BIS Leads

TracyM, I do not know for sure where my lace cutter buys his skins, but I'm guessing it might be Packer. My USA supplier is Springfield. I am not trying to bash them, they have been very helpful as I have gotten started in this adventure, and most of what I've bought from them has been good. However, some spools are definately not up to my standards - large variations in thicknesses, with areas that are so hard and stiff they won't braid at all. So I tried some from someone who sells via Etsy, called Leatheroo, and his lace has been really nice so far altho it costs 2x as much. I emailed Packer regarding their precut lace, and this was their reply: Thankyou for your enquiry. Lacing is cut from K-Craft. Their site says K-Craft is veg-tanned, 1st class, 0.8 - 1mm thick. Springfield's comes from Birdsall, and their site says this about the kangaroo: These skins are vegetable tanned, drum dyed through. Approx 0.7/1.0mm in thickness. So now I am more confused, as they both seem to be saying the same thing! Any of you experts really know and can explain the differences?

This is what my supplier told me in an email regarding his lace vs the lace I have been buying: "They (the factories) both tan the hides differently...they stretch and dry tan their hides where the one my leather comes from tan and soak and use a hydraulic plate to compress the fibre bundles inside the hide which makes it more even and stronger. There are a myriad of differences between the leathers without going into all of the details." One big difference I noticed between the two laces, was the smell. My new lace has that wonderful leather smell! And he has it in lots of colors. Some colors are a bit thicker than others, but all seem to be supple and consistant in quality, and so far I have been really pleased.

I have done the flat braid before, but my customer thinks that's too wide! Sometimes these projects are more difficult than they are worth - but others, I get a new product to add to my line. I am going to try hand sewing. Still waiting on the special order leather, so it'll be a while before I get to try it.

I am learning jsut how much a difference there is in roo leather. I am in the process of using up my existing supply and switching over to a drum stuffed leather. It is so soft, I do not even know why I soap it. But I learned to always soap first, so that's what I am doing. For the other leather, it was imperative to get it nice and wet in order to get it to braid tight. But you are right, if I braid when it is too wet, it does tend to over stretch. Hadn't quite connected that dot before!

I want to make a thin under chin strap for part of a martingale style dog collar for a toy breed dog. The client wants a gentler option than the round cord from the 4 strand braid. So, the idea was to fold over the 1/4" leather over a small o ring and I thought to rivet the end down to hold it. Sewing would work. I guess I'll have to invest in the awl, needles and ? and learn how to sew it down. Thought hammering in a rivet would be quick and easy.

I would like to rivet (or sew, as my backup plan) 1/4" wide kangaroo lace. But I can't seem to find on the internet, tiny rivets, less than 6 mm wide. Any ideas?

Ended up, due to where the chewed portion was, of unbraiding it - BTW is it normal to use glue all through your back braid? - splicing the peices and splicing new tails on, rebraiding over the existing core. Ended up just a tad shorter than the original lead. Now, I just hope it holds! Would have loved to glue a bead or leather knot over the splice, but it would have looked very wrong with the existing beads.

thanks so much for this feedback. So, I took about a 1/2 cup of the white saddle soap and an equal part water. Melted it down, and it did turn yellow - probably would have tossed it if not for your heads up! Once it cooled, it was solid as a rock again. So I added more water, and then more - 2 more cups total. It now is not solid - but a thick slimy concoction. Not as much like lotion as Bick4, but usuable. Was wondering if adding a bit of ivory soap would cut the adhesion factor and make what I want. I've tried the soap straight on the roo laces, but it left them feeling a bit tacky for my ease in braiding. Using a damp rag and getting some soap worked into it works great - but I have to go into another room to get water, and I am just too lazy! Ha! Ha!

Absolutely inspiring! Would you mind sharing some details like what you used, cow, kangaroo? How long it took? And what the heck it is used for?

Just got the tin of white saddle soap. For $30 I know this is going to take me a while to use up! Way bigger tin than I thought it'd be. And it was only what I pay for 2 bottles (16 oz) of the Bick4. I'm thinking I could add some water to some and make it more the consistancy of the Bicks, but Im going to try it straight first. I'm testing it on scrap leather first, but after a few minutes, I'm not seeing any color difference on pink kangaroo leather from the soap compared to the one with bick4 applied.

I'm not sure, without undoiing the backbraid at the end. But an idea. I'll check into it. Thanks.

A friend has an old lead that got chewed and asked me to repair it. It is not one I've made. Any suggestions for repairing? I can figure out back braiding each end together, but how do I shorten up the core without causing a knot under the braid? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Barb

Thanks. I just ordered some white saddle soap and am going to compare with the Bick 4.

I like it! I'm still working on much smaller knots with just one color!

Thanks for the links. I'd only seen a couple of those while doing my searching. Interesting info on David Morgans site. The braiding soap is ivory/water/lard. But he recommends the Pecard Dressing which is primarily petroleum(vaseline) & beeswax. Way different recipies. And he states tallow, ie lard, builds up on leather and "attacks leather fibers". So, I have another question. If you use the Ivory/lard/water type mixture, do you wash it out? So if it has to be washed, then dried, I'd assume you'd condition with something else before using.