, New Hamster, or Wisconsin), then cut and stitched
here in Maine.
You can mail an order in
with a check, call with your credit card (toll free 1-877-LEATHAH or 1-877-532-8424
for orders only, please),
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.
Common Trunk Handles
This is what we call common
trunk handles - they are 8 and 3/4 inches long by 1 and 1/4 inch wide.
The slots are 1 inch long, just right for end caps with or without pins.
These have a nice medium
brown color, like the originals did, and can be stained darker with leather
stain, shoe polish, or markers.
This is handle style TH-01,
a common two-layer handle. We sell these for $8.50 per pair, with
shipping included in that price.
We could lie and say we
give you free shipping, but, the fact is, we already figured in the postage
stamps required to mail the darned things.
Need them without slots?
Scroll on down. These are also available in Dark Brown or Black.
TH-01MB Medium Brown
$8.50 per pair. Shipping is included for all USA locations. 
TH-01DB - Dark Brown - Same
as above - two layers of leather stitched together, with slots, in
dark brown. 8 and 3/4 inches long by 1 and 1/4 inch wide.
$8.50 per pair. Shipping
is included for all USA locations.
TH-01DB - Dark Brown
TH-01BLK (black) Same as
above - two layers of leather stitched together, with slots, in black.
8 and 3/4 inches long by 1 and 1/4 inch wide.
$8.50 per pair. Shipping
is included for all USA locations.
TH-01BLK Black
Single Layer TH-01 Handles
Dark Brown
Some trunks don't need heavy
duty stitched leather handles - you can get by with these single layer
handles, cut from 12 oz harness leather (about 3/16" thick)
We call these TH-01NS and
make them in dark 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
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
or dark brown, same dimensions (8 3/4" by 1 1/4"), same slots.
These are handles style
TH-03, we sell them for $9.50 per pair, which includes postage for all
USA locations.
TH-03 $9.50 per pair
Medium Brown
Dark Brown
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
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.
Wide-End Handles
Brown or Black
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-New England construction;
these have three layers of leather. These measure 9 and 7/8 inch
long and the ends are 2 inches wide at the widest point.
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 $10.00 per pair, which includes shipping costs in the USA. We
sell the loops (brackets) for these also, just scroll on down the page.
TH-02 $10.00 per pair
TH-02 Handles in Brown
TH-02 Handles in Black
Our Biggest Sellers!
Black, Dark Brown, or
Medium Brown Handles with No Slots
Available in Three Layers
or Two Layers of Leather
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
TH-04MED Medium Brown
$10 per pair, USA postage included
TH-04DKB Dark Brown
$10 per pair, USA postage included
TH-04BLK Black
$10 per pair, USA postage included
Don't Need Them So Thick?
Use our TH-04 2-Layer handles:
TH-04MED2ply Medium
Brown $9 per pair, USA postage included
TH-04DKB2ply Dark
Brown $9 per pair, USA postage included
TH-04BLK2ply Black
$9 per pair, USA postage included
Curved Handles for Saratoga
Trunks
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
$20.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Medium Brown
Also Available in Dark Brown
Dark Brown $20 per pair,
postage included for USA locations
These TH-05 handles replace
the old originals that looked like this:
Just Right for Saratogas
and Jenny Linds
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 three brass cut nails through the
narrow end into the trunk,
then attach a single loop
(like our no-pin loops shown below) 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 $12 per pair,
postage included for destinations in the USA. We also offer a package
deal - two handles and two no-pin loops for $18, postage included (USA).
Pair of TH-06 Handles -
$12.00
Pair of TH-06 Handles and
Two Bright Brass No-Pin Loops - $18.00
or
Pair of TH-06 Handles and
Two Antique Brass No-Pin Loops - $18.00
Longer Handles for Larger
Trunks
Handle style TH-07, also
made right here in Maine by our shop, are the same medium 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 $12 per pair
Another Type of Longer
Handle
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, medium brown color only, 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 single handle $6.50
TH-09 Pair of handles
$12
We also make these using
only two layers of leather, which was a style used on many lighter weight
trunks and wardrobes
Two layer TH-09 handles
on the left, three layer TH-09 handles on the right.
TH-09-2ply Handles, $11.00
per pair, USA postage included
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
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 only in medium
brown, but you can stain them darker if you care to. Handle style
TH-08, sold by the pair for $9 which includes postage for all locations
in the USA.
TH-08 Handles $9 per
pair
Leather Strap Handles
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 - see below.
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
TH-10 handle with hardware
included but not attached
$8 per set, USA shipping
included
6" handles for Doll Trunks
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
$6.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Tapered Leather Handles
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
riectly 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
$10.00 per pair, USA shipping
included
Dark Brown TH-12
Medium Brown TH-12
Don't want to use your credit
card online?
No problem - you can call
your order in, toll-free, to pay with Visa/MC/Amex: 1-877-LEATHAH
Or you can print out our
order
form and mail or fax in your order
Big Handles with Wide
Ends
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
or Medium Brown.
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
$16 per pair or $9 each
Pair of Dark Brown TH-13
$16
Single TH-13 Dark Brown
Handle $9
Pair of Medium Brown TH-13
$16
Single Medium Brown TH-13
$9
European Trunk Handles
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 ($20), 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
$20 per pair
Pair of Dark Brown
TH-14 $20
Pair of Medium Brown
TH-14 $20
Simple Wide End Strap
Handles
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
Dark Brown TH-15
$5
Black TH-15 $5
Sewing Machine and Typewriter
Case Handles
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
Medium Brown
TH-16 $6
Black TH-16 $6
LOOKING FOR SUITCASE
HANDLES?
TRY
THIS PAGE
Want To
Cut Your Own Handles?
If we don't carry the size you need maybe
you'd like to try making your own
These pieces of heavy harness
leather are about 3/16" thick, 1.75" wide, and about 16" long. Sold
per piece, dark reddish brown only.
No black, no tan, no purple,
just dark reddish brown. Would you like to e-mail us anyway to ask
if we have black? I knew it.
Here's our list of available
colors as of right this minute:
1.
Dark Reddish Brown
You can cut this leather
with heavy scissors or a razor knife. Draw your pattern on it first,
then cut the handles out.
Each piece is priced at $8.50,
and this includes postage costs to any USA location
Leather Straps, Dark Brown
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 attach to your box with 6 nails per
handle.
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
Don't want to use your credit
card online?
No problem - you can call
your order in, toll-free, to pay with Visa/MC/Amex: 1-877-532-8424
Or 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 HH99
$60.00
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
$6 per pair, USA postage
included
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