About the service
I design and build one-of-a-kind leather guitar straps entirely by hand, from the first sketch of the pattern to the final coat of finish. Every strap starts as a conversation about the instrument, the playing style, and the mood you want the strap to carry on stage or in the studio. Once we agree on a direction, I select full-grain vegetable-tanned hide, mark out the tooling design freehand or from a reference you provide, and carve it with swivel knives and stamping tools the traditional way, without shortcuts or printed textures.
The carved surface can be anything from a tight geometric border to a flowing floral or vine motif, a band logo worked into the leather, initials, tour dates, or a symbol that means something personal to you. After carving, I hand-dye the piece in layers to bring out depth and contrast in the pattern, then seal it so the color holds up under stage lights, sweat, and years of use. The strap body is cut to a comfortable width, usually between two and three inches, and every edge is beveled, sanded, and burnished smooth so nothing catches on clothing or scratches the instrument finish.
Length is fully adjustable through a traditional buckle and a row of hand-punched holes, and I build in enough range to fit players of very different heights or to switch between sitting and standing positions. For comfort during long rehearsals or full sets, I add a padded backing panel, either soft glove leather over foam or a suede lining, stitched down by hand with waxed thread using a saddle stitch, which is far more durable than machine lockstitching and will not unravel even if a thread is nicked. Strap ends are reinforced with extra stitching and rivets exactly where the connection points take the most stress.
I build straps for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, and I am happy to match hardware finish, such as antique brass or brushed nickel, to the tuning pegs or other metal fittings already on your instrument. Turnaround typically runs one to two weeks depending on the complexity of the tooling, and I send progress photos of the pattern and the dyeing stage before final assembly so you can request adjustments while there is still time. The finished strap ships padded and boxed, ready to wear on day one, and I include simple care notes so the leather and the carved pattern stay sharp for years of playing.
The carved surface can be anything from a tight geometric border to a flowing floral or vine motif, a band logo worked into the leather, initials, tour dates, or a symbol that means something personal to you. After carving, I hand-dye the piece in layers to bring out depth and contrast in the pattern, then seal it so the color holds up under stage lights, sweat, and years of use. The strap body is cut to a comfortable width, usually between two and three inches, and every edge is beveled, sanded, and burnished smooth so nothing catches on clothing or scratches the instrument finish.
Length is fully adjustable through a traditional buckle and a row of hand-punched holes, and I build in enough range to fit players of very different heights or to switch between sitting and standing positions. For comfort during long rehearsals or full sets, I add a padded backing panel, either soft glove leather over foam or a suede lining, stitched down by hand with waxed thread using a saddle stitch, which is far more durable than machine lockstitching and will not unravel even if a thread is nicked. Strap ends are reinforced with extra stitching and rivets exactly where the connection points take the most stress.
I build straps for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars, and I am happy to match hardware finish, such as antique brass or brushed nickel, to the tuning pegs or other metal fittings already on your instrument. Turnaround typically runs one to two weeks depending on the complexity of the tooling, and I send progress photos of the pattern and the dyeing stage before final assembly so you can request adjustments while there is still time. The finished strap ships padded and boxed, ready to wear on day one, and I include simple care notes so the leather and the carved pattern stay sharp for years of playing.
