The Repair Shop

S04:E20 - Binoculars, Vintage Mechanical Money Box, Boxing Belts

Today in the Repair Shop, Jay Blades and the team bring three treasured family heirlooms, and the memories they hold, back to life. Experts Susie Fletcher and Brenton West team up for the repair of two leather boxing belts, awarded to celebrated Tongan heavyweight boxer Kitione Lave, who enjoyed a long and successful career as 'The Tongan Terror', winning countless fights across the world. For Kitione's daughter Trish and his wife Patricia, these belts are a cherished reminder of the champion they loved. But sadly the leather is now badly worn and in danger of falling apart, while the large silver medallions that adorn the belts are tarnished, the engravings are illegible, and one unfortunate boxer is missing a leg. It will take all of Susie and Brenton's skills and experience to restore these prestigious prizes to tip-top condition.Binocular repair guru Richard Biggs takes on the fix of a pair of German-built Zeiss night-vision binoculars, salvaged from a captured U-Boat in the last months of World War Two. They were brought into the workshop by Michael Rasmussen, whose father served in the Royal Navy, and who has treasured them ever since he was given them as a child. But the years haven't been kind, and the binoculars now produce an image that is foggy and out of focus, while the paintwork is chipped and faded. But it soon transpires that Richard's biggest challenge will be getting the binoculars apart in order to commence the repair!And Steve Fletcher is very nearly stumped by a vintage mechanical money box that has just one flaw – it is missing all its mechanics. When fellow expert Dom announces that he's equally out of ideas, Steve realises that what at first appeared a simple repair is going to take all his ingenuity and expertise to achieve.