What is the typical length of a leather bag handle?
Each bag handle typically measures between 60 and 80 cm. They are perfect for carrying your bag by hand (60 cm) or on the shoulder (70 to 80 cm).
What is the difference between a bag handle and a bag strap?
Unlike a pair of handles, a strap allows you to carry your bag across the body. It has a length between 100 and 120 cm.
Additionally, handles are sewn onto the front and back of the bag, while the shoulder strap/strap is sewn onto the sides.
What is the average distance between 2 bag handles?
The distance is approximately 20 to 25 cm (outside to outside of the handles - see diagram).
We begin this guide by explaining how to sew and reinforce a leather bag handle to give it a nice sheathed look and thus have a better grip on your bag.
The advantage of this technique is that you can have handles made from the same leather as your leather goods creation!
How to reinforce a leather bag handle?
It is possible to reinforce/sheathe a leather bag handle with cord.
A cord, also called a bolster or welt, is a set of twisted threads forming a rope/cord. It provides resistance and rigidity to round handles and grips. All our cords for bag handles are 100% cotton. We recommend a 6 mm diameter cord for small leather goods (e.g., small bag), a 7 mm diameter cord for leather goods (e.g., tote bag), and an 8 mm (and more) diameter cord for larger creations (e.g., travel bag).
If you prefer to stick to "all leather," we have round leather laces in 6 and 8 mm diameters that can also serve as reinforcement!
Are you familiar with sugherite?
Add volume to your belt, handles, or bag grip with Sugherite reinforcement. It also adds resistance and rigidity to the leather and gives a professional finish to your creation.
EXAMPLE OF SUGHERITE USE
for making a leather belt by Choral Sac.
What leather to choose for a handle?
We recommend fairly flexible leather, 1.2 to 1.8 mm thick. You can absolutely make handles from vegetable-tanned or mineral-tanned leather. The main difference will be durability. If you choose vegetable-tanned leather, it will be firmer and more resistant. This leather can also be cut with a strap cutter/strip cutter. If the leather is very flexible, you will need to reinforce it with tear-resistant tape, and it will not be possible to cut it with a strap cutter (you will have to use the ruler + cutter method 😊).
Finally, you can also opt for our flexible straps (e.g., GROSGRAIN) sold in various lengths and widths. Their thickness is generally around 2.5 mm. They are perfect for making beautiful handles.
LEATHER ROUND HANDLE TUTORIAL
Let's go, we're going to explain how to sew and attach a leather handle: saddle stitch, simplified stitching (with holes), and machine stitching.
Reminder: handles are always mounted on the bag body before sewing the lining.
SADDLE STITCH SEWING
To use the saddle stitch technique for leather, you need to master the stitch. We recommend checking out our complete guide on this method.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: MAKING A PAIR OF LEATHER BAG HANDLES
The tubular handle adds a sophisticated touch to your leather goods creation, it's the detail that will change your entire bag. The strap stands straight on the bag body and the cord is invisible. For this tutorial, we chose a 7 mm diameter cord.
1- Cut two leather strips for the pair of handles
Cut two strips 4 cm wide and at least 60 cm long. Use a strap cutter for firm leathers or a ruler and cutter for flexible leathers.
2- Work the ends of the handles
Let your creativity flow for the shape of the handle ends: rounded, ogival, trapezoidal... We chose to only round the corners (10 mm radius).
3- Cut, pare and glue the cord
At each end, make a first mark at 4 cm to identify the end of the gluing (dimension equivalent to the width of the strip). Make a second mark at 5 cm for the cord position. The cord will not be visible.
To determine the necessary cord length, measure between the two marks made 5 cm from each end. For a 60 cm handle, 50 cm of cord will be needed.
Put masking tape on each end of the cord to prevent it from fraying and to be able to skive it.
Make a mark at 1.5 cm for skiving. Then skive the cord. The goal is to have a point about 1.5 cm long. Be careful to skive on the same side at both ends.
Mark the center of the strip before gluing the cord. Then apply contact adhesive to the leather flesh side and the cord to position it. It is important to center the cord well to avoid "zigzag" stitching.
4- Fold the leather over the cord to form the handle
Apply leather glue to the entire strip and cord. Wait a few minutes for the glue to soak in. Then start gluing from the center to avoid any misalignment.
5- Form the handle and mark the stitch line.
Use an edge creaser to tighten the cord well and mark the stitching line. Mark the stitch points with a mallet and pricking iron. The goal is not to pierce the leather entirely but only a part of its thickness.
6- Stitch with saddle stitch
Stitch the handle with saddle stitch. Finish the stitching with 2 knots (inside).
VIEW THE SADDLE STITCH GUIDE >
7- Trim the leather handle
Using a scratch compass, make a mark 3-4 mm from the stitch line. Then punch 2 semi-circles at each end of this mark. Then trim with a cutter or edger.
