# Softening new leather strap



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Any methods, products to speed up the process?


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

A worn strap is like good tone. It needs to be earned.


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## AlBDarned (Jun 29, 2017)

Lotsa Pete Townsend style windmills?


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## cdntac (Oct 11, 2017)

On the subject of leather straps --- any suggestions in regards to thin vintage style leather straps? I found one made by Right On that I like but I'm not informed enough to know of any boutique --- yet not overly expensive --- strap makers that make a good 1" leather strap. 

Levy's doesn't make anything that I like that is thin though Fender has an ok thin vintage style strap.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

cdntac said:


> On the subject of leather straps --- any suggestions in regards to thin vintage style leather straps? I found one made by Right On that I like but I'm not informed enough to know of any boutique --- yet not overly expensive --- strap makers that make a good 1" leather strap.
> 
> Levy's doesn't make anything that I like that is thin though Fender has an ok thin vintage style strap.


I just got a nice thin one for my esquire on kijiji the other day. I'll look it over for a brand name. 


As for softening leather... we always used shaving cream to soften our baseball gloves.


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## Sneaky (Feb 14, 2006)

cdntac said:


> On the subject of leather straps --- any suggestions in regards to thin vintage style leather straps? I found one made by Right On that I like but I'm not informed enough to know of any boutique --- yet not overly expensive --- strap makers that make a good 1" leather strap.
> 
> Levy's doesn't make anything that I like that is thin though Fender has an ok thin vintage style strap.


I have an El Dorado strap for sale like this one. PM if interested.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

So I’ll speak to the op. Might yet constant stressing. Like relic a guitar. Same process imo.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

Mink Oil if you have it. I've broken in plenty of baseball gloves that way. The other thing you can do is to rub shaving cream on it, and then heat the strap up with a hairdryer.


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## _Azrael (Nov 27, 2017)

cdntac said:


> On the subject of leather straps --- any suggestions in regards to thin vintage style leather straps? I found one made by Right On that I like but I'm not informed enough to know of any boutique --- yet not overly expensive --- strap makers that make a good 1" leather strap.
> 
> Levy's doesn't make anything that I like that is thin though Fender has an ok thin vintage style strap.


Slash used a leather belt.


I've always used mink oil to break in leather.


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## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Any methods, products to speed up the process?


Beat it up a little bit. Roll in into a ball, tangle it up and step on it a bit.

Nathan


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Vaseline is used to soften baseball gloves. Should work on a strap as well.

How to Break in a Baseball Glove Using Vaseline


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## BSTheTech (Sep 30, 2015)

I remember as a kid I got my first real mitt and wanted to break it in FAST. Everyone at school said to use linseed oil or something, doesn't matter I didn't have any, so I found a bottle of walnut oil. Soaked my glove in that, I mean DRIPPING.
Well it made a mess of my glove and to this day every time I taste a walnut I think of baseball...


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Just pulled one out that I have had for a few years but never used. My original leather strap is 20 years old and soft as a babies bottom. But that's from 20 years of use. This new one I would like to speed up the process a bit. It will be a nice strap once it softens up a bit.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

nnieman said:


> Beat it up a little bit. Roll in into a ball, tangle it up and step on it a bit.
> 
> Nathan


I used to have these thick leather coasters in my early 20s (dad's company logo swag). I sat down one night and chatted with my future wife for a couple of hours just working it with my hands. It became very soft in a pretty short time.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

If you use oil of any kind be prepared to have a stripe on your shirt where it sits. Working it is probably best.


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## AlBDarned (Jun 29, 2017)

adcandour said:


> I sat down one night and chatted with my future wife for a couple of hours just working it with my hands. It became very soft in a pretty short time.


Good lord, I am not going to touch this one....


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## Sam-i-am (Nov 17, 2017)

Wrap it around a hammer and smack the crap out of stuff with it?

It sounds crazy, but depending on what you smack the crap out of it could work out considerably well.

If thats too soft, perhaps you could defend a village from orcs with it. That ought to break that strap in nicely


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

It took me about 20 minutes to work the leather by hand. Just simply flex it any way that makes sense. Roll it up as tight as you can in both directions, fold the leather anwhere it feels stiff. It will be half way to “babies ass” in less than a half hour. Take a break when you have to. It is tiring on the hands and makes my carpel tunnel problems kick in.


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