iWERKS

Those edges are sexy

Thanks. The buckles are off some old straps I had previously purchased from panatime.com. I am hunting for some more unique buckles for a reasonable price like this one https://www.toxicnatos.com/products/aegir-roller-buckles-one-off

Thanks!

Hello Everyone! I started making watch straps a few years ago in an effort to save some money. Turned out I quite enjoy cutting, slicing, stabbing, & poking leather. I'm always looking to improve therefore don't hold back on your criticism or tips. This is my attempt on a padded watch strap. Could you some more padding. The stitching has since flatted out after wearing it for a few weeks. This was the same leather as above. This one was made out of the flesh side of a guitar strap. Ended up not liking the fuzzy look so I rubbed some beeswax over it. I like the finish but one of my stitch lines were a bit off. Don't know if it was the type of leather I'm using but the stitching on this one came out a lot more angular even though I'm stitching the exact same way. Lesson on this one, give the stitches a tap with a mallet to flatten out the stitch. I also tapered the tail end of the strap so it's thinner and less bulky looking. Found a huge piece of this leather in the clearance section for $25. Picked up a bottle of dark brown antiquing gel and played around. This one, I call my FAMMO strap (Faux Ammo Strap). Lots of strap makers making straps out of old WW2 ammo pouches. I tried to mimic these ammo straps by using plain veg tan leather and antiquing gel. Lesson on this one was adding a groove between the stitch and the edge of the leather really cleans it up and makes it look finished. Group shot! Can't keep making watch straps right? My first attempt at a leather knife sheath.

Great first attempt!. My first strap didn't turn out nearly as nice as yours.

Great work panchoskywalker. I recently made a watch strap with the flesh side of a guitar strap. Rubbed some beeswax on it and it totally changed the look. Here's a pic in case you want to experiment.

TomG 1) I make mine about 0.5mm wider which gets taken down by sanding/burnishing the edges 2) Hand sew 3) I used the waxed nylon thread from Tandy as well as 4 ply waxed linen thread. I believe it's around to 0.8mm in diameter. The linen thread comes in more colours but I'm finding that it's starting to become fuzzy. Might just be cheap thread. I heard nothing but good things about Tiger thread. I will try that next. 4) I've never considered any advantage/disadvantage to sewing across the strap at the pin. If I choose to, it's purely for appearance.

Thanks ramrod. My obsession with watches and leather straps is what led me here. I put three holes in my straps because usually the first hole I punch is either too big or to small lol and having two holes looks odd. Being pretty new at this, I was afraid if I put more than three holes, they will start to get out of alignment/spacing. Get my "plan B" logic? The Makara is CUSN8 bronze. Great watch for the price. Photos really can't illustrate how light emphasizes the hexagonal shape of the case for a split second when the light hits it at the right angle.

Understood. Lesson learned. Here's a photo of a piece in the original question. I'm sure I'll still find plenty of use out of it

I apologize if this is a dumb question. After a month into the hobby, I felt the need to jump from working on projects with leather remnants from Tandy to something a bit larger in scale so I picked up a side of craftsman oak from Tandy. Not exactly knowing what to look for, I took the piece the worker recommended. After dying a piece for a passport wallet, I noticed that the leather is covered in what appears to be insect bites. Closer inspection of the side, I would say most of the leather is covered in bites. Is there anyway to remove the bites or make them less noticeable or is the only way around it is to buy higher quality leather?

I just started out making my own straps about a month ago (and still have lots to learn). I've been using leather in the 4-6oz range, double layered so that the strap is approx 4-6mm thick. It really depends on the watch it's going on and if it thick strap matches it. For buckles, I like to use either the OEM buckle that came with the watch, or something a bit less common. I found this ratcheting divers clasp at strapcode.com which I'm using on the Breitling. They sell many other style of buckles but they're not exactly cheap. Here's a few i've made