Stop Making Leather Straps

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You'e got your leather bag made and, if you're like me, it's time to make the part you least look forward to - the cross body strap. This one piece nylon strap is another option that you can use that will last just as long as your bag, but it takes about 20 minutes to make and some scrap leather and a few dollars in materials. It's a great way to make or offer customization and add different textures to your designs for an elevated feel, and they're super comfy - they're also easy and fun to make, use. Happy Crafting!

[@CJESTERHUIZEN1033]

A lot of companies that mass produce actually machine stitch a strap of leather on the webbing strap to “elevate” the item and then sell the bags for a ridiculous amount of money. The webbing straps you showed were in some fun colours and I can totally see it as a nice option for a fun day bag where you can match the strap to your outfit or your mood. Having the client buy one in every colour, bonus!!!

[@erinvese6741]

Oooh! Yes that definitely elevates the bag look!

[@deanc6539]

I've done this on a few bags too, but added a shoulder pad just to make my life more complicated. Great job and fun video!

[@EgoEgeoNovaLocus]

Thank you... you're such a wonderful teacher. very easy to follow along

[@jonelodosa502]

Very good video. In my opinion, the best option should be the cotton strap. It is clean, soft and does not weigh. Thank you very much

[@cristiansantillan6861]

Good idea. Will be trying this.

[@bobzee5153]

Great idea! My brain, is now, spinning with new project ideas. Thank you!

[@BigDawgLeather]

Love this idea. Gonna have to give it a try.

[@courtneyx9845]

These look great. Just a tip, if you add the slider part first and just loop it around and rivet it, then add the swivel hook and then loop it through the slider it makes it much easier. Then you just finish the other end. @oklaroots has some good videos explaining if that doesn't make sense.

[@hellaradusername]

Looks like these would make pretty good leashes. I've seen nylon strap for sale printed with paw prints or little bones.

[@LaniakeaLeathercrafts]

Love this! I bet itd be cool to add a leather pad to the strap cause im sure some heavier bags could use that extra comfort! So many customizable opportunities with the nylon and im getting excited to try this!! Kinda love how this could push leather goods into that street wear/hypebeast style

[@erihmann1560]

Mate, you have to try and use extra heavy waxed canvas flat strop - looks and feels great on mid or heavy weight leather bags. Anyway, great video and a good reminder to think a bit outside the box.

[@Corter]

I use vietnam-era strapping I get at the surplus store for guitar straps made basically just like this but with leather ends :) I'll try waxed canvas next!

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

This sounds good. Where could I get some from?

[@SP-nx8qx]

Ι get what you're saying but I just can't stand those ultralight nylon straps, they feel like cheap wrapping ribbon to me I do love the thick cotton webbing though

[@MonkeyMo208]

This is exactly what I do too, mostly cuz I never wanted to spend the time making leather straps! But yes it opens up options like additional textures (I prefer the cotton - leather combo), as well as customizing the color of strap to match the bag - I use a lot of bright Pueblo colors, so making a strap of that stretchy leather wouldn’t work anyway, but this way I can make a purple webbing strap for a purple bag, burgundy for burgundy, or a nice chocolate brown that goes with them all, and so on. I use stitched-in wood panels on the sides of my bags (even more texture combo!) , so the brown tones are always a nice neutral tie-in, but they can easily be interchangeable with the colors. So for all the reasons you said, YES! :)

[@danpost4755]

Great tip once again, Eric!

[@erinvese6741]

Love it!! Really like the side hustle idea too of making straps . Ty.

[@robertoNcognito]

Great video. Much appreciated. Thanks.

[@pepleatherlab3872]

Thanks for the quality content sir. Everybody likes more skills to practice. 👍

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

We 👍 your KZbin channel, leather and you too.

[@NorroTaku]

triple win love the "same look different mood/ colour" concept

[@commandercavy9549]

I too love to make nylon straps with my bags!

[@achadhaamoratsim7098]

Couldn’t find the link to the webbing or the sliders. Only for the tools & hardware, which it said was for the hippie bag.

[@earlelzy9975]

I have been wanting to do this for my bags. I didn't buy the nylon straps. I took them off of discarded equipment like car seats and backpacks.

[@achadhaamoratsim7098]

I ordered the rivet length that was mentioned in the video. The post was waaaay too long.

[@marialinkhart5235]

I really enjoyed your video. Look forward to watching more nice bag. Very up-scale..

[@r4ptor-g4ming34]

Leather, $20 strap cutter, glue, nylon ripstop, sewing machine= leather strap in less than 30 minutes. Zero point in hand stitching a leather strap. I get most people won’t have a machine, but for a business, that’s kind of a no brainer.

