Hello from Melbourne Australia!

[SteveOz]

Hello there!

I absentmindedly blundered right past this area and just started commenting willy-nilly and asking questions. So, please excuse my rudeness.

I started making leather watch straps as a hobby a few years ago. My friends admired the straps that I had made for myself. So I started giving them away as gifts. They soon encouraged me to start selling them online. After honing my skills for a while longer I was ready.

I started with Horween CXL as that's what I'd seen online. I love CXL. But, I've gradually moved to veg. tan cow and kangaroo. I love the colours of CXL and its temper, but I love how accurate I can be with veg. tan. and how it holds the details. I like how it stays put. I'm especially enjoying kangaroo leather as it doesn't stretch when I run it through my small splitter. It's an interesting material, I love how hardy it is.

I was enquiring about some machinery a while ago and was introduced to Rocky Aussie. He helped me a lot and encouraged me to join here. So, here I am and I've received many warm welcomes already. So, thank you.

My little online venture is here- https://stevowatchstraps.company.site/ And my Instagram is here https://www.instagram.com/stevowatchstraps/

I look forward to getting to know you.

Kind regards,

Steve

[MtlBiker]

Welcome to the forum Steve!  (Or belated welcome, since you've been posting.)

Your website is very nicely done and it really shows off your watch straps well.  The straps look really top notch.

Do you stitch them all by hand, or use a machine?

I have fond memories of Melbourne, especially the right hand turn from the left lane business, in torrential rain. 

Cheers!

 

[SteveOz]

Hey MtlBiker,

Thank you for your warm welcome! All of my stitching is done by hand with diamond pricking irons from both sides at the moment. I'm exploring some other options to make the holes faster, but I still want to keep stitching by hand.

You truly have spent time in Melbourne by your reference to "the right hand turn from the left lane business". The "hook turn" as it's known locally. It's instilled fear, frustration, and confusion in many a young driver and tourist alike. It's been made easier now as they now have installed lights controlling your hook turn. In the past you had to check to see if something was coming, say a prayer and floor it!

[MtlBiker]

9 hours ago, SteveOz said:

Hey MtlBiker,

Thank you for your warm welcome! All of my stitching is done by hand with diamond pricking irons from both sides at the moment. I'm exploring some other options to make the holes faster, but I still want to keep stitching by hand.

You truly have spent time in Melbourne by your reference to "the right hand turn from the left lane business". The "hook turn" as it's known locally. It's instilled fear, frustration, and confusion in many a young driver and tourist alike. It's been made easier now as they now have installed lights controlling your hook turn. In the past you had to check to see if something was coming, say a prayer and floor it!

(By the way, if you want someone to be alerted of a reply, type a @ and then start spelling the name of the person and pick from the popup list.  If you don't do this, they won't know there was a reply.)

As a Canadian, I'm of course used to driving on the right side of the road with the steering wheel on the left.  So in Melbourne I was faced with driving on the "wrong" side of the road, also with the steering wheel on the wrong side, in torrential pouring rain and had to deal with that dreaded hook turn.  Had to go back to my room to change my shorts!    That was almost 25 years ago but I still remember it well.  I loved Melbourne though.

Do you make watch straps for the Apple watch also?  Have you found a good source for quality hardware for that?

[SteveOz]

Thanks for the tip @MtlBiker about the @. I was wondering how people were getting that to work. You're not alone in the "flow on" effect of dealing with a hook turn for the first time. I was close doing the same the first time I did one.

All of my straps will fit an Apple watch. I must admit I've had a bit of trouble finding good quality hardware at a good price. I've purchased them from BuckleGuy in the past and they were ok quality. I'm always open to trying a new supplier, do you know of one? I think OA Leather near you might have them? I purchased some Horween from OA recently and it was a good experience. I have to give then feedback.

[MtlBiker]

2 hours ago, SteveOz said:

Thanks for the tip @MtlBiker about the @. I was wondering how people were getting that to work. You're not alone in the "flow on" effect of dealing with a hook turn for the first time. I was close doing the same the first time I did one.

All of my straps will fit an Apple watch. I must admit I've had a bit of trouble finding good quality hardware at a good price. I've purchased them from BuckleGuy in the past and they were ok quality. I'm always open to trying a new supplier, do you know of one? I think OA Leather near you might have them? I purchased some Horween from OA recently and it was a good experience. I have to give then feedback.

I've never (yet!) made watch straps but I plan to.  And for the last few years I only have been wearing Apple watches instead of my good analog ones.  I wasn't sure about the Buckle Guy Apple watch hardware, and after a bad experience with them on the one and only time I bought, I'm reluctant to buy from them again.  (I'd ordered something and it never arrived, and they really didn't care, saying that once it leaves they have no control nor responsibility, unless I pay a lot extra for a different shipping method.)  I have some old Apple watch straps which I bought on Amazon, but I think the hardware is rather poor quality and if I want to make myself a few straps I'd like them to be good.  I'm not at all thinking of making straps for sale, so I really one want one or two sets of hardware... an order hardly worth anyone's time.

It's funny how everyone has different ideas of what "near you" means.    Canada is a darn big country.  OA Leather is about 3500 km away (according to Google Maps).  We always get a chuckle out of Europeans who visit, naively thinking they could drive coast to coast in a weekend.  They're just so used to the European countries being so close to each other and being able to drive through multiple countries in a day.

I'm really impressed with both your website and the apparent quality of the straps you make.  Kudos to you!

 

[Hags]

Welcome! 

[SteveOz]

@MtlBiker I was pulling your leg regarding the distance.  And thanks again for the compliment on my work. The website was easy using a simple wysiwyg builder, ECWID is its name. And a bit of baking paper wrapped loosely over a cheap LED lamp will give you a nice soft diffused light source. I must invest in a decent lighting setup some day... Sadly, I'm never 100% happy with whatever I make. So, the quest must go on to make the best strap I can.

What types of things do you like to make out of leather? I imagine you must have some stuff up in the forum. I'll have to wander around to see what I can find of yours. I see you mentioned industrial sewing in your bio. Do you have a machine or two?

@Hags Hi Hags, thanks for the welcome Mate. How's things in your neck of the woods?

[MtlBiker]

@SteveOz - I have only posted a few items here that I've made.  It was only thanks to our first forced Covid isolation that I started sewing.  Before that I couldn't even sew a button on my shirt.  I'm certainly not in your league in terms of skills.  I've done a few small items with hand stitching (things like belt pouches, eye-glass cases, bic lighter sleeves) but mostly I'm machine sewing.  I've made a few leather purses but mostly I make tote bags, shop aprons (waxed canvas with leather trims), wine totes, etc.  I'm not going to repost any photos here as this is your thread and I really only jumped in to extend a warm welcome and compliment you on your work and website.

Do I have a machine or two?  No... I have SEVEN machines.  SIGH  Addicted?  Who me?

[SteveOz]

@MtlBiker Hey Mate, that sounds like you're doing some really cool stuff! Can post some links here to where they are in the forum?

[Alsopp]

Your website looks great! Thanks for sharing

[SteveOz]

@Alsopp Thanks Mate, nice to meet you!