Balteus apron straps

[Peroni]

I stumbled across the legio XX page on the subject and took special note of the part indicating lines of "reinforcing stitching" along each side of the apron straps. I had to wonder at this a bit because a line of stitching through a single layer of leather doesn't reinforce the material, quite the opposite.

Goat skin leather is much stretchier than cow leather - stronger too, If an apron strap is made from goat leather, the weight of the metal appliqués will eventually stretch the leather. However.. If there is stitching running the length of the strap at the edges it prevents this stretching.

So, the stitching may not have been to strengthen the strap per se but to reduce the stretching/deformation of the leather if goat leather was used(?)