How to make a leather dog collar - leathercraft buildalong tutorial 

Thankyou! I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

Donna Bowers thanks for the kind words Donna! It makes me feel good to know that it is appreciated :)

Tks

K B O Leather glad you enjoyed it! :)

Hahaha that's awesome, thanks for the comment :)

Great idea!

JE Theron thanks mate! Whatever gets the job done :)

Thank you! It's a work in progress, but I am super lucky to have this amount of space for sure.... this guy has far too many hobbies haha

For something like this I use a 1 inch oblong punch, and that works pretty well for most buckles that I use, whether for dog collars or belts. But really you just want to make sure it moves smoothly, and isn’t too big or small for the buckle pin (by that I mean some are welded, and some are twisted around the pin like the one I am using in this video. The welded ones are much thinner and don’t need as big of a oblong hole). Testing on a little piece of offcut is often easiest for the type of buckle you have.

Michelle Ford Thanks! I am still learning a lot, but enjoying the process. I get my strap keepers from Adelaide leather and saddlery here in Australia, and I like them because they are a solid cast piece. But you should be able to get similar locally wherever you are, just look for 25mm brass belt keepers.

Ok I live in the USA i should be able to find them here.I just never seen anybody else use them thanks so much for the information . I have not started yet but i can't wait until i do it looks like so much fun

Haha! Excellent :) Rivets are much easier for a lot of projects. Check out my vid on making the riveted handbags, they can be a little more tricky but take way less time than stitching too!

Tan Espinosa Thankyou! And thanks for the feedback, I will do my best to improve.

Thai Vuu well that would make a good conditioner for leather, and certainly soften it, but I have never tried it for burnishing. Give it a go and let us know how it works! :) Also you can sand the edge with a fine grit sandpaper, around 800 grit for best results, or even an emery board (nail file) if you have one laying around the house... my wife's are never safe!

Can be variable with the thickness of the leather you are using, and the thickness of their fur. If you have the dog nearby, the easiest way to make a perfect fit would be the same as a custom belt: Make the buckle end first; and then test fit it for marking the center hole.

Hi Brandon, If the collar gets wet, dye bleed can happen. And also any excess can rub off, even when it remains dry. That is because the dye behaves differently to leather that has been painted (like most commercially available collars) The black is fairly minor for rub off though, because it is hidden... but the burgundy latigo is a real oily leather... it will absolutely rub off, and will cause dye bleed like a stuck pig when it gets wet the first few times. Staining of the dogs coat will happen, but the effects are temporary. My border collie had a bit of discoloration for about 3 months, and we took him swimming in his collar too. But since then, even when wet, he has not been stained again.

It will get in there OK. If you know that is how your leather will work in advance, like if you have been having problems with the whole hide, then you can certainly do it before putting the bees wax. You can also sand it with sandpaper for really stubborn bits.

G'day Aiden, depends where you live. What country are you in? If you are in UK or USA then your options are great, and a good starting point for new leatherworkers would be Tandy Leather. But if you search for leather and saddlery suppliers you might find some in your area that stock leather for sale. Here in Australia I use Birdsall Leather mostly, or East Coast Leather.

For collars you want to look for weather resistant types of leather. Waxy or oily leathers, with a good firm temper (not floppy). Usually vegetable tanned, or combination tanned. Something like Latigo is good, but be wary of dye bleed from oily leathers. English bridle or harness leathers are usually more waxy, and are great choices but are premium leathers and can be expensive.

1 inch

I got it from Tandy before they closed shop here. But there are some good options around. Birdsall leather stocks duall which has a good reputation. Or if you are in a pinch, bunnings has a variety of contact cements too, I'm using one from there now (because I was an idiot and forgot glue in my last leather order from birdsall)... but it's working quite well. Sika 4600 contact adhesive. Comes in a 1L screw top tin but has no brush so get a cheap little brush while you are at it. Hope that helps!