The leather handle on my Kodak 5x7 2D was really quite decrepit, and I was afraid it might break. I found a source for new handles, Brettuns Village. http://www.brettunsvillage.com/trunks/howto/parts/handles.htm . Scroll down to Sewing Machine and Typewriter Handles, TH-16. These handles are $6/ ea, post paid. I replaced the split rivets holding the brackets with 2-56 brass machine screws.
The leather handles on some of my ancient cameras are an accident waiting to happen. I received the handles in a few days of ordering, the screws, nuts and washers can be ordered from McMaster-Carr. They aren't horribly expensive. I've ordered quite a few different sized small wood screws to replace the old ones in some of my cameras. They aren't horribly expensive.
I replaced the leather handle on my Speed Graphic some years ago by unscrewing both metal brackets from the camera body and taking the strap down to my local shoe and boot repair shop, where they were able to stitch a new strap onto the brackets, using a thicker gauge of leather, with nice edge stitching. It has held up now for at least 15 years with hardly a sign of wear.