How to Care for a Leather Camera Strap

A good leather strap does not ask for much. Wear it, keep it conditioned, let it dry, and hang it up. Do that and it will keep working for you long after the cameras on it have been replaced. We build our straps by hand in Oklahoma to last a lifetime. Here is how to care for yours.

Break it in

A new Bridle leather strap breaks in by being worn. Bridle starts off a bit stiff. Like a fine pair of boots, it softens and molds to your body the more you use it, and after a couple of shoots you will notice the difference.

Two things you may see early on:

A little shedding on the underside. The back of our Bridle leather has a suede-like feel and sheds a little when new. That stops quickly. Run your hand down the length of the strap to knock the loose fibers away, and it will not continue.
Natural marks. Real full grain leather shows the life the animal lived: scars, brands, wire cuts, insect bites and natural wrinkles. These are not defects, and they are not something to fix. They are part of what makes your strap one of a kind.

Water Buffalo leather has character from day one.

Condition it

We recommend conditioning your strap. Our HoldFast Leather Cream is made for it: a light cream made from natural seed oils, lipids and added beeswax. It conditions and waterproofs leather without heavy waxes, so the leather can still breathe.

How to apply it:

Apply the cream to dry leather after cleaning.
Use a soft cloth or an applicator pad and put on a thin coat.
Work it into the leather and the seams in small circular motions.
Let the cream soak into the leather.

Leather Cream is made with hard use in mind. If your strap sees rough weather, rain or long days in the field, regular use of the cream will restore, protect and waterproof it.

Water Buffalo and color

Water Buffalo leather is beautiful in use, but its finish can bleed color if the leather gets saturated and is worn against light clothing. If you wear white for most of your shoots, keep this in mind.

The beeswax in our Leather Cream is a natural sealant. Besides keeping water out, it lessens the color that can seep from the leather. For better results, apply the cream and then dry it into the leather with a hair dryer or another heat source. That helps seal in the color.

Bridle's underside is natural and uncolored, so it will not color your clothes.

After a hot or wet shoot: dry it, then hang it

This step matters most. After a long day in heat or rain, the easy thing is to stuff the strap in a bag and forget it until the next job. Do not. Trapped moisture can make leather moldy, and crumpling it undoes the fit you have worked to give it.

Instead:

Take your cameras off before the harness. Always remove cameras and gear before you take the harness off.
Let it air out and dry.
Hang it up. Hanging keeps the shape the strap has formed to your body. Our MoneyMaker Hanger holds up to two MoneyMakers along with accessories like Camera Leashes and Belt Anchors, so your kit stays aired out, dry and in shape.

Hardware

The D-rings and hardware on our standard leather MoneyMakers are stainless steel, so they will not rust. The Safety Catch is a nylon strap with a clip. If you ever want spares, we sell the same Safety Catch that comes with the MoneyMaker.

Vegan straps

Our Vegan MoneyMaker is easy to maintain. For cleaning, we recommend a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It will make your vegan strap look new again.

If something breaks

If a leather piece breaks in normal use or ordinary wear, we will fix or replace it with a similar item, at our discretion, for the lifetime of the product. Non-leather goods, including canvas and vegan, come with a one-year warranty. Email jess@holdfastgear.com to start a claim.

Built right and cared for, your strap is built to last a lifetime.

Questions

What should I use to condition my leather camera strap?

We recommend our HoldFast Leather Cream, a blend of natural seed oils, lipids and beeswax that conditions and waterproofs. There are other good conditioners out there too.

How do I apply leather cream?

Apply it to clean, dry leather with a soft cloth or applicator pad. Use a thin coat, work it into the leather and seams in small circles, and let it soak in.

Can I get my leather strap wet?

Leather that is kept conditioned handles weather better, and our Leather Cream waterproofs. If your strap does get soaked, let it air out and dry fully before storing it, and never pack it away wet. On Water Buffalo, a soaking can bleed color onto light clothing.

How do I reduce color bleed on Water Buffalo leather?

Apply Leather Cream, then dry it into the leather with a hair dryer or other heat source to help seal the color. It lessens bleed but can't rule it out, and we offer no returns for color bleed on this hide. Take extra care if you wear white or light clothing.

How should I store my camera strap?

Hang it up to air out and keep its shape. Our MoneyMaker Hanger holds up to two MoneyMakers plus accessories.