LAPat

Weaver Leather just added swarovski crystals. Just one size tho, not too big, maybe 1/3 of an inch? Pat

I agree that collars are an under-considered object, and many, many more people have dogs than horses, if you are looking for a profitable item. I also have seen beautiful things, but more than that, I have my eye set on making collars that are really art pieces (not in a hurry, I'll get there over time). And I am just now planning to do a show at the pet store I manage -- late this year at best -- of dog collars which will be sold with half of the proceeds to go to charity. We are talking about high end items in Los Angeles and dog rescue, recession or not. So maybe we start a thread that asks for the best dog collars and a little story about how they are made? Gotta run to work so I can't do it now, but I would love to get some horsepower, eh, dogpower, behind a thread like this. Pat

Just looking at this anchor of a clutch and wondering if it has any other uses? Could it power, for instance, some other rigged up thing for leatherwork? Or...? Pat

For those of you wondering about the new Leather Machine Company, they are having a Grand Opening on Saturday April 4th from 10-4. At the same time, the Tandy Leather Store next door to them is having an Open House. I have a feeling it will be a good day to check out Steve's new business and also meet and greet people from the list. I am going to try and get over there, I just bought a motor from Steve and he was as advertised, determined to see me happy, patient with newbie questions, and all around a pleasure to do business with. Here's the skinny The Leather Machine Company 3545 Highland Avenue Unit C Highland CA 92346 local call 909 425 2080 toll free 866 962 9880 Pat

Don't feel bad. THere are a LOT of posts asking for help on this board and not all of them get alot of replies. I asked a similar question about leather for collars and nobody answered. I figure it's not personal, it's just the luck of a high volume board. So here's my two cents, I don't think it's terribly helpful but at least you won't feel alone I have been making collars and leads for a while, but I am far from an expert at sourcing good hardware, and I've been struggling with it too. I did get some martingale chain from a Herm Sprenger dealer called RH McElheney, but I also have made martingales with a second leather strap as the martingale itself. I still haven't found fabulous buckles, the ones called "dog collar buckles" that have the center bar are okay, but I really like roller buckles better with a keeper and a dee ring. I know that some people put the dee on the end for strength, and I have also seen some nice collars with buckles that have a round look at the tongue. My current deal is to look at vintage collars for how they are put together. Interestingly, they used to lock collars on dogs. And those spike collars were used to protect dogs from being attacked. The history of dog collars is a very interesting subject to me, but I'm just learning. As for leashes, I use split braiding alot. I have been using latigo but I think that bridle leather is going to be better for me when I next need a side. I don't think there is much in the way of a tutorial or book on dog collars, but think "belt" with a dee ring and you can get some good ideas. Also, one more thing. If you put a dog's name on a collar, spacing on the letter sets is too wide unless you close it up in my opinion. I work from the center and just slighly imprint the leather with the letter by hand until I like the spacing. Pat

THanks guys. I did figure it out and the motor is up and running. And just like everyone says, a servo is the bomb. Pat

Well I have a sewing machine table with three bolts coming to the bottom and rubber gaskets on the bottom of the table and more rubber gaskets with sleeve thingies in this box with this motor and I have really no idea what comes first, second, third etc. I thought I'd go on line and find a motor mounting tutorial. Nope. Unless you count "Bolt the motor to the table" a tutorial. Can anyone tell me what order to use to put this motor on this table? I have a new set of hardware that includes long bolts, round thin metal washers, lock washers, hex nuts, and rubber gaskets with one inch sleeves. Oh, and I have an Artisan servo motor. Now you might say I should just go in the order that held the old motor, but I put that together too without instructions and I never knew if I was doing it right or not then. I think we need legislative reform in the area of equipment instruction material. I mean if Ikea can do it.... I could call Steve but it's two in the morning. Help! Pat PS And if anyone would like to admit that they never quite knew what came first, I would love company.

