Members bjefferies94 Posted February 17, 2015 Members Report Posted February 17, 2015 Hey leatherworker friends! Ok I'm new to the leather world and in already making fire helmet shields. I would really love to make radio straps but ordering the leather has been a hard task for me. I would like the leather straps to be around 60". And I plan on making atleast 8 radio straps. How would I go about ordering the leather as far as square footage ?? Help would be much appreciated Quote
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted February 17, 2015 Contributing Member Report Posted February 17, 2015 How wide are these straps? Is the 60" in one piece, or multiple pieces attached in some way (stitching/buckle/rivet/etc)? Do you need strength, or is some stretch acceptable? Will they be carved at all? Are they single-layer, or mutiple-layer, and what total thickness do you need? Are they being colored individually, or would you benefit from a leather that is already dyed? These are all questions you might consider. After that, square footage is just that... simple math. Your 60" is 5 feet, and if you only need 8 strips say 1.5" wide, then you have 12" wide (after trimming to straight) or 1 foot. 5x1 = 5 square feet. Having said that, not going to happen where you'll find a cow that grew the correct shape and size. You can get that cut somewhere - buying just that cut - but the charge for cutting makes that undesirable. Better to just buy a double shoulder or bend, as required, and cut what you need. As a rule, the double shoulder section is going to cost less "up front", but if you need one-piece straps the bend or back sections will allow you less waste. ^ or half dozen... There's a bit more, but that may be a solid start... Quote
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