Here's to happy holidays, good health, and a brighter 2021for all.
]]>It took me years and a specific request to get around to doing a strap (or anything) in yellow. Now done, it's pretty awesome. It'll take a bit more time to add it as a color option in individual listings, so meantime let me know via 'contact' if you're wanting it.
]]>HOLMES-made leather key fobs for Hiss Golden Messenger. Debossed with the Hiss wand logo, these are available through the Hiss website in either black or brown, both with brass hardware. As I write I think the black fobs may already be sold out.
http://www.hissgoldenmessenger.com
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HOLMES custom buckle-front strap for Jared Artaud of the band The Vacant Lots.
Custom straps are a big part of what I do---in this case, riffing on older existing strap, finding the right buckle, and building the strap around it.
]]>HOLMES-made key fobs for The National. I believe these are a Cherry Tree fan club exclusive--check it out here: www.americanmary.com
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Halstead + HOLMES + Tele // #Slowdive session from October, KEXP screenshots always make for pretty pictures. Video can be found on YouTube ✖️✖️ #HOLMES #fender #kexp
Instagram: holmes_co_
]]>Between a busy holiday season and dodging California wildfires, I'm a little late with the wishes, but here's hoping 2018 is a good one for everyone. Thanks for the continued support!
HOLMES
]]>Pleasant surprise, cracking open my copy of The National's new record, Sleep Well Beast, to find a HOLMES S2 nylon strap photo'd on Scott Devendorf's bass. Incidental, but a fold-out poster is forever.
This will be my favorite thing for a while.
]]>Cranking it up this early summer, and another new strap design is in the books and available. Flat nylon, all black, all rivet construction, with a couple of very nice details. Pretty sweet, if I do say so myself.
Click through photo for direct link to shop listing.
]]>New in the shop. Three fob colors. Two hardware colors. Mix and match. You'll have the coolest keys on the block.
Click photo for direct link.
]]>Good times in the design department fueled by caffeine and 'Wings Over America' on loop, and the result is another new strap in the shop. Buckle front with 2"-wide midsection, 1"-wide riveted ends, and customizable buckle + rivet options.
Photo above links to shop listing.
]]>New strap in the shop today. Based on the straps Pete Townshend used throughout the late 1970's. I changed a couple of construction details and gave it three variations, but it's pretty faithful- especially the Holes version, which was Pete's main user during this period. All are 1.5" wide and have a buckle back.
Click through photo for shortcut to the strap listing.
]]>I recently compiled some nice things people have said about my work over the past few years and put it up on a new page on the site with the header: Testify! I’m also going to take the opportunity to thank anyone, known or unknown, who has supported what I do. As someone once said, this shit ain’t easy, and there are more than a few who have helped to make it do-able at all...and at times even quite pleasant. Thanks everyone.
]]>So, yes---it's true. There is a first time for everything, and after all these years I finally got to dye a floral pattern in red. Looks better than amazing and it's now an option for this belt in the shop. Available as a color option over the range of leather guitar straps as well.
]]>I realize I've been quiet of late on the blog front, but for good reason...I've been busy making straps! 2016 was a good year. Lots of new customers coming through, and even better, a ton of repeat customers. I'm counting on the new year bringing more of the same. In the next month or two I'll be trying to focus on updating the site a bit, adding new photos to a few of the listings, and whatever else I can think of to tidy the place up.
Meantime, thanks for the support and feel free to let me know what's on your mind, anytime.
]]>Custom for M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, based on Paul McCartney's main RAM-era strap. As always, it's more an interpretation, working from the broad details of a few 1971-72 photos. I think I got it right. The vintage buckle took a couple of weeks to find, and needed to be stripped and lightly re-patinated.
]]>Flat Nylon // Lite Nylon // Canvas.
Spent part of the summer redefining tab styles and what I'll offer in black fabrics going forward. These three are it. As always, fully handmade / no machines.
Flat Nylon: medium weight, equals parts grip/slip
Lite Nylon: light weight, more grip than slip
Canvas: medium weight, grippy, natural cotton
]]>Okay---time is here. I'm happy to say that the Rowland S. Howard strap that's been plotted out and I've been dropping hints on for the better part of the past year is now available.
Huge thanks to Harry Howard, Angela Howard, and Genevieve McGuckin. Their participation meant everything and the project wouldn't have happened without it.
The strap is up in the store section of the site (here). 12 are being released from me this go-around, with the same amount being directly distributed in Australia. If the strap sells out before anyone gets the chance to pick it up, just hang for a bit and watch this site and my instagram acccount, etc. Another batch will be available in a couple of months.
Meantime, because moving pictures are magic, here's a bit of Rowland to watch...
Trailer for Autoluminescent, 2011:
Marry Me (Lie! Lie!)...wait for the lyric used on the shoulder of the strap:
Demonstrating early transformative influence...and possibly my favorite track Rowland had anything to do with:
The Birthday Party via German television:
Another Rowland favorite, 2008:
From Rowland's last year:
Crime & the City Solution from Wim Wenders' 1987 film Wings of Desire, with Rowland delivering a masterclass in swagger. Harry Howard on bass:
And finally-
Thanks, Rowland. See you in space...
]]>Set the alarms.
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When you can't get enough here, HOLMES is on Instagram:
]]>HOLMES wristwear on Stephen O'Malley in the February issue of Mojo magazine.
]]>For the archives. Most makers of things won't show you things that broke, but I will and this one did. The strap goes way back, one of the first I ever made circa 2010, and was subsequently used/loved/terrorized by Lee Ranaldo. The front end tab break was recent.
For the record, HOLMES guarantees against this sort of (unlikely) failure. Repair or replacement as needed.
]]>Over the years making straps I've learned that various strap locks can cause all sorts of problems when it comes to attaching said straps to lock systems. I use a 1/4" standard hole + slit combo for HOLMES straps, but a percentage of the time this isn't large enough. So: if you're ordering from me and in doubt, let me know which strap locks you use and I can almost always get the correct-size holes on your straps. Same goes if you just have funky/large buttons on your guitar.
]]>Not sure how I missed this while it was happening, but I just caught up to the fact that Spiritualized played Primavera Sound a week or so back. Definitely nice to see J standing, with the SPACEMAN strap in full use.
One more:
And pro-shot video is now up on Youtube:
EDIT: The Primavera Sound footage has gone AWOL, so, even better, here's Glastonbury a few months later. All of J's straps are HOLMES:
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Custom lettered TVL strap for Jared Artaud of The Vacant Lots. Despite the graphic minimalism, the un-dyed lettering + black combo was up there with the hardest color work I've ever done and something I'd gone out of my way to avoid trying until now.
Blood + sweat for the win.
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Swans in Belgium, May 17. This skinny passed it's 3rd anniversary on Norm's Tele a few months back and, as is obvious by the evidence, no one makes my straps look better than he does.
Photo by/courtesy of Vincent Allain.
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Head's up: Two years after the fact---moving to CA---I've finally shed Bklyn from my website URL and various social media spots. If you haven't already, you can now get me up on Twitter, Instagram, and all the usual places by the handle HOLMESMADECO.
]]>Happy to say these handmade wristbands will be along for the ride as My Morning Jacket begin touring this week behind their new record, The Waterfall. Good times with good friends. First up is The Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA on the 15th. Check the merch stand.
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