Vintage-looking deck hardware?

[OV1961]

I talked with a local re-chroming shop and I would rather not pay the hundreds of dollars it would take to refurbish/rechrome my original cleats and bow light made of pot metal. Are there any manufacturers that sell vinage/classic-looking hardware? I am unimpressed by the big-box boat store offerings.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Vintage-looking deck hardware?

watch ebay you find them there occasionally.

 

[QC]

Re: Vintage-looking deck hardware?

Perko has some vintage looking stuff. Can find here on iboats even . . .

 

[BillP]

Re: Vintage-looking deck hardware?

I think those are vintage Attwood pieces. Keep searching ebay. I found an original new old stock nav lite and chocks on ebay for my 1965 Cobia. It took a couple months of looking to find them. Prices were actually less than buying new modern hardware.

bp

 

[OV1961]

Re: Vintage-looking deck hardware?

The bow light and anchor light are a matched set made by Kainer. They may not be original, comparing them to the sales brochure, but they are period. Perhaps the plant that made my boat used a different supplier for those parts. My cleats do look like the brochure's and are marked Perko.

As for ebay, they pissed me off one too many times and I closed my account, so unless the seller has contact info in the post I can't buy thru them.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Vintage-looking deck hardware?

Please let us know how the re-chroming goes if you do decide to do it. I have an old spot light that goes on top of the hardtop of my boat that I am planning to get re-chromed. I also considered blasting it and having it powder coated white. I have heard that re-chroming looks good for awhile then begins to rust in a short time though.

 

[OV1961]

Re: Vintage-looking deck hardware?

The chrome shop said brass or bronze hardware is worth replating because it's expensive to buy new and doesn't typically need a lot of repair. On the other hand, zamak, or pot metal usually requires filling of pits, whcih raises the cost considerably. It's not worth the cost for zamak mass produced pieces unless you have to have the originals for a restoration. The shop can put a heavy plate on so that it won't pit as fast as the originals did. They'll make it better than new but it will cost some bucks.