NormsterCord:  hand-made, custom guitar straps

History

I started making these in 2016 using various colors of 550 paracord.  The guitar straps used a single 100-foot length of paracord woven using a home made jig modeled after a lap loom.  The same piece of paracord was used for both the warp (the long black strings in the loom), and the weft (the back and forth strings).

The straps were 9 cords wide and anywhere from 44 to 55 inches.  I use metal belt buckles to attach a short section to the main section allow adjustability.  The strap ends were made of cut leather glued around rectangular rings.  An 8mm hole is punched in the end of each strap.  They work best with strap locks or removing the guitar strap button, pressing it through the strap hole, then reinstalling the strap button.

 After making about 20 guitar straps, I started joining multiple colors.  This is done by melting two paracords together.  So they aren’t necessarily a single piece of paracord and they started using more than 100 feet for each guitar strap.  The photo here shows blue “weft” woven between black “warp.”

In 2019 I started eliminating knots by extending both ends of the warp and weaving the short end into the strap then melting the end.  I also discovered I could make the guitar strap wider by leaving it looser.  Eventually I decided to extend both ends of warp and use a double weft.  This means there are two back and forth strings through the whole guitar strap.  

After reports of some of the original leather end pieces coming unglued, I started stitching the leather ends together.  This photo from 2020 shows an example of the stitching holding the leather end together and the double weave.   I stocked up on larger spools of black paracord and starting making straps in black with a color stripe that matches a guitar.  The straps are also much wider now, with 11 or 12 cords wide at the 2″ rectangle ring in the leather strap end .  By leaving the weave loose, the strap is easily at least 3 inches wide over the shoulder and tapers at the buckle and end.

Specifications

• All straps are made of 550 nylon paracord.  Multi-color straps are heat-spliced together.  More than 100 feet of paracord is used for each guitar strap.
• The leather end pieces are  glued together around a metal 2″ rectangular ring.  Stitching is added around the edge of the leather end to prevent glue separation.  If you have an earlier model that is not stitched, contact me and I’ll arrange to stitch your leather ends. 
• The leather is punched with an 8mm hole for attaching to the guitar strap button.  Schaller strap locks work well too.
• The strap is 2″ wide at the ends.  Using a 11 rows of paracord and a double weave, I leave the strap loose and wider in the shoulder. The width in the shoulder area is about 3″.   This can be tightened up at a later time if you want a tighter and narrower strap. 
• A 2″ metal buckle is attached to the short end of the strap to allow adjustment. 
• A leather band is included as a belt loop to contain the extra strap.  Some people slide the leather band around the metal ring to prevent scratching or wear marks on their guitar.
• The length of the strap shrinks during the weaving process.  This shrinkage varies depending on how tight or loose I pull the weave.  For this reason, it is very difficult to make a strap to exact length, hence the buckle.
• Standard length is 48-50 inches measured from the mounting hole at each end.  The short, buckle section is 6-8 inches long.  I’ll make the straps longer or shorter on request.  It’s easy to make a longer “short” section if your strap is just a little too short.

Price (2021)

• Single color $37 plus shipping
• Color stripe $42 plus shipping
• Crazy custom options . . . let’ talk.

Use “contact me” to request an order form and discuss details.