My suspenders have stretched, why??

[Zachary]

I need help. Some time ago I made myself a pair of leather suspenders. Over time they have stretch a good couple of inches or more all the way around. Recently though, a friend of mine saw them and asked me to make him a pair, which I sold him. He has had his for only a couple months and has now asked me to rework them to make them shorter because they have stretched out also. Why has this happened? I can’t charge for my work if the things I make change sizes after a month or two!

I’ll explain, when I made mine originally I used pre-cut straps I bought from Tandy leather. They were 4-5 ounce 1 inch straps. I’m not as surprised that they stretched over the amount of time that I have worn them. But the suspenders I made for my friend I cut from a side of 8-9 ounce veg tanned leather. With both pairs that I made I dyed the pieces with Fiebing’s pro dye and finished them with Aussie wax, and that’s all. 

Why has the leather stretched out so much? Is it something I have done, or something I have neglected to do? Is there something in the crafting process I need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen. I’m very disappointed 1) with my work now that it is sort of ruined and 2) that I charged someone for something that needs re-worked. Other people I know have expressed interest in these suspenders and I want to begin making belts, but I have to make sure they don’t stretch out!

Or, is the leather stretching out so much just inevitable and I need to anticipate that when making measurements? I think my work is of decent quality but I don’t have the experience over time to know how things end up after they’re broken in. 

[Northmount]

Leather does stretch.  Especially veg tanned if it gets wet.  Dampness is likely due to perspiration (or out in the rain).  One thing you can do to help prevent stretching is to stitch both edges of the straps.  Nothing really waterproofs leather.  It needs to be sealed on both sides.  Waxes and such need to be refreshed frequently.

Tom

[Aven]

When you cut the second pair from the side, did you cut along the backbone or perpendicular to it?  The hide is less stretchy along the backbone and more stretchy going around the ribs.

[Matt S]

All leather stretches. The pertinent questions are "how much will this stretch" and "how much is too much". You've already increased the thickness, which will help some. In addition to Northmount's wisdom I'll question the quality of the straps you're getting from Tandy.

Supposedly, modern cattle husbandry often results in a "stretchier" hide than a century ago (something to do with fattening rates and such). Not a great deal we can do about that, though I know of a couple tanneries who select against too much stretch -- I expect that whichever tanneries supply Tandy do not.

Generally, cow hides are stretchier acrossways (perpendicular to the spine) than lengthways (parallel to the spine). That's why I cut belts asking backs, butts or sides rather than across shoulders. Shoulders are cheaper but you get shorter, stretchier straps. That's fine for some things but not the way I do belts. Check that Tandy isn't cutting these straps from shoulders, if such a detail is listed in the description of their goods. (If the length is over 48" that's a pretty good sign they're not from shoulders.)

Also, leather cut from near the spine is less stretchy than leather cut from near the belly. Again it may not make a difference in some applications, and in fact it might be advantageous to use belly leather for some jobs. However for something where you want to minimise stretch you want something from high up in the back and I bet that Tandy doesn't grade for this so you might have got four straps from low down on the beast(s). This could especially be the case if your order is being fulfilled from a store where previous customers may have picked through for the least stretchy ones or if you bought from a store without checking them for indications of stretchiness yourself.

If you want absolute minimal stretch you can glue and sew two layers of leather together with something non-stretchy in between, like fibreglass tape or webbing but I think that's a little overkill. Once you know how much stretch you can expect, maybe that's something to build into the design.

[Zachary]

I really appreciate the feedback so far. Unfortunately the nearest Tandy store is 4.5 hours from where I live and that is the nearest place to buy leather, so when I buy leather it has to be ordered. I wish I could be more selective about the pieces I buy. But putting that aside, I didn’t realize the parts of the hide had such different properties anyway so I’m glad to know that.

The straps I cut myself were parallel to the spine but along the belly. However, the side I was cutting from did have some noticeable stretch marks. It wasn’t the highest quality. But like I said I didn’t know that made much of a different except aesthetically. 

I’m glad you mentioned the stitching though. That’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time anyway. I’ve never liked having a rough side left out for things like suspenders and belts. I’m going to remake my own suspenders but glue then stitch two pieces together so the flesh side is facing out on both sides. 

Every project is better than the last. I’ll keep working on it. 

[nrk]

did you use 2 layers?