Recently I have undertaken a new craft in braiding leather show leads and chokes and manufacturing kennel leads. I am also investigating the processes for making nylon show leads and chokes.
All the leather show leads are crafted from Kangaroo leather lacing. The leather lacing comes in a variety of colors (natural, brown, saddle brown, black, white, limited metallic colors: silver, bronze and gold, and by special order: blue, red, yellow, etc.) and two sizes: 1/8" (big dogs) and 3/32" (toys). It is a four-way braid that I generally braid without a core following the directions and examples of the cowboys that used this braid for their lariats. I can braid the leads and collars with a core upon special order. The current core that I am using will hold ALL big dogs. The braid itself is done generally in one color, but by special order can be done with two, three or four colors in either a diamond or candy can stripe pattern. Recently I have completed a 2 blue, 1 white, 1 brown lead for a blue merle Australian shepherd that is beautiful. The combinations are endless and can be done to match your dog's color and enhance their "look" in the show ring.
The show leads are designed in the standard lengths or 24", 36" or 48", but again by special order can be crafted to any length. They come either with a snap or as a loop. The chokes are from 14" to 20" by the inch, and can also be made by special order. By special order the choke can be attached permanently to the lead. I will also attach the lead permanently to metal chokes as provided by the customer.
I also craft a sliding single piece martingale lead with or without a swivel for the toys and dogs that would prefer not to have a choke on. These are made to order and have very limited colors available. They can have the under jaw piece braided either round or flat and in the correct length for your dog when you provide the measurements.
Stop by Mid West Pet Supply (at a dog show near you in the mid-west) and you can view the leather leads and collars there.
The kennel leads that I construct are of a 1" wide continuous strip of cow-back leather. It has a stainless steel ring at the end that doubles back onto itself and a leather stop for holding the neck to the size needed. I use them constantly on my dogs at ring side, for going on walks, as well as when I need to move them somewhere. They are available at present only by contacting me.
Email me for prices and availability.
Click on the photos for close up images.
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