What Kind Of Cord Should I Fill My Bag Handles With?

[Blucher]

Heres my third bag. Feel free to critique the stitching! Im slowly getting more consistent! My question however is what material should i use to fill the handles in order to get a firm yet supple roundness to it? I've tried hemp rope but it can be stiff and the ribs of the plaiting can show through on thinner leathers. I want a perfect tubular shape. Leather cord online never seems to go up to big enough diameters tho maybe im looking in the wrong places - im thinking 1/2 to 5/8 of an inch.

Thanks

[King's X]

I get my poly cord from Home Depot in the rope section. They have it up to 3/4" thick and sold by the foot. I usually buy 4" lengths for my bags. Lately, I have been using scrap pieces of the same leather glued and folded for my handle insides.

Good luck

[electrathon]

Braided rope will not show twist patterning through the leather.

[thefanninator]

I've used the 6mm leather cord from http://www.leathercordusa.com

It was great but if you want to go bigger this place has 8mm but it's in Germany:

http://www.endlessleather.com/leather-cords

[25b]

Look up leather machine belting and see if that'll work for you...

[DrmCa]

I recently deconstructed a similar tote bag and looked at the cords in the handles too. They are a pretty soft cable, similar to the nylon cables sold at the hardware stores, with braided shell and straight fiber core.

[lonesome dove]

You might want to consider checking an auto parts or hardware store for different sizes of clear vinyl tubing. My experience with it in small engine use is it has not shown a tendency to collapse with age and retains it's flexibility and "roundness". Should be able to taper the ends nicely as well. Just a thought.

[mickthedig]

I get my cord from REI it is in the climbing section

[Dan28]

I've probably made less than 10 tubular handles, but here is my method. Whenever I laminate leather straps, I initially cut my straps about a quarter inch wider than the final strap will be. I glue the two pieces together and then once the gule is dry I trim 1/8 inch off each side to get to the actual size I need my strap to be. I do this so my edges don't have glue overflow but I know the glue goes out tot he edge. So I have a whole bunch of various pieces of leather "string" about 1/8 wide and in various weights of leather. I toss 'em in a box as scrap. When I made my first round handle I decided to use that leather as the filler. I use about four pieces of these cut to length and glued in place inside the role stacked two side by side and two on top. My oldest one is just over a year old and seems fine to me. Its slightly firm and holds the round shape, but as not extremely stiff either.

[Blucher]

Thanks Gents all very useful lateral thinking! All the leather cord i have found seems too small to properly fill a handle. But ill try that 8mm for sure.

[Colt W Knight]

You can buy O-ring stock by the foot from McMaster-carr in just about any size, shape, and firmness/squishiness you want.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#o-rings/=z1lbsn