8- Finish the edges
Sand the edges, then apply at least 3 coats of edge finish, sanding between each coat.
9- Mark the ends of the handles
At each end, draw a stitch line 3-4 mm from the edge. Then mark the stitch points (do not completely pierce the leather).
10- Glue and sew the handles onto the bag body
Thread a string through a stitch hole at each end of the handle and tie a knot. This ensures a consistent gap when gluing: between 20 and 25 cm.
Then mark the position of the handles on the bag body. Scratch the leather grain to facilitate glue adhesion. Glue the handles and sew with a saddle stitch. Finish the stitching on the lining side with 2 knots.
SIMPLIFIED STITCHING (WITH HOLES)
This technique is for those who are not proficient in saddle stitching. The simplified stitching involves piercing/marking the stitch points using a round punch. This "hole" and straight stitch is ideal for beginners.
SUPPLIES
- 1.5m of 7 mm diameter cord
- 1 Seiwa round punch ⌀0.90 mm
- 2 size 2/0 needles
- Braided and waxed polyester thread ⌀0.80 mm
- Neoprene or water-based leather glue
ASSEMBLY STEPS
Handles are approximately 64 cm long.
1- Download the PDF handle pattern below and print it twice at actual size.
2- Cut out the pattern, leaving about 1 cm margin around the pieces. Assemble the pattern and tape it to the leather grain using masking tape (to avoid damaging the leather).
3- Punch the stitch holes indicated on the pattern with a round punch of ⌀0.9 mm
4- Following the lines, cut the 2 leather pieces with a cutter.
5- Take the necessary length of cord (about 52 cm). You need to remove about 6 cm from each end (the cord stops before the ogival end at the 2 central points).
6- Apply glue to the entire handle (except at the ends) and position the cord in the center (don't hesitate to make marks). Then apply glue to the cord.
7- Wait a few minutes for the glue to soak in and then fold the handle over itself. Then flatten the glued section with a small slicker or roller.
8- Stitch the handle. Cut a thread 5 times longer than the length to be sewn. Thread a needle onto each end of the thread. To start stitching: pass the thread through the 1st hole and equalize the threads. Sew by passing each needle one by one through each hole. Finish the stitching by pulling the thread out through the edge, tying a knot, and cutting the thread flush. To learn more about "simplified" leather stitching, consult our guide.
9- Finish the edges with an edge finishing product. Apply at least 3 coats of paint and sand between each coat.
TADAM ⬇️
VIEW THE BAG TUTORIAL >
MACHINE STITCHING THE BAG HANDLE
You're not a fan of hand sewing and you have a sewing machine that can handle thick materials? We'll explain how to machine sew a leather handle!
LEARN MORE ABOUT MACHINE SEWING LEATHER >
LEATHER HANDLE TUTORIAL VIDEO - MINUTE 13:22
Since machine stitching requires supple and not very thick leathers, the ends of the handles must be reinforced with tear-resistant tape and doubled (at the ends) with leather approximately 0.8 mm thick.
Moreover, with machine stitching, it is very difficult to sew the handle directly onto the bag body, so it is necessary to make leather strap attachments. Strap attachments allow the handle to be fixed to the handbag using a rectangular or round loop.
We invite you to watch the video above or consult step 4 of the "Leather Travel Bag" tutorial to learn more about this method.
VIEW THE TRAVEL BAG TUTORIAL >
If you've read the guide this far, you now know how to make a tubular leather handle. But a strand isn't the only way to sheath a leather handle; we'll now explain how to make a reinforced leather handle with a collar strap.
Flat handles/straps have a slightly more masculine feel, making them ideal for laptop bags or leather briefcases.
FLAT LEATHER HANDLE TUTORIAL
You need to master saddle stitching to make these handles. We recommend checking out our complete guide on this method.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: MAKING A PAIR OF FLAT LEATHER HANDLES
1- Define the shape of the reinforcement.
Take a collar strap 25 mm wide and 1.9 mm thick. Then cut the ends at an angle. The necessary length of the strap should be defined according to the final length of each flat handle (you need to subtract 8 cm from this final length – the ends are not reinforced).
Then lightly bevel the edges that will be near a seam (do not bevel the longest edge of the reinforcement). You need to bevel both the grain side and the flesh side of the leather.
2- Cut a strip from the leather hide
For this tutorial, we chose leather from our Satinlys range (Brown - Thickness: 1.2 mm). Given the suppleness of the leather, we reinforced the bag body with Texon.
The width of the strip is defined by the width and thickness of your reinforcement. In this case: width 25 mm and thickness 1.9 mm. Then, add 2x length (50 mm) + 2x width (4 mm) + 8 mm (for the seam line) = 6.2 cm in width.
