BIFURCATED RIVETS...

Bifurcated Rivets

It languished, ageing, rusting perceptibly

Upon an antiques centre’s chair

And yet it caught my eye,

Not only for its imperfections

But because of its label which drew me in, imperceptibly:

A tin, for rivets, known as bifurcated…

Twin-forked, self-piercing like sharpened molars

And used as the lid’s instructions indicated;

Forced by a crimping punch,

Hammered smooth then on leather,

Plywood, plastics, or fibre and fixed with a crunch;

Stronger than stitches in packing cases exported

Yet reminiscent of paper fasteners, I wryly contemplated… 

Pete Ray

June 2017

Spotted at Fabulous Finds Antiques, 11 The Arden Centre, Little Alne, B95 6HW…

Simply had to find out what the curious tin had once contained… 

One would apparently use rivets 1/16 inch longer than the thickness of hard leather, whilst using rivets 1/8 inch longer than the thickness of spongy leather…

There, I’ve said it all…

Reminded me of the forked fasteners from folders and files when I was at school… 

THE TIN...

INSTRUCTIONS...

I LIKED THESE, AS A KID...