Watch Straps

[CalgaryJim]

I got into trying to make my own leather watch straps about 5 months ago after spending what I thought was a lot of money on straps, even though I had started buying straps from Tuns in Vietnam. They worked out to $35 to $50 USD for most of the leather types, with a 15% discount on two or more straps, and only about $5 USD for shipping. I figured, two or three hundred dollars on equipment and I can learn to make straps 'just like those YouTubers, lol. Well not I'm well into it with tools, some good, some bad, various leather types, and threads, inexpensive to expensive (Fil au Chinois).

I soon realized that a) the good strap-makers on YouTube are probably doing it eight hours a day, full-time; b) some of them are terrible; and c) it's a heck of a lot harder than I could have imagined, I'm spending 2 or 3 hours a day leatherworking and almost as much time watching videos and reading forums like this one. So, not quite a full-time hobby, but my days do seem to revolve around it.

I'm finding this forum probably the best site for me to learn about leatherwork, along with YouTube I do use the r/leathercraft forum, facebook much less so. I didn't see a dedicated sub-forum here for strap-making so thought I'd create this one to make it easier going forward for me and others to find information, especially current information as many websites selling leather and tools/supplies are no longer in existence.

Looking forward to your contributions, both what you have made or are making, and tips/tricks, as well as general knowledge sharing.

Oops, I thought I was creating new category under Other Specialties. I'll ask the Administrator if they can do that.

[Mablung]

There are also a good number of threads addressing watch straps, too.  They seem to require some heightened precision, including some smaller-than-usual pricking irons or stitching chisels, as well as finer thread and needles.  Additionally, they seem to require some skiving skill, for things like the strap end keepers (since most are very gradually lap-skived and then cemented and stitched).  I haven't tried making any yet, although I intend to.  First I need some different chisels or irons and a much sharper stitching awl.

[TonyV]

yeah, hobbies are like that.  Spend a couple hundred bucks on tools and supplies and build it myself with amateurish results because I don't want to spend 50 bucks for a professionally made whatever-it-is.

But at least I have the pride of DIY!

[CalgaryJim]

4 minutes ago, Mablung said:

There are also a good number of threads addressing watch straps, too.  They seem to require some heightened precision, including some smaller-than-usual pricking irons or stitching chisels, as well as finer thread and needles.  Additionally, they seem to require some skiving skill, for things like the strap end keepers (since most are very gradually lap-skived and then cemented and stitched).  I haven't tried making any yet, although I intend to.  First I need some different chisels or irons and a much sharper stitching awl.

Thanks Mablung, you are right, there are. Problem for me is finding them, when I do multiple word searches, whether I use 'AND' or "watch straps", etc, I get threads that don't follow the search rules I used. And they are located in some many different sub-forums. You are right about your observations, although I base that only on what I've heard from others, I haven't tried making anything else from leather so I don't have a comparison myself. And my interest is entirely focused on watch straps, it's an off-shoot of my watch collecting hobby.

[CalgaryJim]

Just now, TonyV said:

yeah, hobbies are like that.  Spend a couple hundred bucks on tools and supplies and build it myself with amateurish results because I don't want to spend 50 bucks for a professionally made whatever-it-is.

But at least I have the pride of DIY!

I hear you, my tool costs have gone up though as I try to make something I'd actually wear. I've been keeping track of my expenses, by now I could have bought about 50 straps or more from the Vietnamese strapmakers, lol. A not insignifcant part of that cost is shipping and customs/brokerage fees, there is a Tandy Leather store here I buy from but for better tools and especially leathers, I am importing to Canada, mostly from RMLS.

 

I agree, there is the pride of DIY. I'm not there yet though, I'm hoping within another 6 months I'll be at a level where the straps I make are good enough that I would otherwise buy them.

[Danne]

I remember when I made my first watch strap, and before I started I planned on spending a couple 100 euros on tools also, and thought "how hard can it be" And to my surprise it was way harder than I thought. 1. All small details are very important, things you can get away with on larger items will stick out on a watch strap. 2. A strap need to be comfortable so not too stiff, but at the same time it should be reinforced so it doesn't loose it's shape, and depending on the style of strap you might have to use a different reinforcement method. 3. Thin leather is hard to stitch with a consistent result. 4. Watch straps require a very consistent dimension, so let's say you plan to make a strap for a watch with 20mm between the watch lugs, then you might have to cut it to slightly under 20mm to make room for edge paint. 

