What reinforcements do you use?

[Danne]

As a lot of you know I mainly focus on watch straps and card holders/wallets.

I’m comparing and looking for the best possible reinforcement materials for different types of watch straps.

I really like Velodon/Vildona (The two producers I know of is Freudenberg SH1220 and Jaeger 1961) I really like this for flat straps.

With the reinforcement materials I have + samples, I have around 130 different materials/weights. But still looking for more to analyze.

I’m very interested in thinner (0.3-0.5mm range) of syntethic salpa or other materials with the combination of high tear strength, thin and a low elongation value but not fully dimensionally stable as ”Velodon”

Why elongation? Because a padded strap will fold nicer around a wrist. (My opinion of course)

 

 

[mike02130]

Have you tried Tyvek?

[Danne]

10 hours ago, mike02130 said:

Have you tried Tyvek?

No, there seem to be so many different versions of Tyvek. Do you know any website where I can see a list and maybe specifications for materials used for leathergoods.

[mike02130]

I don't have any information on the specifications.  I can send you a sample in the mail.  It is much thinner than Velodon.  I use it for tranche pockets.

Are you familiar with M T Leather supplies in Romania?  He carries a variety of materials and offers sample packs.  M T Leather

[Danne]

39 minutes ago, mike02130 said:

I don't have any information on the specifications.  I can send you a sample in the mail.  It is much thinner than Velodon.  I use it for tranche pockets.

Are you familiar with M T Leather supplies in Romania?  He carries a variety of materials and offers sample packs.  M T Leather

Really nice of you to offer sending a sample. But I need product names of materials I try, it would be awful to find a material I like and then I can't source it again  How would you describe the material, does it have any stretch? I need a small amount of stretch but with high strength for this purpose. 

"Velodon" is actually available in a thinner version also, produced by Freudenberg. (SH-5090) 

I will send Mt leather a message, he might either have a suitable material I should try, or have recommendations.

[smont]

13 hours ago, Danne said:

"Velodon" is actually available in a thinner version also, produced by Freudenberg. (SH-5090)

What is the thickness of this thinner version, do you know?

[Danne]

9 hours ago, smont said:

What is the thickness of this thinner version, do you know?

0.1mm

[smont]

6 hours ago, Danne said:

0.1mm

Thank you. That's interesting. Do you know where one could purchase some? I can't seem to find anything about it.

[Danne]

16 minutes ago, smont said:

Thank you. That's interesting. Do you know where one could purchase some? I can't seem to find anything about it.

Unfortunately I don’t know. If you would buy directly from Freudenberg you would have to buy larger amounts. Like a full roll. 100-200 meter (guessing the amount on a roll)

Try searching Etsy and also Instagram tags like Vildona, velodon.

I think I have seen 3q.leather selling both 0.1 and 0.19 versions. Send them a dm and ask.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Danne

[smont]

1 hour ago, Danne said:

Unfortunately I don’t know. If you would buy directly from Freudenberg you would have to buy larger amounts. Like a full roll. 100-200 meter (guessing the amount on a roll)

Try searching Etsy and also Instagram tags like Vildona, velodon.

I think I have seen 3q.leather selling both 0.1 and 0.19 versions. Send them a dm and ask.

Thank you. I'll look into it. 

[Danne]

1 minute ago, smont said:

Thank you. I'll look into it. 

May I ask what you plan to use it for? Folds on watch straps? If it’s for reinforcing the whole top layer of a watch straps the 0.19mm version work awesome, strap stays soft and nice. But in my opinion not suitable to do it that way with this material for padded straps. 

[smont]

12 hours ago, Danne said:

May I ask what you plan to use it for? Folds on watch straps? If it’s for reinforcing the whole top layer of a watch straps the 0.19mm version work awesome, strap stays soft and nice. But in my opinion not suitable to do it that way with this material for padded straps. 

Yes, for watch straps. I currently only make flat straps, and I try to keep them thin, around 2mm max. I came up with a pretty solid feeling structure where the thickness is around that 2mm, and I'm using the 0.19mm Velodon in it, but I still have a couple of spots I'm trying to perfect, and I feel a thinner Velodon might do the trick. One of the problem spots is the fold, you are correct.

[ToddW]

What about German Salamander as a stiffener?

[Danne]

1 hour ago, ToddW said:

What about German Salamander as a stiffener?

Yes, certainly something I will try

[Tugadude]

Tyvek is a spunbonded polyolefin fabric.  It is extremely tear resistant and resists stretching.  If you have seen the tear-resistant envelopes, you’ve seen Tyvek.  I sell a version used in construction as a water-resistant sheeting.  I can imagine it giving straps reinforcement and resistance to stretching.

[Danne]

1 hour ago, Tugadude said:

Tyvek is a spunbonded polyolefin fabric.  It is extremely tear resistant and resists stretching.  If you have seen the tear-resistant envelopes, you’ve seen Tyvek.  I sell a version used in construction as a water-resistant sheeting.  I can imagine it giving straps reinforcement and resistance to stretching.

That’s the problem here. I need a material with a little bit of stretch (A low elongation value but high tear resistance)

Why? If you make a watch strap with padding. And reinforce the top layer with a fully dimensionally stable reinforcement material. When you fold the strap around your wrist it will force the padding to the lining side of the strap. 
 

When it comes to dimensionally stable strong and thin materials there are a lot of options everything from fiberglass mixed with other synthethic materials. (Specially made for leather goods) And super strong from my tests. But also materials like Composite Dyneema, or a lot of other synthetic reinforcements from companies like Jaeger, Rhenoflex, NST, Luigi Carnevali, TechnoGI and so on.

Edited February 7, 2022 by Danne

[Tugadude]

8 hours ago, Danne said:

That’s the problem here. I need a material with a little bit of stretch (A low elongation value but high tear resistance)

Why? If you make a watch strap with padding. And reinforce the top layer with a fully dimensionally stable reinforcement material. When you fold the strap around your wrist it will force the padding to the lining side of the strap. 
 

When it comes to dimensionally stable strong and thin materials there are a lot of options everything from fiberglass mixed with other synthethic materials. (Specially made for leather goods) And super strong from my tests. But also materials like Composite Dyneema, or a lot of other synthetic reinforcements from companies like Jaeger, Rhenoflex, NST, Luigi Carnevali, TechnoGI and so on.

Then Tyvek can be disregarded because it doesn't stretch easily if at all.