Best Leather Straps and Belt Blanks for DIY Belts, Collars, and Bags
Updated How we research
ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 1-1/2"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather for Tooling, Engraving, Embossing, Molding & Dyeing
An ELW 1-1/2"x50" veg tan belt blank at 8/9 oz, pre-stripped natural cowhide for tooled dress and work belts.
ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 2-1/4"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather
ELW's wider 2-1/4"x50" veg tan strap at 8/9 oz, a blank suited to guitar straps, dog collars and heavy-duty belts.
Leather straps and blanks are pre-cut lengths of hide, usually veg tan or latigo, sized and squared for belts, dog collars, bag handles, and guitar straps. They save home leatherworkers the hardest part of strap work, cutting a long, straight, even line from a full side, which takes practice and a dedicated strap cutter to do well. When comparing blanks, check the width against your buckle hardware, the thickness against the job, around 8-10 oz for a sturdy belt, and the stated length against the wearer plus fold-over allowance. Clean, uniform edges and tight grain matter most, since a wavy or stretchy blank fights you at every later step.
The short version
We compared 7 picks. Our scores range from 7.6 to 8.4 out of 10.
- Best overall:ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 1-1/2"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather for Tooling, Engraving, Embossing, Molding & Dyeing. Highest overall score in this guide at 8.4/10.
- Also great value:ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 2-1/4"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather. Value score of 8/10, overall 8.0/10.
- Solid build:ELW Leather Strap, 13-15 Oz, 1.75 inch Wide x 50", Cowhide Veg Tan Leather Belt Blank, Leather Strips, Tooling Leather, Tan Straps for Crafts, Belt Making & Crafting. Build and materials score of 8/10, overall 8.0/10.
- Feature-rich:ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 2"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather. Features score of 8/10, overall 8.0/10.
Scores are our editorial assessment, not customer ratings. How we score
- 1.ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 1-1/2"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather for Tooling, Engraving, Embossing, Molding & Dyeing8.4/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 2.ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 2-1/4"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather8.0/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 3.ELW Leather Strap, 13-15 Oz, 1.75 inch Wide x 50", Cowhide Veg Tan Leather Belt Blank, Leather Strips, Tooling Leather, Tan Straps for Crafts, Belt Making & Crafting8.0/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 4.ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 2"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather8.0/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 5.ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 1-1/4"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather8.0/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 6.Realeather BS150-00 Tooling Belt Strips, Blank Leather Strap with Pre Cut Buckle Slots, 1.5" W X 42" L, Natural, 1-Piece7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
- 7.ELW Leather Blank Belt 4-5 Oz (1.6-2mm) Thickness Size: 4"x60" Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Full Grain Strip, Strap - Ideal for DIY Belts, Tooling, Crafting & Stamping7.6/10See on AmazonCheck price
#1An ELW 1-1/2"x50" veg tan belt blank at 8/9 oz, pre-stripped natural cowhide for tooled dress and work belts.
Fit for the job 9/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 1-1/2" width fits most standard belt buckles and jeans loops
- + Pre-cut strap skips the need for a strap cutter and straight edge
- + Natural 8/9 oz veg tan takes tooling, embossing and dye well
- - 50" length may be short for larger waist sizes once buckle is added
- - Edges still need beveling, sanding and burnishing to finish
#2ELW's wider 2-1/4"x50" veg tan strap at 8/9 oz, a blank suited to guitar straps, dog collars and heavy-duty belts.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 2-1/4" width gives room for bold tooled patterns and wide straps
- + Same 8/9 oz full grain cowhide as ELW's narrower blank
- + Can be cut down to custom widths for straps and slings
- - Too wide for standard belt loops unless trimmed down
- - Wider blank means more edge finishing work per strap
#3An ELW 13-15 Oz belt blank, 1.75 inch wide x 50", an extra thick tan strap for heavy work belts and gun belts.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 13-15 Oz thickness makes a stiff belt that resists stretching
- + 1.75 inch width suits heavy work and holster-carrying belts
- + Veg tan cowhide can be tooled or left plain for a rugged look
- - Very thick strap is hard to fold around buckles without skiving
- - Needs a strong stitching setup or rivets due to its heft
#4ELW's 2"x50" belt blank at 8/9 oz, a wide natural veg tan strap for work belts, straps and bold tooled designs.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 2" width suits heavy work belts and wide leather straps
- + Pre-stripped full grain cowhide has straight, ready-to-bevel edges
- + 8/9 oz weight carves and stamps with good depth
- - Wider than most dress belt loops, so check buckle fit first
- - 50" length may need a strap extension for bigger waists
#5ELW's narrower 1-1/4"x50" veg tan blank at 8/9 oz, sized for dress belts, watch-style bands and slimmer straps.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 1-1/4" width fits dress belt buckles and trouser loops neatly
- + Natural cowhide accepts dark dye for a polished dress look
- + Slimmer blank uses less edge finishing than wide work straps
- - Narrow strap leaves little space for detailed tooled patterns
- - Heavy 8/9 oz stock can feel bulky on a slim dress belt
#6Realeather's BS150-00 tooling belt strip: a natural veg tan blank 1.5 inches wide by 42 inches long with pre-cut buckle slots and pre-attached snaps, made in the USA.
