Tove09Tilda

Oh wow, what an amazing story! That’s, by the way, also what I love about female entrepreneurship. It’s so often born out of necessity and the environment these women exist in (Ekensmith, 2017), and ends up being so much more than meets the eye. To me, those women are the real heroes! They deserve far more recognition (and funding… looking at you, Friedrich Merz, for cutting so much start-up support in the name of “kickstarting” the economy)! I'll try to keep my fingers intact! 😂 So far I only heard very good things about the company. It is what it is … I'm a certified Business Consultant, that's somewhat of a rarity, especially here in Germany. So I can't really be mad, when people don't get why you need to be certified in order to consult businesses. I guess on that end, there is also a lot of unwillingness to recognise the benefits and the therefore misfit of 90% of the other people working at the consulting firm. Plus, probably the biggest problem, I still have 6 - 9 NDA's running and can't talk about the most fun and hugh projects I did, while studying. I'm so sad about it, as OMG they were sooooo cool! What did your sister end up doing? What a waste! I don’t even want to imagine how many brilliant ideas were lost because men told women they were “amazing at the typewriter.” 🙄 What if someone had said that to Marie Curie, Hedy Lamarr (not the best example, I know), or Elizabeth Arden and they’d actually listened?

Uhh! That sheath looks like it's going to be a show stopper at any LARP event. Nice work!

Oh Sheila, that sounds really too familiar! It's a men's world, we are just allowed to exist in it as it feels. Some time ago, I used to be furious about it. Now I just shrug and say, “As long as no man kills me, it’s fine.” It’s dark humor, but honestly… it’s survival. In my field, it’s insane how you can be highly qualified and still not get the job, while a man with barely any qualifications — just a few more month of experience in any field, but yours — gets hired easily and then looks at you like you’re crazy for even daring to apply. I’ve beaten McKinsey consultants in practical exams, but none of that seems to matter anymore. Instead, people get angry that I refuse to work for free. So really, changing careers just feels healthier — especially considering how the political climate here in Germany is shifting. And thank you for sharing your story! And glad you found your place as a nurse! The Dr. Best story sounds amazing and inspiring. I can totally understand why you would have loved to do this permanently. My best story is probably working with THE family business consultant and scholar (he loves! like really loves, alpro chocolate milk and is the most chill Italian guy I've ever met! Plus had the craziest stories form sitting in family boards) and being told by an Ex-Wallstreet Broker, that he thinks I'm highly talented (best about that: A McKinnsey Consultant heard that and was sooooo goddamn mad at me, she really showed her "best" character" 😂). Since then, I can't take any McKinsey Consultant seriously for life of me.

Hello guys, I thought as I have nowhere else to share this and it might be appreciated here, I'd post it. Three weeks ago, I applied to a very well-known (not allowed to say which one) saddlery here in Germany for an apprenticeship. At first, I was hesitant — starting again from zero with two higher education degrees is scary! Especially after being told (and basically lied to) for years that a degree in economics would secure my future. Well… times have changed since I got my master’s degree last year. After a year of grinding my teeth, sending out endless job applications for any position I could find, getting only one interview, and being ghosted over 500 times — I was done. My chronic depression was acting up again, the worst episodes I had in years. One following the next. My options were: A - Leave Germany and never come back (which the job center actually suggested - one problem less in their book), or B - Change careers completely, despite not having had the chance to work in my actual career since finishing my degree (fun fact - I've even won a prize for a concept 😆) After some serious thinking, I realized a career change might be for the better. The final nail in the coffin was when a psychologist told me I should “get married and have children” because I’d studied for a job I’d only get if I had a family — or if I were a man. That was the moment I accepted that finance and consulting might not be for me or just as a hobby — at least, in this society. So, what was left? Passion. Don’t get me wrong, I love helping emerging companies succeed, and I’m passionate about female entrepreneurship and family business consulting — but let’s face reality: I’m a woman in my mid-20s. I’ve always had a deep love for leatherwork. Saddles have fascinated me for as long as I can remember — and don’t even get me started on bridles! So when I saw that this company was still looking for an apprentice, I just sent in my application: CV, degree, motivation letter, and a detailed portfolio. I was terrified. The last saddlery I applied to (after a boring PhD seminar that had me reminiscing a lot) had sent me a very "kind" rejection. So I expected the usual phrases like: “We had more qualified applicants” or “Thank you for your application, but we had too many.” But instead, something almost magical happened — I was offered a two-week internship to see if we’re a good match. No “you’re overqualified,” no “another failed academic.” Just a kind invitation, a start date in January, and a short list of what to bring and where to stay. Never in my life did I think I’d be so happy about an internship! Getting this chance means the world to me — even if it doesn’t work out. Just being given the opportunity for a new beginning, and not being treated like a problem for once, feels amazing. I was also informed that I’m not allowed to share anything about the saddlery online, especially during my stay, since they own several patents. That’s fine by me — I’m used to NDAs from working with companies during my master’s. (Fun fact: when you hire a consultant, you always let them sign one because of sensitive data!) They can hand me one, and I’ll gladly sign — though, of course, I always read before signing 😆 I’m just beyond excited to get a glimpse into the professional leatherworking world — and maybe even meet my master along the way. Until January, I plan to level up my leatherworking skills as much as I can. In start-up consultancy, we say: “A raw diamond is perfect because you can shape and sharpen it — until it either breaks or becomes a jewel.” That probably applies to apprentices too, but I still feel like I want to be of use right from the start. Sorry for the novel — and to anyone who read the full story: thank you! ❤️ Feel appreciated!

