Lucet Braiding Leather and Cords

The vikings used lucet tools to braid straps and cords.

But they probably did not use a fork.

They did use antlers and bones, however.

I have tried many things to make braided cords for wrist straps, purse straps, and such. The i-cord is great. Unfortunately it can take 1-2 hours to make a cord. Then I found a handy crank machine that kicks out i-cord in no time flat. Unfortunately it is limited to a specific diameter of yarn or thread. Leather does not work in it at all. Now I found a Lucet tool. Wow! It’s great. It takes about 15 minutes to make a leather cord the perfect length for a wristlet strap. 

First I found a three-pronged fork at the local thrift store. For 10 cents it was worth getting for experimenting. I also found a 49 cent two pronged kitchen fork which did not work. That’s 49 cents down the drain. I will donate it back to the thrift store. 

The three pronged dinnerware fork really worked well, except that my fingers did get a bit rubbed raw. I had not actually realized before that dinnerware forks are actually sharp edged. I incorporated a crochet hook into the process and saved my fingers.

Finally, I ordered a wood Lucet from a shop on Etsy. Quite an economical price, really. I tried to make one myself first, out of oak, in the winter, in an unheated garage, with a jigsaw because I did not want to dig out the scroll saw. It was cold. For $12 it was easier to purchase one made by a professional. 

Oh, so beautiful! It’s hickory. It feels wonderful in the hand. The shape is perfect for even tension while wrapping. I whipped out the purple cord in about 15 minutes while watching the evening news. To knit that length of i-cord would have taken 1-2 hours and the yarn is a chunky yarn and would never have gone through the crank machine. I am so happy!

When I was looking for a Lucet tool I saw a lot of videos and articles about Lucet cording where they mentioned things that it could be used for. It makes cords! That’s enough for me. I use cords in a lot of ways. The biggest advantage to me is for purse and bag straps, of course. But I have a lot of window curtains that need tie-backs. 

With all the sewing I do you would think I could do better than an old bathrobe tie for a curtain tie, right? Once I decide on the right yarn or leather, all the window curtains are getting new ties. When I first moved into the house I bought cording by the foot and estimated a bit too low so some of my ties only give me a few inches to use to secure.

Using the Lucet tool is so easy that it’s a good child’s project. Need some straps? Hand the tool to your kids and put them to work. I can easily see kids really enjoying doing this. The result is wonderful and goes fairly swiftly.