Newbie

[Rochelle N L]

Hello, I am completely new to leathercrafting. I am looking to braid leather dog leads. I'm probably going to start out with something more inexpensive than kangaroo leather to start. I'm planning on making a 36" 4 strand round braid with a core.

I'm not interested in cutting my own lace at this point in time, though it may be something for me in the future.

My #1 question is: if I buy 1/8" roo lace from say Y-Knot (for example), will I still need to stretch, bevel, and split the lace to end up with a nice round braid?

Thanks!

[maui paniolo]

Hello, I am completely new to leathercrafting. I am looking to braid leather dog leads. I'm probably going to start out with something more inexpensive than kangaroo leather to start. I'm planning on making a 36" 4 strand round braid with a core.

I'm not interested in cutting my own lace at this point in time, though it may be something for me in the future.

My #1 question is: if I buy 1/8" roo lace from say Y-Knot (for example), will I still need to stretch, bevel, and split the lace to end up with a nice round braid?

Thanks!

I'm probable not the most experienced braider on this forum but my 2 ct. if you are buy precut lace of good quality it should be fairly consistant so you wont need to split and bevel. When finished dampen and roll between two boards.

Depending on the size of the core you may need a wider lace or more strings like 8. Good luck

Tony

[rawhide1]

You may not need to split it but you should still bevel it. As beveling the lace will give you a lot nicer finished braid.

Mike

[roo4u]

for high quality dog leads i dont recommend using commercially made lace...i have been braiding leashes professionally since 1998 and i have never used it..... others that have still end up having to do all the same prep work on the lace, and add to that using a conditioner to make the lace pliable. otherwise it is much harder than lace cut by hand and does not braid as smoothly for leashes.

[Nod4Eight]

I have not found any pre-made lace that is beveled. Most is split to a fairly consistent thicknes. Making your own lace can be as frustrating to learn as the braiding itself, but when you get it down it is worth it.

-Rob

[megabit]

I haven't worked with any roo, but based on my experience with rawhide, I'd say stick to paracord until you learn to cut your own lace.

[Rochelle N L]

Thank you for the advice! I have been braiding other material for a while, such as gimp, hemp, and paracord. I'm comfortable making flat and round braids. I've just never braided leather lace before.

After spending several days lurking on past threads, I think I might jump into cutting my own lace sooner than I thought.