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Cynesra

Another Newbie With A Few Getting Started Questions!

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Hello all!

I’ve been pouring over the forums, finding lots of good tips and hints, interesting info and the like. It definitely seems like this is the most informative place out there for leatherworking questions! That being said, I’m a newbie to leather working, though I’ve wanted to try for years. I recently broke down and bought a lot of the starting tools for what I want to do, which is create dog products like collars and leashes. I’ve been making paracord items for the last bit and want to expand my talents/ hobby so to speak! I’d eventually like to make my own dog a service dog harness since vests tend to rotate around his deep but narrow body! But that will come in the future. Now I have a few questions, some are related to other threads I’ve found but such threads were also around 3-4 years old, so I figured I’d have better luck creating a new post in this newbie area! So here are my questions:

  • I am interested in learning how to line collars, is there a tutorial out there on how to do this? Also with that in mind what is the best leather to use to line dog collars?
  • I see things like harnesses padded with a wool type material, is this usual sheep skin?
  • Is there a place that I can buy and/or download patterns for harnesses, and sight hound collars?
  • What would be some good books to read about making dog items?
  • What are the best braiding books?
  • Any handy tutorials on dog collar/leash making?

Any suggestions would be helpful! I have a nice base idea of what I’m wanting to do,but since I’m best at following tutorials and patterns then modifying once I have basics done on any craftsy thing, I figured I’d ask.Paracord tutorials are EVERYWHERE but the leather stuff seems to be a closely guarded secret!

Thanks in advance!

Edited by Cynesra

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Cynesra,

Here are my answers to some of your questions, hopefully others will have more and probably better responses;

1. I don't know of any tutorials on how to line collars, but you may be able to find some on lining belts, after all a dog collar is a small belt with a few changes, but it is basically a belt. I would think the best lining would be either pigskin splits or sheep shearling. Based on your second bullet, I'm thinking for you sheep shearling.

2. This is a product called shearling, it is used a lot in saddle making, you can buy it in bulk but it's expensive, you might be better served for products like dog collars to buy "cut offs" from saddle makers.

3. I don't think there is a place where you can download patterns for harnesses and sight hound collars, but I could be wrong. It may well be worth your investment to purchase one of each, then use them to develop patterns.

4. I don't know of any books on dog collars, etc, however there are many good books on leather working in general and some on belt making that might be useful. You can also view many videos on YouTube just by searching for leather work, you might even try "Making a Leather Dog Collar", never can tell. Tandy has some good free videos on leather work, Springfield Leather Company has a lot of them on YouTube, Tandy also has a video library with lots of videos that you can watch for a small monthly fee.

5. I don't do any braiding, some of the members who do will likely answer that for you.

6. Same answer as No. 4.

Good Luck and welcome to the forum.

Chief

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Chief is right, belt making is almost the same thing, and you can find tons of different videos about it on Youtube. Not so many on dog collars, but they do exist.

Bruce Cheaney did a four or five part video on making a custom tooled leather lined dog collar about a year ago, starting with this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8aOP7dZg3U&list=UUrtFQMR9Kta2jpqsuVT9Aew

Many of the Tandy videos are on Youtube. They are mostly geared to selling you their products, but the info and techniques they show are good and sound.

https://www.youtube.com/user/TandyLeatherFactory/videos

I recently purchased this braiding book, and it's pretty good so far. Braiding, however, is pretty hard to illustrate with drawings and pictures. This book does a respectable job of it.

http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Braiding-reprint-Bruce-Grant/dp/087033039X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

I suspect that braiding is better learned by video. Again, youtube is your friend. Search leather braiding, and whip making for starters. ( Oh ... And don't let chief fool you. He is a master at edge braiding ... not quite what you are looking for but damned nice ... with youtube video to support that.)

There are some truly excellent braiders on here that will likely have better advice than mine, and will likely be able to help with any questions once you get started as well.

Hope that helps

Bill

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Chief is right, belt making is almost the same thing, and you can find tons of different videos about it on Youtube. Not so many on dog collars, but they do exist.

Bruce Cheaney did a four or five part video on making a custom tooled leather lined dog collar about a year ago, starting with this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8aOP7dZg3U&list=UUrtFQMR9Kta2jpqsuVT9Aew

Many of the Tandy videos are on Youtube. They are mostly geared to selling you their products, but the info and techniques they show are good and sound.

https://www.youtube.com/user/TandyLeatherFactory/videos

I recently purchased this braiding book, and it's pretty good so far. Braiding, however, is pretty hard to illustrate with drawings and pictures. This book does a respectable job of it.

http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Braiding-reprint-Bruce-Grant/dp/087033039X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

I suspect that braiding is better learned by video. Again, youtube is your friend. Search leather braiding, and whip making for starters. ( Oh ... And don't let chief fool you. He is a master at edge braiding ... not quite what you are looking for but damned nice ... with youtube video to support that.)

There are some truly excellent braiders on here that will likely have better advice than mine, and will likely be able to help with any questions once you get started as well.

Hope that helps

Bill

Sir,

Very nice of you to complement my edge braiding, thanks.

Chief

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