Fix-it time

In searching for other options, I realized that clock repair seems to be a dying art: there are very few such places left in the Bay Area that will repair an old clock and, based on reviews, do it well. While I did eventually find someone who could do the job — Dorian Clair Antique Clock Repair — it necessitated a trip to San Francisco, a lengthy period of time without my clock (I was told that that the repair would take a minimum of six months, and so far it has been 10), and a not insubstantial amount of money. But it’ll all be worth it to have our clock back on our wall, tick-tocking again for many years to come.

Even though much of the world has gone to digital when it comes to timekeeping, given the amount of work that Dorian Clair has today (and the amount that The Clocksmith had right up to the end), there clearly remains a great deal of demand for this kind of work. Which makes me wonder why there aren’t more clock repair shops out there. While this clearly isn’t a business one can just start at the drop of a hat — a long apprenticeship would presumably be called for — it appears it would be a rewarding one for someone who enjoys working with their hands. And given what I paid for my clock’s repair, it seemingly could be lucrative as well.

A couple of months ago, while walking along Cordilleras Road on my way to Edgewood Park, the sole of my shoe started flapping, and then came completely off. Fortunately, the sole was still in good shape, and the helpful folks at Cinderella Shoe Service (on Woodside Road in Redwood City) were able to re-glue it to my shoe. But my visit woke me to the fact that, like clock repair shops, there also seem to be fewer shoe repair shops. Although most shoes these days are built to be disposable, rather than repairable, my wife continues to find Cinderella’s services handy. If Cinderella goes out of business — and someday they surely will — we’ll find ourselves having to choose from a dwindling number of shoe repair shops.

Remember shops that repaired electric razors? I remember taking mine in to one in Redwood City once or twice. However, that shop is long gone, and I’m not sure that anyone does that kind of work anymore.

While I will certainly be able to get some things repaired for years to come — I just made an appointment to get my car serviced, for one — it’s getting harder and harder to find people to repair more mundane items. I worry about the few remaining small independent shops and service people who keep our vacuum cleaners, sewing machines and kitchen appliances alive and kicking.

High tech may be all the rage in the Bay Area, but there is a lot of demand for repair people of all sorts. Training them is key. There seem to be trade schools still out there for some repair work, but for specialties — like clock repair — that likely train through apprenticeships, time is running out. Most of the people with the skills to do the training seem no longer young, and every day there are fewer of them.

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.