How to change the length of a Biothane® cuff or collar strap
Although we do our best to make all our restraints exactly the size you order, sometimes when it’s locked around you, it feels like it needs a resize. If you’ve measured wrong, your body has changed size or you just fancy a different fit, this quick guide will help you get your size to your perfection.
You are doing this at your own risk.
For your safety, make sure you familiarise yourself with any tools you have not used before, and ensure they are sharp. Dull tools on Biothane® can act in unexpected ways. We accept no responsibility for anything that happens to you by being brash with bladed tools. Use common sense.
Shorter or longer?
If you would like your straps to be shorter, you can either do it at home using the guide below, or we can make new straps for you.
If you would like your straps to be longer, well, you’re going to have to get a new one. You can either follow our guide on making your own straps, or we can send you a replacement.
If you would like us to make you new straps, please order a replacement strap. If you get in touch with us in advance, we’ll give you a 50% off coupon if you’re replacing straps for restraints we’ve already made for you.
It’s rare, but if it’s clear that we made your straps to the wrong size, please get in touch and report an issue with your order. We’ll make it right for you.
What products this guide applies to
This guide is suitable for shortening straps for our Biothane® restraint series:
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19mm cuff straps
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25mm collar straps
Shortening a strap
If you’d like to shorten your strap yourself, you can do so at home with basic equipment.
The materials you’ll need
You don’t really need to acquire any materials to shorten your strap, but we recommend using a sealant to keep water out of the strap webbing. Our straps are very capable at rejecting water even without treatment, but to get a finish just like they leave our workshop, you’ll need to seal new holes and cut edges.
To help keep water out of the webbing of your Biothane® straps, you should seal all cut ends and punched holes with a suitable sealant. Although the stuff we use is expensive and only comes in 5 litre bottles, we can recommend Angelus Satin Finisher for leather as a good alternative.
The tools you’ll need
These basic tools are suitable for shortening your straps. However, some of these tools are not suitable for repeated use on Biothane® and will require frequent sharpening. Biothane® requires very sharp tools to get good cuts.
These tools listed above can all be used freehand, but will have generally poorer results than when using a press. To use them freehand, you’ll need a hammer, and a surface to hammer on. Spare Biothane® scraps are a useful substrate to put below the Biothane® you’re cutting.
If you’d like to seal your straps against water, apply it using a small brush.
Cutting your straps
We recommend that in most cases you shorten your strap from the “trapped” end, meaning the end that’s usually locked in place in the clasp. You can shorten your straps from the “free”, rounded end, but to get a like-new look, you’ll need more tools and you’ll definitely need to seal the cut ends. Follow our guide for making your own straps to finish a strap from the free end.
1
Work out how much you need to shorten your strap.
You can do this by feel, or step-by-step by gradually shortening the strap without punching new holes, and working out what’s most comfortable.
To keep a strap strong after shortening it, you’ll need to shorten it enough to allow for the new hole to have enough bracing behind it.
Achieving a fully flat end is idea and provides maximum strength.
A slight overlap with the original hole and new flat edge is OK, but a minimum of 4mm distance between the edges of holes is necessary.
A substantial overlap like shown above results in a weak strap. Avoid if at all possible; consider replacing straps.
To achieve this maximum strength, you need to shorten straps by at least 15mm for 19mm cuffs and by 17.5mm for 25mm collars. A minimum of 14mm and 16.5mm is respectively acceptable.
2
Pop the strap out of the clasp.
Looking through the open side of the locking clasp that the “free” rounded end fits through, you’ll see the “trapped”, flat other end of the strap locked in place. Twist the strap back on itself to help pop it out from the clasp, and use a flat plastic tool (or flat metal tool, carefully) to help it slip out of place. Once the flat end has popped over the central locking post, pull it free of the clasp.
3
Cut your strap to its new length
If you would like to gradually reduce the size, you can do so by cutting down by 5-10mm at a time, then reinstalling the strap partially in the cuff and see how it feels. Don’t progress to punching a new hole until you’re comfortable with your measurement.
4
Punch your new hole
You can now place your hole punch in the centre of your newly shortened strap, making sure to align it perfectly. Align the edge of your hole punch 5mm from the flat end for 19mm cuffs, and 7.5mm for 25mm collars.
Punch your hole.
5
Test fit your new strap
Fit the new strap back into the locking clasp. Once you slide the strap back into the locking clasp and over the locking post, use the flat tool from earlier to securely force home the edges of the strap. Try your restraint on for comfort.
6
Optional: Seal the new edges
If you would like to best protect the new cut edges from water ingress over the long term, use a suitable leather sealant with a small paintbrush. Coat the new flat end and punched hole with several layers of sealant.
That’s it! Well done, you’ve shortened your strap!
How this may affect your warranty
If you order new straps from us, they are covered by our standard warranty as normal. If you shorten your own straps, they are no longer covered by our warranty, with the exception of covering manufacturing defects as per UK consumer protection law.
Need help with this?
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