Skyler Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Well, my trusty leather leash that I have had for almost 20 years is starting to wear out. There are small cracks in the leash at this point that I am assuming they will only get worse with time. It has been through many many dogs (my own and training others) and has been soaked, muddy, blown off the roof of my car at 40 mph, seen quite a few deep wilderness backpacking trips and has been on every walk I have ever taken a dog on since owning it. Its so darn soft and supple that I am having loss issues...LOL. It should hold for a while but its time to invest in a new one. There are plenty around here at the pet stores but none to my liking. The ones that LOOK like my leash are lesser immitations. I think I spent about $35 on this one years ago and I am willing to spend up to $50 - 60 if it is going to last me another 15-20 years. I just dont know where to purchase such a sturdy and well crafted leash these days. Where all do you buy your doggy gear and what leashes do you recommend? I dont like all of the twisty braiding and couldnt care less about flashy Italian designer stuff. Mine is just a six foot brown leather training leash with a stainless latch, looped end and reinforced stitching. Simple, sturdy, supple (and moreso with wear) and everlasting is what Im searching for. Here are some pics to give you an idea plus one of the damage: Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexie Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 We make our own. Know anyone who makes or repairs leather horse tack? They might be able to make you one. When you get a new one, be sure to keep it well treated with leather grease or oil. It'll last a lot longer and won't crack like that. A good wash with saddle soap and a thorough treating with grease may actually help the old one last a while longer. Molly's leash and collar are regularly regreased. Because of the wear and the water, it is treated more often than our horse tack. Both are very soft and supple and show no real signs of wear except the mark in the collar from the buckle. A good greasing can also help soften up the new one. Just find some good horse people and ask them for tips for leather care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyler Posted July 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 We make our own. Know anyone who makes or repairs leather horse tack? They might be able to make you one. When you get a new one, be sure to keep it well treated with leather grease or oil. It'll last a lot longer and won't crack like that. I dont know anyone off hand but I do know a lot of horse folks (I live in Indiana for cryin out loud )that could steer me in the right direction. There is a great saddle shop out in the boonies near here that might be worth a shot as well. As for the greasing, would it keep it from cracking after almost 20 years of training and hard use? I did used to oil it every so often but got lazy the last few years. Thats probably what did it in. Good advice and I will look into that avenue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo Peep Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Oh, I get the cheapest at Dr. Foster & smith. 4 footers. I bought a dozen. LOL. Pink and blue. Once your dog is trained, it's no biggie. I get the "puppy ones". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexie Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 As for the greasing, would it keep it from cracking after almost 20 years of training and hard use? I did used to oil it every so often but got lazy the last few years. Thats probably what did it in. Cracking leather is usually dry, so it very well could. A lot of horse people have leather tack older than that. DH's saddle is way older. His bridle, which is in perfect shape, is probably 10-15 years old at least and he uses it A LOT. Use for him includes riding in the sea. Well-greased leather sheds water and can easily be wiped clean of mud and dirt. The stitching is more of a weakness than the leather itself. I don't have any on my leash. My hand loop and the clip are held on with easy-to-replace leather strings and tied like tack often is. If it can hold a horse, it ought to be able to hold a 40 pound dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyler Posted July 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Oh, I get the cheapest at Dr. Foster & smith. 4 footers. I bought a dozen. LOL. Pink and blue. Once your dog is trained, it's no biggie. I get the "puppy ones". LOL...I have some of those for the Chihuahuas too - pink and black...and I wouldnt be caught dead with the pink one! However, I have an 8 month old and the other just turned a year (and didnt even know sit when I got him 4 months ago). I need a nice leather one for training the next few years for my dogs alone not to mention training others. Besides, there is nothing like the feel of a fine supple leather leash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaisingRiver Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I have 4 brown leather leashes, all from Petsmart. I've had at least one of leashes for the last 7 years. They get nice and supple in a short amount of time. I believe they are made from a tack making company. Mine are the 6 footers, 1 inch wide. You can even order them online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I like the leashes from J&J. No stitching to rot, come in different lengths, and reasonably priced for quality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdarling Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I get my leather collars from Gun Dog Supply. They are around $5 each ... very well made ... and come with a personalized riveted name tag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc4pack Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 http://www.rayallen.