As I sit here getting high on whatever solvent is in Loctite Vinyl Bond, I’m starting to hallucinate that someone, somewhere out there, has an easy source for good popping straps?
[I’ve just bonded some soft chamois to a piece of leather given to me by a mate who is a bodhrán maker…the chamois on its own was Ok but too flexible]
So go on then lads…what’s your tips on the subject??
Boyd
www.strathspeyinmay.com
Why only popping straps and not popping valves? I’ve seen some drawings online and they look fascinating and possibly useful. Is anybody using them imstead of straps? They seem to allow a variety of chanter angles depending on the valve.
I suggest a purse makers shop. Usually, they have several diffferent types and characters of leather. you could perhaps take in your pipes and try oput a few different pieces of varying suppleness, thickness, etc to find out what you prefer.
I got a small piece of scrap leather, for free, from a nearby furniture repair shop. There’s got to be one of those in your city…
Hi Boyd,
You could try a charity shop. I’ve seen leather jackets at about £20, my wife even got a pair of leather jeans for £8 (saved me spending £100 in the local motorbike shop 
) Of course I invested the £100 wisely 
Cheers, Mac
A friend of mine remakes clothes for big fashion brands and does a lot of leatherwork…
She got me a piece of leather about 2/3 foot by 2 foot which is draped over my leg…
I’m probably the only piper with a DKNY popping strap.. ;p
Coats, jackets, pants, whatever..
All can be made into fine popping straps
…the strap that i have is very good.
Just wondered if anyone had something better!
I’ve never heard of a purse maker’s shop…ever!
A friend got his from a leather worker in Italy when he was over there…
…a long way to go, mind you 
I had a popping valve on the first chanter I ever had…it was a bit “footery” as they say
Boyd
fabric shop near me sells suede patches for jacket sleeves - try that… they seem to be pretty good for it, I suppose, but then again I’d never used a popping strap (and still don’t) never much saw the need for one
Just reading your post and talking to my little puppet friend Poppin’Strap the Uilleannsbury DoughBoy, and we were recalling the time I first obtained a piper’s apron (Iprefer to call it).
I first went to a shoe repair guy who cut a small crooked piece out of an old, used leather jacket, he probably only paid 4 bucks for, and charged me $8.00 for it.
One side was shiny and stuck to the end of my chanter some times, and when I used the other side, the shiny side would slide off my knee.
I was at that world-famous Uilleann Pipe supply store… 
WalMart in the craft section and found beautiful squares of PERFECT leather for around $6.00. Black, Brown, about 10 ins. square, perfect. Check them out.
Best deal I’ve found.
Timmy