Thanks for all the feedback. Here's the thing, maybe I didn't explain myself well, sorry. On commercial collars I see nice dees that are not as thick as my thumb. The dees I got from Weaver are very thick, and now that I'm looking at thickness maybe that will help. I have never seen, in over ten years of training dogs, a dee failure and I see a lot of collars with thin dees. Now I have a pony dog, but most people don't. And the few that do are usually easy to spot by their desire for thick collars, pinch collars, remote collars and short leashes. I have seen leather collars snap and my own dog broke a slip chain collar of a substantial thickness once, but no dees. I have not found any cool dees yet, but I'm looking. Once I got a lot of collars at goodwill and took all the dees and buckles off, and they were great. So I think it's the difference maybe between what you can get if you buy thousands versus a dozen or so? Pat

I don't know the answer but I was wondering if there was a thread and needle tutorial for leather sewing machines? THanks Pat

In my continuing quest to make something simply elegant, I want to copy somewhat a collar from the 1930s I have. It has round domed brass spots in unusual sizes, and these are not tin plated things either. The big ones are about 3/4 of an inch and the small ones are say 2 cm. There are also 1/4 inch pyramid spots. I would send a photo but the camera is down. Does anyone know where I can get "real" brass hardware like this? And why does it seem so difficult to find quality? Thanks in advance Pat

Hey Art! No leathermachineco.com on my search engine? Pat

Someone just paid $550.00 for that 300 series Singer? have one in my bedroom if anyone wants to pay that much for it! And I can get you two if you want to go, say $300 each! Pat

I have two catalogs open, Weaver and OhioTB, and I am trying to figure out this dee thing. The dees I have gotten from Weaver for dog collars are big, round and horribly clunky. Now I know that hardware is part of what makes a piece work, and I am trying to find less clunky dees that will work for collars. Although I rode for years, I can't quite see in my minds eye what exactly makes a saddle dee different, except that it might or might not have a flat side? I like a little longer dee, it's easier to clip a leash onto. But is there a physics issue here in terms of strength and balance? I'm also wondering if I could use the Weaver Saddle collar Dee for leather martingales? I remember someone here on the boards talking about an Hermes purse or something, and they made a point that I never forgot. Hardware is key in making something unique and revealing the quality of the piece. Big time makers have their own hardware struck. I can't do that, but I do want to find something strong but elegant for these collars. Thanks in advance as always. Wish I could give back as much as I get from you all. Pat

I like them for dog collars. Pat

Do people have any particular tips on building a photo portfolio, particularly for on line use? I am also probably going to put together a PDF book... has anyone done this and how? Thanks in advance. Pat

I am definately new to this game of tooling, but I like color, I like the process and if something is a little imperfect, I try to make it part of the piece. These are of course dress collars, not for everyday. Tiki is an Aussie, and the belt is for a friend's daughter -- it really wasn't done when I took these, I darkened the tooling somewhat. I'm using acrylic paint and some Tandy stuff, gluing the lining down and basically following what I guess is long tradition of "figure it out as you go." I wish I had spirit dyes but I live in California. All comments welcome. Thanks for looking Pat

There is a terrific writer and dog man named Donald McCaig who wrote a book about a Border Collie that gets "lost" and ends up being ridden by a monkey. Now I know where he got it from. Pat

I am just toying with this idea, but I have a hundred forty pound Leonberger and a little Swedish Vallhund, she is a 21 pound cattle dog from Sweden, and they do some few tricks. Soooo... I am wondering if I could rig up a saddle for him that would actually stay level on his back. I know that dogs have loose skin and that's the problem, but has anyone actually made a saddle for a dog? The dog alone is my new Leo Mars, and he's considerbaly larger than Cosmo was. Of course Astra is seven, and probably a pound heavier than in that picture. Thanks in advance L.A. Pat

