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Strap Journal - New to the watch strap game, but not new to leather work

13K views 108 replies 15 participants last post by  Karkarov 
#1 ·
Hello all, I have recently gotten the watch strap bug, and would like to journal my creations here. I am a leather worker that until now, has specialized in wallets. I'll be uploading progress photos as well as completed straps. I love seeing photos of how things are made, so hopefully these posts will be informative as well as interesting.

24mm padded Black Horween North of Cordovan Strap

Linens Paper
Finger Paper Marking knife Blade
Linens Textile Pattern Pattern Cutting mat
Cutting tool Knife Blade Tableware Tool
Material property Linens Rectangle
Material property Cross Symbol
Bottle
 
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#3 ·
24mm Chestnut Bridle Tapered Strap
The core of the straps are Natural Veg-tan leather
Ruler Label

First they are split down to the correct thickness
Sewing machine Hand Sewing Sewing machine needle Finger

The position for the padded section is marked
Turquoise Font Pattern Parallel Pattern

Then glued into position
Turquoise Pattern Turquoise Rectangle

Now the exterior Chestnut Bridle is split to the correct thickness
Product Machine Machine tool Tool Metal

The straps are then hand saddle stitched and the edges are heat treated with Acrylic
Design Material property Table Paint

Finally, The 24mm Chestnut Bridle strap is finished. One fixed Keeper, one floating keeper.
Watch accessory Brown Strap Tan Belt
 
#18 ·
Very nice! I bet there will be a happy forum user in the future. I think Rally straps are a good idea, they do well on sportier watches and your current work pairs well with dress watches so the two different styles will compliment each other nicely. I do like how you bring your straps to a very sharp point on the tapered end. Most of the time they are more rounded off, or shallower tapers.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I appreciate your feedback. I really do need to add some more sporty straps. The rally is on hold while I finish these two orders up. They are Chevre Sully goat leather from Alran tannery in France. I think that this leather might lend itself to sportier straps also.

Here is the leather prepared to be split down to size on my Bell Knife Skiver
Machine Sewing machine

Here it is all split
Leaf Construction paper Paper Art paper Paper product

Now the straps have been creased with my Fileteuse
Wood Tile

Here they are receiving the edge paint treatment
Cuisine
 
#21 ·
Thank you very much!
Next I have marked the strap with a pricking iron to indicate where the stitch holes will be located and how the stitches will lay. Each hole will be pierced with the awl and saddle stitched by hand with waxed linen thread. The saddle stitch is the strongest method of stitching and cannot be replicated by machine. This stitch is achieved using one piece of thread with two needles that are both passed through each hole in sequence. This photo illustrates a strap before and after stitching.
Table Tile
 
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