Oh boy.
I hear all the stories. I've visually watched beer gaskets just pop off a button on a guitar sitting on my bench messing around with them. Many are the players rocking away who glance look down on the stage and see a grolsch rubber just laying there. And, if that washer does happen to stay put on a regular strap button, that's probably not a strap end I'd trust too far.
I've heard it direct from guitar store owners, high on customer guitar pet peeves list is: "My strap is too hard to get on my button." Customers whine and return decent straps, the
rolls downhill to the manufacturer. So, the manus started putting thinner flimsy ends on straps, that are super easy to peel onto a button even by 13 year-old girl fingers. But they peel off real easy too. "OH!" Says Mr. Guitar store owner... "You should probably purchase one of these straplock systems to keep your guitar safe" CHA-CHING!!
"Let us install it for you!" CHA-CHING-A-DING-Ding!
I really do prefer using and recommend oversize strap buttons. SImple, clean, quiet, less cost, less weight.
I've fallen victim to the disintegrating dunlop ball bearings, and the old Schaller u-locks which would require you to tear away at your strap end like a rabid squirrel and squirt loc-tite just to install the damn things... folks complained to Schaller for years and years on that but they never once addressed the problem. When their patent expired, China started making knock-offs, so Schaller was basically forced to FINALLY redesign to differentiate... the new ones got way more expensive and even more complicated.
Kluson makes a cali Kustom button similar to mine, but Pro-pins come with slightly bigger hardware and a longer barrel. I don't believe in a bigger button still using a girly-man screw.
Some manus like Agile, PRS, Hamer and Gibson have used larger buttons but still with smallish screws with weak threads. Might bite ok, depending on the wood.
They also don't add any extra shaft on those buttons so a robust leather strap end on those can work exactly like a rubber washer and help jack a screw loose.
One thing I believe is super important, not mentioned much is the barrel the screw goes through should have very tight precise fit to prevent a button wibble-wobbling around if the screw gets even microscopically loose. Mine are so tight it's almost like a single piece.
I'll punch my straps for locks if folks want it (3/8 vs 5/16"). Don't like 'em much though. To me they are noisy dingmakers, subtract from the aestetics of every rig they are on, and i sure wish I had a dollar for every "straplocks failed me" story out there. User error or not.
Binkies for insecure guitarists.
Disclaimer: I designed and sell Pro-Pins. I also am the only one making Old School leather strap locks which people started requesting from me maybe 7 years ago. Took me a number of tries at it to figure those out, they are pretty good, bass players really eem to love them, but they do go against my simple is better philosophy.