I have spent way more time trying to figure out different construction methods than I have actually made straps, and I have done quite a lot of straps for a hobbyist crafter that doesn't sell anything. Sadly I often see crafters on both Instagram and Youtube that make slimmer straps with insufficient reinforcement, or reinforced in a way that will not hold up over time. I hope my last statement doesn't come off as me being a wiseacre, I'm just a hobbyist and I of course understand that there are a lot of really good strap crafters out there, but I also feel confident in my construction methods, because I have done a lot of prototypes and tests.

With that said, making watch straps is fun, and it doesn't have to be expensive, I mean the cost of leather is low, and you can choose to work with a lower budget and still make nice straps. 

Some examples of expensive tools that can be replaced with cheaper ones.

Expensive: Fileteuse.  Cheap: Handheld creaser you heat over alcohol lamp like Wutas creasers.

Expensive: Quick release plier.  Cheap: Notch the corner at the lugs of the strap

Expensive: Multi punch for buckle pin holes.  Cheap: Single punch and use a template

Expensive: High end stitching irons.   Cheap: Cheap pricking irons and learn to shape and use an awl

 

 

[Mablung]

45 minutes ago, CalgaryJim said:

Thanks Mablung, you are right, there are. Problem for me is finding them, when I do multiple word searches, whether I use 'AND' or "watch straps", etc, I get threads that don't follow the search rules I used. And they are located in some many different sub-forums. You are right about your observations, although I base that only on what I've heard from others, I haven't tried making anything else from leather so I don't have a comparison myself. And my interest is entirely focused on watch straps, it's an off-shoot of my watch collecting hobby.

That's fair.  The threads can be tough to find easily.  I got a decent watch recently, want to make a black strap for it alongside the brown one I got with the watch, and am resisting the urge to allow my watches to be fruitful and multiply, lol.

[Northmount]

2 hours ago, CalgaryJim said:

Problem for me is finding them, when I do multiple word searches, whether I use 'AND' or "watch straps", etc, I get threads that don't follow the search rules I used. And they are located in some many different sub-forums.

If you use a Google Search, you can use all the different types of search parameters, rules, etc.  Their search engines and indexing are far more powerful and faster than here at LW.

Use "site:URL 'your search parameters' "

Example "site:leatherworker.net watch straps"   https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=site%3Aleatherworker.net+watch+straps

Adjust the search parameters as you wish to find the posts that are related.

 

[DieselTech]

3 hours ago, CalgaryJim said:

I hear you, my tool costs have gone up though as I try to make something I'd actually wear. I've been keeping track of my expenses, by now I could have bought about 50 straps or more from the Vietnamese strapmakers, lol. A not insignifcant part of that cost is shipping and customs/brokerage fees, there is a Tandy Leather store here I buy from but for better tools and especially leathers, I am importing to Canada, mostly from RMLS.

 

I agree, there is the pride of DIY. I'm not there yet though, I'm hoping within another 6 months I'll be at a level where the straps I make are good enough that I would otherwise buy them.

CalgaryJim is there any watch strap speciality tools you have bought on your watch strap journey? 

I have been looking into the idea of making watch straps, & I kind of figured it would cost at least a $1000 dollars on quality tools to make watch straps. 

Do you think that is a accurate figure? 

Thanks. 

[TomE]

15 hours ago, Northmount said:

If you use a Google Search, you can use all the different types of search parameters, rules, etc.  Their search engines and indexing are far more powerful and faster than here at LW.

Use "site:URL 'your search parameters' "

Example "site:leatherworker.net watch straps"   https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=site%3Aleatherworker.net+watch+straps

 

Thanks for the tip, @Northmount!  I am finding all sorts of posts about bridle leather, horse tack, etc that I previously missed.  Dreaming up lots of experiments based on new information.

Edited February 16, 2024 by TomE