Can You Spot Real Rolled Leatherwork?

[unicornleather]

I have seen lots of so called "rolled" leatherwork on internet auctions and websites recently which is not rolled work.
For anyone who is thinking of buying a piece of rolled work whether a bridle or a dog lead/collar here are a few pointers to look out for.
IF you are happy with cheap imitations then fine, this article won't concern you, if you want the real thing read on.
Firstly, proper rolled work involves splitting the leather thickness down, adding a central round core and "rolling" the leather round to give it the shape. Then it should be hand stitched down one side and then finally worked in a rounding block to turn the ends of the leather back over the stitching to hide it. . There's a LOT of work involved to make rolled leatherwork. When finished and smoothed over with a bone and stain, you'll see the edges of the leather but you won't see the stitches, this is proper top quality rolled work.
Most of the rolled work I am seeing you can see the stitching and by looking at the stitching I can tell it's simply run through on a machine, the stitches don't last as long as hand stitched.
I'm also seeing lots of round leather belting which are lengths of leather bonded together and shaped into a round form.We use it for belts on old treadle sewing machines, some time ago people started using it to make dog leads/collars even bridles but it stretches like mad. I have made a slip lead out of it for my Lurcher, it's cheaper but not as good or as strong as rolled work. The round leather belting will always break before proper rolled work.
Proper rolled work costs much more than round leather belting because of the amount of labour involved so prices should give you a clue, cheap rolled work that you can see the stitching is probably machined or if it is hand stitched it's done by someone who doesn't know how to make rolled work properly, the stitches SHOULD not be seen as the leather turned over them protects them against wear and is an important part of the rolled work manufacture.
Round leather belting is cheaper as you simply buy a roll of it and cut off the length you need to make the item.
The turns on this belting (as in "turn" of leather round fitting such as ring or a buckle) are it's main weak point, even whipped and bound will not be as strong as proper rolled work.
Next time you go to buy any rolled leatherwork and you really WANT rolled work, have a good look at it first, don't simply ask the sellers how it was manufactured, they don't seem to know as I have asked a few.
Hope you can make sense of what I am trying to explain to you.

I have attached some photos:

The first photo if of a dog collar, it's a massed produced and is rolled but not made or used properly in the fact that you can see the stitches still, it's been made by a sewing machine. Not used properly in the fact that the stitches should face towards the animal it's used on, unlike in the photo. The idea is to turn the edges of the leather back over the stitches so you can't see them, it stops them wearing through or rubbing the animal's coat or skin when worn and is the correct way to make and use ROLLED WORK

This second photo below is a driving bridle throat, I made it by hand and the little ridges you can just see are where the stitching is under the leather. We put the edges of the leather in a rolling block and gently work it in to this shape, the stitches last so much longer, won't rub the animal and this is the correct way to make ROLLED WORK. The customer would be presented with the good smooth side facing out,with no ridges where the stitches are under the leather showing or facing them.
When this throat was new, the leather would have been much further down over the stitches to hide the thread more than it is today but this bridle IS 27 years old!
Traditional saddlery is all about safety and presentation, some techniques were developed 200 years ago or more when horses were the main mode of transport. Infact in Victorian times brown Saddlers (term given to men who made gentlemen's riding saddles and bridles) would have had to use white thread so the customer could check your quality of stitching and work made with stitches of up to 16 to the inch not uncommon.
Most bridles now use 8 to the inch and are machined.
How many of you insist on white threads, often 12 or more stitches to the inch and inspect the bridle before you decide to buy it?
Would you know hand stitching from machine stitching?
Food for thought

Lastly, the photo below is of ROUNDED LEATHER BELTING, people use it now for dog collars and leads, because mainly they don't know how to make real rolled work and it's quick, cheap and sells. It is not as strong as rolled work, will break before rolled work does and it tends to stretch where as rolled work doesn't if it's made well enough.I have seen it on bridles which is something I would not do or advise.
You can see the difference in thickness where it's stretched, look at the far left, then the far right, the right is near to the original thickness of when it was made.
It's a slip lead I made for my Lurcher so it's been used and a fit fluffy as the fibres get rubbed but you can see the difference to the real rolled work, the main weak link is the binding and underneath are a few stitches but this method of securing a turn of leather round the fitting is not as strong as a turn on rolled work.
I mainly use this ROUND LEATHER BELTING for a belt to run my ancient treadle 45k Singer sewing machine when it's needed.

