Sizing Collars

[JET4]

Ok, I've searched all over the web looking for a consistent method to give my customers for measuring for a collar. Most people want to put a tape around the dogs neck and go with that measurement. I see a lot of inconsistency with this method because of where on the neck the tape is placed, fur thickness, etc. I have been instructing my customers to measure their old collars ( if they have one) from where the material wraps around the buckle to the hole that they are currently using. I make this measurement the middle of 5 holes. It seems that if the old collar measures 20 inches using this method that the new collar would fit in the same hole if measured the same way. I have not found this to be the case and usually miss by a hole or 2 (spaced 1 inch apart).

Does anyone have a more consistat method for instructing customers so that I get the size correct the first time. The last 2 collars I sent out (same customer) have to come back because they are too long. I have a feeling that the customer measure wrong. He says he measured the way I instructed him to but I feel that he didn't understand my instructions. I'm starting to hate making collars because I worry about getting the size correct.

Thanks in advance,

John

[McJeep]

get them to measure from the most used hole to where the tang hits the buckle instead - if you're just going to the fold you're shorting yerself by up to an inch right there

Also remember that if they're measuring on one of those throw away nylon collars and you're building a leather one, there will likely be differences due to stiffness of leather and/or width that you're making it

hope this helps

Rob

[Mijo]

Try providing the customer a diagram with where they should be measuring, then have them take three different measurements and take the average of the three. That's currently what we do and it's worked fairly well, thus far anyway. Our collars are for small dogs, with only about a 1/4" between holes, so if it's off by a little that could mean using the first or last hole rather than the middle.

[LeatherLegion]

I ask my customers to measure the dog's neck in the smallest part of it...tight ! ...never the old collar !!! The thickness of the collar plays an important role in sizing too . A 1ply collar , 20in from buckle to the hole has a different inside circumference than a 2ply collar measured the same way . The right size of the collar is measured when the collar is buckled up...not flat out on the table. If you have standard designs and use the same leather weight most of the time you can make yourself few collars(in one ply , 2 ply ....) from 15in all the way up to 27in and used them as guide. A custom collar should not have more then 3 holes for adjustment, 3/4in apart.

Sometime i ask for pics of the dog and its weight ...i can pretty much guess the neck size within 1 or 2in..lol...

Hope it helps

[busted]

I like dog collars they sell very good. I have sold about 120 in the last 3 or 4 weeks all of my collars are 1 inch wide 10 ounce material that I have leftover from belts and tack. You do not need to measure the dog's neck. All I do to my collars is make the strap 3 inches longer than the size I want it to be. An 18 inch collar will be 21 inch blank, etc. Next I measure up from either end 2 1/2" to 3 inches to the first hole (1 inch spacing with 6 or 7 holes for this size collar) and from this end I measure to the center of the buckle 18 inches. This is the 18 inch collar. I make all of my collars in this way. I use tubular rivets turned upside down so the splash is seen from the good side of the collar (will not pull hair to bad) and naturally I put a Dee ring just below the roller nose buckle. All of the commercial collars I have measured are layed out like I have tried to explain here. I make a set of 20 collars 4 colors with 5 sizes ranging from 18" to 26" chocolate, burgundy, russet and black. All I do is edge them no dyed edge.

Ok, I've searched all over the web looking for a consistent method to give my customers for measuring for a collar. Most people want to put a tape around the dogs neck and go with that measurement. I see a lot of inconsistency with this method because of where on the neck the tape is placed, fur thickness, etc. I have been instructing my customers to measure their old collars ( if they have one) from where the material wraps around the buckle to the hole that they are currently using. I make this measurement the middle of 5 holes. It seems that if the old collar measures 20 inches using this method that the new collar would fit in the same hole if measured the same way. I have not found this to be the case and usually miss by a hole or 2 (spaced 1 inch apart).

Does anyone have a more consistat method for instructing customers so that I get the size correct the first time. The last 2 collars I sent out (same customer) have to come back because they are too long. I have a feeling that the customer measure wrong. He says he measured the way I instructed him to but I feel that he didn't understand my instructions. I'm starting to hate making collars because I worry about getting the size correct.

Thanks in advance,

John

[SimonJester753]

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/07/how-to_leather_dog_collar.html

I've been using the pattern from this article. I have the dog's owner measure around the neck up near the head with a tape measure. I tell them to make it snug– no room for fingers under the tape.

So far, no complaints about fit.