Happy
Fourth of July! Today, the Time Bum celebrates our nation’s independence by
focusing on some handcrafted watch straps from Detroit, Michigan in the good
old U.S. of A. You see, a few weeks ago, I was trawling Instagram for
watchy goodness and stumbled across the account of The Detroit
Strap Co. (@detroitstrapco). It was brimming with
straps made from Horween, cork, baseball gloves, and reclaimed leather. They
all looked good, but the one that really grabbed me was a strap made from a
vintage motorcycle jacket. I held out as long as I could, but as the Instagram
posts mounted, my willpower diminished. I finally went over the edge,
scrambling for my credit card to make the purchase.
The
artisan behind the company is proud of his city. “What’s going on
with Detroit is an immensely complicated issue but incredibly fascinating”
he says. “News you see about the city nationally tends to be incredibly
negative. Along with photos of my straps, I try to take positive photos of
whats going on in the city as well. I’m a big believer in that. I’m definitely
staying away from the “ruin porn” that comes out of Detroit.” He
is a true watch nerd and strap junkie, and finally decided have a go at making
his own. After perfecting his technique, he tried his hand at a strap made from
a baseball glove. He used a Tigers glove, of course, and created the
perfect game day strap. When he posted it on his Instagram and it caught the
attention of Shinola, the Detroit based watchmaker. They reposted it and soon
he was inundated with requests for the same strap.
Detroit
Strap Co. baseball glove straps sell for between $110-150. The completed straps
in DSC’s current inventory are priced at $125. When you consider what
goes into these straps, they are an excellent value. The gloves are used, but
he only selects those in good to exellent condition, and the construction
process is more complex than if one were using new tooling leather. As he
explains, “To dissemble a glove can take 45 minutes or so alone. I clean
and condition the leather as well. The unique contours of the glove also make
it more difficult to get a good, straight cut. Most of these gloves are broken
in and have a crease right over the palm which can make things fun! It
generally takes upwards of 6 hours to make one strap from a baseball glove
start to finish.” After all that effort, a glove will yield no more than
two straps. A sheet of Horween, on the other hand, will yield several straps in
half the time.
I
selected a $65 strap made from a Brooks Leather motorcycle jacket. Detroit
based Brooks has produced American made motorcycle jackets since 1959. They are
perhaps best known for their infamous “We’ll Take On Anybody in
Leather” ad campaign. The strap is composed of two pieces sandwiched
together so it has the same surface on both sides and it is very soft,
partially because it was intended for clothing, partially because is is already
quite broken in. The leather is dark brown with a slight sheen, and the light
brown raw leather showing through the distressed areas. It is approximately
3.6mm thick. The edges are finished and stitching is kept to a minimum, just
two simple side stitches in off-white at the lug ends and buckle, and an
“X” on the tip of the tail. There is a single, wide, floating keeper.
The buckle is a simple square frame in brushed stainless steel with a narrow
tang.
I found
it to be superbly comfortable and at 75/125mm, a perfect fit on my 6.5″
wrist, with one more adjustment left to go. The leather just melts around your
wrist, but there is nothing delicate about it. It may not be ammo bag stiff,
but it is tough stuff. If it can take a hit from highway pavement at speed, it
will certainly handle your Speedmaster. Its maker described it as “gnarly
and authentic” and I couldn’t agree more. I felt it needed a similarly
gnarly watch, so I gave it a try on Crusty, my beloved and seriously beat up
Seiko 7002. The two seemed to hit it off well, complementing each other’s
battle scars. I think it would be a natural on a time worn vintage piece, or a
newer throwback design like the Tudor Ranger or Black Bay.
A strap
made from an old biker jacket is pretty cool in and of itself, but that is only
half the story. You see, the jacket actually belonged to the craftsman’s own
grandfather. As he explains, “When he was a younger man, he wore that
jacket on his motorcycle everyday … until he wiped out on it. I found it in a
box a while ago, and its got some road rash scars, along with blood
strains.” (The squeamish among you need not worry. My strap was
blood-free.) It seems Grandpa survived the experience, but his Easy Rider days
were over. Grandma made him sell the bike and the jacket ended up in storage
until it found new life as a strap donor. There is still material available and
you can choose your size, but remember there is only one jacket. When it’s
gone, it’s gone.
Detroit
Strap Co. products hit the sweet spot for a Bum like me. They are reasonably
priced, well made, and brimming with charm. The motorcycle strap is unique and
an absolute bargain at $65. The baseball glove straps are also a fair
price and you can select your glove of choice from the inventory posted online.
Leather and cork NATOs go for $40-45. Horween is $60. If you are looking
for a quality, handmade strap, for a nice price, with some vintage Americana to
boot, you should have a look at the Detroit Strap Co.
