Looks like some great rew materials for a batch of amazing leather products. My wife makes bags and purses from recycled blue jeans. There is something magical about new products made from old.

 

This works too!

 

The leather from that saddle has great potential. Looking forward to seeing what you make of it.

 

Dude- get that chunky thing out of the way, I can’t see the strap!

 

Wow.. that’s a lot of leather, with many different tints and colors.

 

A donation has been made to the Nature Conservancy of Canada! Thanks so much for the strap!

 

Here’s my wonderfully supple strap (2nd batch, #5) on my Speedy - thanks again @Duracuir1 . The strap feels great and just adds to the fact that the Speedy is a strap whore:

 

Oh, I forgot to add that a donation is wending its way to Guide Dogs for the Blind

 

I think strap 3 from batch 2 is postal fodder at this point, never made it to me. Too bad, was a really nice looking strap. Still donated to World Central Kitchen, worthy cause and the good intentions still count.

 

Well that’s too bad. I am tied up at work quite a bit but will make you a very similar one ASAP and send it to you. I try to make the odd strap when I can but rarely have more than one day off. From the old saddle earlier in this thread I made a couple of 18s. (Practice for a couple special ones for @Syrte ) But they are not as nice as that very special number 3. Thanks for donating to your cause!

 

I’ll take one of those if you’re offering them up- 18 is my size!

 

No worries at all and you certainly don’t need to make and send another one. I’m a baseball fan so the old glove leather sounded like a nice touch but am in no way short on straps so please do not go out of your way for me. Thanks again for the generosity of your time, skills, and material!

 

Wow, those are very beautiful and I am quite honored to be deserving of “practice”.

 

Alright, I don't have one of these straps from @Duracuir1 yet, but I am posting in this forum so I can get an alert when the thread is updated. I find myself wanting something handcrafted by someone who has no strings attached, and simply made something that he offered up for no reason other than kindness and passion for sharing in a common hobby.

Oh, and I am gonna make a pre-emptory contribution to the Tomorrow for Haitian Kids' Organization, a school/orphanage in Cap Haitien, envisioned and inspired by a group of Haitian translators whom I have been privileged to help in previous years. If I hit the "strap lottery", I might even find a good beater to wear it on next time I go there.

And, because we like pictures, here is one of my usual "mission trip beater":

 

Slight thread drift which let's be honest is nothing unusual on this forum
Spent some time yesterday treating a WW1 binocular case with 'Elephant Leather Preserver' and happy with the results, anyone ever used it on old dry leather straps ?


Yes I can provide 'after ' pics if required.

 

So I finally got around to digging out my old leather working tools, hopefully I can pick up an old glove or bag and have a go at making a strap myself.

Here’s my trusty Wiss shears, thumb protectors, a stitch hole marker, and assorted other tools. I also came across an old diagram showing the correct way to refit the window chaingear, so if you have a H.J Mulliner coach-built 4 door Bentley Flying Spur from the 50s then I can help you out

 

Yes, « after pics » are definitely required although it would be best with elephant leather!

 

If only I had taken some before shots











As some will note these started out in French ownership and then probably purchased by the British to help make up the shortfall.

Next task is to try taking a rubbing and hopefully decipher what the indentations mean ?

 

@140dave I have the day off and was hoping for a nice long bike ride. Rain instead. So I made you a replacement strap. Nice glove piece (glove pictured earlier in this thread, I think). I tried to replicate the original that I sent you. Quite frankly this one is softer and feels nicer. I used the glove’s leather lacing to make the keepers. I am using the best of the best this time to ensure delivery!

You may notice that the “twin” piece is darker than the “flex”. That’s how the glove aged.

Watch not included...