Tom, if they ship to the US, Sprenger might have what you are searching for. https://www.sprenger.de/collections/geschirrbeschlage They usually have everything you need for Horsebridles, Harnesses and even some saddle parts. Quality is really superior!

First of all, thanks for the mention! Even though I don’t do tooling myself and mainly focus on English-style leatherwork, I thought I’d share a few points that might be useful. I work almost exclusively with an adjustable creaser, a saddler’s compass (or “circle”), and pricking irons (French style) or overstitch wheels — the latter being very common and easier to get here in Germany. One important thing to consider, especially when making gear for larger dogs, is: avoid diamond chisels. There’s a great explanation by Nigel Armitage in the pricking iron review thread (I’ll link it when I find it). In short — pricking irons and overstitch wheels are marking tools, not punching tools. They’re used to show where your awl should enter the leather. You only pierce one hole at a time, which allows the leather to swell back around the thread, creating a stronger, cleaner, and more traditional stitch. Also, about needles — don’t go for the cheapest ones. With 9 oz leather (around 3.5 mm, right?), you’ll occasionally need pliers to pull them through. My long-time recommendation: harness needles. They’re reliable and made for heavy work. And don’t forget beeswax! Even if your thread is pre-waxed, re-waxing from time to time helps a lot. Beeswax has been one of my must-haves ever since I started leatherwork at 14. If you want flat stitches, tap them gently with a soft mallet or use a thread roller — one of my favorite tools lately. Personally, I’d say 5.4 mm spacing is quite large. My old 4 mm irons already produce a fairly wide stitch pattern, which can look unfinished depending on the project. Outfitting your workshop is definitely challenging in the beginning — I’m not exactly looking forward to how my toolbox will expand once I start my apprenticeship! You really do need some disposable income for this craft, but don’t be fooled — you can skip a few “nice to have” tools in the beginning. Also invest into a good awl and figure out which one works best for you and also try different handle sizes. I have very nice (good quality! No breakage in over 10 years) Osborn ones, which make my life actually harder, as I have small hands with long slander fingers, but still not enough space for the handle, when stitching. I'm planning to buy at last one smaller flatter one pretty soon, so that my stitching becomes faster and my master (whoever that will be) has one thing less to complain about. I personally switch between diamond, sword and round awl almost all the time, with diamond being my favourite and already 4 destroyed blachard sword awls (ups … shall not be, I think!). I started off with a round awl and added the others over time. Remember, awls - just like your knives - need regular sharpening to stay efficient. You might want to try overstitch wheels first before investing in more pricking irons. They’re much cheaper, come in a variety of sizes, and help you figure out what stitch length fits your projects best. It takes some practice, but if you’re grooving, they’re actually very easy to keep straight since they can’t roll off line easily. Have fun — and yes, stitching, thread, saddle stitch, and everything connected to it really is a rabbit hole! Here in Germany, it’s even part of the exam when you become a certified saddler. Best, Tove

Wow! Okay, that looks like… something … Just asking as I am only used to english saddles, for what are those buckles used? I've never seen anything saddle-related that oxidised only some rusty head-irons which were replaced and since used for schooling purposes.

