I bought some ratchet straps about 3 years ago when I was looking for a strap that would withstand the pressure of a traditional buckle.Then I realized the problem wasn't with the material but with the style of the belt and buckle.One of my straps was finally starting to fray so I found these replacement straps for my existing ratchet buckles and fell in love with my strap again. BTW, the trick to loosening is to relieve pressure before moving the knob away from the body.