Saturday, May 26, 2012

Zoom w a View: Belt tightening measures

In my most recent column I write that I started going out for walks more regularly for reasons related to fun, fitness and vanity. Perfectly sane reasons, right?

About the vanity part I say the following:

"I'm on the last notch of a hand-tooled belt I bought for $5 at Quigley's Leather Works (London) in 1969, and I don't want to hang it up any time soon. Have you seen the price of a good leather belt these days? Yipes."

["The last notch! The belt must be shrinking with age"]

As a result of that statement a reader contacted me who has a unique connection to Quigley's old shop, i.e., the son of one of the long-term employees, who recalls sitting atop piles of tanned leather as a boy when the tanning and leather works trade was a going concern at 1 Beaufort St., London. In his email, D. Russo says my $5 purchase would cost me $100 today.

["How many of your investments have increased twenty-fold?"]

He writes, "They don't make belts like that anymore as the leather they use is not the same quality of leather as in the past."

["They don't make them like they used to!"]

At $100, the belt would be one of the most expensive pieces of clothing I have, with my old suit and best shoes retaining the lead. (I have no idea what all the stuff in my bottom drawer is worth, but I bet all together it ain't 100 smackers!)

[Photos by G.Harrison]

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