The length of the strip should be 11 cm longer than the reinforcement. Example: if the reinforcement is 52 cm long, the strip should be 63 cm. The final handle will be 60 cm (after trimming).
Don't forget to double everything to make a pair of flat handles.
3- Glue the reinforcement to the back of the strip
Draw a mark 3 cm from one edge (add 5 mm to the width of the reinforcement: 25 + 5 = 30 mm). This mark will be used to glue the reinforcement.
Position the reinforcement on the mark. Be careful to center it properly before gluing.
Facilitate glue adhesion with a leather roughening tool (only on the grain side of the reinforcement – cf. step 4). Then apply contact cement for leather (neoprene or water-based) to the back of the strip and the reinforcement. Wait a few minutes for the glue to soak in, then glue the reinforcement.
4- Form the flat handle
Apply glue to the grain side of the reinforcement, making sure to cover its entire thickness. Then use a bone folder/creaser to fold the strip over the reinforcement.
Then fold back the leather, starting from the center (don't hesitate to use a mark as a guide).
Also fold back the ends where there is no reinforcement.
5- Mark the handle's outline
Use a bone folder / creaser to mark the edges of the reinforcement and form the handle.
6- Cut the ends of the handle
Position a ruler (here 2 cm wide) at an angle and parallel to the ends of the reinforcement. Then cut.
7- Mark and score the stitch line
At the ends of the handle, draw the stitch line with a wing divider 3-4 mm from the edge.
Then mark the stitch points with a mallet and a pricking iron. The goal is not to completely pierce the leather, but only part of its thickness.
8- Trim excess leather
Using a rotary cutter, even out the edges of the leather.
9- Perform saddle stitching
Thread a needle through each end of the thread and saddle stitch.
VIEW THE SADDLE STITCH GUIDE >
Use a round awl and finish the stitching by bringing the needles out at the edge and tying a knot.
Smooth/hammer the stitches with a creaser.
10- Edge finishing of the leather
Sand the edges and apply at least 3 layers of finish, sanding between each layer.
VIEW THE EDGE FINISHING GUIDE >
11- Glue the handles to the bag body
Position the handles on the bag body. Leave at least 1 cm of margin between the top of the bag body and the beginning of the handle stitching.
Using a round awl, mark the position of the handles on the bag body.
Lightly scratch the leather grain to facilitate glue adhesion. Do the same on the end of the strap that will be glued, being careful to only do it inside the stitch line. Then glue and hammer the bond.
12- Sew the handles onto the bag body
Sew the handles and finish the stitching by tying knots on the side that will be lined.
*The bag body was reinforced with Texon.
Do the same on the other part of the bag. Sew the second handle / strap.
FLAT HANDLES/STRAPS WITHOUT SHEATHING
Make your life easier with our removable leather handles, they are ready to be attached, sewn and/or riveted to your handbags!
How to attach a bag handle to leather?
Opt for our pre-cut leather bag handle pairs! They are available in several colors, widths (15, 18, and 29 mm), and lengths (60, 70, 75, and 80 cm). For this type of handle, you only need 8 Chicago screws or 8 T3 to T6 rivets to attach them to your bag!
Then, let your creativity flow by adding or not adding hardware: rectangular loop, swivel snap hook, D-ring...
How to make a leather strap/shoulder strap?
As stated in the introduction, a leather strap is on average 100 to 120 cm long.
If you choose one of our soft mineral-tanned straps to make your bag's shoulder strap, we advise you to double it (sew two straps together) to make it more resistant and prevent it from deforming. This will also prevent the flesh side from being visible, which tends to bleed if the strap color is vibrant (the other option is to wax the flesh side with tokonole).
TUTORIAL
For this tutorial, prioritize soft straps because the leather is more supple and thus easier to machine sew. We chose a GROGRAIN leather strap 2.3 mm thick and 40 mm wide: you should always choose a width greater than the final strap width because the strap will be trimmed after gluing.
1- Apply tear-resistant tape to the flesh sides of the straps to reinforce them and prevent stretching.
2- Apply leather glue to the back of the straps and laminate them. Reinforce the adhesion with a steel roller.
3- Define and trace the final width of the strap. Then overcut, this ensures clean edges (be careful to choose a wider strap initially).
4- Stitch all around the strap 4 mm from the edge with a Teflon presser foot.
5- Finish the edges for a professional look (sand the edges and apply a finish/paint).
For collar straps, we invite you to consult our guide "How to double a leather strap with suede pigskin?", you will also learn how to make an adjustable strap.
What are the alternatives to leather straps?
To give your bag a more "rock" look, you can opt for a bag chain. There will always be the option to add a leather strip at the shoulder. The links of our bag chains are un-welded, allowing for easy adjustment of the chain's size. Several finishes are available: nickel-plated, gold, aged brass, gunmetal...
1 comment
Natnael
Is very good for new business owners