ajones17

Hi.... I asked this on a different forum but I thought i'd stick it here too -- I make leashes and simple collars, many of my clients use service dogs and handle their dogs on a daily basis. Latigo and bridle leathers, occasionally bullhide. I train dogs and use my leashes every day. I don't currently include any leather/hardware care information with items I ship. I've been looking around online for information on how other makers instruct customers to care for their products as I'd like to start doing so. It seems like there's a wide variety of care instructions depending on where you look. A lot of the information is written anecdotally and I'm a little overwhelmed what to recommend in terms of cleaning and conditioning dog equipment that's used daily. Can anyone share what they include or what they recommend? For the record, I personally have Bicks and Aussie on hand here, I've used Aussie longer but not partial to either. Saddle soap as needed too. Thanks so much. Pic of one of my latest leashes - Christmas themed bridle leather/unglazed harness from W&C for a customer.

Hi All, I make leashes and collars, many of my clients use service dogs and handle their dogs on a daily basis. Latigo and bridle leathers, occasionally bullhide . I train dogs and use my leashes every day. I don't currently include any leather/hardware care information with items I ship. I've been looking around online for information on how other makers instruct customers to care for their products as I'd like to start doing so. It seems like there's a wide variety of care instructions depending on where you look. A lot of the information is written anecdotally and I'm a little overwhelmed what to recommend in terms of cleaning and conditioning dog equipment that's used daily. Can anyone share what they include or what they recommend? For the record, I personally have Bicks and Aussie on hand here, I've used Aussie longer but not partial to either. Saddle soap as needed too. Thanks so much. Pic of one of my latest leashes - Christmas themed bridle leather/unglazed harness from W&C for a customer.

Anyone used this combo? I'd love a 1" or 1.5" buckle to use with 10oz leather dog collar. I can't find specs on cobra buckle eye height, just the width. Will any of these buckles fit 10oz leather? TIA

Thanks all, the leash is chewed about 1/3 way up from the end. So much easier to fix if they are chewed right at the snap. There must be something in the air, I've had about 6 customers contact me for chew repairs in the last week. I will consider the skive but agree it will look rather funky (especially because I am no skiving expert), and that's my work out there, I want it to look right. I am going to contact the customer and offer a fix option price vs a replacement price. I can reuse the hardware and save her a few $$ I guess. These leashes take me hours to make and this one was only a few months old, such a waste... Mandy

Had a customer send back a bleed knot dog leash that her dog chewed in two. Is there any sort of magic repair I can do in this or is it a lost cause? Thanks, Mandy

Hi guys, Here's a novice question for you. I've just received a request for an 8 foot leash. My hides are just barely that long at their very longest.... so I'm wondering what's the best way to cut long strips of leather in general - like 15 feet out of a hide this size? Is it possible to use a strap cutter and a circle of leather to make long straight strips? I'm using 9-10 oz latigo or bridle leather. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Thank you, I noticed this advice in some of the other posts on bleed knots, of course it was after I made this leash. I am going to try to remake it this weekend... how much space do you normally leave in between the cuts? Thank you for the wood chisel advice, too. I have been making the cuts with a razor, and marking the measurements with a pencil... most all the cracks emanate from the pencil marks that cut into the leather. definitely learning through trial and error. - Mandy

Hi guys So I'm a newbie and I made my first bleed knot leash last week and I really like the look of it, but after a week of use (and manipulating the leash to break it in, and taking it apart and putting it back together once), I noticed these cracks along a few of the strands. I was planning on giving the leash to a friend, but now I'm worried about the structural integrity of the leash with these cracks. They don't go all the way through the leather, but I'd be a lot happier if they weren't there. So my questions... what am I doing wrong that's causing the cracking? is it the leather choice - it's just veg tan with a few coats of fiebing's leather balm and aussie... and what can I do to prevent them from happening? And is there any chance these cracks won't progress all the way through the leash? Any help would be really appreciated. ?