Brass Wire

It is hard to believe, but Newark has no source for 18 gauge brass wire.  I use this for brass feathers, and I use it for rivets.  I can only speculate that when all the mom and pop hardware stores went to big box stores, this item (along with many others) became obsolete.  I ran into this problem last winter when I tried to buy a solid brass bolt for the butt end of Brians knife.  All the local hardware stores carried bolts that size, but they were brass coated.  I can't use brass coated anything, because I reshape them with grinding wheels and sanding belts.  I had to find real brass bolts online.  While I was looking locally for the big brass bolt to finish the pommel, I scoped out the brass wire knowing I would need it to make rivets.  I became alarmed.  I am still alarmed.  I feel confident that I can still find REAL brass in Columbus, but the transportation cost exceeds my budget.  I purchased this role of brass wire on eBay, and it has free shipping.  As I take stock of everything I may need for upcoming projects, I am finding that buying local is not possible.  I miss the mom and pop hardware stores.  Hopefully someday, they will come back.