[@Corter]

That is what it takes to make a leather strap. A sewing machine to sew through an 8oz front and 4 oz back is not cheap, and a lot of people don't have the room for it. Buying full hides to be able to line the strap is also a big step for somemone who is not well established to have budget and float to invest in their business immediately. In this example, It's not really about leather at all - it's about selling many different straps to the same person . So while I agree with you that a bag manufacturer should invest in a sewing machine to make leather strap goods, I wasn't trying to say "make this, it's better than leather", I was saying "these are an affordable way to get repeat business because a leather strap is a leather strap, where as there are hundreds of different colors and patterns of nylon that you can sell to the same person so they can customize their bag on a daily basis". Leather is often seen as a neutral, which is why it's also seen as an investment piece. Giving the customer an option to have affordable customization options is just another revenue stream, you can also sell a leather strap with a bag too. Repeat business is also a no brainer for a business ;)

[@r4ptor-g4ming34]

⁠@@Corterright, though, my comment was aimed at people who are serious about getting into it as professionals. A sewing machine for belts and straps is invaluable, it makes zero sense as a business to hand stitch those goods for hours. I feel like a strap of matching leather would be so much classier than a nylon one. I know it’s preference, but most customers of high end bags would certainly prefer to have a leather strap that makes the bag look cohesive all around, especially if they’re paying the price of handmade to begin with. I understand that everyone’s budget is different and all, but offering nylon straps before offering a strap, at a decent price mind you, that matches the bag is kind of backwards. The nylon almost looks like a cheap after thought. The weaver 303 for example can be bought for under $1000 with a business account and will sew a bag strap. There’s little need for a total of 12 ounces of leather, in fact, you can get a strap half that thickness suitable for a bag if you use the proper reinforcements. I bring this up because I remember a separate video where you mentioned it took you something outrageous like 16 hours(?) to stitch up a bag strap, and I wondered to myself “just why?”. Having a machine dedicated to even just the the one task of stitching strap goods is invaluable for a business. A single side will make you a good amount of bag straps, and belts even. And how come no bell skiver on your end? Man it would make your life so much easier and the process of making goods a lot faster. I know the whole handmade gimmick is enticing to advertise, but those two machines for a professional leather worker are worth their weight in gold. They take a bit of time to master, but after you dial them in right, there’s no desire to ever turn back.

[@LoganIsOnYoutube]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@r4ptor-g4ming34to be fair brother, I don’t think the target audience is expert leather workers. Why would they need a how-to guide for making a simple strap? I get your point but he’s just demonstrating another option. Personally, I agree it doesn’t look good but who cares lol. I also don’t like the look of Ugg boots and crocs but those boys sell by the hundreds of thousands.

[@MonkeyMo208]

@@r4ptor-g4ming34while I understand everything you are saying, not everyone is at the level of mass production and full scale business that you’re at. It can run the gamut from learning a hobby to side-hustle to small hand-craft type businesses. And for that audience, this works well. And as a FEMALE here, let me just say that I quite enjoy being able to swap out my different straps depending on the outfit, or the casualness or formality of where I’m going (without having to change out my actual bag, and it’s contents, ugh!). You guys just stick your wallet in your pocket and you’re good to go. 😂. I can pop a nice chain strap on a bag for a more formal look, and then go to a fat, patterned cotton strap for a more casual, boho look. Same bag, completely different looks. I sell my bags at markets with both options, and most people purchase both straps, exactly for the different looks they can achieve, all while using the one bag. It just provides tons of flexibility, at reasonable prices. which, also opens the door to more customers in more price ranges. That’s what great about leathercrafting, there’s room for all of it.

[@CurvyGirlsareChic]

This a great option for me. Never even thought of it. I make clutches and I know someone would love to make it a crossbody at low cost. Btw what’s the pattern of the bag you showed?

[@slimekittenv]

i am not trying to save myself time or money so i weave my own straps from yarn by hand, its fun fun fun

[@wanderingpinesco]

Love it! Thanks!

[@peteoddi3562]

I just spent the weekend making leather straps for bags, this would have been way better. I'm definitely trying this next time around

[@keilarebornatelie]

Trabalho incrível 🙌

[@trickyabb]

Hi, would you make a custom bag, I'm looking for a larger laptop size bag. To comfortably fit a 17inch laptop. But not like a suitcase bag but a backpack bag. I've one already but it's not really able to fit in 17 inch laptop and due to this it's stretching the leather from the bottom. I cannot buy the same and it's difficult to find exactly what I'm looking for. I tried to see if you have a product of the similar category, so I thought if you be interested in such design.

[@russelljones3171]

Great info Eric, as always. Great alternative from the go to guy👍

[@Scoutdeath572]

Thank you very much from the bottom of my lazy heart, I too hate to make leather straps! 😂

[@user-zm1ho5ko6s]

I wish I could wrap my head around not using leather! Why not just make a cloth bag too? I’m old😂🙋🏼‍♀️

[@safetygroup240]

Thank you.

[@K.Arashi]

... and i don't have to unpack and repack my bag if I can just change the straps!

[@anthony-fi]

You have unconfused me. I made a man bad for wallet and phone with a nylon strap. Next few days it will become an adjust sapped man bag.

[@ursa5000]

You could you these straps as an emergency tourniquet.

[@mauramorais3233]

Gostei!!!❤

[@leatheraccessories646]

Allow me to be honest with you, yes! the webbing belt is made faster and easier, that's all!!! Otherwise, it spoils the look of a leather bag, it gives the product a cheap look... Everyone is free to choose how they want to present their goods, but I don't see anything attractive that a shoulder bag has a cheap strap and seems to be put where it doesn't belong... That's me, and it doesn't mean that everyone has to look at things that way, but I'm curious what the final customers who buy a product think, what would they choose, leather or plastic strap?

[@cristiansantillan6861]

Seems like these are now going for $2 a yard.

[@SusFerrum]

5:12 giggetty

[@tittyskillet3413]

Dude, take a few minutes to clean your nails. Thats gross.

[@Corter]

I'm remodeling a house - it's wood dye. Apologies, usually try to keep as clean as I can on the hand front but you can only keep em so clean when you work with em for a living

[@tittyskillet3413]

@@Corter i gotcha. I’ll remove this post shortly.