Hey Jonas, Thanks for your input! I actually prefer a stronger and more stable build for her, which is why I opted for 3.5–4 mm leather. I wanted a thickness that’s sturdy enough to provide a reliable fit and hold up over time, especially since her current nylon and neoprene harness is way too soft for that. The thickness also allows for padding without compromising durability. For mounting, I’m planning to use steel roller buckles in combination with looping. I’m not a fan of clips or Velcro. I also want the chest strap to be replaceable, so it can be adjusted if she becomes wider as she ages. We experienced that with our Spaniel, she grew wider again when she turned 10. I want this harness to be for life, not just a few years. ☺️ Best Tove

Hello Leatherworkers! I’m reaching out to those with more experience in English saddlery than I have — I need some advice! My dog needs a new harness. Sounds simple, right? But it’s turned into quite the project, and I wanted to share my approach to see what others think. About my dog: 2 ½ years old, medium-sized (~40 cm shoulder height, ~20 kg) Very fine-boned, which makes fitting tricky Her current harness is always too short. No matter how I adjust it, it slips over her shoulders and restricts her movement. She mostly wears it for nose-work at hunter dog school (long-leash) or jogging with us, but I just can’t settle for “good enough” — she deserves a harness that fits properly. Today, I approached it like I would saddle fitting — I even chalked her up! Yes, I literally drew on her shoulders. To understand how movement affects the fit, I lifted each front paw one at a time and marked where her shoulder blade sits in each position. That showed me how the surface between the shoulder blades shrinks as she moves — finally explaining why most harnesses rub or slip. Her shoulders are steeply angled and quite flat, and there’s very little surface between the blades — about 1" to 1 1/16". Because of this, I think I need to build a bit more room in the front so the harness doesn’t rub. Her back is straight, so I can safely use plastazote (6 mm) padding. If she were more overbuilt, I’d use a flocking system like in saddlery to ensure proper pressure distribution. Her back is long, and she’s had back problems before, so I can’t extend the harness beyond the widest part of her ribcage plus about an inch for padding under the D-ring. My current plan: Y-harness with padding under the back strap, shoulder straps, and chest strap Two D-rings: one near the shoulders, one at the end of the back strap Leather: Italian harness leather (double butt, 3.5–4 mm) Padding: 0.4 mm calfskin Reflective piping on back and shoulder straps (for being fancy) I think a Y-harness makes the most sense given the small space between her shoulders. A sport harness wouldn’t suit her, and a step-in/vest harness would be too tight in that area. So my question to you: Does this sound like a solid plan? Any tips for shaping the Y-harness to prevent rubbing over steep shoulders, or advice on padding placement and what to keep in mind, would be amazing. Or do you might even have another suggestion shape-wise? Thanks in advance! And yes, I did just saddle-fit my dog with chalk — she’s a very patient princess and just proved to me that self-making it is the best solution in her case. Best, Tove

Another vote for Tokonole! I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without it — easily my favorite burnishing agent. With some Irish linen or a wooden slicker, plus sandpaper in ascending grits, you can get a clean, professional finish without much effort. If you prefer using water, I’d recommend sealing the edges afterward with a bit of beeswax. Beeswax reacts to temperature, so depending on how warm or cold your workshop is, it can be a bit tricky to work with. In this case, it acts as a water repellent and helps hold the fibers in place. You can also use clear or colored edge paint, though that usually takes a bit of trial and error — especially with cheaper paints — before you get a nice, even finish. Best, Tove

Okay, I see what you mean — we’re clearly making very different kinds of collars! Mine are all fully padded, so the stitches sink into the plastazote on the back. That means there’s little to no friction on the thread, so I never felt the need to groove. In your case, especially on the flesh side, it makes total sense to do so. My dogs also don’t wear their collars 24/7 — they take them off at night — so that’s another factor that changes the wear and tear quite a bit. As I mentioned, I’ve had the chance to discuss this topic with a few master saddlers, and that definitely shaped how I work today. In Germany, saddlery is still a regulated trade — you need proper training and certification to work professionally — and that background really influences my approach. For me it comes down to simple logic: if there’s friction, grooving makes sense; if there isn’t, it’s unnecessary. I also lean heavily toward more traditional English saddlery, which probably explains part of my bias too! From what I’ve seen, padding is quite common in English work, whereas in Western-style leatherwork, grooving makes total sense. No offense meant at all — your work looks great, and if your method works for you and holds up, that’s what counts in the end.

