Reproduction Scope Tins?

[grant580]

Well, my better half just got back from Calgary and I had her go to Tandy leather for me to pick up some leather strapping so I can make a repro strap for my repro scope tin. They sell the one inch wide straps in various lengths, I got two at 72 inches which will be enough to make a couple without splicing. Only problem is the leather is slightly less than 3/16 inch thick and too thick to go through the steel straps on my repro scope tin. It would appear that the leather can't be any thicker than about 1/8 inch to fit my scope tin. How thick is the leather on your scope tin straps Cold Zero? If my scope tin was a real (non-repro) one, would this thick strap I have fit??

[Baal]

I just measured my original scope tin and the slot looks to be 0.16in deep. 1/8th inch leather seems to be the goal if you're making a strap.

[Warren]

Straps don't seem to make much sense. Here are three cans: one British and two REL Canadian cans. One REL has the split strap and the others: one British and one REL have the one piece strap. Two other straps that I have seem to exhibit similar differences in both length and buckles. Some brass and some steel. Go figure........

[grant580]

I just measured my original scope tin and the slot looks to be 0.16in deep. 1/8th inch leather seems to be the goal if you're making a strap.

Thanks Baal, guess I will be taking those straps back and apparantly they do sell slightly thinner leather at Tandy.

[Cold_Zero]

Well, my better half just got back from Calgary and I had her go to Tandy leather for me to pick up some leather strapping so I can make a repro strap for my repro scope tin. They sell the one inch wide straps in various lengths, I got two at 72 inches which will be enough to make a couple without splicing. Only problem is the leather is slightly less than 3/16 inch thick and too thick to go through the steel straps on my repro scope tin. It would appear that the leather can't be any thicker than about 1/8 inch to fit my scope tin. How thick is the leather on your scope tin straps Cold Zero? If my scope tin was a real (non-repro) one, would this thick strap I have fit??

Put a micrometer on the strap along the length, thickness ranged from 2.80mm(0.110") to 3.30mm(0.129")

[rayg]

Only problem is the leather is slightly less than 3/16 inch thick and too thick to go through the steel straps on my repro scope tin. It would appear that the leather can't be any thicker than about 1/8 inch to fit my scope tin.

Just a thought, I've thinned leather by closing it in a vise between two plates or even pounding it between two flat plates. The width of the strap will probably increase a bit though and may have to be trimed a bit to fit in the scope case loops.
Not that easy to get 72" long leather straps and this might be worth trying, Ray

[grant580]

Just a thought, I've thinned leather by closing it in a vise between two plates or even pounding it between two flat plates. The width of the strap will probably increase a bit though and may have to be trimed a bit to fit in the scope case loops.
Not that easy to get 72" long leather straps and this might be worth trying, Ray

Well, I might have another alternative as my better half also brought me back a very nice (and sharp) "skivving" (sp?) tool. This things is kinda like a razor and I think with practice I could shave enough thickness off this 72 inch belt to make it work. Funny you should say that a 72 inch leather strap is hard to get rayg, Tandy has tons of stuff in their store like that. I guess it must of course been likely an Alberta cow to get a piece of leather that long? LOL

[saddler]

The spec required that it be stitched with white waxed linen thread of a certain thickness and strength per metre and blah blah blah......... you should see the pages of pure guff. And then, if you requested a relaxation in the standard or spec, there were more pages of it! Nobody ever told the procurement staff that the snipers just cut them short or took them off and used webbing instead ............ then used the straps as belts!

....I'd LOVE to see the pages of pure guff

I put in a Freedom of Information request to the MoD about scope caps, scope tin straps, etc.

Got sweet fanny adams back apart from " nothing on file"
TW*TS

---------- Post added at 07:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:02 PM ----------

Here are some pictures of an original tin strap.

Interesting pics
Was surprised to see "single-hand back stitch" used on the reverse of where the buckle is sewn on

The WW2 slings I have seen were all saddle stitched

The one in your pic is also lacking edge-creasing, and the "running loop" is not blocked but still slightly rounded.
Typical 70's gear

---------- Post added at 07:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:06 PM ----------

Well, I might have another alternative as my better half also brought me back a very nice (and sharp) "skivving" (sp?) tool. This things is kinda like a razor and I think with practice I could shave enough thickness off this 72 inch belt to make it work. Funny you should say that a 72 inch leather strap is hard to get rayg, Tandy has tons of stuff in their store like that. I guess it must of course been likely an Alberta cow to get a piece of leather that long? LOL

The ONLY way to do it is to get access to a leather skiver (a bench mounted version)
Looks like a scaled down mangle, but has a big wide sharp blade in it...and a couple of metal rollers.
Insert a test strip - adjust the height of the cut - and as long as you're not losing too much leather you can do the hole strap length in one pass