Leather straps (furniture webbing)

[JAWN]

Hi there,

I've done some research but I feel I should ask before I drop a lot of money.

I'm looking to get some leather webbing to finish up a restoration project of a beautiful old sofa I picked up. The leather straps (webbing) used for the support mechanism of the cushions seem to be original and are completely dry rotted and unusable. The current width of the webbing is 1.5". I need to get 48 pieces that vary in length but it seems none would need to be more than 30" in length.

Questions:

Does leather webbing shrink over time? I wouldn't think it would but to be on the safe side I thought I should ask. I ask this because I want to make sure I should get 1.5" wide and not something wider.

Also, does anyone know of any leather webbing suppliers that will not cost me an arm and a leg? I fear these new webbing strips will cost way more than what I paid for the piece. So far I'm finding prices of $325 and up!

Below are some pics of the piece I'm working on. The new cushions are nearly finished. Now I just need to redo the webbing. These pictures are of the piece before I started.

[anne newkold]

what are you looking at that is $325? Would it not be cheaper to buy a side, use a strap cutter and cut your own and weave them? It would be cutting a lot of strips. How are they secured on the back side? Stapled into the wood?

[Tina]

Jawn,

as I use a lot of straps, my suggestion is that you buy yourself a good strap cutter (type "Jerry stripper" I think the name is, around $30...Check out Ebay) and a hide or two and make them your self...Much more cost effective.

I do not know if the straps will shrink in width (might have to do with what kind of leather, thickness and so on?) but most will stretch on the lenght as you sit in the furniture, how much might have to do with the overall length on individual pieces?

Hope this gives you some more ideas//Tina

[JAWN]

Jawn,

as I use a lot of straps, my suggestion is that you buy yourself a good strap cutter (type "Jerry stripper" I think the name is, around $30...Check out Ebay) and a hide or two and make them your self...Much more cost effective.

I do not know if the straps will shrink in width (might have to do with what kind of leather, thickness and so on?) but most will stretch on the lenght as you sit in the furniture, how much might have to do with the overall length on individual pieces?

Hope this gives you some more ideas//Tina

Thanks Tina. I will look into what the cost would be like if I cut them myself. Thanks for the advice.

[Wanbli]

I have a dining room set, hand made in the early 1800's. It was made in a Spanish Mission in Mexico and each piece is numbered. The chairs have leather strips and woven both ways. With age some of the straps have broken. I'm looking for leather straps to replace the broken ones. Any ideas?

?

[toxo]

3 hours ago, Wanbli said:

I have a dining room set, hand made in the early 1800's. It was made in a Spanish Mission in Mexico and each piece is numbered. The chairs have leather strips and woven both ways. With age some of the straps have broken. I'm looking for leather straps to replace the broken ones. Any ideas?

?

Thread is slightly out of date but your plea should still be heard. Good luck.

[billybopp]

@Wanbli, Some pictures would be helpful, along with more description.  How wide, how long are leather strips, etc.

[$$hobby]

On 3/4/2008 at 11:29 AM, JAWN said:

Questions:

Does leather webbing shrink over time? I wouldn't think it would but to be on the safe side I thought I should ask. I ask this because I want to make sure I should get 1.5" wide and not something wider.

 

im not sure about "shrinking" unless it got wet.  But you may notice where the straps are fastened to the frame, the leather width maybe wider or the original width.  

Quote

Also, does anyone know of any leather webbing suppliers that will not cost me an arm and a leg? I fear these new webbing strips will cost way more than what I paid for the piece. So far I'm finding prices of $325 and up!

whats a little blood loss (cash outlay) for a project.  You can cheap out and buy cotton webbing.  

Have you looked at any belt blanks?

also, as mentioned look at a hide and cost.  

have fun.