Thank you very much, Bill! That is truley valuable information. I just went with the smallest I was able to get from a Germany based tool-vender, but you are definitely right. 7-8cm is totally fine. So I might also consider a Tandy Dupe. I found a HIGH-TECH Pro Dupe within my budget. That splitting is better than most workouts I already assumed, but am as a former University-Rower thrilled to experience that! - yep! We're a bit ... and learned to love everything that makes you feel every muscle in your body. I also search for those parameters on a regular, with little luck. I just found a set of Henkel Holepunches for 120€, after checking back with my usual tool-vendor just an hour drive away, it was slightly overpriced. I feel like whoever owns leather tools, holds on to them for a loooong time and then overprices them just because people like us hope for a good deal. It is true luck if you find a good second hand offer! But truley I can unstand that. Sadly my granddads leather tools have been thrown away after his death. No-one thought that the youngest of his granddaughters (at that time 3 years old) would pick leather as her poison as well. Very sad as he learned the craft from military saddlers while being in american captivity as a prisoner of war, when he was only 17 and deserted the army prior to participating in any battle. I guess we would have had a lot of fun and his tools would have had a nice new home with me, especially if I should finally be able to start as an apprentice in a Berlin equestrian saddlery next year (if they take me and don't see my scientific publications, my begun PhD and the two University degrees as a no-go).

Thank you Jonas, I already had a look at Kleinanzeigen (no saddlery tools at all, or for a hell lot of money!) and Facebook, but that is not necessarily that popular in Germany. I already saw the Tandy/IVAN "rebuilds" and was wondering if anyone has one of these and might be able to tell a bit about it. I guess 7-8 centimetres still does the job. I will have a look at those and try to figure out more about their quality and ability to do their job! If it is a Tandy "rebuild" there should be a high chance that the Tandy/ Ivan HI-TECH Baldes for 45€ a pack should fit. To me that sounds like a good bet. Best, Tove

Hello folks, I am planning to upgrade my toolbox a little bit after Christmas. Despite it being a few months away, I am already creating a list of things to get. On top of that List is a splitter. So far I have always pushed this purchase off, as other things seemed more relevant like a saddlery knife, more colours of thread, and so on. In my latest projects I realised that a splitter is slowly due. I started to use more looping and having to use several leathers for a project, which shall end up sort of unifrom, is not very satisfying. So I am searching for a good, durable and cheap option to add to my tiny portable "workshop", for splitting leather for looping, round stitching, raising etc. I am mainly doing dog collars, am planning for some horse equipment in the near future and also some belts. It has to be available in Europe, without crashing the bank, so Tandy (I guess that's IVAN in Europe), Weaver and Osborn are off the table. I already checked the secondhand market, but it seems that everyone, who has a splitter, does not want to get rid of it or exactly knows how much a good splitter is worth. My favoured budget would be roughly 100 - 150 € ($117.14 -$ 175.71), if that is reasonable. I'm not a professional (yet) so I don't see a point in spending more, despite me being unable to even spend up to 1000€ ($1171.40) on such a thing in this economy. I am not searching for a premium solution, just a very basic splitter of maximum 15 cm width (5.9"/6"), that does its job without any major hiccups. Maybe anyone has a good recommendation. Best, Tove

If you also consider European leather, I can recommend -buyleatheronline (search for Dorsal/ Double Butt) (deliver to the US!) - Sedwick Leather (check their website to see, who distributes them in the US) - Gebrüder Kobel (Probably have to write an email, but they definitely have what you are searching for!) Best Tove

