It is well known that some lifebelts were cut up aboard the body-recovery ship Mackay-Bennett. Some parts were even used as pillows for the Titanic victims' heads. Upon arrival in Halifax, the lifebelt worn by John Jacob Astor, the wealthiest passenger aboard, was cut up into approximately forty pieces and given to the undertakers who came to Halifax to assist with the victims' bodies.

The piece on the left was kept by undertaker Thaddeus Stephens. Who owned the piece at the right is unknown.
Photo by Lynn Marie Richard, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax.

Reading through the newspaper archives it can be seen that Astor’s lifebelt was not the only one being cut up.  An article in the Barre Daily Times of Saturday, April 20^th, 1912, stated that the crew of Carpathia “busied themselves for three hours yesterday cutting up life preservers that were brought aboard. These will be sold as souvenirs.” This means there might be a lot of pieces with their whereabouts unknown.