Club Obi Wan

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2006 5:20 pm**

I just got a new bag strap from noel howard and I'm pretty impressed. It's the thickest leather I've seen on an Indy strap and feels really tough. It has grooves, but nthey are shallow and can hardly be seen except up close.
Here is a comparison to my Todd's strap (the original good one before he changed suppliers) NH on the left.

Incidently, after reading some posts about rifle slings, I sent this mail to noel

Noel,
The strap arrived safely today and i've just attatched it to my bag.
I was wondering about the origin of the original strap for Raiders - do you remember how it came about? The reason I ask is that a friend of mine wanted to make his own strap and found it is extremely difficult to buy the right quality leather in such a length. He then found some antique rifle slings which looked very close to Indy's strap - including the buckle. We wondered whether the original strap could have been modified from a rifle sling.
Thanks again for the strap,
Cheers,W

To which he replied:

Dear W,

Further to your last e-mail, it is very likely that was the very original concept for the strap. They then had to be made because of the quantity required. However, I do not remember exactly how it all happened.
As you say, it is almost impossible to find the leather in the quality, colour and length required.

Best regards,

Noel.

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 2:50 am**

Did I miss something here...?

Is Noel Howard back in business? I know there has been rumours
about that for a while, but I didn´t realize that he actually do take orders
again.

And thank You for sharing the comparison pictures.

Best regards

JAN

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 5:47 am**

That buckle??

TR

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 6:38 am**

JAN wrote:Did I miss something here...?

Is Noel Howard back in business? I know there has been rumours
about that for a while, but I didn´t realize that he actually do take orders
again.

And thank You for sharing the comparison pictures.

Best regards

JAN

Yes, you did. He's back - viewtopic.php?p=242139#242139

Hoo, I just made a "VP".

-- Jens

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 8:53 am**

IndyJens wrote:
JAN wrote:
Hoo, I just made a "VP".

-- Jens

As long as you clean it up, it'll be okay.

It's interesting to hear Noel say that it could've been based on a rigle sling. It makes perfect sense when you look at the Tapco slings and the grooves and buckles found on them. I bet there wil lbe plenty of things forever left to the stuff of tale and legend as far as the original gear goes. I wonder if they're going to keep a very detailed account of everything for IndyIV.

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 9:18 am**

I just made an order for serveral items with Noel, which I will pick up when I'm in London next month.

I ordered the bag/strap combo, ROTLA gunbelt/whipholder, ROTLA web belt, and the black LC tie.

Regards,
Hunter

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 2:45 pm**

Thanks for sharing the pics Whiskyman. I was considering getting a Noel Howard bag strap & wanted to know how it looked compared to other offerings. Now I will definately be ordering one. Regards.

-West Virginia Jones

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 4:18 pm**

Texas Raider wrote:That buckle??

TR

Same here, but I think with some modifications to the buckle it would look pretty good but I have only tried to figure this out on paper and in my head. Does anyone know what the width was of the buckle(from inside edge to outside edge) on the original?

IC

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2006 7:20 pm**

binkmeisterRick wrote:
IndyJens wrote:
Hoo, I just made a "VP".

-- Jens
As long as you clean it up, it'll be okay.

Good one, Bink! I needed that at the end of the day!

Posted: **Sun May 14, 2006 3:22 am**

I have Indiana Ken's old NH strap and the buckle looks nothing like that...

The strap thickness is what I love the most about it- it feels very solid. My TAG strap is really flimsy compared to the NH strap.

Posted: **Sun May 14, 2006 7:10 am**

Ghos7a55assin wrote:I have Indiana Ken's old NH strap and the buckle looks nothing like that...

The strap thickness is what I love the most about it- it feels very solid. My TAG strap is really flimsy compared to the NH strap.

How thick are we talking here? My WPG strap was thick, but the latest Tapco strap I've added is super thin. How thick is good?

Whiskeyman, those straps look sharp. I don't think the buckles look bad, but then, I'm no expert. I was happy with the WPG strap for the longest time.

Posted: **Mon May 15, 2006 12:47 am**

Ghos7a55assin wrote:I have Indiana Ken's old NH strap and the buckle looks nothing like that...

What's the buckle look like?

IC

Posted: **Mon May 15, 2006 1:00 pm**

Ghos7a55assin wrote:I have Indiana Ken's old NH strap and the buckle looks nothing like that...

The strap thickness is what I love the most about it- it feels very solid. My TAG strap is really flimsy compared to the NH strap.

That's how the one I had look. It was from around 2000 or so. (not screen accurate IMO) I think there's a publicity shot with a buckle like that, but that's about it.

I agree on the strap thickness. That's my only complaint about my TAG strap is that it's very thin.

So if you don't mind, what did the strap run you? Does he have a price list?

Posted: **Mon May 15, 2006 1:10 pm**

IndyDoc wrote: So if you don't mind, what did the strap run you? Does he have a price list?

It's on indygear.com I think

Posted: **Sun May 28, 2006 8:57 am**

What's the buckle look like?

Well, I just asked Ken again and he says he might have changed out Noel Howard's buckle with a Keppler buckle so that explains its sceen accuracy better.

Posted: **Sun May 28, 2006 12:17 pm**

erri_wan wrote:
IndyDoc wrote: So if you don't mind, what did the strap run you? Does he have a price list?
It's on indygear.com I think

Aye. http://indygear.com/contacts/noel.shtml

Posted: **Sun May 28, 2006 4:34 pm**

Most likely that price list is outdated. It looks to be the same from when I first joined 5 years ago.

Canyon or anyone else who has bought the new stuff, does he still put a MBA tag in the clothes? He had sold the business and so I can't help but wonder if he still has the rights to the company's name.

Posted: **Sun May 28, 2006 5:30 pm**

Yeah, that's what I figured too. (the prices are probably out of date)