Limited slip lead/martingale collar

[BarkyKelpie]

Hi everyone!

This is my first project - lots of learning happened here! Plenty of things to tweak for next time. 

Sally competes in a bunch of dog sports, so I wanted something that's quick and easy to get on and off but is going to be comfortable for an excited dog to wait her turn in. This is roughly patterened off a coursing lead, photos attached of how it works. 

I'll add some chicago screws next to the dee rings when they arrive next week, and I'll swap the blue rope out for a colour that suits it a bit better once I get a splicing fid - the shopping list just keeps getting longer...

I'm also going to add a removable martingale loop, so she can wear it as a collar for walks in town - just a pain to get a martingale collar over those ears so the slip lead is better for competition.  

[Rohn]

The collar looks nice.  Interesting how it works too.

Edited June 1, 2019 by Rohn

[Rbarleatherworks]

Love it ... and it looks comfortable too

[Rockoboy]

Good job. I like the concept. A nice leather lead with bleed knots might be a good way to proceed.

[kgg]

Nice Kelpie looks energetic, evenly marked giving a very pleasing expression. I like the collar, nice and wide around the throat area it will help protect the throat from a pulling / lunging injury. The nylon lead wouldn't be my choice. A leather lead made from good horse harness weight leather will be stiff for a while but will last for years. I have some good leather leads that are at least 20 yrs old. The nylon kennel lead style leads last about 3 years. If you do decide to go leather for the lead part make sure it fits comfortably in your hand, to small will feel like it is cutting into your hand and to large feels like you can't close your hand. I like 3/4" width and the wife likes 3/8" on the same dog. If you feel comfortable the dog will sense this down the lead, if you are fiddling around with the lead the dog will be unsettled.

kgg

[kiwican]

Very nice!

[BarkyKelpie]

Thanks everyone

I want to keep it interchangeable between a slip lead and a martingale collar, so blood knots are out. I want her to be able to tug on the lead on the way in and out of the ring - so most of the slip lead will be braided polar fleece for a tug toy, so the perk of using rope is I can just unhitch it and throw it in the washing machine when it gets drooly, and there's no hardware her teeth could catch. 

Just trying to decide how to make the martingale loop while still having it strong and removable, and I will go for harness leather and chicago screws there I think - unless anyone has another idea?  Then of course I will need a nice leather lead to go with that! 

She is absolutely energetic! She's my pride and joy. 

[BarkyKelpie]

Another one! First go at tooling, lots of mistakes in it and I smudged the dye, but Kip doesn't mind. 

The scrollwork is a piece of a Don Gonzales pattern: https://dgsaddlery.com/product/feather-three-belt-pack/

[Rohn]

Very nice. Beautifully done. I'll have try something like that for my German Shepherds. 

[BarkyKelpie]

1 hour ago, Rohn said:

Very nice. Beautifully done. I'll have try something like that for my German Shepherds. 

It would look gorgeous on a shepherd!