Originally Posted by
OurWorkbench
Does anyone know what the item is to the left of the Dritz hem gauge is?
Yep. One of the case latches.
People cut them off when they can't find the key. It's better to just take it into a shop - a Singer store will have a key for sure, many of the other sewing shops will too, even a lock smith should be able to get it open. There's almost never a good reason to "permanently" damage a case to get it open. Yes, hinges and latches can be replaced but I don't think spares were always available.