Before.....
Many times you will see this kind of damage to the overclasp. It has cracked right where the pin hinge connects it. This was the result of the overclasp not designed to fit with enough room. It fits so snug across the top of the purse that it requires additional force to open and close it. The hinge could not take this motion so many times and finally cracked.
After.....
I made the decision to flip the clasp around for the reconnection. This is the only way it would have been strong enough to support the pin. I then rebuilt the other side of the clasp. The next step was to widen the original clasp just enough to avoid the same damage in the future. Celluloid is actually a soft plastic and can be carved or sanded down with the use of a dremel or other small tool.
