Need Razor-Sharp Readers to Save Face

Henry Kaplan of Torrance is keeping a sharp eye out for someone who can repair the wind-up mechanism in the handle of a Stahly live-blade razor. Can you help before Kaplan arrives at the cutting edge of despair, or will he foam at the mouth because he’s unable to get a close shave?

Bobbi Richardson of Thousand Oaks has been running around in circles in her search for self-sticking carpet squares (about 12x12 inches) that used to be popular but seem to have disappeared. She needs these for the floor of a chopped-up, angular bathroom. Can you help by providing Bobbi with an angle, or will she be stuck with the realization that the rug has been pulled out from under her?

And speaking of bathroom matters, Barbara H. of Manhattan Beach would like to find some quilted nylon acetate material for making a bathrobe. Can you help by showering her with sources (preferably in the South Bay area), or will our reader run hot and cold because she may have arrived at the end of her robe?

Reader-to-Reader Help Line: William at (714) 496-7423 needs a 7-watt, 120-volt infrared bulb for an Infralux Heat Lamp Model PR-100, distributed years ago by Basic Infrared Corp. of Caldwell, N.J.; evidently the firm is no longer in business. Please help William put the heat on his back and, thus, get him off ours. . . . Helen at (714) 242-4326 needs two 24-inch Kirsch towel racks in the Chateau Antique Brass style; that item is no longer being made. Please dry to help Helen out, so she won’t feel like throwing in the sponge.

Note: The Reader-to-Reader Help Line is only for one-time items and for products no longer available in stores. And you must give us written permission to publish your telephone number, so that others may contact you directly.

Luella L. Dealey of Culver City, who was needling us about some darning cotton, may have to thread her way clear into the foothills to get it. Anne Olmstead of La Crescenta writes that Embassy Fabrics, 2281 Honolulu Ave., Montrose, (818) 249-7974, carries everything in the way of sewing notions. But if Dealey doesn’t give a darn about appearances, she could use embroidery thread (working with only one or two strands), according to Helen Shirley of Corona del Mar and Mrs. Jack Haynes of Riverside.

Edward Solig of Woodland Hills, who was on his toes for wooden clogs to keep from being infected during showers away from home, can stop dragging his feet. Janith Davidson of the Davidson Antique Co., 31671 Coast Highway, South Laguna, (714) 499-2733, says she has imported some wooden shoes from France that were used by French Resistance members during World War II. But if Solig can resist the urge to take the long drive down the coast, we have some sources almost within walking distance, but with a Scandinavian accent. Robert Drummond of Hollywood suggests the Scandia House, 16733 Ventura Blvd., (818) 981-0720, and the Swedish Messenger, 13437 Ventura Blvd., (818) 780-6544, both in Sherman Oaks. Drummond also mentions Gifts From Scandinavia, 310 N. Golden Mall, Burbank, (818) 843-5160, and International Souvenirs at the Farmer’s Market, Los Angeles.

Displaying some deft footwork, we turn from clogs to custom shoes, which is what D. Gorka of Whittier, who has an orthopedic problem, is after. None of our sources is in her area, but if the shoe fits . . .? A Van Nuys reader suggests Valley Oaks Orthopedic Shoe Service, 471 S. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 930-2844, or 11123 Burbank Blvd., North Hollywood, (818) 766-0881. And Irene Shively of Desert Hot Springs says a European shoemaker who does good custom work at reasonable prices is located at 1512 N. Western Ave., Hollywood.

Jackie Palmer of Los Angeles, who was looking for fitted top sheets (as was Martha Clyde of Santa Barbara), may stop having a fit. Loretta Ford of Redondo Beach, Howard Miller of Studio City and several other readers mentioned the current Sears catalogue. Miller says on Page 1344, twin- and full-size sheets are offered at $11.99 (perhaps in white only).

Herb Hain cannot answer mail personally but will, space permitting, respond in this column to readers who need--or have--helpful information. Write (do not telephone) to You Can Help!, You section, the Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.