Sourcing leather to make EC thumb straps

[Johanna]

I am the proud new owner of a 1924 Aeola, which is lovely in every respect apart from the thumb straps, which are an ancient amateurish hatchet job and desperately need to be replaced.  Ideally, I'd like to remedy that condition without taking the whole instrument out of commission for too long (i.e., by sending the whole instrument or the thumb strap brackets away).

 

I have the David Elliott maintenance manual, but I'm not sure where to buy suitable leather for that (or any other) thumb strap pattern.  I welcome any and all advice.

[Tiposx]

I am in the U.K. and I use C A Cornish for such things. Lynda Cornish is most helpful.

[Alex West]

My advice would be to look for a leather which isn't too tough and which is soft to the touch.   A glove leather would probably be suitable.  The last ones I made were with goat skin which in retrospect was a bit too robust.   The strap can always be reinforced internally with fabric

 

Alex West

[Stephen DOUGLASS]

20 hours ago, Johanna said:

 I'd like to remedy that condition without taking the whole instrument out of commission for too long (i.e., by sending the whole instrument or the thumb strap brackets away).

Johanna, I considered this option a while back, but guessed correctly that my craftsmanship would not be up to the standards of a professional, and I would be spending time sourcing and making (and probably making again). So I sent my brackets to Wakker concertina's,  postage from Northern NJ to delivery back in my letter box was 7 days (very quick I thought). The result was excellent.. 'plump' and comfy straps that sit nicely on my Crabb. Good luck, which ever option you choose.

[Geoff Wooff]

1 hour ago, Stephen DOUGLASS said:

Johanna, I considered this option a while back, but guessed correctly that my craftsmanship would not be up to the standards of a professional, and I would be spending time sourcing and making (and probably making again). So I sent my brackets to Wakker concertina's,  postage from Northern NJ to delivery back in my letter box was 7 days (very quick I thought). The result was excellent.. 'plump' and comfy straps that sit nicely on my Crabb. Good luck, which ever option you choose.

Totally  agree  Stephen.  I've  have  some  Wakker  thumb straps   for  many  years  the  most  comfortable I  ever  tried  in 50  years  of  EC  playing .  When  they   wore   out, I  carefully  took  them apart  and  re-made  them in the  same  fashion.

Highly  recommend  the  Wakker's  thumb straps  Johanna!!

[Johanna]

Thanks, all, for the recommendations. I swung by my nearest Tandy leather store this morning to see if they could advise me, and they hooked me up with a $12 roll of soft black leather - enough to make many copies of the Elliott thumb strap pattern.  The glue is drying on my first attempt right now.

 

I may end up going the Wakker route in the near future, but in the meantime, I'm sure that my own creations cannot possibly be worse than the diabolical thumb straps that the instrument came with.

[RogerT]

A couple if things I noticed about Dave E's pattern. I don't think they are long enough…so make them a bit longer, then cut to size. The construction is based on how some leather watch straps are made. Getting them exactly parallel is quite difficult, so I glued two small battens to a piece of ply to use as a mould. Once the strap is all glued up you squish it down between the battens (I forget the width, perhaps 1.25 inches or 1.5) and press with another bit of wood slightly narrower than the channel. Leave to dry. You get perfectly straight and neat straps every time.

Edited April 7 by RogerT