Oz

Edited December 7, 2014 by unicornleather

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Amen to everything said in your post! I enjoy making rounds in the traditional manner; however, the problem lies in getting paid to do it. Most people don't recognize the difference, and furthermore, many don't care if it is explained to them. It is rewarding to find an occasional client who recognizes, or is willing to learn, the difference and willing to pay the extra. I do have machines that I can set up to make a hidden stitch, but after hand-sewing some rounds last summer, I much prefer the latter method for a custom piece. I would be quite interested to see more of your work. True craftsmanship lies in the type of work you are referring to and is performed by people such as yourself in your country. I am in awe of that type of work and also very envious:-)

[billybopp]

Thanks for the enlightenment!! I would simply have referred to all three above as rolled .. and perhaps that is part of the reason why they are all sold that way. Lay people are certainly not likely to know the difference if many or most leatherworkers do not!

Q: What sort of core would you find in a proper rolled piece core? .

And if anybody feels so inclined and happens to be making a proper rolled leather piece, take pics and post a tutorial? I'm really curious now!

Thanks

Bill

[unicornleather]

Amen to everything said in your post! I enjoy making rounds in the traditional manner; however, the problem lies in getting paid to do it. Most people don't recognize the difference, and furthermore, many don't care if it is explained to them. It is rewarding to find an occasional client who recognizes, or is willing to learn, the difference and willing to pay the extra. I do have machines that I can set up to make a hidden stitch, but after hand-sewing some rounds last summer, I much prefer the latter method for a custom piece. I would be quite interested to see more of your work. True craftsmanship lies in the type of work you are referring to and is performed by people such as yourself in your country. I am in awe of that type of work and also very envious:-)

Thanks, my website home page has a few bits and pieces I have made but I have been a saddler for 26-27 years so there's LOADS I haven't photographed !

Here:

http://www.unicornleather.co.uk/

I don't do much leatherwork these days, it's mainly synthetic stuff, for instance I am making a 30 foot x 6 foot trailer cover for a glider trailer at the momentm, then have a studded(spikes) black leather dog collar for my mates Doberman, then cable parachute making (for local gliding school) and then more Locatas, I manufacture on a grand scale for equestrian wholesalers and retailers mostly, there's very LITTLE bespoke leatherwork needed now.And I haven't made a saddle for years!

Thanks for the enlightenment!! I would simply have referred to all three above as rolled .. and perhaps that is part of the reason why they are all sold that way. Lay people are certainly not likely to know the difference if many or most leatherworkers do not!

Q: What sort of core would you find in a proper rolled piece core? .

And if anybody feels so inclined and happens to be making a proper rolled leather piece, take pics and post a tutorial? I'm really curious now!

Thanks

Bill

We use polycord inside the rolled work if that's not available then electric cable of the right diameter can be used.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I use a strip of leather inside my rounds. I cut it wider than what it will finish out to, and then trim after sewing. The outer piece of the round is sent through a "round breaker" which is an attachment on the end of my creasing machine. This gives the strap a perfect "U" shape much faster and easier than can be done by hand. The filler is sandwiched inside the "U". After everything is sewn up and trimmed, I pull the round through a rounder, which has a series of different sized holes and is made for this purpose. That is a very overly simplified explanation of how I make my rounds, and in using machinery, I guess not entirely traditional in the way I do it. I believe Bruce Johnson did a great tutorial on this subject awhile back. If I get time sometime, maybe I'll take a series of pictures at different stages of the process. I enjoy making them, but as I said in my precious post, it's tough to find anyone who wants to pay for the time it takes to make them. The picture attached is a throatlatch on a halter I made earlier this fall. No visible stitches in the rolled area, just the stitches to attach it to the hardware.

