Waste Not, Want Not

Who knew that in a more thrifty era, leaky pots, pans, and wash tubs were repaired, not discarded? In 1907, the Collette Mfg. Co. in Amsterdam, New York, began marketing “Mendets” to repair such leaks. The kit consisted of small washers, gaskets, nuts, bolts, and a triangular “reamer wrench”. A staple in Henry County country kitchens as far back as I can remember, demand for Mendet kits has waned, but they are still around. Yep, this week I found the one pictured below at Wallin Hardware! Source, Amsterdam (NY) Daily Gazette, and recollections of Ray Harding.