About Us

MADE IN LOS ANGELES

My name is Danny Ear and I am the founder of Onyx Straps.

I started Onyx Straps because I wanted to make some red leather straps for myself. At the time, I was using nylon straps and they worked fine. I was going to REI, purchasing nylon webbing, and making them for myself and my friends. Eventually, I was searching for how to make leather straps.

I went to the local leather craft store, where they told me I needed to buy a leather craft kit:  $500 bucks. I’m like uhh...ok fine. You can’t use regular scissors and tape on leather, so I had to. After I made my first strap, I looked at it and thought, “Man, that looks like crap,” but I also saw a lot of potential. That’s how my passion for leather crafting began. 5 years later, I’m still at it, but we don't think the products look like crap anymore.

I’ve been doing Olympic Weightlifting since the fall of 2013, where I met my business partner Chris Amenta, owner of SoCal Weightlifting, as we trained under Hall of Fame Coach, Bob Takano at the tail end of his Phat Elvis Weightlifting Club in Pasadena, CA.  Together, we have designed what we believe to be the perfect weightlifting strap. From the specific types of leather and where they are sourced (high-end tannery's in Turkey), every detail of these straps has been designed for your performance, including thickness, width, length, thread type and stitching. 

Our goal is to create quality products in small batches, provide the best service to our customers and promote a happy and healthy life through Weightlifting. 

In 2019, we took the huge step of becaming the Official Straps of USA Weightlifting; a big deal for our little company. This partnership has allowed us reach a larger population of athletes and attend every national event held by USAW. By doing so, we can now meet our supporters as well as other fellow coaches and athletes to share our passion for the sport of Weightlifting. 

Your path to becoming a better Weightlifter starts with proper technique and equipment. Weightlifting straps allows you to train past your grip’s capacity to hold onto the bar. Leather straps allow for that barbell to sit comfortably in your hands so they don’t hurt (as much). The last thing you want to think about is how uncomfortable the bar feels in your hand. You should be thinking about your lift.

"Tempur-pedic comfort with a kung fu grip.”

Thanks for checking out the website.

 

Danny Ear, Chris Amenta & Sarah Amenta
Founder and Owners