How to make braided mandolin strap

[Buxus]

Hi folks,
I propose here an article showing my personal way of making braided straps.
I put lots of details on how to braid with four strands, and also how to make a braided knot for the scroll end.

http://www.labellenote.fr/articles.php?lng=en&pg=512&tconfig=0

http://www.labellenote.fr/file/LeatherWorking/Sangle_mando/030_tresse.JPG

Note this model is not adjustable and is only made to measure, but it wouldn't be a big deal to find an adjustment for it.

For those who like working leather,
have fun,

Christophe

[Ron McMillan]

I would like to see the article, but clicking the link only takes me to this message:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access /articles.php on this server.

[Jim Adwell]

Works for me.

[Ron McMillan]

I'm in Thailand. Maybe the security settings don't allow people to access the webpage from here?

I wish I could see it. I make my own simple braided straps, and would love to learn some new techniques.

ron

[PaulBills]

Excellent! Now, where's some leather.....

[ianbarton]

Very cool, I just stumbled across this after making my own strap earlier today! I did a 6-strand weave, and then looped the ends back into itself to finish it off, but one of the strands i left long for the leash, weaved the end back in and so the lease is adjustable but wont slide out.

124585

[Buxus]

I'm in Thailand. Maybe the security settings don't allow people to access the webpage from here?

I wish I could see it. I make my own simple braided straps, and would love to learn some new techniques.

ron
Hi Ron,
I'm so sorry, could you PM me your IP @, it's true I faced lots of spaming attacks and had to blacklist some IP ranges, maybe too much, I will correct that.
Thanks
Chistophe

[Buxus]

Very cool, I just stumbled across this after making my own strap earlier today! I did a 6-strand weave, and then looped the ends back into itself to finish it off, but one of the strands i left long for the leash, weaved the end back in and so the lease is adjustable but wont slide out.

124585

Hi, your strap looks great !!
seems you used different colors for the strands ?
How do you make the six strand weave , is it like a three, but taking two by two ?
nice picture !
christophe

[ianbarton]

Hey Christophe, Thanks! I did a bit of searching online for different weave styles. I did use three different colors of leather strands. you start with three strands on each side, and take the right most strand and pass it over the one just to the left of it, and then under the third. You then have 4 on your left side and 2 on the right. You then take the left most strand and pass it under the one to the right, over the following, and under the one after that. Then you just repeat the process.

http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/howtos/6strand1.htm

At the end I weaved the ends back in on them selves (kinda like rock climbing making the figure 8 knot). As i said before, I left one as a loop. the butt end is just as is, and I put the end pin through one of the openings (which isnt as secure as id hoped), as long as you dont play upside down or behind your back...should be fine!

[kkmm]

I has made a braided mandolin strap for one of my mandolin (sold BTW), I found in the Dollar stores some nice belt abuot 3/4" wide that are very suitable for mandolin straps, that's what I use from that day on.

[Buxus]

Hey Christophe, ...

http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/howtos/6strand1.htm

....

Nice, I modify my article to give also that link as an alternative to the round braid.
Thanks !

[Ron McMillan]

Hi Christophe,

Thanks for helping me see your page, which is very interesting. I like how you use a rope cord to give the strap a solid shape. I make round braided straps for friends (and for fun), some from leather, others from synthetic flat strap materials with leather at the ends for fixing to the mandolin.

[Buxus]

Hi Christophe,

Thanks for helping me see your page, which is very interesting. I like how you use a rope cord to give the strap a solid shape. I make round braided straps for friends (and for fun), some from leather, others from synthetic flat strap materials with leather at the ends for fixing to the mandolin.

Ron,
You straps are really stunning, I like the way the braid strands seem to be the prolongation of the pieces that make the buttonhole on the leather model.
Your leather, to begin with, seems to be really high end !
(mine is simply salvaged from some old furniture :-) )

And for the synthetic ones, are the strands from shoes laces ?
Nice idea also !
Thanks for the photos !
Christophe

[Ron McMillan]

Ron,
You straps are really stunning, I like the way the braid strands seem to be the prolongation of the pieces that make the buttonhole on the leather model.
Your leather, to begin with, seems to be really high end !
(mine is simply salvaged from some old furniture :-) )

And for the synthetic ones, are the strands from shoes laces ?
Nice idea also !
Thanks for the photos !
Christophe

Hi Christophe,

The leather one is convenient because I used an old second-hand leather belt I found at a market that I 'unbraided' and cut into a three-braid piece. That meant there was one end where the leather was still joined. I then used that to fix onto another piece of leather for the strap button.

The synthetic materials are straps that I buy at a market, 10 or 20 metres at a time, in different colours. It is easy to braid, and with good leather (I buy pieces of hide that are too small to be very valuable to shoe makers or bag makers) I fashion the ends of the strap. The synthetic material melts under a flame, so the ends are easy to fix that way to prevent them becoming frayed.

ron

[Ron McMillan]

* Mistake above. The leather one is, of course, a four-braid piece (as are the synthetic ones).

I learned how to do a four-part round braid from this lady's excellent tutorial clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0afO40tsqAc