When we first started making banjo straps, we did so because nobody else was producing the type of strap that we wanted to see in the market. This gave us a huge developmental challenge. There were certainly companies that were producing banjo straps somewhat similar to the product we envisioned, but no company had quite gotten everything right. This put a lot of pressure on us to not only produce a product that would succeed in the market, but to develop such a product on our own, with no examples to reference or copy. This meant that we had to develop each aspect of the strap individually, and forced us to not overlook any detail, no matter how small. Every aspect of the strap was developed with the mindset of “what would this be like on the perfect strap, and how do we make that?” Many straps being produced today are based off of another strap maker’s design, and lose some aspect of quality, when compared to the original.

All of our straps are made by hand, from scratch, here in our New Jersey shop. We believe that the more processes there are that are done by hand, the greater control there is over the quality of our straps. Leather is a natural product, with natural variations, and we believe that there will never be a machine that can match the quality that comes from the hand and eye of a skilled craftsman. From cutting the straps out of the hide, to punching and shaping the straps, to lining up and embossing patterns into the leather (sometimes requiring over 250+ individual stamped impressions per strap), each step is done by us, by hand.

Our straps are made using 8-9oz (1/8”-9/64” thick) Hermann Oak full grain vegetable tanned leather. Hermann Oak is a tannery based out of based out of St. Louis, MO. They have been continuously operating, utilizing the same time tested techniques and processes that have earned them a reputation as being one of the best, since their founding nearly 150 years ago. As they state on their website, “We believe pride in one's work is a necessary ingredient in success - as necessary as skill, as necessary as hard work”, a sentiment which we share with them, and which is reflected in the quality of leather they produce. While we have experimented with other manufacturers of leather, we have yet to find a tannery that delivers the same quality and consistency as Hermann Oak.

Vegetable tanned refers to the way in which the leather is made. “Tanning” is the process which turns the stiff, rigid rawhide of an animal into soft, flexible leather. There are two primary ways of tanning leather: vegetable tanning and chrome tanning. Chrome tanning involves soaking the hide of an animal in a bath of chromium salts. The process can take anywhere from 1 day to 1 week, depending on many different factors. Because it can be produced so quickly, it’s often much cheaper and much more common than vegetable tanned leather (roughly 80-90% of all leather in the world is chrome tanned). The resulting leather is soft, supple, already colored, and easy to work with. This makes it good for things like apparel, linings, and inexpensive leather goods. However it does have drawbacks. It is not very tolerant to water damage, and it’s soft, supple nature makes it more prone to stretching and tearing over time or under stress. In addition, the chromium salts used in the tanning process may pose a health risk to children or pets who accidentally ingest it. It is also not able to be dyed or tooled by anybody working with it, since these are things that must be done during the production of the leather.

Vegetable tanned leather, the type we use, is made by soaking the hide of an animal in a solution made by soaking tree bark in water. The tannins in the tree bark (where “tanning” gets its name) bond with the collagen in the hide to create what we know as leather. This is the type of leather that has been produced for thousands of years. The process takes anywhere from 1-3 months. Because it takes so much longer, it is much more expensive than its chrome tanned counterpart. However, the resulting leather has a number of traits that make it more desirable for banjo straps. It is a much more durable leather, that can withstand stress, weight, and water absorption much better than chrome tanned leather. It’s also able to be produced much thicker than chrome tanned leather can be, which is better for things like banjo straps. It’s also able to be stamped, carved, reshaped, dyed, and finished. One of my favorite terms for it is “medieval plastic” because how versatile and durable it is. For this reason, we only use vegetable tanned leather to make our straps.

Full grain refers to how much of the grain (the smooth side) is left intact after it’s made into leather. There are 3 main classifications: full grain, top grain, and genuine leather. Full grain, the type we use, is the most durable of the three. This is because the grain is left fully intact, with nothing removed except for the hair of the animal. Because the entire grain layer is present, the leather is the most durable. However, it is also more expensive since blemishes (such as bug bites, scars, warts, and marks) in the grain are still present, and must be cut around. This means that less of the hide is (cosmetically) usable. Also, because the entire grain layer is present, full grain leather is often stiffer and more difficult to work with than other grades of leather, another factor which drives up costs. Top grain leather is produced by sanding down the surface of the grain layer, to give it a more even texture and remove any surface blemishes. This can make more of the leather usable because blemishes can be simply sanded away. Because of this, it is often cheaper, but does not have the same durability as full grain leather. Genuine leather simply refers to a product being made of leather. Any product made of any type of intact leather can bear this label. Because it’s only qualifier is “made of intact leather”, products bearing this label are often of the lowest passable quality of leather, and may have the entire grain layer removed.

Hopefully we’ve been able to educate you on exactly why we use the leather that we do, and give you insight into the importance of using the best available leather for our straps.

Each strap goes through a multitude of steps in order to dye and protect it. The dye we use is an oil based dye, which (unlike pigment based dyes which merely deposit particles of pigment within the leather) is able to penetrate the actual leather and gives a rich, lasting, lustrous, glowing color, with minimal “rub-off”. After the leather has been dyed, a permanent, flexible acrylic based sealant is applied to the top (grain) side of the leather. This helps keep the dye in the leather (and off of your shirt), and forms a protective barrier that makes the leather resistant to water, dirt/dust, UV damage, and scuff marks. The flexibility of the finish also means that it will not crack or flake off over time as you use your strap. The bottom (flesh) side of the leather is finished using our own unique process utilizing natural waxes and oils. This process keeps the leather conditioned, will not damage or leave residue on instrument finishes, will not squeak or make noise against instrument finishes, softens stray fibers so they won’t catch or tug on clothing, and results in a luxurious finish that is smooth enough to adjust your instrument with ease, but will stay put when you are playing. Development of our processes took a long time to perfect, but we are very pleased with the result.

While adjustable straps are easy to mass market to a customer base of all shapes, sizes, and playing styles, our straps are not adjustable for one solid reason: more holes in the leather means more weak points and less stability. Instead of making our straps adjustable, we make our straps to each customer’s individual specifications. The result is a product that will fit you better, last longer, and is more comfortable than any adjustable strap ever will be!

Quite possibly the biggest advantage we have here at BG Strap Company is that our straps were developed by a professional banjo player! I’ve been playing banjo for nearly half of my life, and have had the opportunity to play quite a few gigs. In that time, I’ve used quite a few different straps, over the years. Many of the big name banjo straps are coming from one of two places: guitar strap companies who also happen to manufacture banjo straps, and banjo companies who outsource their strap making to leather goods companies who have never worn a banjo around a festival for an entire day, and don’t know, from a player’s perspective, what a good banjo strap should feel like!