About the service
I offer a dedicated leathercraft service for musicians who want a strap built entirely by hand instead of pulled off a rack. Every commission starts with a fitting conversation: your instrument's weight, how long you play per session, and whether you prefer a wide padded back panel or a slim traditional cut. Padding is skived vegetable-tanned leather laminated over closed-cell foam, stitched with waxed thread so the cushioning never shifts or bunches under a shoulder.
For the visible face, I keep a growing portfolio of hand-tooled patterns — floral scrollwork, geometric basketweave, Western florals, or a client's own crest carved and stamped to order — so you can pick a design or commission something original. Dyeing is done in stages with antique finish rubbed into the tooling to bring out depth in the carved lines.
Hardware is sourced from solid brass or nickel-plated steel: strap locks, tri-glide adjusters, and roller buckles are matched to the thickness of your leather so the strap sits flat and doesn't twist. End tabs are hand-riveted and back-stitched, not just glued, because that joint carries the full weight of the instrument for years of gigging.
Turnaround runs about two weeks from confirmed design to shipping, with photos sent at the tooling and dyeing stages so you can approve the pattern before final assembly. Rush orders are possible for touring musicians — ask before booking.
For the visible face, I keep a growing portfolio of hand-tooled patterns — floral scrollwork, geometric basketweave, Western florals, or a client's own crest carved and stamped to order — so you can pick a design or commission something original. Dyeing is done in stages with antique finish rubbed into the tooling to bring out depth in the carved lines.
Hardware is sourced from solid brass or nickel-plated steel: strap locks, tri-glide adjusters, and roller buckles are matched to the thickness of your leather so the strap sits flat and doesn't twist. End tabs are hand-riveted and back-stitched, not just glued, because that joint carries the full weight of the instrument for years of gigging.
Turnaround runs about two weeks from confirmed design to shipping, with photos sent at the tooling and dyeing stages so you can approve the pattern before final assembly. Rush orders are possible for touring musicians — ask before booking.
