Metal parts on Carradice

[deejayen]

What sort of finish is on the metal parts Carradice use on their bags (the rivets securing the leather straps, and the pins in the buckles etc.)? Is it chrome or nickel plating? On my bags they always seem to rust and then stain the leather, and the pins seize up.

The Gilles Berthoud site says the metal parts of their straps are nickel plated, and I wondered if they might be more corrosion resistant then the Carradice equivalents.

[Brucey]

my carradice saddlebag (which is from the 80s) has - I think - Zn plating on the metal parts. I have no idea if the GB plating is better or not, but since rust has (thankfully) not been a big problem I'm wondering if perhaps you are doing something different.

[Bmblbzzz]

I've no idea if it's zinc, nickel, chrome or whatever, but like Brucey, I've never noticed corrosion to be a problem. My oldest Carradice isn't as old as his, but it is over ten years old.

[PH]

When I had a bike parked outside, every working day. all the metalwork on the Carradice saddlebag rusted, rivets, buckles and the screws into the dowel (One rusted away and sheared off) The leather straps also stiffened up and dried out, one eventually snapped. I'm sure some preventative maintenance would have added to the longevity, but along with the seriously faded fabric I quite liked the look.
On my current bags I've replaced the dowel with lightweight metal tube and SS setscrews and I'm tempted to change the straps and buckles for webbing and plastic clips. That'll kill the aesthetics but add to the usability.

[deejayen]

Thanks!

Perhaps I am doing something wrong, but the metalwork on both my Carradice saddlebags started rusting quite early on. They weren't left outside, but they were ridden in the rain. They were used on my summer bikes, so I don't think they were exposed to road salt. I've experienced the same as PH - rusty metalwork and stiffened leather straps. If you don't use a buckle for a while it can be really difficult to loosen up the rusty pin and push it through the pinholes in the strap.

I've ordered a couple of Super C panniers, which have webbing and plastic clips, so I shouldn't have to worry about rust with those - it's only the mould I have to keep at bay!

It sounds like the metalwork on Gilles Berthoud bags might not fare any better, but as they're slightly posher looking, they might not age quite as gracefully as the Carradice bags.

[Bmblbzzz]

The pins can often be hard to push through the straps; in part this is because the holes are not always correctly punched, either in size or in line. And yes, the leather does stiffen and crack. I expect the suppliers of buckles and leather might have changed over the years, or at least decades, which could partly explain observed differences.

[Brucey]

FWIW it should be possible to trade any rusty hardware for similar parts made in stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant materials, if you are really keen. I think it should (for example) be possible to fabricate SS buckles in situ via welding etc.

[wheelyhappy99]

Never had any rust on metal fittings despite being rained on and staying wet for long periods. But the saddlebags are stored in a dry and relatively warm garage.

I found the leather straps very stiff and a bit difficult to thread through buckles, so have rubbed in lots of Brooks Proofhide to soften them. Much easier to use and no cracking in the leather after years.

[deejayen]

That's probably a good idea, and I'd do that if I bought a new bag. It might also prevent some of the metal parts from corroding.

[SimonCelsa]

FWIW it should be possible to trade any rusty hardware for similar parts made in stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant materials, if you are really keen. I think it should (for example) be possible to fabricate SS buckles in situ via welding etc.

I think you're taking the p*55 now Brucey, I've never heard of anyone welding up their saddlebag!!

[Brucey]

I'm not joking and please note I didn't say it would be easy. But I quite fancy a mixture of brass tube, stainless spoke and stainless welding wire for the buckles.

[Nearholmer]

Retro-tech certainly looks stylish, and it may even be more sustainable than some modern tech, but there are generally reasons why it has ceased to be mainstream, things like cost of production, limited adjustability, limited durability.

So, I think one suffers a bit of inconvenience by, in this case, adopting retro bag-fastener tech.

I’ve got a small back-pack that has “nylon” snap fasteners, at least twenty years old and no signs of deterioration or loss of function. I splashed-out on a new Brooks leather saddlebag to go on my new, but retro-aesthetic bike the other day, and the first time I did it up, one of the studs securing the seat-loop strap failed!

[cycle tramp]

Thanks!

Perhaps I am doing something wrong, but the metalwork on both my Carradice saddlebags started rusting quite early on. They weren't left outside, but they were ridden in the rain. They were used on my summer bikes, so I don't think they were exposed to road salt. I've experienced the same as PH - rusty metalwork and stiffened leather straps. If you don't use a buckle for a while it can be really difficult to loosen up the rusty pin and push it through the pinholes in the strap.

I've ordered a couple of Super C panniers, which have webbing and plastic clips, so I shouldn't have to worry about rust with those - it's only the mould I have to keep at bay!

It sounds like the metalwork on Gilles Berthoud bags might not fare any better, but as they're slightly posher looking, they might not age quite as gracefully as the Carradice bags.

If its any consolation mine have gone rusty... and so have the rivets. The detachable straps got swapped, but the buckles on the bag got covered with 'whatever' leather restorer I was using at the time. Since then, there's been less rust appearing....
..personally I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't a quality control thing, by which ever buckle manufacture makes the buckles...

[plancashire]

And people wonder why British manufacturers don't export much. Nothing rusts, breaks, stiffens or leaks on my Ortliebs, and they're years old. Newer models are even better. That's something foreign called "product development" I believe.

[cycle tramp]

I'm not joking and please note I didn't say it would be easy. But I quite fancy a mixture of brass tube, stainless spoke and stainless welding wire for the buckles.

Ooh, there's a thought... although I'd might go for a length of stainless steel mudguard stay, bent into a digital figure eight...