Leather Cord Ends: Matching Tube Ends to Every GRIFFIN Diameter

A leather necklace is judged by a joint nobody sees: the few millimetres of cord glued inside a small metal tube. Whether that joint holds for years depends on a fraction of a millimetre between the cord and the inside of its Tube End. GRIFFIN Leather Cords come in four leathers and five diameters, and each one has a matching end. This guide takes them diameter by diameter, sets out the full compatibility table, and covers gluing, trade ordering, and colour, so that the right leather cord ends go into the basket with the cord.

The four GRIFFIN leather cords and their exact diameters

GRIFFIN leather cords stay smooth, strong and are completely organic, made in Germany, without the use of any hazardous chemicals. The only leather cord Made in Germany available. They are produced with eco-friendly tanning and environmentally friendly, natural dyes, they are not oiled, and a unique coating gives them lasting colour intensity. Every GRIFFIN leather cord is round, which is what makes a tube-shaped end the natural finding for it.

The diameters above are guidelines rather than tolerances. Leather is a natural product, and its diameter can vary minimally from one production batch to the next, so test the fit of an end on the cord in hand before gluing a batch.

Goatskin at 1.3 mm and the ends that fit it

Goatskin takes two ends. The Leather Cord Tube End with an inside diameter of 1.5 mm gives a close fit, leaving 0.2 mm of clearance for the glue. The Tube End with closed eye at 2.0 mm inside leaves 0.7 mm for the glue to fill, and it is the same end used for 1.6 mm buffalo.

A 100 cm goatskin piece is long enough for a Princess-length necklace with enough left over for a matching bracelet, and it comes in the full 20-colour range. For the differences between the four leathers themselves, see GRIFFIN leather cord types: goatskin, cowhide, kangaroo, and buffalo.

Cowhide at 2.0 mm and the ends that fit it

Cowhide pairs with the Leather Cord Tube End at 2.0 mm inside or the Tube End with closed eye at 2.5 mm inside. The first is a line-for-line fit: nominal cord and nominal bore are the same, so the batch test matters most here. The GRIFFIN Leather Cord Tube End is designed to open easily before gluing, which helps when cord and bore share the same nominal size. The 2.5 mm closed-eye end leaves half a millimetre for glue and takes the cord without any adjustment.

Kangaroo at 1.0 mm on 50 m spools

Kangaroo is the finest GRIFFIN leather, supplied on 50 m spools. A single strand takes the Leather Cord Tube End at 1.5 mm inside.

At 1.0 mm, kangaroo lends itself to multi-strand pieces, and bundles follow simple geometry. Three 1.0 mm cords laid together need a circle of about 2.2 mm, so they fit a 2.5 mm closed-eye end; seven cords pack into exactly 3.0 mm, which is too tight for glue, so seven strands belong in a 5.0 mm end.

Buffalo at 1.6, 2.0, and 2.5 mm

Buffalo is the only GRIFFIN leather in three diameters, all on 50 m spools.

1. At 1.6 mm, buffalo takes the Leather Cord Tube End at 1.5 mm inside as a snug fit, helped by the end's design that opens before gluing, or the Tube End with closed eye at 2.0 mm inside.

2. At 2.0 mm, it uses the same two ends as cowhide.

3. At 2.5 mm, the heaviest GRIFFIN leather, it takes the Tube End with closed eye at 3.0 mm inside.

The full compatibility table: Leather type to tube end inside diameter

Read the table from left to right: the Leather Cord Tube End column is the closer fit, and the closed-eye column leaves more room for glue.

Tube Ends with closed eye against Leather Cord Tube Ends

The Leather Cord Tube End, listed in the store as Cord Ends for Leather and Natural Rubber Cords, is made for organic cords. It comes with inside diameters of 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm, in 925 sterling silver or with a 24K gold plated finish, in packs of 10 or 100 pieces, and it is designed to open easily before gluing.

The Tube End with closed eye is the general-purpose end, used for leather as well as for Bead Cord and Stainless Steel Wire. It comes with inside diameters of 2.0 mm, 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm, and 5.0 mm, in the same two finishes and pack sizes, and the cord is secured inside it with GRIFFIN Superglue. Its closed eye takes a jump ring directly.

