Time of changes #1

Hi everyone, it's been a great summer with lots of big happenings here. I will start describing them one by one on my blog, hoping you will be able to keep up :)

Did you know that the leather shoulder strapis the fare-most expensive and time-consuming part of my bags? It is also the part that needs to be most durable of all parts.
I cut the straps from full cow hides with my strap-cutter (one of the best wooden tools ever made :) then cut them the right length, round edges, punch.
The messenger bags are now all updated with the new connection: buckles. I have tried to hold on to my own design with the push-buttons connection. However I learnt that strength and durablilty are more important when it comes to shoulderstraps, than design and uniqueness. Besides the gained strength, the posibility to easily add positions to the strap is also a big +.  Here are some pictures of the new strap connection:

Foto's van de nieuwe schouderband bevestiging, met 2 gespen. Hierdoor is de verbinding sterker en is de schouderband makkelijker in te korten of te verlengen.
Het dikke leer komt hier in hele huiden aan. Ik snij met de riemsnijder (een van de mooiste houten gereedschappen ooit gezien :) stroken en zo ontstaat de schouderband. De schouderband is dan ook verreweg het meest kostebare en tijdrovende onderdeel van de messenger tassen.