# Handmade Leather Collars!



## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Hello All,

I'm pretty new to the forum, but I wanted to show everyone something I made today. I have a small side business of making leather goods for Firefighters. I make belts and suspenders and a few other things for our turnout gear. A friend asked me recently if i could make dog collars. Although i have never tried to make these specifically, here is what i came up with. It's for my little sisters 1yr GSD.

Let me know what you think, suggestions are welcome. FYI, it is 1 1/2" wide and te buckles are Stainless Steel. It's also been treated with Neatsfoot oil to preserve the leather and has been stamped with the dog's name.

Brian


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## Jesus Alvarez (Feb 6, 2009)

Nice work.


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Jesus Alvarez said:


> Nice work.


Thanks.


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

nice looking collars! - looks like they would last the life of the dog!


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Lynn Cheffins said:


> nice looking collars! - looks like they would last the life of the dog!


Much appreciated!


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Are you capable of stiching the leather or just rivots, JMO but it would probally add alot of strength if you are capable of doing it to add stiching to it. Anyways beside my opinion nice work.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

i have collars made up by a shoe guy and here's what i tell him :
1. make it "inside out" compared to what you see in this pic and on most collars because :
a. there is a smooth side and a ruff side to most belt leather unless a lot of time is taken to smooth both (read expensive and not necessary). i want the smooth side on my dock's neck, not on the outside for people to look at
b. same goes for the overlap; on the outside not inside on the dog's neck which makes for a little less chafing
c. same goes for any extra stitches, knots, rivet caps, etc 
=iow, looks on the "outside" of the collar are not so important for me=
2. i'll punch the holes when i fit it to the dog (quite a few extras on the one in the pic), and that usually only means three holes for me
3. i prefer to attach the Dring where your buckle is but that's just personal preference i guess

pure neatsfoot is great stuff; all we used for deep sea saltwater leather belts, straps and boots, etc, that got saturated under pressure....kept them workable for 20 years plus
- other stuff is out on the market that is good too but neatsfoot mixed with petrochems NOT good imo


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

sorry, forgot to include :
your collar IS nice !!!!

fwiw, hard (harness) leather well broken in with neatsfoot lasts longer than latigo that is softer to begin with


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I know I will regret asking, but what is the dring?


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## Skip Morgart (Dec 19, 2008)

Connie Sutherland said:


> I know I will regret asking, but what is the dring?


I'm assuming "D" ring.


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Harry Keely said:


> Are you capable of stiching the leather or just rivots, JMO but it would probally add alot of strength if you are capable of doing it to add stiching to it. Anyways beside my opinion nice work.


No, I don't have a sewing maching, as i don't sew any of the stuff i make for the FD. The gauge of leather is soo thick that i'd need an industrial leather sewing machine (a ton of money). Rivets are pretty strong, i would bet a paycheck that i could make a harness held by rivets and it would support 300lbs held above ground.



rick smith said:


> i have collars made up by a shoe guy and here's what i tell him :
> 1. make it "inside out" compared to what you see in this pic and on most collars because :
> a. there is a smooth side and a ruff side to most belt leather unless a lot of time is taken to smooth both (read expensive and not necessary). i want the smooth side on my dock's neck, not on the outside for people to look at
> b. same goes for the overlap; on the outside not inside on the dog's neck which makes for a little less chafing
> ...


I always put the rough end inside, however i do shave/round the edges so there isn't a sharp edge that will rub against the wearer. I put the extra holes on this collar because i didn't know what size he is and better to have too much than not enough.



rick smith said:


> sorry, forgot to include :
> your collar IS nice !!!!
> 
> fwiw, hard (harness) leather well broken in with neatsfoot lasts longer than latigo that is softer to begin with


I used to use Lexol, but now i just use 100% Neatsfoot. I dip the whole item (before attaching the hardware) in Neatsfoot oil and let it soak in for a number of minutes. Thanks for the advise!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Skip Morgart said:


> I'm assuming "D" ring.




I knew I would regret asking. :lol:


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Brian Hicks said:


> No, I don't have a sewing maching, as i don't sew any of the stuff i make for the FD. The gauge of leather is soo thick that i'd need an industrial leather sewing machine (a ton of money). Rivets are pretty strong, i would bet a paycheck that i could make a harness held by rivets and it would support 300lbs held above ground.
> 
> 
> *Is there different grades of rivots for leather, just asking because I dont have a clue myself, we have a horse guy that makes horse stuff and has for years here, he uses straight rivots and nothing else, I have had him make a couple for the mals / DS and they have broke everyone of them, always though on tie outs from popping back and forth on them, never while on leash in front of handler. So was just curious so I could tell him what he needs to change. I just know my stich ones I still have for years and hopely will have for a long time to come, I am a tight ass .thanks in advance*
> ...