Hello Shiny, I only have experience with furr on horse tack and there it was always a blessing if it was detachable. Sweat is not necessarily that easy to just brush out off that stuff. In BDSM I would assume that some bodily fluids could possibly touch the furr, so I personally would opt for something to attach and detattch, also as you can get a two in one in that case and can wash the furr, if needed. I would maybe go with a solution that includes velcro in the leather colour so the attachment loops are not too obvious and you can easily change the look. Paddingwise I can recommend, again for comfort and under the aspect of cleaning the cuffs/harness, 6mm EVA/ Plastazote and sheep/goat leather (0.8mm). In my experience sheep is incredibly smooth and has little to no cracks in itself. I buy mine from Italy (buyleatheronline) for as little as 24 euros, when I'm not too picky about the colour. It's very soft and a breezer to wipe down, when my dogs decided to take their collars out for a mudbath, plus it looks super shiny and luxurious. We got a lot of comments on the collars lately. If you combine that with a detachable furr I think there is no way to get it more comfortable. Hope my ideas helped a bit. Best Tove

Hey, I only do dog collars at the moment and use polyester thread. The reason behind that - at least in my book - is that dog collars are not much cared for per usual, so a natural threat is not necessarily the best option. I would also as @TomE already did recommend waxing the threat. Also keep in mind your stitch length, leather thickness and the size of your needle, when deciding for a thread. For beginners in Handsawing cable thread is often recommended, but I find flat woven thread a bit nicer. That is basically a lot of trial and error to find your favourite. I work mostly with a picking iron with 7SPI on 3.5 to 4mm thick leather and a number 1 needle of 1.1 mm thickness, sometimes I also use a Number 3 with 0.9 mm. Depends on what I'm sewing. For that I use 0.7 mm in German "Forellenfaden" or 1 mm cable thread as that is what I can most comfortably buy here in Germany as hobbyist. If I would have the option I would rather obt for 0.69mm, but 0.7 is fine. That 0.01mm doesn't make the cake fatter, as we germans say. xD Personally, I would not groove the stitch, but that is something even old saddlers still fight over. The most logic argument I ever heard from a german saddler was, that if you groove the leather, you weaken the grain side, which is also the side, that is holding the strength of your leather. So if you have things that have to withstand a lot of pressure you don't groove, but rather invest into a good therad like Riza Tigerthread (I just know the old name, it's now owned by a danish company and had a slight rebrand and name change). Another saddler said to that, that he only grooves when the stitches are threatened to break by for example buckles rubbing over them. His logic was that stitches within a groove last longer as they don't get any rubbing force to them. So everyone seems to have a different opinion. I just personally run with what I know from all the English bridles I took apart so far and restitched/repaired and there no stitch groove was made, unless the stitches needed to be hidden. But that might be european/english rider (leatherworker) bias. My dog collars do great without a stitch groove and no matter what rubbish my rather wild young fellas are pulling off, they do their job, hold quality and that's basically all I'm asking for. Do with that information whatever you want, just wanted to add that, as someone wrote above that he would recommend you to groove. (That actually got me thinking, when the last time was, that I used a stitch groove). Best Tove

It that's not THE excuse to make a new collar, then I don't know XD Have a lot of fun with your new family member! My little setter-cross, who is a rescue from Italy, also taught my mums puppy all the nasty things and now he is teaching her how to behave like a little retard again. And I thought that phase was behind us. Thank you for your feedback and for sharing your experience! I know what you mean, I’ve also seen some cheaper leads fail at that point. That’s exactly why I used Italian dorsal leather, not skived at any point, cut from the best end, and sew everything with strong polyester thread in saddle stitch. The rope itself is made for dog leashes, so I feel good about the stability. But it’s always interesting to hear how others approach it — your rivet and shrink tube method definitely sounds very sturdy! Best, Tove

Really nice work! And welcome to this forum. The belt is stunning! Is it machine or hand-sewn? Best, Tove

Well, my mum called again and asked for a new collar. Planned was only the yellow one with a matching leash, but as her Spinone Italiono grew out of his old orange collar and I still have a little of this lovely red sheepskin plus some orange dye, she got two. I'm very happy with the collars as they turned out beautifully. The lashes, let's say they are part of a learning process. The blue one is for my dog, therefore the hardware is smaller. I always use the rule of thumb of the dogs weight times 4 as the minimum breakage point of the hardware. The yellow one is solid brass and about 1,70m (custom measure) and the blue one standard length with steel hardware. She already has such a set, entirely hand sewn, in green, that holds up lovely despite being used almost everyday. The orange collar, will for now on be his dog-training collar for when he has professional training. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as I made his first collar as well as the last ones of our deceased dog. Her last collar was green, her first handmade one orange. This colour become something special therefore, and If I should ever sell collars one type, only available in green and orange, will be named Tilda!

