Leather Glossary

Bridle Leather: Our tan and black leather products are made of Bridle Leather. Bridle Leather is used to make many of our harnesses and collars because of its rich color and ability to withstand harsh conditions and still look great. It is strong, firm, and resists stretching. Bridle Leathers were developed to withstand the stresses and strains that a horse puts its bridle through.

Buckle-End Collar: A Buckle-End Collar is a collar where the buckle is at the end of the collar's strap.

Buck Stitched: is a technique used in leathercraft for securely joining two or more pieces of heavy leather along a seam. It is a simple, durable technique. Buckstitching is performed using a pronged metal tool that leatherworkers call a "buckstitch chisel" that has between one and five (or more) cutting tips. The chisel is held over the leather pieces to be joined, and is then struck with a mallet until the chisel penetrates all of the leather and produces what are called lacing slits. This is repeated along the entire seam. Next, a special leatherworker's needle is used to thread a wide sturdy lace back and forth through all of the slits.

Extended-Dee-Ring: An Extended-Dee-Ring pattern refers to those collars where the dee-ring is at the end of the collar's strap.

Hair On Leather: This is leather that still has the hair on.

Harness Leather: A higher oil & wax content that has been infused into the leather after the basic tanning process – i.e. the skin has been converted into leather – has been completed. This means that a harness leather will have a smoother hand. There’s more body to the leather, as the weight per thickness is higher. The grain will have a higher durability and be more water resistant. The leather will not need to be oiled or cared for as much as saddle leather does – maintenance is easy.

The increased initial pliability means that the dog collar made from harness leather will mould to the wearer better than an untreated saddle leather collar.

Latigo Leather: The word Latigo refers to a type of leather that is tanned in a way that makes it especially soft and supple with use. It is the same leather used for accessories in the saddle-making trade, such as reins and cinches.

Natural Vegetable Tanned Skirting Leather: Vegetable Tanning is a process where vegetable materials such as tree bark and other materials are used in the tanning process. The result is a piece of leather that is versatile enough to be used for a variety of applications. Natural Vegetable Tanned Skirting Leather, the leather used to make the best, hand-tooled saddles, pouches, and accessories, is the same leather used for our harnesses and as a base for our red, black, pink, blue, and yellow collars and Leashes.

Top Grain or Full Grain Leather: The Grain refers to the surface of the leather. Top Grain or Full Grain Leather is the portion of the hide that is the strongest. Because of this nature of the cut, you may see slight variations in the surface that add to the beauty and character of the piece.

General Leather Care: Leather is a natural product that will last a long time with proper care. Occasional cleaning with leather care products is a good idea and the use of leather conditioners is recommended. Both of these products are sold in most shoe stores. Follow the instructions on the labels of these products.

Tags: leather dog collars, leather dog leashes