Conway buckle as adjuster buckle on shoulder strap

[Troy1]

I'm making a new 1-1/4" wide leather strap for an old filson bag I have. The strap consists of two pieces, one short with a conventional sort of buckle and the other much longer with holes so the length can be adjusted to the liking of the wearer. Is there any downside to using a conway buckle instead. The leather is going to be 8/9 oz. veg tan and I like how the conway's allow the belts to lie flatter and more parallel to one another. I've played around and it seems secure but I wasn't sure if there might be some caveats I'm unaware of. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Gilligan]

I've seen some strain on them without breaking before. don't know of any disadvantages other than a little difficult to work with at times.

[kfiretwo]

I've seen some strain on them without breaking before. don't know of any disadvantages other than a little difficult to work with at times.

troy

I use the conway on alot of horse gear, they will take alot of abuse, as for strenght they are as strong as ur leather

they will hold alot of weight and pressure

[skipj]

What's a Conway buckle?

SkipJ

[gtwister09]

Here's a picture of one...

Regards,

Ben

[skipj]

Ben:

Many thanks .

SkipJ

[Troy1]

Thanks for the input.....sounds like I'll give a conway a try.

[DeeAnna]

This might be a little late, but...

Conway buckles are best used for straps that will only be adjusted occasionally -- oh, maybe once a month at the most, to give you an idea. If a strap needs to be fastened and unfastened frequently or adjusted in length often (daily, weekly) it's a better idea to use a regular buckle instead. The advantages of a conway is that it less bulky than a regular buckle and it is faster, easier, and cheaper to install. If installed properly, they are strong and durable. They are used a fair amount on horse harness for those reasons.

If a conway is strong enough for a horse harness, it's plenty strong enough for a shoulder bag. The key is making sure the holes are punched properly so the straps lays securely on the "prong" in the center of the conway. You also want to use decent quality leather for the strap -- avoid junk that will stretch out of shape. The leather also needs to be thick enough and wide enough to prevent any play that could cause the strap to slip off the prong.

I punch two different sizes of holes on a strap when I use a conway. The part of the strap that goes on the bottom of the conway prong will have a slightly larger hole. I punch this hole about 3/8" in from the end. The larger hole allows the strap to fit all the way down on that prong. I skive (taper) the last 1/4" or so of the lower strap so it is a bit more flexible at the tip. I also use a round end punch to shape the end. You can also cut the end square, then chamfer the corners (cut a little triangle off each corner). The part of the strap that goes over the top will have slightly smaller holes, sized to fit snugly over the upper half of the prong. The smaller hole will help the top strap stay in place, compared with punching an oversize hole.

If you'd like pictures, let me know, and I'll see if I can shoot some for you.

Hope this helps! --DeeAnna

[Troy1]

Thanks DeeAnna, I appreciate the advice and tips on our approach. I think the conway will work out well. Once a person fits the length to them I can't imagine changing it much from there on out.

[Shorts]

I'm thinking about using the conway for a shoulder rig using 4/5oz suede straps.

Would the conway buckle work for the suede as it would for veg tan or should I look to a different type of buckle? If so, what kind? A slider of some sort?

[DeeAnna]

I'm thinking about using the conway for a shoulder rig using 4/5oz suede straps.

Would the conway buckle work for the suede as it would for veg tan or should I look to a different type of buckle? If so, what kind? A slider of some sort?

A conway will work with any leather, as long as you keep its limitations in mind.

The combined thicknesses of leather need to be about as thick as the internal gap in the conway. If the leather is too thin, there's the potential for the strap to work its way off the center prong.

The conways I use have about a 3/16" gap; that's about right for two 8 to 10 oz straps. I would think your 4/5 oz leather would have to be doubled to make a strap with enough thickness.

The leather also needs to be fairly firm so it won't stretch or twist easily in use. Again doubling the 4/5 would help in that department.

A single layer of the 4/5 oz chrome tan I've used (chaps, handbags, etc.) wouldn't work well for buckled straps. I would probably use good, firm veg tan or double and stitch the suede to make a strap with enough meat to be used with any buckle or slider.

--DeeAnna

[Shorts]

I see - thanks DeeAnna