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Not bad at all...

you can stitch leather by hand too ya know ...


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Harry,

There are plenty of sizes of rivets. I use #9 solid copper rivets and burrs.. Head size 1/2"- Tube Diameter 4.0mm- 1 1/4" post height (before i cut and dome them)



Joby Becker said:


> Not bad at all...
> 
> you can stitch leather by hand too ya know ...


Thanks Joby. Hand sewing looks to be a serious pain in the ass. Thankfully none of my other items require sewing!


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## Joby Becker (Dec 13, 2009)

Brian Hicks said:


> Harry,
> 
> There are plenty of sizes of rivets. I use #9 solid copper rivets and burrs.. Head size 1/2"- Tube Diameter 4.0mm- 1 1/4" post height (before i cut and dome them)
> 
> ...


I used to frequent many bulldog events, there were guys that made stuff on the spot for you, some of those guys could pound out a nice collar while you waited..stitching and all...

I have been interested in leather work... just never got around to it.


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Joby Becker said:


> I used to frequent many bulldog events, there were guys that made stuff on the spot for you, some of those guys could pound out a nice collar while you waited..stitching and all...
> 
> I have been interested in leather work... just never got around to it.


They must have had alot of game then. I learned from an old timer who passed away about 5 months after he taught me. So i picked up a bit and have had to learn by trial and error.


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## Thomas Jones (Feb 4, 2011)

They look really good. Like something you'd buy off a shelf. 

Kind of OT but I made a tug the other day with a rolled up t shirt, a piece of croaker sack, and rope. Took the shirt and rolled it. Took the rope and put it around the edges of the shirt and burnt the ends together. Took the burlap and wrapped it around it and got my mom to sow around the edges for me. Its just as good as any tug you could buy


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

For a couple years, I used to spend forty hours a week astride one of these "stitching horses". It's no pain in the ass IMO, I really enjoyed it. You'll develop a damn good grip from the exercise, and the finished product looks a helluva lot nicer.


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Brian Hicks said:


> Harry,
> 
> There are plenty of sizes of rivets. I use #9 solid copper rivets and burrs.. Head size 1/2"- Tube Diameter 4.0mm- 1 1/4" post height (before i cut and dome them)
> 
> ...


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Daryl Ehret said:


> For a couple years, I used to spend forty hours a week astride one of these "stitching horses". It's no pain in the ass IMO, I really enjoyed it. You'll develop a damn good grip from the exercise, and the finished product looks a helluva lot nicer.


I would love to learn sometime!


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## Harry Keely (Aug 26, 2009)

Mr. Hicks whats your take on the synthetic stuff thats being sold all over the place for collars, leashes,etc.......


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Harry Keely said:


> Mr. Hicks whats your take on the synthetic stuff thats being sold all over the place for collars, leashes,etc.......


If by "synthetic" you are talking about leather goods...alot of it is called "Bonded" leather, which basically means it's all the left over scraps of good leather. They take that stuff, grind it up, glue it and press it together to make whatever stuff they want. I'ts kinda the same concept as plywood. Garbage.

I've been doing leather for almost 5 years now, and i'm by far not an expert. When i do see items in stores, i pretty much have a good idea of what leather it is, it's quality, and it's actual cost in materials. Alot of collars and leashes are made with cheap nickle-plated brass or zinc hardware. That stuff is really really cheap. I use ONLY Stainless Steel or Solid Brass (if they want a gold look). Same with the leather i use. A hide i recently purchased ran me over $260, when i could have bought the lower end stuff for around $150. I want my stuff to last.

In short, if it feels/looks cheap.. it is. A good way to gauge is how heavy your item is. Heavier = Good Materials = Long Lasting.


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## Tim Lynam (Jun 12, 2009)

Brian,

"Traditionally," the D ring goes where you have the buckle. That way, if the leather holding the D ring fails, (I've never had it happen...) the D ring is trapped by the buckled collar leather.

I've used rivets (thread locked chicago screws too) for 20 years; but, I also use Barges contact cement wherever the leather overlaps at the rivet joint. Unlike sewed joints, the Barges gets stronger over time, remains flexible forever, doesn't rot, is stronger than the leather and in terms of time spent is much faster than sewing. Cobblers have used Barges to glue on shoe soles for 100 years... It works.

Over the years I've had working dog handlers try to break my leads and had 1 failure. I had a $100.00 bounty on breaking a 3/8" obedience lead I made. One psycho had his 2 Rotties tow a 3/4 pickup with it and failed to break it. After 2 years of abuse, a hander staked out his English mastiff on it and agitated the dog with a bite sleeve for 10 minutes and it finally failed.

