These things work well, and I've seen them last a long, long time.
Now and then, though, they break -- like so.
And then there's no repairing them, or is there? Hmmm. I think I hear a hank of 0.031" diameter steel wire calling my name.
That looks like it may work. Only service on the luggage the strap belongs to will tell for sure.
I cut shallow grooves with a 32tpi hacksaw blade to retain the wire from side-to-side. I had to file four small grooves at the mouth of the receptacle to accommodate the wires. The buckle closes and locks exactly as it's supposed to. I'll be interested to hear how this holds up.
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