What's with the SMS? At least they have some rules on how you are allowed to operate your saddlery business. And then there is also the Guild examines and Chapel Manor. In Germany, Saddler is a protected profession, that requires you to do 3 years of apprenticeship, several tests and examen. Comparable to the Millennium scheme in Britain. That also means, no self-thaught saddlers in our country, only here and there some saddle fitters (not protected) with some questionable education aka non at all in some cases. I guess the max. you are allowed to make and sell, without being a saddler, is bridles, halters, dog collars etc, but certainly you are not allowed to make a saddle and sell and also no repairs, as you have no insurance for doing such things. We Germans seem to love insurances! XD

I cannot agree more with all of you. There is a reason that in most places in the world being a saddler is connected to getting qualifications and even long apprenticeships. And seriously, I personally cannot stand for the life of me, most saddle fitters, as even they are often undereducated. A saddle fitter (with unknown qualification, probably a weekend course at one of the saddle manufacturers here in Germany) just sold a friend of mine a jumping saddle with a broken saddle tree. But she kind of beats that! I mean you shouldn't miss that the tree is broken, but it can happen. She willfully patched and even made a tutorial out of it. My first thought was: "Hopefully she has good insurance!" The second was seriously questioning why one would patch a billett? That is critical equipment and I learned in riding school that you renew everything that is a safety risk ASAP. If that would have been my saddle, the whole straps would have gotten renewed! Just to be sure, and by someone licensed, also as they are insured for failure of equipment. Just to be on the safe side. Do you Americans don't have to pass training and official examen to be a saddler? I mean no saddle fitter would hopefully do such a job, they are certainly not qualified for that or whatever she calls herself. I'm a bit confused and maybe thinking too European. Can someone explain?

Hey, I have no experience with shoes - so much said from the start, but I dye my dog collars myself most of the time. One thing I noticed there is that If you don't put a sealer on top, you have rub off as soon as you clean / condition. A conditioner is not a sealer to my knowledge. So you might need to have a look into that. I know that a lot of "shoepeople" use the angelus sealers. I use them as well and have noticed, that these sealers tend to flake a bit in the application process within cracks and creases, but that could also have been because I used up a bottle and those were the last drops. With the angelus ones I can tell you, that a small bottle lasts you a bit of time. My recommendation would be to try the caranauba creme by Fiebrings as it can also be used in the restoration process and as a finish, plus it builds a scratch resistant coate or after you striped your shoes from all your prior-finishing attempts the high-gloss finish by angelus. Was just a quick thought when I read through your problem, as I had a predyed leather strap on my table that bled a lot in the care process, when I was done stitching and seemed to not have a finish/seal on top. I fixed it by removing my care products, applying some neatsfoot oil, waiting for it to soak in and then finished it with the high-gloss. So far the colour is still vibrant and is not bleeding anymore, when being cleaned. Same applies to all my dog collars, that I dyed myself and used the finish as a last step. -Tove

Not exactly. A Swedish noseband lies in the same place as a regular cavesson or English noseband — on the nasal bone, about two fingers below the zygomatic arch — and it is closed under the chin. The concern comes from how this design is often used: to create more control by applying strong pressure. The nasal bone gets thinner towards the end, and with this type of fastening mechanism it is possible to cause real damage — in extreme cases even a fracture — if the noseband is tightened too much. It can also interfere with the horse’s breathing. The nasal septum lies just beneath the noseband, and restricting the nostrils prevents them from flaring properly. If you watch eventing or racehorses at full speed, you’ll notice how much their nostrils expand to take in air. Limiting that ability puts unnecessary stress on the horse. Hope my explanation helped a bit.

Hi, thanks. Pretty easy. I used fashion leather (round about 1mm) with the newspaper print. First I glued it to a 3.5mm thick strap of vachetta that was already cut to size, trimmed it to the edges, sealed the edges with black edge dye and finished it off with a saddle stitch and some Tokonole. On a note, the stitchmarks needed to be pricked quite deep, as they were otherwise really hard to spot.