Mystery Twisty Bracelets

The mystery of “Mystery Twisty Bracelets” is that although they are plaited there are no loose ends. How is that plaiting done? I learnt to make these leather bracelets more than thirty years ago when I met some leather craftsmen, living in a communal squat in London, who sold their produce in Camden Lock market.

I still have a couple of tools and some dye left from that time but I hadn't considered making anything until January this year when I made a knife.

I wanted to make a sheath for it as well so I bought myself half a shoulder of un-dyed, vegetable tanned, 3 mm thick hide from Le Prevo. I’ve still got plenty left over after making two sheaths so I thought I’d have a go at making a couple of these bracelets for my two daughters.

I googled for leather bracelets and eventually found some diagrams of the technique for a three strand bracelet so I got to work. First you need a scalpel or craft knife; I use a Swann & Morton and I find the 10A blade most useful (although that's a 10 in the picture). I cut a strip 30mm wide and 250mm long for my eldest daughter, 25mm longer for my own, and 25mm shorter for my youngest daughter. I also reduced the width to 24mm for the smallest one which is the subject of this tutorial.

Cut it out and then cut two internal slits, making three strands of equal width. Make the slits shorter, at both ends, than the full length of the leather strip by the same amount as the strip is wide. This uncut square will be where the press stud goes.

See the coin in the picture above, I use that as a guide to help round off the four corners.

Punch a hole at each end of each slit; it looks neater and prevents tearing. The wooden handled tool below is an edge beveller. It has been used to shave all of the edges to a forty-five degree angle; again it looks neater and, in the case of a twisty, helps the strands lie comfortably against one another.

Next the leather can be dyed. I’ve used a mahogany coloured, spirit soluble aniline dye which I bought thirty years ago.

I use a rag to apply the dye to the front and back surfaces and then a small paint brush to get in to the inner edges and holes.

Now, prepare for the first twist by pulling up the middle strand.

The top right hand corner must be rotated down and through the gap you’ve just made between the middle and the outer two strands.

Obviously I used two hands to do this, I’m only holding it like this so I could take the picture.

That’s half a twist, prepare for the next bit by pulling up the two outer strands this time.

The top right hand corner must be rotated down and through the gap just like before.

This is one complete twist and the bracelet will now lie flat.

Repeat the whole process one more time having shuffled the twists down to give yourself room to manoeuvre.

Pull up middle strand, rotate top end through, pull up outer strands, rotate top through.

Next punch holes in the centre of each end for the press studs to go through.

Locate the cap in the anvil, push the stem through the hole in the leather, place the socket on top and hold in place with the spreading tool. Then a good whack with a hammer on the tool will mesh the two parts together.

So, now a quick polish and the job is done. I use Lord Sheraton Leather Balsom which smells gorgeous.

And we have one completed twisty.

Here it is, in the middle, being worn by Rosie, along with a slightly larger three strand one on the left of the picture and my, even larger, five strand one on the right.

The odd thing is that I couldn't find a web site that explained how to do a five strand twisty and I couldn't figure out how to extend the three strand technique.

I decided to experiment though and, to my surprise, my fingers just did the business; it must have been stored there in motor memory. However, as I wasn't watching when I did it I still have no idea how to do a five strand twisty. Maybe next time I'll watch my fingers out of the corner of my eye.