I got into dog tack as a trainer and maker of fur toys, and I pretty much use whatever I find at a good price because I don't mass produce. I've used latigo and harness/bridle leather for leads and even tooling leather sometimes, and I got an odd lot of shoe or boot or belt leather, who knows what it was for, that is 8 or 9 oz and in great colors (clearly sprayed on). I am always looking for colored leather that I can use for leads because I split braid, but I just can't find anything like what I have. The center is grey and pretty cardboardy, but it holds up well over time and softens really nicely. What do people use for their stuff? Again, I am very attracted to color but of course it can't run. And I'm fussy about the back side, it needs to be very smooth. I get so much out of a side that I don't mind paying more for better. I will also mix two different types of leather on the split braid leads, of the same weight. So I can use a standard latigo or bridle or whatever for the lead end, and other leather for the decorative braid. Also, if anyone does split braids, how do you do it fast? I hand cut slits.... but if I decide to get someone to help, I have to get with the program. I'm totally self taught, btw, I take stuff apart and learn that way. These are older pictures. I've learned to reverse the braid so the short piece is tucked. Thanks in advance, LA Pat

I haven't been on the list for a while, but when I come back all I can do is marvel at the amount of knowledge that is here for people. You all are great. A while ago I got an old Pfaff 545 and learned to run it with the old motor, but I am ready to make my life easier and have a few questions. First of all, I am going to buy a Servo and the one I saw on Allbrands, I think it's called a Reliable Sewquiet 3000, has suggested with it for stitch by stitch is a little motor pulley. Do I get this? And will it make a difference to add a speed reducer? I can afford it right now. Anyone have a source for a relatively inexpensive one, and are there marked differences in speed reducers, practically speaking? I am not a factory, I don't run the machine more than three hours a day, if that. THanks in advance, LA Pat

Thanks guys for your help. I was able to reassemble the shuttle and the machine is sewing well. I sew with sheepskin so you can imagine the lint that builds up everywhere and I have been reticent to clean the shuttle because I was worried about the reassemble. Now I have a little more self confidence. Best LA PAt

Is there anyone who knows how to fix the timing on a Pfaff walking foot or can refer me to a web site that will walk me through it. I disassembled the bobbin case and shuttle hook to clean it, and when I got it back together, the timing is off. The instructions said that the timing would be protected if I just lined up the case to the baseplate as instructed but it is not happening. It's not even close to catching the thread. Thanks in advance LA Pat

I'm assuming I can use my meyers stitching awl with different blades to punch holes in leather for hand stitching small goods like collars and such. Awl blades seem to come in different lengths and round and diamond point. I'm guessing diamond point but what determines how long an awl blade you buy? Thanks in advance LA Pat

I am just learning to carve, but I'm a dog trainer and horsewoman and an artist so I can comment maybe a llttle about animal expression from that perspective? What makes for soft eyes are relaxed muscles around them, and that means not such deep modeling around the orbs. When you think of a muscleman, and that expression "cut," that's what I see around this deer's eyes. It's as if he is a lean machine and needs a little body fat. The nostrils are quite flared, I don't know what the original drawing looked like, but that's part of what makes the deer look ready for battle. Honestly, I think it's probably just that you have done too good a job of making the edges of every part of the animal well defined, and so the deer is kind of "high contrast" which translates as "hard ass" if that makes sense. If an image has forground, midground and background, your deer is missing the middle. Hope that makes sense. I have no idea how you'd make it happen, but I have a feeling you will. Thanks for sharing. A beginner like me appreciates it a lot. Best LA Pat

Thank you guys again. I really appreciate all the information. My background is in remote collar training so I have seen a lot of powerful dogs and that's why I take what I'm doing seriously, although I'm really in a fashion market. Actually there is something about doing a really serious collar for good little dogs... it's not their fault that they aren't always with people that respect what a dog is made of. But I digress... Because I work in a "green" store I am also working on collars that are recycled belts and so on. There are some nice old things out there that can be transformed into new things with a little work. Hopefully I will be able to show some stuff when I get this all together, but I have a long way to go to put all the pieces together. I still have a hard time slicking edges well enough to be satified with them, and I have to start figuring out what I want to line and what I don't. In the meantime, thank you so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this forum. Best LA Pat