[unicornleather]

I use a strip of leather inside my rounds. I cut it wider than what it will finish out to, and then trim after sewing. The outer piece of the round is sent through a "round breaker" which is an attachment on the end of my creasing machine. This gives the strap a perfect "U" shape much faster and easier than can be done by hand. The filler is sandwiched inside the "U". After everything is sewn up and trimmed, I pull the round through a rounder, which has a series of different sized holes and is made for this purpose. That is a very overly simplified explanation of how I make my rounds, and in using machinery, I guess not entirely traditional in the way I do it. I believe Bruce Johnson did a great tutorial on this subject awhile back. If I get time sometime, maybe I'll take a series of pictures at different stages of the process. I enjoy making them, but as I said in my precious post, it's tough to find anyone who wants to pay for the time it takes to make them. The picture attached is a throatlatch on a halter I made earlier this fall. No visible stitches in the rolled area, just the stitches to attach it to the hardware.

Nice work

[DavidL]

unicorn leather - do you have a tutorial available online?

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Thanks Unicorn. I do my best.

[unicornleather]

unicorn leather - do you have a tutorial available online?

Unfortunately not, I do try to help new Saddlers, saddle fitters and leathercraft people where I can by giving them advice if I am able to. I do have articles I have written on my website but that's mainly for the equestrian trade here

http://www.unicornleather.co.uk/saddlery_demonstrations.html

I have a few photos of how to do things on basic stuff like cutting an eggpoint, skiving down etc but my leatherwork is always saddlery based rather than the leathercraft I mainly see on here.

[MonicaJacobson]

Fascinating, I haven't seen that kind of work before. Ditto Bill - if anyone ever does a tutorial, I'd love to see how it works.

[wlg190861]

So you are saying a rein rounder to make round reins is not authentic ?

[unicornleather]

I am not familiar with a rein rounder, what do you mean by a rein rounder?

[wlg190861]

This is a rein rounder. This is a how to make a true round.

[MonicaJacobson]

My husband and I were looking at those online two nights ago and arguing about how they work. Do they cut all the square bits off of a long piece of leather as you send it through, or does it fold and compress the leather?

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

A rein rounder is just one tool used in the fairly detailed process of making rounds. It does not cut off the corners nor does it fold the leather. It simply trues up the round by pulling the round back and forth through the holes AFTER it has been sewn, the filler trimmed off, and the corners taken off with a heavy edger. It is about the last step in the process. All styles of rounds can be made round by pulling through the rounder, whether they are "true" rounds, "false" rounds (really is a term, not being a smart-ass), stitches-exposed rounds, or a single piece of round belting made into a dog leash. Braiders also use them to true up their work. Usually the work is cased up before it is pulled through the rounder, and I often use a little saddle soap to act as a lubricant and aid in burnishing the exposed edges. There is lots of work that goes into making a round before it ever sees the rounder.

[bruce johnson]

Here's a link to my web page that has the tutorials. Interestingly enough, rein rounders are at the top of the page - http://brucejohnsonleather.com/tutorials/

[MonicaJacobson]

Thanks Big Sioux and Bruce, the explanation and Bruce's tutorial answer all of my questions. Thanks a lot! It's amazing how much easier it is to understand once it's drawn out on paper.

[unicornleather]

So you are saying a rein rounder to make round reins is not authentic ?

Right now someone has shown me a rein rounder I can answer your question. The rein rounder's end result will be the same as when we use our rounding blocks that we use in the UK. We lay the stitched work in the rounding block and gently tap it with a hammer to roll the leather into shape and turn the leather back over the stitches. ANY "rolled" work that has the stitches showing still as in the first photo I showed you at the beginning of my thread is not true rolled work, this applies when either a rounding block or a rein rounder is used.

Edited December 17, 2014 by unicornleather