Strapbandits Huddersfield Cloth Watch Straps
September 13, 2018
Picture of King George in 1919 inspecting Huddersfield fabrics
There are certain undeniable truths in this world. Italian drivers regard pedestrians as an overt nuisance that should be purged from the earth. The Germans take their engineering VERY seriously. And the English have refined the production of fine woolen clothing to the point where the mention of a fine English woolen suite is basically the Rosetta Stone for how to look like a Gentlemen. And rightfully so. To take the words from that famous American Author, one gent known as Mark Twain, “Clothes Maketh the Man” (which in all factual honesty was first really said by a Mr. Shakespeare but in far more colorful language as “apparel oft proclaims the man”, which is acurate, but I like Mr. Twains spin on it better. Call me patriotic.
I have reviewed straps made of rubber, silicone, sailcloth, canvas, nylon, polyethylene, and yes, leather (both bad and good, and oh my goodness this is what the cows in heaven are made of outstanding). However, a woolen cloth strap made from Huddersfield cloth was something I had never even seen. The owner of Strapbandits contacted me to see if I would like a sample. While I usually buy my straps to review, I was so curious I accepted his offer and eagerly awaiting a strap made from this legendary textile.
I really do not feel as if I can even begin the review the strap until I make some effort to give you, my reader, some sort of background on why you should care about Huddersfield fabric. I mean we have looked at Horween Leather out of Chicago and experienced the joy of Chromexcel and Shell Cordovan Leather. Knowledge can provide you with a backstory, and what watch lover does not indulge in a good backstory (cough… moonwatch…cough).
A quick google search into Huddersfield Fabric will simply have you more bogged down than you can possibly imagine. You would have fewer results searching for why the English love tea. What this tells me is that the production of fine woolen garments (namely suits) is taken to the level of high craftsmanship and pride befitting a country with royalty still at its core. King and princes alike have had Huddersfield cloth garments and the quality of such never strays away from being worthy of the monarchy.
Having said that, www.huddersfield.com has very concise history of the Yorkshire countryside where it all started that is neither long-winded nor lean on details. I am happy to present it here. It is poignantly titled, The Heritage of Huddersfield Cloth.
The West Yorkshire town of Huddersfield is situated at the convergence of the rivers Colne and Holme. Inhabitants of these river valleys discovered that the water – which flows from the Millstone Grit Pennine hills – gave excellent results for the washing of raw wool.
And so the Huddersfield wool textile industry was born. The industry was traditionally cottage based, with spinning and weaving often taking place in the same dwelling. Many of the workers operated from smallholdings, supplementing their income with the manufacturing of wool textiles. The finished cloth they produced was then sold through merchants who regularly attended the town’s Cloth Hall.
But then came the industrial revolution of the 19th Century, bringing with it great change and unrest to these valleys as the wool textile industry became mill-based and mechanised. This led to troubled times as large-scale mill production took over and, due to the scale of industrialisation, virtually all the valleys’ inhabitants were left with little option but to take their skills into the mills. They undertook the processes of scouring, carding, spinning, weaving, dyeing and finishing as many of the mills were totally vertical and carried out all processes. Manufacture of these fine fabrics demanded a high level of expertise and Huddersfield quickly became synonymous with fine woollen and later, fine worsted cloth manufacture.
The label ‘Made in Huddersfield, England’ became a highly revered global brand, which appeared on the selvedges of many fabrics worldwide. These high quality fabrics were the choice of Kings and Princes alike.
Today – with all the results of technological achievement throughout the world influencing our lives, woollen and worsted cloth is still regarded as the ideal clothing by most people living in moderate and cool countries. The British, made in Huddersfield label is linked with the best in woollen and worsted cloth, and carries a cachet which is indisputable.
What my take away from that concise article is the production of this fabric is as engrained in the English culture and pride as Earl Grey Tea and well-dressed MI6 agents who save the world. So having laid the foundation as to why you should care when you read a product is made from Huddersfield fabric I think we can get to the review right after a few words from the vendor himself:
Meet the latest innovation in watch strap designs – Strap Bandits genuine leather fabric straps, designed by our team here and made with high-quality Huddersfield fabric. Our Huddersfield Collection brings an additional touch of style that reinforces the resolutely modern and sophisticated identity of its wearers and is guaranteed to turn heads no matter what you pair it with.
DIMENSION
Strapbandits supplied me with several straps to review. I chose these three in particular to review as I liked them the best and thought they would be appealing to a great many watches. Both are 20mm, and both taper down to 18mm (19.7mm and 17.8mm to be exact according to my calipers). They are both 120mm/80mm in length (free end and buckle end respectively), and are both 2.8mm thick along the entire length with only a slight hint of padding which is most likely due to the wool cloth used in production. For that perfect not too tight and not too lose fit, I am on the 2ndto last hole on the free end with my 6.75” wrist.
DESIGN
Without beating too much around the bush, the absolute star of these straps is the fabric they are made of. Infinitely more refined than canvas or sailcloth, these straps take you immediately to a more eloquent and stylish place. The shape of the strap is completely unexceptional and falls along a rather consistent steadfast traditional shape (sounds British doesn’t it) that does nothing to take away from the appeal of the fabric. I would not expect to see a strap made of a classical English fabric any other way.
