Schaller has been making strap locks since I was in diapers and have, for the most part, remained un-changed, until this year. These new Schaller strap-locks have taken everything that was annoying about their previous version, as well as other manufacturers locks and created an absolutely stunning product that you have to try.
The first improvement, takes the standard wood screw of the previous version and upgrades it to a self-tapping wood screw, making it easier to install the strap button. The largest improvements lie in the pieces that attach to the strap. The threaded barrel that often makes you want to curse out loud while bloodying up your knuckles trying to get it through the strap has been shrunk down so that it can more easily pass through the strap hole. The threaded barrel has also been lengthened so that the nut can be threaded on more easily.
Lastly the difficult to tighten nut and washer combo has been replaced with a knurled finger nut that can be threaded and tightened by hand. Small holes on the outside diameter allow you to insert a small screw driver or allen key to fully tighten the lock. Once you have it in fully tightened use a flat head screwdriver to lock the nut in place with the small set screw on the side.
These strap-locks are set to release in February and Schaller states that you can expect only a slight increase in price depending on finish.
Learn More: Schaller Website