Doing things the old-fashioned way is not as easy as it might appear.
The boot scraper at the ready by the back door but the brushes are worn out.
My office is on a farm where people often walk in dirt and mud.
Since tracking the dirt through the house and office is not desirable a number of boot scrapers and boot brushes are mounted and available around the farm.
An antique combination boot scraper and brushes is located near the rear entrance for easy access. Unfortunately over the years the brushes have worn down and now need to be replaced.
These boot brushes are well-worn.
The tag on the pictured brushes says “National Brush Company” Aurora, Illinois. I was sure I’d be able to locate the company since the tag included a zip code which means these brushes have been purchased after 1963 when zip codes went into use.
I searched over the internet for replacement brushes but could only find a number of boot brushes already attached to housing so I ordered one at a bargain price of $20.
Boot scraper from A Black Horse (ablackhorse.com)
When they arrived our building manager removed the brushes from the new housing and screwed them onto the vintage model. Unfortunately they were a little small so our carpenter found a pair of brushes that fit better. (They’re also softer so not as good for getting mud off of boots but more protective of dress shoes.) In addition the building manager painted the metal to help the boot scraper withstand the elements since it remains on a covered outdoor walkway.
The new brushes are attached to the frame with screws.
Now the boot scraper/brushes are back in business awaiting the next rainy day.
The boot scraper is ducky once more.
How do you locate off-beat items?
