An upholstery dummys tale

[hidebound]

So I was shopping with my wife (which I hate with a passion but it makes her happy) and I stopped at Harbor freight where I found a pair of pittsburg forge hog ring pliers and picked them up for $8.00. Later being an old pig farmer I stopped at the local feed store and bought a box of hog rings.

I have never needed hog rings before but I am working on a bench seat out of an old truck. i've got the covers made and am ready to install, but the hog rings will not fit in the pliers.

So I ordered a set of C.S. Osborne hog ring pliers, and the Pittsburg Forge pliers are an exact copy of the Osborne pliers. Now I am $48.00 into pliers. I can only assume that upholstery hog rings are different than the rings you install in a pigs nose.


I thought someone might be able to verify this before I spend any more money, and maybe even get a chuckle out of it.

[gene]

Mr. Hidebound,

Should your topic be ("An upholstery "pig's" tail)? Or maybe not. We're talking about the other end of the pig.

You said you were shopping with your wife and stopped at Harbor Freight. I think it's great that your wife shops at Harbor Freight. My wife only goes to places like Kolhs, Meijer, Bed Bath and Beyond.

Upholstery hog rings and hog hog rings are totally different. Upholstery hog rings are made to hold pieces of metal together. Hog hog rings are made to keep hogs from rooting around in the dirt and destroying the ground.

Upholstery hog rings are called hog rings only because they look like hog hog rings. You could probably use hog hog rings on upholstery but it would be much cheaper and easier to use upholstery hog rings. I do not think you would want to use upholstery hog rings on hogs - I do not think the metal would hold up to the rooting around by the hog.

Take your hog hog rings back to your local feed store and tell them all your hog died. Tell them that you were hoping to raise hogs but you think you may have planted them a bit too deep. They may give you your money back.

Then, go to your favorite upholstery supplier and order some upholstery hog rings. You may not want to tell the upholstery supply folks that all your hog died.

I'm sure there are some people out there, somewhere, who are using both in their own noses, but this is a totally different topic.

gene

[hidebound]

Thanks Gene, I will order a bag of upholstery hog rings.

My wife is an industrial maintenance mechanic and she needs tools too so I am lucky in that respect but, we also go to all the other places you mentioned and that is the part I hate.

Also please forgive my ignorance I am learning something new everyday.

[gene]

Ignorance is a great thing to waste. Getting rid of ignorance is the best way to learn new stuff.

gene

[byhammerandhand]

Well, there is ignorance, then there is bull ring (http://www.tractorsupply.com/producer-s-pride-reg-bull-ring-3-in--1019779)

[BigJohn]

One farm tool that we all can use is a Hogs Ear Notcher that can be purchased from Tractor Supply, Fleet Farm, Farm & Fleet, and many other Farm suppliers and Upholstery suppliers. It is used to notch welting to allow it to turn corners more smoothly.

[fingers]

 Gene, that was hilarious.
I learned at least two things reading this thread. The difference in hog rings and where to find a notcher.
Any immediate ignorance on my part has been temporarily averted. This will change in mere moments...
Thanks again for the chuckle, I really needed it just then.

[206RB]

Do the pig farmers spit hog rings? I've always wondered about that.

[lamx]

I used hog rings from a farm supply store before finding a source for upholstery hog rings. The hog hog rings are larger and made of heavier wire than upholstery hog rings but they work just fine, in my experience. I now have a 25 lb box of upholstery hog rings that I probably will not be able to use up in my lifetime. Last time I looked at them, a light coat of rust was forming.

Ed

[kodydog]

One of my very first customers was a pig farmer. She was a sweet lady near 60 years old and would always greet us with rubber boots on. Her husband left her the farm when he died and she was one of the hardest working women (or man) I have ever met. She and her employees would work sun-up till past sun-down. She lived in a modest home, always paid cash and never-ever complained.  

[CKKC]

I, being very poor at the time, used hog hog rings to fasten my seat covers on the Plymouth.
They were even the "anti-root" hog rings with the extra bar welded to them.  It was all I could
find in the shed.  Of course my hog ring pliers worked out great because they WERE for hog
hog rings. 

I just pitied the poor person that went reaching under that seat for something!