First leather project. Dog collar/leash sets

[Ulendon]

They are far from perfect but good enough to give out to the people on my flyball team (team colors are red and black). I learned a lot and each one gets better. By the time I do another 7-8 for the rest of the dogs on the team, I think I might have it figured out. I would like to figure out how to get rid of some of the bulk where the hardware is.

 

 

 

[kiwican]

Those look super cool. Have you considered skiving down the areas around the hardware to thin it out some? 

[Ulendon]

1 hour ago, kiwican said:

Those look super cool. Have you considered skiving down the areas around the hardware to thin it out some? 

I did skive the base layer down about 50% but I'm afraid to loose more and have them not be strong enough.

 

[kiwican]

You could also try a V gouge then and carve a small trench out where the hardware will be.?

[fredk]

Are you double layering the collars? you only need one layer to fold over for the hardware

[Ulendon]

I don't own that tool, but that seems like a good idea. Thanks!

[Ulendon]

22 minutes ago, fredk said:

Are you double layering the collars? you only need one layer to fold over for the hardware

They have a base layer of 5-6 oz shoulder then 1 layer of 1/5-2 ounce red buffalo calf and a layer of 1/5-2 ounce calf on top with the cutout.So when I fold it over, I don't want just the layers of calf holding the hardware which is why I skived the base layer about in half at the fold. I tapered the skiv, but maybe I should do it more like a step?

[Ulendon]

Here is what the spot where the D-ring goes looks like. Ignore the extra piece of leather there so the clamps don't mar the finished surface. I'm hesitant to skiv any more, these need to be really strong.

[fredk]

I would

1. shorten the red. feather skive it and have it end before where the layers meet on the fold, ie if the bit on the back folded over is 1 inch, then have the red end about 1.25 or 1.5 before the fold. That will take away about  2.2 mm

2.  feather skive the outer and shorten it to about 3/4 the length of the outer piece, ie if the bit folded over is 1 inch then the outer layer is only about 3/4 inch long. That will make the thickness at about 1/2 inch along most of the thickness of the two outside layers but tapering away to under 1mm at their ends

3.  I say 1 inch, but to me that is too short on these sorts of straps I'd have no less than 2 inches, preferably 2.5 inches

4.  I think stitching across the leather is not good. I'd have two parallel lines of stitching, each about 5mm in from the edges. Each starting at the D loop, or as close to, and running at least 2 or 3 stitches over and beyond the skived ends of the folded piece

[Ulendon]

fredk, thank you so much! That makes total sense. What tool does one use for feather skivving? 

Edited August 25, 2019 by Ulendon

[fredk]

use your standard skiver.

either the safety beveler; https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/safety-beveler

a super skiver;  https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/super-skiver, I think better than the safety beveler for strap end skiving

I also have this skiver for straps;  bhttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Black-Handheld-Skiver-Cutting-Splitter-Cut-Leather-Tools-Skiving-Machine-New-vs-/123067708889?hash=item1ca76835d9   which is a big investment but very useful when doing a number of straps from the same leather as it can be set up to do all the same.

a note on the names of things;  I call a 'skive' or 'standard skive' skiving leather down say from 4mm to 2mm. There is still some thickness at the end. I call a 'feather skive' is when I skive down so that the edge is as thin as the thinnest tissue paper which has been thinned. It needs the strap to have an allowance for it as when I do it the end might not be straight and needs cut with scissors to tidy it.

PS. on the stitching. I'm not constant. When I sew from the D along the strap, sometimes I just do the straight-away, sometimes I take the first stitch over the edge of the strap a couple of times before doing the straight-away. I think Al Stohlman recommended doing it this way.

On 8/25/2019 at 1:15 AM, kiwican said:

You could also try a V gouge then and carve a small trench out where the hardware will be.?

 

23 hours ago, Ulendon said:

I don't own that tool, but that seems like a good idea. Thanks!

There is a V gouge, but it can be a chance that the one you get actually works. Mine doesn't work well.

https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/craftool-adjustable-v-gouge-2

What I used to use was a wood carver's V chisel. Now for handiness I use these, they are edges as well as V groovers; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-5Pcs-Working-Hand-leather-Edge-Skiving-DIY-Tools-Keen-Edge-Beveler-Silver/273261100050

Another thought; if you are not doing it now. Use contact glue on your fold over. Wet the fold area, fold over the D, glue down and tap it down with a mallet then clamp up for a while, then stitch it

 

[Ulendon]

I have the super skiver tool, I didn't think it would work on the thinner leathers but I'll give it a try. I'll try another round of collars as soon as I get more dog measurements!