The strap appears to be made of multiple layers. The first is the Huddersfield fabric, which seems to be wrapped around a compliant piece of leather forming the second layer, which is then sewed cleanly to the final piece of leather that falls against the skin. This is a clean and tidy approach to keeping the cut ends of the fabric away from fraying while making a more visually interesting and very well put together piece.
The stitching on all my straps was done neatly with black or brown thread that adds interest and function while adding just a bit of understated detail. It appears to be well done as all my straps provided by Strapbandits have the same level of fit and finish. The underside of the strap is no frills. No markings or embossing to be found anywhere. I would have liked to see some kind of credit taken for the materials used, but alas, it was vacant of any nomenclature.
On to the fabric now, what is Huddersfield fabric like on a watch band. I have three versions sent for me to review which all came with a wonderfully handy quick release spring bar (which should be industry standard if I may be so bold) and made it an absolute joy to try them on a gaggle of watches. Each had a rather different texture. One was brown plaid and it gave me the impression Irish wool garments I have felt before. It had lots of nap and the color delineations were soft and subdued.
The next strap is very textural and is simply called the black dotted strap. I found this one particularly appealing as I have seen sport coats made of such material and they oozed old world charm. I found this strap very tidy indeed with tightly woven details and some what even texture that was pleasing to run your fingers over.
The third strap was definitely taking a more formal role. I could see suits made of this style or pattern of cloth. Very tight threading and evenly placed but sparse stripes give this a smooth and well sorted look and feels well-made. Looking at the strapbandits website, the amount of color variations currently available is rather wide. As this strap is heavy on style the amount of combinations is refreshing to see.
Since this is strapsense and we have to include a bit about leather. The cloth is obviously relying on the leather to give the strap its strength and thus will directly drive the flexibility and wear ability of the strap. The leather used is flexible enough to get the job done, but not nearly the star of the show. It does give the strap a reassuring stiffness without being cardboard like. Overall I think money was spent in the right place on these.
KEEPER AND BUCKLE
I was delighted to see very minimal keepers for these cloth straps. They are small rings of cloth with just enough width to neatly keep the loose end where it belongs. Since we are cloth on cloth, the ease at which the free end slides through is not buttery smooth, but I did not expect it to be. Rather it requires a push and a pull to get just right but at that point the cloths texture holds it perfectly.
The buckle appears to be of the stainless variety, and is made very simply and without any fanfare so to speak. It finds the adjustment holes with ease and lays flat as any quality buckle should do. Once on the wrist it fades away and is not noticeable.
HOW DOES IT WEAR
Or in this case how do they wear. I would say they all wear equally well. The leather, while not being particularly noteworthy for exceptional fluidity or suppleness is also not in any way a hindrance to allowing you to enjoy the cloth it is covered with. Quite the contrary. It gives it a good backbone like a good starched collar if you will. The strap conforms to the wrist without any signs of stiff leg syndrome (that annoying trait of cheap or non-flexible straps to hold the watch straight off your wrist and not curve smoothly flat against your skin). The cloth begs to be touched and all three give satisfying different textural experiences and looks. I will not rate one better than the other as it is a subjective thing to each owner. But all three will find a place on a watch I own for an event or two.
If I had to describe how these straps wear in one word, it would be fun. The selection available is plentiful and to those who enjoy matching watch straps to clothing are in for a treat. All mine are very traditional English subdued classically styled straps, but colorful options are not lacking. The point being that variety is good. What elevates these straps is the material that plays center stage on your wrist. Sure canvas and NATO straps can add color, but this fabric is something special, and it makes you feel a bit special when you see it and feel it.
WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR
Oh my goodness, I think anybody with a black or cream dial SARB is about to spend a LOT of money on these! I am on the verge of buying another Seiko SARB035 just to pair it with these straps. These straps will positively SING on simple three handed dress watches. The cleaner the dial the more fun you can have with the selection of straps available. They completely change and elevate the mood of any watch but I think due to the classic designs, and thin construction smaller dressier watches tend to excel. I would avoid divers all together, but something like a Longines Record will be magic. If you imagine what an English Gentlemen (Gentlewomen) would wear in the 40’s, I think you are on the right track. Most of all, do not be scared to try. These caught me totally off guard and I really enjoyed them.
WHERE CAN I GET IT
As far as I know the only place that is selling straps made from Huddersfield cloth is strapbandits. You can find the entire cloth selection here:
https://strapbandits.com/product-category/fabric-straps/
SUMMARY
The English have given us a great many wonderful things. Language, Fish and Chips, the Jaguar E type to name some of the big ones. But the Churchill’ian traditional strong back and endless class is never to be left out the conversation. I like to praise the adherence to tradition especially when it coincides with keeping craftsmanship not just alive but honored and cherished. Using Huddersfield cloth made me learn about another directions straps can take. And it must be said, while the watch straps are certainly NOT assembled in England, having the cloth sourced from there is like having a small piece of English history and pride on your wrist. How can that be anything but good