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Vintager Straps by Micah 100% hand made in the Napa Valley USA Passion ~ Quality ~ Pride Who makes your straps? I do. Strap making is my full time profession, your straps are my living. I also designed and maintain this website, including picture taking. Do you really personally make every strap by hand?
Yes I do. Every strap is hand made to order by me. I am a one-man operation, no employees. Well, my wife sometimes takes stuff to the post office, but other than that it's just me :-)
What's the turn-around time for straps? Turn-around time is 3 to 4 weeks. Where do you ship to, how much does it cost and what shipping method do you use?
I ship anywhere in the world for free via USPS First Class, which takes 3 to 5 days in the US and 7 to 10 days internationally. When shipping internationally it is not uncommon for packages to be held in customs in your country for anywhere from 2 days to several weeks. USPS does not provide tracking info for international First Class packages.
What about FedEx, UPS, DHL etc.? Within the US: Buyer pays actual shipping costs + $10 handling fee. International: Buyer pays $75 flat fee. FYI I've found that these services rarely shorten delivery time. Can you please put down "Gift, $5" on international orders so I don't have to pay duties? If you are required to pay duties on your strap I will compensate you for them. What size strap should I get? Straps are measured in millimeters. You need to know two dimensions: Width and length. -----> Width:
Width is expressed like this: 24/22 (24mm wide by 22mm wide). The first number is the width of the strap between the lugs of the watch. The second number is the width of the strap at the buckle.
-----> Length:
Length is expressed like this: 125/75. The first number (125) is the length in millimeters of the tongue side of the strap. The second number (75) is the length in millimeters of the buckle side.
-----> What length should I get? First you need to know your wrist size. To figure it out wrap a piece of string around your wrist, mark the string where it crosses itself, lay it flat on a table and measure the distance between the marks.
6.0" - 6.5" (15cm - 16.5cm)....= 120/75
The preceding suggestions are just that: Suggestions. My straps are generally thicker than factory straps so they wear a bit shorter. If your factory 115/75 strap is "just right" one of my straps in that same size will be a little too short.
What if I want a strap for a non-Panerai watch?
No problem, I can make straps for most non-Panerai watches. For 18 and 20mm straps I offer polished or brushed spring bar thumbnail buckles. I can also "notch" straps so they are 18 or 20mm between the lugs but 22, 24, 26mm etc. for the rest of the strap. You can do this by choosing 24/24, 24/22 etc. for your width and in the "Note to Micah" field at the end of the order enter "Notch to 20mm" etc. To discuss your non-Panerai strap needs in more detail . How thick are your straps? My straps are mostly around 4mm thick. The average thickness of each strap is listed at the bottom of it's description page. Can you "box stitch" any of your straps? I can box stitch (with stitching across the strap at the lugs in addition to around the perimeter of the strap) any strap, simply note "Box stitch" in the "Note to Micah" field at the end of the order process. What about buckles? For information on buckles click here, when you're done click the "back" button on your browser to return to this FAQ. If you're looking for a strap to fit a deployant buckle I don't make straps specifically for deployant buckles. Do I need tubes in my strap?
If your watch is a Luminor or 1950 style Panerai (with solid lugs that use a screw or the newer pin system) yes, your strap needs tubes. To have these included with your strap simply select "Yes tubes" from the dropdown menu when you get to that section of placing your order.
"Please place the holes on my strap..." Rather than moving the holes around the proper way to fit a strap is to order the correct length buckle side, which will put the buckle in the hole you want. I always start the holes at 50mm from the lug edge of the strap unless you provide specific instructions otherwise. Why didn't you use my instructions from a previous order? Because people's tastes change I make every strap exactly as it's ordered: If no special instructions are provided with an order I don't apply any. I do have records of every order, if you need help remembering previous details and ask. What if my strap gets wet? Leather is resiliant and can handle getting wet, but soaking straps in water is not recommended as it can cause the strap to shrink and/or dry out over time. If you plan on getting your strap wet regularly use a good quality leather lotion or oil to maintain the oils of the leather. Be sure to spot test on the BACK of the strap to see how the lotion will effect the color of the strap, it usually darkens it. What about dress straps? I strive to make straps that are rugged and historic in style. Even my more "modern" straps are made in a vintage style; a bit thicker, with thick thread and oozing hand-made style. I'm not saying you can't wear my straps in dressy situations, but if you're looking for a replacement for your OEM croc strap this isn't the spot. Do you make straps for "replica" watches? 99% of people who order a strap never mention what kind of watch it's for, which is fine with me. As a watch collector it's my opinion that fakes mock and injure the industry and hobby I so deeply love and that, in fact, puts food on my familie's table. If you email me asking for suggestions about which strap will look best on your "replica" my answer is "Sorry, I don't make straps for fakes." How do I place an order?
From the Home page click on the picture of any strap you'd like to order then click "Buy Now". You will be walked through each simple ordering step. Each step will have a blue ? beside it, click it for help on that particular step. You are not committed to buying a strap until you have actually entered your payment information.
Can I pay with a credit card? In most cases, yes. I do everything via Paypal, but an account is not required in most cases; when you get to the "check out" portion (after you've put your straps in the shopping cart and clicked "Proceed to Checkout") you should see a "Pay with Credit Card" link on the left side of the screen. Paypal does not offer this function for all regions of the world. If you don't see the "Pay with Credit Card" link, , I also accept checks, money orders and Western Union. I have a "Free Strap" card I won at a GTG. It says "..regular strap...", can I get a Mauser with it if I pay the difference? Free strap cards are good for regular straps only and can't be used in whole or in part for any strap made from vintage ammo pouches. Ammo pouches are a limited resource, which means I can't give them away even if the 'difference' is paid. Can you send me a picture of (lighter, darker, different thread, different buckle) As much as I'd like to offer pictures of every conceivable combination I can't do it. If there's not a picture of it on my website then I don't have a picture of it. Are you a watch collector yourself? I was a watch nut long before I started making straps and to this day watches are the central hobby and passion in my life. I regularly attend get together's all over the country and have met many watch collectors and generally great people thanks to my passion for fine watches. How did you get started making straps? As a watch collector I spent several years buying straps myself. Several of the straps I'd paid hundreds of dollars for fell far short of my expectations, and I thought "Well I bet I could make a better strap than this." Turns out I was right :-) Why are your straps any better than the dozens of others out there? As a full time strap maker I can give you a level of service you'll have a hard time finding anywhere else. I care about the creation of your strap in a way that no strap retailer ever could because as both the strap maker and the business owner your order is my livelihood. What's the difference between a strap maker and a strap retailer?
A strap maker personally hand makes your strap and puts his own name on the line with every order. A strap retailer is a middle man who relays your order to the actual strap maker(s), or pre-orders thousands of straps from an overseas factory, putting their names on straps they didn't personally make, and in some cases might see for only a few seconds as they package up your order.
I want to make straps, can you help me?
I've spent a long time and many thousands of dollars getting this all together and figuring out the literally hundreds of little details that go into making a truly quality strap. I appreciate your desire to make straps and I fully encourage you to DO IT.
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