The Leatherbug

Latest news from the leather bench.

Watch straps and more watch straps. This was the extend of my work at the leather bench the past month or so. I really enjoy doing watch straps: they are so creative, allowing you to play with leather textures, colours, construction methods, thread colours.... Gone are the days when a watch strap choice was limited to black or brown! Watch straps are as individual as watches, and as much part of your personality as the watch you choose to wear. Contact me if you need to know more! Here is a photo with a few watch strap blanks, displaying different textures and colours.

Watch straps and more watch straps. This was the extend of my work at the leather bench the past month or so. I really enjoy doing watch straps: they are so creative, allowing you to play with leather textures, colours, construction methods, thread colours.... Gone are the days when a watch strap choice was limited to black or brown! Watch straps are as individual as watches, and as much part of your personality as the watch you choose to wear. Contact me if you need to know more! Here is a photo with a few watch strap blanks, displaying different textures and colours.

Saddlebags for Triumph. Seems as if I cant stay away from the Triumphs. Here is another set of throw over saddle bags, made in Black, for a vintage Triumph Bonneville. These bags are a very snug fit, and are attached to the frame at the front with a strap. These bags can be custom made to fit any cafe racer or other motorbike with a suitable seat arrangement. The advantage of the throw over bags is that when you have reached your destination, you simply undo two straps, and take the bags with you.

Two of my standard bags, a dark brown chopper leather front forks bag, and a swing arm bag in the same leather. Proudly displayed on this lovely Triumph in America.

I am often asked by clients what is a reasonably secure method of securing their bicycle tool bags they bought from me to the bicycle. I dont mean high level security, just to prevent the casual, opportunistic thief from quickly undoing the buckles and walking off with your prized creation from theleatherbug. The best solution I have is to use heavy duty cable ties. You can install them to be very unobtrusive. I make all my bags with an extra riveted layer of leather backing the strap slots, so If you loop them through the strap slots, as shown in the photo, your tool bag will be a bit more secure.

In Australia we all love to hate them. When the first summer rains wet the top layer of the soil, its time for them to wake up. And then the game is on. The hunting season is open. On the roads, drivers will go out of their way to hit them. When found in the garden, people have different, sometimes ingenious ways to dispatch of them. They are somewhat of an icon in Queensland, and rapidly spreading all over the other states.We are of course talking about the Cane Toad. An introduced, poisonous pest that is killing a wide range of Australian indigenous animals in alarming numbers. Eradication programs have met with limited success. Is there anything positive about them? To find out more, visit me on my website! In the mean time, have a look at the photo...

Introducing Reivilo Watch straps. Beginning this November 2015, I will start a series on some of the watch straps that I make at Reivilo Watch Straps. I will attempt to create at least three new straps per month, which, over time, should give you a good idea of what will be available. However, always remember that customisation and special requests are the spices that give any repetitive, standard task a new spring in its step. That is why if you love the featured strap, but would like it with a different color stitching, perhaps, or some other personalisation added, please let me know. I always attempt to help, if the request is practical. If you want a quote for a strap, or simply wish to discuss an order, please email me on heinb.olivier@gmail .com, or through my contacts page on my website, www.theleatherbug.com. I will also regularly feature some of my other leather items, including my range of vintage bicycle bags and accessories, motorcycle bags, sporting gear and everything else leather!

On cycling in the rain and keeping muck off your bottom bracket..

Been out for a cruise again this afternoon after work, as is my custom. Was using my 1956 Triumph Butler. It was raining softly. Very softly, enough to feel the rain on your exposed face and arms, but soft enough for the drops to be dried by the wind before they can wet your T-shirt. Perfect cycling conditions.
I took the cycle path that winds through the mangroves, past the sporting grounds and Oyster Point, and eventually ends at the Ferry terminal on the bay.
Earlier the day it must have been raining harder, because everywhere there were larger puddles of water, some completely covering the cycle path, so you have to go right through them. Its for conditions like these that you really discover the worth of a good mud-flap. Not only does a mud-flap keeps your bottom bracket dry and grime free, but it also keeps the spray off your feet and cranks.
After experimenting a bit with shapes and designs, I settled on a specific design which I have tested for two seasons now and found to be very effective. Made from leather (off course!), you can attach these to any mudguard using pop-rivets or stainless steel screws. Installation only takes ten minutes. My price is only $12.00 Australian plus postage. A tiny investment for years and years of enjoyable wet weather cycling.
Please go to my website, www.theleatherbug.com for more info.
Keep cycling!

Just a reminder to all vintage bicycle enthusiasts that we are still continuing the tradition of handcrafted bicycle leather products into 2013.
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Lately I have been working on leather bicycle grips for your vintage ride. It has been an interesting and rewarding exercise. To read more about this, simply click on the link below....
http://theleatherbug.com/

theleatherbug.com | leathercraft, now the home of Reivilo Bespoke Watch Bands A gripping story: Leather bicycle hand grips.Posted on January 8, 2013 by olie4It all started when the original, plastic handgrips on my lovely 1956 Triumph Butler finally entered that stage of their lives where they were seriously beginning to interfere with my cycling pleasure. These old grips, th...

And the photo of the Vostok watches:

I have had a special interest in mechanical watches since I was a teenager. That was also when I bought my first watch with my pocket money. That fascination with watches has been kept alive all these years and today I have a reasonable collection of vintage watches.

Together with the noble bicycle, mechanical watches share the first place on my list of most amazing mechanical inventions of all times.

The right watch strap/band can greatly enhances the appearance of a watch. And that was why Reivilo Watch Straps were born. Often I had difficulties in obtaining a strap that I felt was the right one for a new old watch. So I started making my own. Here are some examples on three Soviet era Vostok watches, and two 1960s American Benrus watches.

Please go to my website, www.theleatherbug.com, for more examples and the story of Reivilo watch straps.