Realm13 Report post Posted June 23, 2014 So I started to get into leather working for book binding and want to start moving into making some bigger projects. I have a few bag designs that I made that seem to work just fine. The only thing I’m having issues with is the strap. I currently only buy a small portion of leather at a time, either a small section or remnants, so I don’t have a way to cut out a 4 foot long piece to use as a strap for a bag. I was wondering if there was a way to make a strap from smaller pieces that looks decent. I’ve tried just cutting strips and connecting them but they don’t have nice look to them, functional but not pretty. Any help or suggestions would be amazing. Thanks in advance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hi Im Joe Report post Posted June 24, 2014 Maybe buy belt blanks and then cut to size? That would be cheaper....I think. I've never bought belt blanks before. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Realm13 Report post Posted June 24, 2014 Don't know why but never thought about doing that. Thanks for the idea! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RavenAus Report post Posted June 24, 2014 Belt blanks certainly work but if you're going to be doing more than 2 or 3 bags then they will rapidly become more expensive than getting a decent shoulder in the first place. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hi Im Joe Report post Posted June 24, 2014 Belt blanks certainly work but if you're going to be doing more than 2 or 3 bags then they will rapidly become more expensive than getting a decent shoulder in the first place. I agree with this entirely. Unless you literally don't have the cash to buy a shoulder it makes more sense to suck it up and spend the money up front to save in the long run. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jason Austin Report post Posted June 24, 2014 You could also design the strap to be adjustable with a buckle. That way you can cut two shorter pieces instead of one long one and you gain a nice "feature" for the item. Jason Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CTaylorJr Report post Posted June 24, 2014 Where is the OP located? A leather worker close to them may be able to sell them the strips they need until a shoulder/side can be purchased. Cheaper than a belt blank from Tandy I'm certain. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Realm13 Report post Posted June 24, 2014 I'm in California (San Francisco area). I am starting to do more projects as I'm learning more about leather working, so buying a hide might be a better solution. I just run low on funds at times and was hoping there was something I could do with a smaller amount. Might just want to wait longer between projects so I can just get what is needed to do it properly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WinterBear Report post Posted June 24, 2014 If you have the time to cut out and burnish a lot of pieces, maybe a "link belt" type strap? http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=14749 https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/media/downloads-lptg/Ecology-Non-Tooling-Link-Belt-47250-11.pdf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leese Report post Posted June 25, 2014 Yeah, I know straps can be difficult - depending on the size and style of your bag and how you are going to attach the straps you may want to consider "up-cycling" (recycling) reasonably priced belts from a local charity shop or yard sale - you can find some nice chain too. Don't forget to take into consideration the feel of the strap in the wearer's hand, question if it will dig into or be uncomfortable over their shoulder, and the overall weight of the finished bag. You can also try getting some coordinating vinyl or canvas from the remnant bin at a local fabric store. Then you can sew strips right sides together turn and attach or, take a wide strip (to account for the top and bottom plus two seam allowances), fold the raw edges over and topstitch so there is no turning required and attach - and remember there are tons of videos out there on how to sew basic straps. I made this bag in a class in Europe (lots of pieces and labor intensive) we cut four strips of not too heavy a leather (same length and slightly wider width of desired finished strap), attach two strips end to end (skive joining points) use a filler strip like texton/bontex and bond your end to end strips on either side (like a sandwich leather is the bread, filler is meat), top stitch and edge paint. We used loops with little d-rings and spring hooks under the flap to attach the strap. You can finish the "raw" ends of your straps and attach in any number of ways (tabbed d-rings, reinforced rivets, wedged between the outer and lining pieces of your back and top stiched, etc). Have fun with it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Realm13 Report post Posted June 25, 2014 Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll find something that works for these last two bags (try a couple of things from this post) and from there I'll just buy more leather less often. In the long run that will work better and I can get things done properly at the same time. Love how helpful everyone is on this site. Been lurking around reading for a bit now and finally ran into a situation I thought I'd post about. It's surprising how much is already around on the site, most things have already been asked or a post is made with a tutorial, it's wonderful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