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcpon Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I just bought 4 new 6" latigo leashes from Max200 and LOVE them. I paid about $10.00 per leash and the quality is GREAT. They come in 3 colors and you can get get lengths from 2 feet up to 6 feet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I get my stuff from Bill Boatmans.com I haven't bought a leash since I can remember but they have nice stuff and I get collars by the dozen cause we swim so much that eventually they start to stink, especially on the LGD's (but I don't have them anymore) or if we move, foster dogs go with collars (incase they bolt or run away they have my name and # on them). I like the plastic coated nylon collars, they don't get stinky or yucky for quite some time. They have lots of different quality to choose from. I think the first leather leash I bought was from a feed mill and is still sitting in my car waiting for me to drag it out, which I do on the occasional walk in a public place. It's probably 13 years old. My fav. leash is the 50 cent leads that you buy in bulk. They're slip leads and I put clips on both ends so I don't have to use them as such and have a way to clip them to a fence or my car if I need to. If I lose one, no biggie. My next fav. leash would probably be a piece of rope with a clip. Again, if I lose it I'm not bumming. When I first started training dogs, I bought fancier stuff. Now I buy better dogs and don't need all the fancy stuff. K~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms.DaisyDuke Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Wow. 20 years, they don't make stuff like that anymore! I had one almost similar to the one in your pictures. It lasted 1 year because the "double stiching" came out. I felt ripped off. I only use nylon now because I expect them to break, I don't want to be let down again. I think you should go talk to the folks at the saddle place...they should at least be able to steer you in the right direction. Good luck on the search!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie Meier Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I can make you one, I made the black custom ones that were awarded at The Bluegrass with the custom collars. They are all cut, sewn and finished by hand. waynescustomleather.com/dog_collars.htm Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 I don't really buy leashes any more, but i have 2 6-foot leather ones that i got from J&J over 15 years ago. I understand your pain - i'd hate to lose one after all these years. Check out J&J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 2, 2008 Report Share Posted July 2, 2008 Forgot to mention that (thanks to Robin) I get my vinyl-covered nylon collars with center ring from Don Nix. Great price, fast service, collars last a good long time and don't get stinky (and mine are exposed to cow manure and mud, and spend plenty of time in water and salt water with the dogs - they just rinse off easily). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanillalove Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 20 years?! That's incredible. That's really all I have to say, Pete uses a chain leash because when he grabs his leash while I'm getting ready for our walks, he does damage on any leather or nylon, and chain doesn't appeal to his teeth much. Good luck in your search! Keep the leash anyways, for memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyler Posted July 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 20 years?! That's incredible. That's really all I have to say, Pete uses a chain leash because when he grabs his leash while I'm getting ready for our walks, he does damage on any leather or nylon, and chain doesn't appeal to his teeth much. Good luck in your search! Keep the leash anyways, for memories. I sat and really thought about how long I have had this leash and it has been 17 to be factual. Regardless, that is a LONG time for a leash and it has been through some serious abuse. I do plan on keeping it anyway. Its still in working order but I have a feeling that it will eventually fail. I'll get the new one, oil this one and save it for a backup should I lose the other. As I mentioned before, I left this one on top of my car (I do that kinda stuff to often ) and was lucky to get it back. I have been looking at a lot of places including having one made by Debbie on the forum here - she has some nice stuff so check out her link above! One of the places I have discovered lets you custom select your materials down to the clips, leather and color, stitching/rivet preference and style. They are here: http://www.ldsleather.com/index.html Looks like nice stuff! The site isnt the easiest to find your way around but they are indeed fully custom if you choose. Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mojo Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 I highly recommend Chris Thorndyke, a gentleman from England who handcrafts leather. He doesn't have his own website, but he regularly puts standard items like collars and leashes for sale on eBay. The leash I ordered from him two years ago has held up through rain, sand, dirt, mud, and being dragged through dog park mayhem, and it only has become more supple and gorgeous. Here is Chris' photo of a new leash and his eBay seller link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=130218789215 Chris makes each order from scratch, and I can vouch that his products are some of the finest leatherwork I've ever seen--beveled edges, hand-dyed (i.e., totally color-fast!), NO RIVETS to weaken the leather stress points--everything is all exquisitely hand-stitched. There is an option of having brass hardware, and the leashes come standard with a ring in the end so that you can shorten the leash to half-length for extra control in close quarters....and all this handmade work at a GREAT PRICE (just $18 USD, which rivals major pet superstore prices for nylon and machine-made stuff)! Even with fast postage from the UK to the US (I received mine in less than a week), I don't think I paid more than $25 total. I was so happy to have found him, especially since Chris also does custom work! I had him craft a custom collar for Mojo: a leather, fully-opening adjustable buckle martingale collar (called a "half-check" collar in the UK) so that you can take it on and off easily like a regular buckle collar without having to adjust it to pull it over the dog's head. While Chris already had a preexisting adjustable half-check collar design, he was happy to accommodate the additional specifications I requested (i.e., Mojo's neck size, with a brass chain, leather keepers (like a horse bridle) instead of metal, and an additional leather flap (buckle guard) covering the underside of the buckle so that no metal would dig into Mojo's throat if he should put pressure on the collar. Like the leash, Chris made me Mojo's collar at an excellent price (only around $16 USD!!), and he did it all, from scratch, in less than TWO DAYS and sent it! Here are pictures of the (now) two-year-old collar that receives plentiful daily abuse (I've used Passier Lederbalsam very sparingly once as a preventive to keep both the leash and collar supple, and occasionally use Lexol pH cleaner/conditioner when they get super dirty): If Chris is not running a current eBay ad for leashes, just e-mail him and he'll put one up, and you will be able to buy one safely through the eBay system. Just for completeness, I had also contacted another leather artisan at http://www.mjleatherwork.com, and although she is also very nice and does gorgeous, fancy work, she is very expensive, and takes around eight weeks to turn around an order. If you all you need is a leash, I say, go for Chris! In any case, good luck with the leash hunt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyric Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Quillin Leather and Tack makes some very nice custom collars and leashes. http://www.quillin.com/jshop/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizmo Posted July 5, 2008 Report Share Posted July 5, 2008 I got mine from a friend I met on another dog forum. She does lovely work and the leads are extremely sturdy, yet small and stylish. I've gotten 2 traffic leads, one 6ft lead for Lizzie, and one smaller 6ft lead for Blaze. If you would like to contact her, let me know and I'll give you her email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haleigh Posted July 6, 2008 Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 If you want a real nice, sturdy leash, this woman makes them with kangaroo, bridle leather, and latigo leather: http://www.leashesbylyndale.com/ I'm ordering a leash and martingale combo for Joy soon...it's a bit pricey, but I know someone who has had a kangaroo leash for 15 years and it still looks brand new. Me? I'm opting for plain old bridle leather... As for my current leash. Haha, that was an impulse buy from petsmart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BustopherJones Posted July 6, 2008 Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 I get most of my on-line purchases from KV Vet; whatever KV Vet doesn't have, I usually get from Care-A-Lot Pets. The only things I buy locally are incidentals or emergency needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
border_collie_crazy Posted July 6, 2008 Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 I keep "the ultimate leash" from aroundthehounds.com, I used to use other leashes, but I boaught one of these, used it once and turned around and bought a bunch more. all my previous leashes now sit un touched. I gave one of these leashes to my dad for Guinness, and he(my dad) is in love with it too lol. many of my collars also come from ATH. the leashes are pricy, but they are waaayyy worth it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyler Posted July 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2008 I keep "the ultimate leash" from aroundthehounds.com, I used to use other leashes, but I boaught one of these, used it once and turned around and bought a bunch more. all my previous leashes now sit un touched. I gave one of these leashes to my dad for Guinness, and he(my dad) is in love with it too lol. many of my collars also come from ATH. the leashes are pricy, but they are waaayyy worth it lol These look like VERY nice leashes but I think I would be afraid to get it dirty! I wouldnt mind having one of these in black just for walks and pet store adventures but I dont think I would want to use one for training purposes. After all, they werent intended for that. I might give one of these a shot after picking up a leather lead though. It looks like something my wife would claim as hers so I would probably have to buy two if I liked it BTW - did you say you traded one of these to your dad for beer (Guiness)? Perhaps Im missing something but if not, at least you picked the best! Im still searching for the one that makes me feel right although I have a few really good options thanks to all of you. I feel like such a dork looking at all of these leashes and shopping as critically as I would a new car But you know, after all of these years this old leash feels like that favorite pair of Levis jeans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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