Tools you need to make a watch strap

You open the tool aisle, see forty things with leather in the name, and have no idea what a watch strap needs. Most of it, you don't need yet. Tandy's own guide says you don't need everything to get started¹. Its advice is to buy the basics first. Add specialised tools later, as new projects call for them¹.

Here's the short list, grouped by the job.

Measuring and marking

A strap is small, so a wrong mark shows. You'll need a metal ruler, plus your lug and wrist numbers.

• Ruler. Tandy says to use it to measure and mark accurately¹.
• Wing divider. It marks parallel lines along an edge, for stitching or decorative borders¹.

Tandy says the divider gives a consistent guide line for stitching¹. How to set it is on the stitching page.

Cutting

Tandy's cutting group is a utility knife or rotary cutter for straight cuts, and a cutting mat that protects your table and keeps blades sharp longer¹. A watch-strap tutorial from a maker lists a standard utility blade, a slot punch for straight cuts, and a skiving knife to thin out edges².

Tandy also lists a round knife as optional, for curves and skiving edges once you're more advanced¹. A beginner can leave it out. Skiving means thinning leather, and the skiving page shows how.

Keep blades away from children, and cap or cover them after every session.

Piercing and stitching

Stitching holes come before thread. Tandy's list for the stitching side is short.

• Harness needles. They have blunt tips to prevent splitting the leather fibers¹.
• Stitching chisels. They punch evenly spaced holes before sewing¹.
• Stitching awl. It's for marking or widening holes¹.
• Stitching pony. Optional. It holds your work steady while you sew¹.

A pricking iron does the same job as a chisel. The maker describes pricking irons as sharpened forks made from hardened steel, which helps form evenly spaced holes². You'll also need thread. Tandy's saddle stitching demo uses lightly waxed poly thread and two needles³, and the stitching page walks through it.

Finishing the edges

Raw edges look rough. A beveler shaves off the sharp corners of the edge⁴. For burnishing, which means rubbing the edge smooth, Tandy lists a wooden or plastic slicker as one method⁴. Canvas cloth does the same job. The edge finishing page covers the steps.

Fitting

The last tool is a spring bar tool. Nixon says you'll need one to take a strap off a watch with spring bars⁵. Most have a pointed end, plus an end with a small, v-shaped prong⁵. Nixon's guide also covers putting a strap on. Fitting the buckle and spring bars walks through that job.

What to leave for later

A strap cutter, a stitching groover and an edge machine are all things you can buy after your first strap. Start with the ruler, divider, knife, mat, chisels, needles, awl and spring bar tool. Anything else can wait until you know what annoyed you.