Sooooo, for anything leather made for a dog, rivets and contact cement work just fine! Let the other guys get the hemorrhoids sittin' on a stitching horse...

Have fun! Leather is a great and productive thing to work with.

Tim


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## Tim Lynam (Jun 12, 2009)

Hey Brian,

Instead of Brass, go with Bronze. It's almost twice as strong and only marginally more costly. Like you, I like Stainless too!

By the way, that 3/8" bounty lead broke; BUT, NOT at the riveted/bonded areas!
Tim


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Tim Lynam said:


> Brian,
> 
> "Traditionally," the D ring goes where you have the buckle. That way, if the leather holding the D ring fails, (I've never had it happen...) the D ring is trapped by the buckled collar leather.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info Tim. I'm familiar with Chicago Screws, but i never use them on my other stuff. Same with the Cement. The only chemicals i use on the leather is Fiebing's Edge Finish, 100% Neatsfoot Oil, and Bickmore's Bick-4 Leather Conditioner as needed.

That's awesome about your leads. When i first started out, i was using a lower grade of leather on my suspenders. I wasn't soaking them in Neatsfoot. Then guys would wear them to fires, and all the sweat would seep into the suspenders and crack and stain the leather. I was having to replace those items for free, until i figured it out. You haveta stand by your stuff. I tell guy's i'll fixx it for free if it's a craftsmanship or material issue.... and in the past few years i haven't had to do any fixes.


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Tim Lynam said:


> Hey Brian,
> 
> Instead of Brass, go with Bronze. It's almost twice as strong and only marginally more costly. Like you, I like Stainless too!
> 
> ...


My supplier doesn't have many options in Bronze. If i see some, i'll try it out.


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## Tim Lynam (Jun 12, 2009)

I'm with you on the Neatsfoot oil! A handler lost her lead in the woods and 2 years of MI weather later her dog found it again. It was just fine. Good stuff.

I'm not sure about the chemical concerns. The solvent out gases within a week and leaves no trace; but, to each his own!

There's a lot to be said about making things right to begin with, eh? My guarantee covers everything but the dog using my stuff as a chew toy. (Been there, done that!)

Tim


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## Brian Hicks (May 10, 2011)

Tim Lynam said:


> I'm with you on the Neatsfoot oil! A handler lost her lead in the woods and 2 years of MI weather later her dog found it again. It was just fine. Good stuff.
> 
> I'm not sure about the chemical concerns. The solvent out gases within a week and leaves no trace; but, to each his own!
> 
> ...


Very true bud. Most items madetoday are so cheap that they can be just thrown away and you have to buy a new one, instead of being made with quality materials and legit craftsmanship in the first place.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

I worked a couple years under the apprenticeship of a well known cobbler in Bozeman MT, as well. One day, he suddenly had a bad case of short term memory loss. They took him to several clinics to investigate the cause, inclunding the Mayo clinic, and they never could determine the cause. The chemicals like cement were greatly suspect. He didn't even know his wife, and one week after disappearing, they found him hitch-hiking with a pair of boots under his arm in Arizona. He retired and but his business up for sale, but that sort of influenced my decision to not make a career of it.


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## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

Nice looking stuff. I do some leather work. I do have a machine and all my adult collars are 2 ply bridle leather. I just dont have much free time so hardly mess with it anymore. 

I did order some synthetic im gonna try out. 

Keep up the good work!!


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## Tim Lynam (Jun 12, 2009)

Daryl,

I always tried to do my work in the summer, outside with a good breeze at my back! Toluene, benzene and heptane can be hazardous to your health. As with anything worth doing, precautions must be taken. Which takes me to why I started leather work. As a decoy, I got tired of people showing up for bite work with a piece of clothes line for a lead... Making stout leads and collars for the cheap bastards was just my form of self preservation.

I have to admit, stitched leather does look right though. Classic lookin'. As with Barges, the new bonding agents are making it obsolete. Other than tradition there is no reason for me to use a contact cement as hazardous as Barges. There are some new safer ones on the market that are probably better for the job anyway.

Thanks for the kick in the pants example Daryl. Looks like some field tests are in order! OMG, am I actually considering going "Green?"

Tim


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## Brian Anderson (Dec 2, 2010)

Tim thats some funny shit bout the clothes line. I had a guy show up about a year ago he had a presa dragging him across the yard. He had one of those flat water hoses tied to the damn dogs cloth cheap ass collar. My wife saw that and said "this guy shows up with a 2000.00 dollar dog on a piece of freakin water hose....he can leave now" lmao

funny but kinda sad too.


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