You can't afford starting with leathercraft?

[Spyros]

So what is the Inuit or fine leatherworking acceptable solution when you're putting straps on your bicycle bag to hang under your saddle, and you know those straps will be the first thing that will get ******* and I will have to replace them sooner or later?

My solution was chicago screws, what was I meant to do?

Edited October 15, 2021 by Spyros

[billybopp]

26 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

interesting conversation about a process that dates back thousands of years and was being accomplished successfully before iron was invented. Sometimes i wonder how we will ever evolve further.

 Was given a very good book about the process of making footwear and clothing called "Our Boots" an Inuit woman's art. Its a wonderful book that shows above all else the real genius of people, which is the ability to make do and adapt what is at hand.  You people know that the intuits made all of their clothing keeping them alive in the worst environment on earth without modern tools. Yea not even a ruler! 

I was talking with an anthropology professor some years ago, and she told me that they had somehow discovered that throat skin from a seal is much like modern goretex - It is breathable, and passes water in one direction only.   Ingenious!

- Bill

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, Spyros said:

So what is the Inuit or fine leatherworking acceptable solution 

I don't know the Inuit made kayaks, btw without modern tools also, not bicycles so they prolly didn't need them lol. But I imagine they would have sewn them on as they didn't have chicago screws.. its very easy to replace sewn on straps.

Edited October 15, 2021 by chuck123wapati

[chuck123wapati]

58 minutes ago, billybopp said:

I was talking with an anthropology professor some years ago, and she told me that they had somehow discovered that throat skin from a seal is much like modern goretex - It is breathable, and passes water in one direction only.   Ingenious!

- Bill

if you can ever find the book i reference its amazing how they made their clothing to keep them warm in subzero weather. 

[Klara]

1 hour ago, Spyros said:

So what is the Inuit or fine leatherworking acceptable solution when you're putting straps on your bicycle bag to hang under your saddle, and you know those straps will be the first thing that will get ******* and I will have to replace them sooner or later?

My solution was chicago screws, what was I meant to do?

I don't know what Inuits or Nigel Armitage would do, but all the straps on all my bicycle and  horse saddle bags are sewn. And if I ever needed to replace them, I could simply cut and remove the thread and sew on others. Which is one of the reason I don't like to buy things with rivets (the other is that I think rivets look cheap and mostly ugly and like somebody wanted to save time). That's the first thing.

The second thing is that Chicago screws just need a small hole that's on a standard revolving punch (or standard punch set) which many people (certainly horsepeople) have anyway. And a screwdriver for setting them, which I hope everybody has at home as well (Swiss army knive will do in a pinch). Btw. I hope you've used Locktite or similar...

[Spyros]

16 minutes ago, Klara said:

I don't know what Inuits or Nigel Armitage would do, but all the straps on all my bicycle and  horse saddle bags are sewn. And if I ever needed to replace them, I could simply cut and remove the thread and sew on others. Which is one of the reason I don't like to buy things with rivets (the other is that I think rivets look cheap and mostly ugly and like somebody wanted to save time). That's the first thing.

The second thing is that Chicago screws just need a small hole that's on a standard revolving punch (or standard punch set) which many people (certainly horsepeople) have anyway. And a screwdriver for setting them, which I hope everybody has at home as well (Swiss army knive will do in a pinch). Btw. I hope you've used Locktite or similar...

Yeah one of my use-for-everything plastic bottles I posted above is dedicated to loctite :D

Look I don't have any feelings for or against rivets.  I just make stuff for people.  And the way this usually goes is that they come to me with a couple of photos on their phones and they say I want something between this and that, but can we make this a little different or whatever.  And what they show me typically involves some sort of hardware, and even if I have some suggestions or a preference I don't want to impose it on people too much.  Based on what they're showing me most people seem to like a little bit of metal on their leather. 

And sometimes there's practical reasons.  Stitching wouldn't work on that particular strap on the saddlebag for example, I needed the strap to pivot as well, because I usually take it with me after I park the bike and the strap doubles as a bag handle. 

[Klara]

Granted, if you need to be set up to do whatever the customer wants, then you want a huge stock of hardware and tools.

I'm not planning on doing that - I just want to make nice, functional dog collars... (getting there for my own use, but they still take too much time and the result is too uncertain for selling)

 

[Spyros]

Not whatever they want, but some things they want are very commonly repeated.