So, as part of my quest for the perfect lead, I decided to make my own. I have 25mm webbing I also have some 25mm leather strip, I also have got some certified anchor plates, several d rings and I am currently putting everything together....
I am at the point of tacking things together by hand. Just so I can get a good idea of how it will look, and to make sure the mental image of my design will actually transfer to real life. It is not going to be possible to hand sew the entire lead, so I bought a cheap Chinese cobbler's sewing machine for the final assembly. And here is where I have an issue. Once I assembled the machine, I tried to take the bobbin out to wind the thread onto it. But not only did the bobbin and the bobbin carrier come out of the machine, but the mount (with the drive gear on the underside) also came out. The piece of paper that came with the machine does not deserve the title of instructions, and has no information on the position it should be in. I thought I had put it back in the same position that it came out, but obviously I am a tooth or two away from the correct position as it will not pick up the bobbin Thread when I crank the handle. I will post some pictures tomorrow when I am back in my workshop, but I thought I would just post this in case someone has got a set-up procedure they could share with me in order to get the correct position.