Fit for the job 8/10 · Features and specs 7/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 7/10
- + Buckle slots are pre-cut and snaps pre-attached, so the belt is ready to tool, dye and fit with a buckle
- + Natural veg tan tooling cowhide accepts stamping, carving and dye like any tooling leather
- + Made in the USA at the Silver Creek Leather factory in Southern Indiana, with instructions included
- - 42 inches total length limits the finished belt to smaller and medium waist sizes
- - The listing does not state the leather weight or thickness of the strip
#7An ELW 4"x60" veg tan strip at 4-5 Oz (1.6-2mm), a long, light strap stock for cutting thin belts, bands and trims.
Fit for the job 7/10 · Features and specs 8/10 · Build and materials 8/10 · Value 8/10
- + 4"x60" strip can be cut into several narrow straps or bands
- + Light 4-5 Oz leather folds easily for loops, keepers and wraps
- + Extra 60" length handles longer belts and bag straps
- - Too thin on its own for a sturdy belt without a lining layer
- - Must be cut down to width, so a strap cutter is still useful
Before you buy: trade-offs we flagged
No pick is perfect. These are the main compromises we noted for the top products in this guide, so you can check they will not matter for you.
- 50" length may be short for larger waist sizes once buckle is added (ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz...)
- Too wide for standard belt loops unless trimmed down (ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz...)
- Very thick strap is hard to fold around buckles without skiving (ELW Leather Strap, 13-15 Oz, 1.75 inch Wide x...)
- Wider than most dress belt loops, so check buckle fit first (ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz...)
- Narrow strap leaves little space for detailed tooled patterns (ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz...)
- 42 inches total length limits the finished belt to smaller and medium waist sizes (Realeather BS150-00 Tooling Belt Strips,...)
Frequently asked questions
›What is the best choice among leather straps and belt blanks for diy belts, collars, and bags?
ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 1-1/2"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather for Tooling, Engraving, Embossing, Molding & Dyeing is our top overall pick. An ELW 1-1/2"x50" veg tan belt blank at 8/9 oz, pre-stripped natural cowhide for tooled dress and work belts. It earns our score of 8.4/10, based on fit for the job, features, build and value.
›What is a good budget option?
ELW Belt Blanks Strips/Straps 8/9 oz (3.2-3.6mm) Thickness Size 2-1/4"x50" Full Grain Import Natural Cowhide Vegetable Tanned Leather is the strongest low-cost pick in this guide. ELW's wider 2-1/4"x50" veg tan strap at 8/9 oz, a blank suited to guitar straps, dog collars and heavy-duty belts.
›How much should I expect to spend?
Picks in this guide span See on Amazon price bands (roughly: $ = under $30, $$ = $30 to $100, $$$ = over $100). We never display exact prices because they change constantly, so the buttons above always show Amazon's current price.
›How were these products chosen?
We shortlist products that fit the job this guide solves and compare their published specifications, such as size, capacity, materials and what is included. Each pick gets an editorial score out of 10 for fit, features, build and value, and we write the pros and cons from those details. Our score is not an Amazon customer rating. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never affects the ranking.
Leatherwork Nest independently selects every product; we may earn a commission from links above.
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