OK, so I was inspired by the people that have started making their own straps. So, I went out and bought some tools to try my luck.
I started with some scrap leather that I picked up and learned how to stitch and some of the finer points of cutting, finishing, etc. Once I had made three attempts (that actually all turned out fairly decently), I decided to buy some good leather and give it a "real" go.
I was able to find some fantastic leather and the following is what I made.
Here's the breakdown:
Hand-selected hide and hand cut
Skivved Joint on the short side
Skivved where tubes and buckle go
The long side is one piece, so no joint
Hand-grooved for stitching
Hand-waxed thread
Double-needle hand-stitched (true hand stitching)
Hand-beveled edges
Hand-burnished edges and holes
I have tried my hand at making buckles as well, but I did not put a sewn-in buckle on this strap. I really wish I would have though! It's on my wrist right now and the only thing that would have made it better is a hand-made buckle.
You'll notice a bit of a color difference in the pics on the watch and those off because of a change in lighting. These are quick-n-dirty pics since I didn't have a lightbox set up, so bear with me. The actual color I would say is somewhere in between. It's sort of a PAV or lighter ammo strap color with beige stitch.
Anyway, any comments would be appreciated.
I started with some scrap leather that I picked up and learned how to stitch and some of the finer points of cutting, finishing, etc. Once I had made three attempts (that actually all turned out fairly decently), I decided to buy some good leather and give it a "real" go.
I was able to find some fantastic leather and the following is what I made.
Here's the breakdown:
Hand-selected hide and hand cut
Skivved Joint on the short side
Skivved where tubes and buckle go
The long side is one piece, so no joint
Hand-grooved for stitching
Hand-waxed thread
Double-needle hand-stitched (true hand stitching)
Hand-beveled edges
Hand-burnished edges and holes
I have tried my hand at making buckles as well, but I did not put a sewn-in buckle on this strap. I really wish I would have though! It's on my wrist right now and the only thing that would have made it better is a hand-made buckle.
You'll notice a bit of a color difference in the pics on the watch and those off because of a change in lighting. These are quick-n-dirty pics since I didn't have a lightbox set up, so bear with me. The actual color I would say is somewhere in between. It's sort of a PAV or lighter ammo strap color with beige stitch.
Anyway, any comments would be appreciated.
