Cast from solid brass, the cord is hand braided from nylon cord. The cord is cut on the long side, so you can shorten it if you want.
Each cast piece has a spot where the sprue has been cut off, and the details of the piece have been ground off. This will be on the underside, and won't be visible from the front.
We use nylon cord because we found it to be the longest lasting. We also offer cotton, and genuine leather cord available separately.
The nice thing about brass is that its a "living" surface, meaning it changes with time. High wear areas will polish up to shiny brass, low wear areas will keep the patina, bare areas will be affected by its environment...what colors form depends on your body chemistry and exposure....browns, blacks, green, blues, etc are all possible.