Choose the closed-eye end for 2.5 mm buffalo, for bundles, and for collections that finish leather and bead cord pieces with one end style. Two 2.0 mm cords side by side need 4.0 mm and three need about 4.3 mm, so both fit the 5.0 mm closed-eye end. For wider bundles, GRIFFIN Designer Tube Ends have inside diameters of 5.3 mm and 8.0 mm.

GRIFFIN clasps and findings in 925 sterling silver are nickel-free, and their gold-plated versions feature 5-micron 24K gold plating; findings made of metal feature 3-micron 24K gold plating.

Gluing a leather cord end, and which glue to use

GRIFFIN leather ends are glued, and attaching a clasp to the leather cord takes four steps.

1. Trim the cord end square, so that it can be glued cleanly inside the Tube End and seats fully against the bottom.

2. Where several strands share one end, bind them together first with a few turns of fine wire, so they enter as a single bundle.

3. Apply GRIFFIN Superglue inside the Tube End, not on the cord, and slide the cord in.

4. Attach the Tube End to the clasp, a Lobster Clasp or a Spring Ring, using an Open Jump Ring, and close the ring with flat-nose pliers.

GRIFFIN Superglue quickly bonds almost all materials and is not as liquid as common superglues, so it stays where it is placed instead of spreading along the visible leather. It comes in a 10 g bottle with three dosing tips. GRIFFIN Bead Cord Glue is the special glue for twines, threads, and felt; it stays permanent and flexible after drying and belongs on knots in silk and nylon cord.

Keep one metal finish across the Tube End, the Open Jump Ring, and the clasp. A professional buyer reads a silver ring on a gold-plated end as a specification error.

What to specify on a trade order, and the sizes a shop should hold

A complete order line for leather work states:

• The leather and its diameter

• The format: 100 cm pieces or 50 m spools

• The colour, by its GRIFFIN name

• The end type and its inside diameter

• The finish: 925 sterling silver or 24K gold-plated finish

• The pack: 10 or 100 pieces

• Jump rings and clasps in the same finish, and GRIFFIN Superglue

For the leather cord findings a shop should hold, three end sizes cover all six GRIFFIN leather cords: the 1.5 mm Leather Cord Tube End for goatskin, kangaroo, and 1.6 mm buffalo; the 2.0 mm Leather Cord Tube End for cowhide and 2.0 mm buffalo; and the 3.0 mm Tube End with closed eye for 2.5 mm buffalo. Add the 5.0 mm closed-eye end for bundles, stock each size in both finishes, and a shop can finish every GRIFFIN leather on the counter. Clasps, rings, and ends are all in the Clasps and Findings collection.

Colour availability: 20 colours on 100 cm pieces, 4 on the 50 m spools

Goatskin and cowhide in 100 cm pieces come in 20 colours: White, Pink, Red, Garnet, Magenta, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Dark Blue, Lilac, Violet, Turquoise, Apple Green, Green, Olive, Cornelian, Natural, Brown, Grey, and Black.

Kangaroo and buffalo on 50 m spools come in 4 colours: Cornelian, Natural, Brown, and Black.

For stock planning, order spool leather by colour and diameter together, since each spool holds one colour in one diameter. Goatskin and cowhide share one palette, so a shop holding 100 cm pieces can offer a customer the same colour in either thickness.

From cord to clasp

The whole decision comes down to three numbers and one habit. Match the inside diameter of the end to the cord: 1.5 mm for goatskin, kangaroo, and 1.6 mm buffalo, 2.0 mm for cowhide and 2.0 mm buffalo, 3.0 mm for 2.5 mm buffalo. Test the fit on the cord in hand before gluing a batch, because leather varies minimally between batches. Then keep one metal finish from Tube End to jump ring to clasp, and order colour by its GRIFFIN name so a repeat order matches the first. GRIFFIN Leather Cords and Tube Ends are available through griffin1866store.com