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The Traditional Leather Lead Co

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The Traditional Leather Lead Co

The Traditional Leather Lead Co High quality English bridle leather dog collars, leads and harnesses traditionally styled and hand crafted, using centuries old English saddlery techniques.

The Traditional Leather Lead Company was established as a company in 2014. Every single aspect of my English bridle leather dog ware draws on a lifetime of experience in handling, training and working dogs, coupled with instructing prospective and current dog handlers in a huge variety of disciplines. On a personal level these include companion animal training (for myself and others), competition

obedience, competition agility, gun work, running dogs, shepherding and falconry. My career related dog experience ranges from me being the youngest Guide Dog Mobility Instructor to be trained in the UK at the time, to working as a Police dog handler, explosive search dog handler, drug dog handler, through to planning and running courses in security and protection dog handling, explosive, drug, cash, fi****ms, missing person, to***co and parasite detection. After 40 plus years of training and working all manner of breeds for all manner of jobs, I understand completely that the equipment you use must be up to the job. Every single item that leaves my workshop is made exclusively by hand for you, completely from scratch from start to finish, with the finest materials that I can source. Experience, function, longevity and quality are at the heart of everything that leaves my workshop. Paul.

18/03/2025

Following on from my last post, here's a tracking harness!

I don't just make harnesses for big dogs, I make them to fit YOUR individual dog, whatever its size or breed.

This Cocker spaniel's owner supplied me the relevant measurements, and I translated them into this, so that it fits his dog securely.

Contrary to the belief of one weirdo, this took three hours of work to craft, it wasn't just 'bought in cheap from China'!

It'll be in the post this afternoon.

Paul.

13/03/2025

The 20 second phone call I received this morning, demonstrates one of the very few ways to instantly find a place on my 'blocked list', as I refuse to deal with complete messers.

Don't be like this lady!

____________

"Hi, I'm looking at your website and love your harnesses, I'm after one for my Malamute"

"OK, I can do that for you, all I nee....."

"My budget is about thirty five pounds, what can you do for that?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing"

"I know it all comes in from China, you buy them in cheap and make a big profit, so you CAN afford to drop the price"

"No. Don't ever call me again. Ta-ta".
________

Manners and respect cost nothing.

When they are given, it will be reciprocated. When they aren't, that will be reciprocated too!

Enjoy your Thursday, and don't take s**t from people. You're worth more than that.

Here endeth the lesson!!

If anyone is genuinely interested in my harnesses, here's a link to them on my website

https://www.makemylead.co.uk/collections/police-and-military-collection/products/police-tracking-harness

Paul

12/03/2025

A lovely matching pair of half-inch wide leads, made from 'Australian nut' coloured English bridle leather (although it does look a bit dark in the pics!), will be heading out of the door today.

A very useful slip lead with an adjustable leather 'stopper', which prevents a dog from backing out of it.

Also a simple, 5ft lead with a clip at the bottom, a handle at the top, and a ring in the handle so you can wear it around your body when your dog is off-lead.

Both available to order through my website.

www.makemylead.co.uk

Paul.

10/03/2025

Making this lead brought back some memories.

When I left college, I trained as a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor, training dogs and visually impaired people to work safely alongside each other.

A customer asked me to make him a 'guide dog lead' of a specific length, for use when working his dog.

This is the result, a shorter version of my training lead, with stainless steel metalware and solid copper rivets holding it all together.

I hope he likes it.

Paul.

07/03/2025

I don't advertise trouser belts on my website, but I do make them when asked by customers.

Made from the same English bridle leather that keep your dogs safe, and fitted with a buckle of your own choosing to suit your own needs and style.

I can even match it to your dog's collar.

Have an awesome weekend all.

Paul.

04/03/2025

I made this lead some time ago for a customer. It suffered some damage to the handle, rendering it useless as a lead.

As the leather had been looked after, the broken handle was removed, and a new handle (and ring) was fitted in its place.

This kept the original length of the lead, saved the cost of a new one, and ensures that it can continue to be used as originally designed.

Look after your leather folks, as if it ever needs repairing, it can be!

Paul.

02/03/2025

Massive thanks to for making Dennis a new stable door name plate.

Entirely hand painted, and looks bloody awesome.

Thanks again mate.

28/02/2025

There's no doubt about it, I love a slip lead!

They're easy to pop over a dog's head, whether they are wearing a collar or not, and are infinitely adjustable, so one lead will work with all shape, size, and breed of dog.

The little nobbly sticky-out bit near the ring is an adjustable 'stopper', which can be slid up and down the lead in order to prevent the dog from backing out of it when worn.

Simple, effective, and a great addition to your dog-walking, or dog working arsenal.

Available to order, in different lengths and widths through my online store.

www.makemylead.co.uk

Have a great weekend.

Paul.

21/02/2025

It'll be a 'matchy-matchy' weekend for a pair of posh, pampered pooches when these babies arrive.

A set comprising two of my padded collars and two matching hand-stitched bridle leather leads.

On the left you have 'Australian Nut' with a 'claret' lining, and matching claret coloured thread.

On the right you have black, with a 'jade' lining, and matching jade coloured thread.

The two leads use the same coloured thread to keep everything held together, and to add a subtle splash of difference.

Available through my website.

www.makemylead.co.uk

Have a great weekend.

Paul.

19/02/2025

A cheeky little matching set comprising a 1 inch wide x 3-6ft long 'Training Lead', and a 1.5 inch wide 'Military Style Flat Collar', for a dog with a big neck!

These are still my most popular style of lead and collar, available in various widths, lengths and sizes through my website.

www.makemylead.co.uk

Paul.

14/02/2025

I seem to be collecting very soft 'nappa' hides for my padded collars, so I have a few more colours to offer.

These leathers are used to line the padding on those collars, and to add a splash of colour to the whole thing, especially when coupled with a matching thread colour.

Available through my website

https://www.makemylead.co.uk/collections/collars/products/the-padded-collar

Have a great weekend.

Paul.

13/02/2025

As quite a few of you have asked, here's Dennis modelling his new shiney bridle (he wasn't keen on having his picture taken!).

Not much adjustment was required, thankfully, and the colours go really nicely with his own natural floof!

It'll be tested out properly this evening with a couple of 'clear round' showjumping sessions.

Guaranteed it won't stay this shiney for long!

Paul.

12/02/2025

So, my homework over the weekend and last few nights was to make my Daughter's new horse 'Dennis' a new bridle.

This is the result after roughly 15 hours work. It may need tweaking a bit, as we haven't fitted it yet, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

Black bridle leather, 'claret' lining leather, padded headpiece, padded noseband and padded browband, with a matching claret thread, all entirely hand cut, hand stitched etc from scratch.

I can't wait to see the big dufus wearing it.

Paul.

11/02/2025

This is a 2 inch wide 'Military style' flat collar. It's the widest 'standard sized' collar that I sell through my website, and it is a bit of a beast!

Despite some people thinking otherwise, regardless of the breed you have, there are very few dog owners who need a collar wider than this (I once had a customer ask me for a 4 inch wide dog collar. I politely declined!).

There are pros and cons for a collar this wide, and many reasons that people buy them. This one is off to a police dog handler in the southeast.

Pros;

* Awesome neck support when your landshark is chopsing off at a deserving punter, with no danger whatsoever of being 'choked off'
* Wider leather means extra strength
* Proper heavy duty, solid cast brass dee ring (fitted to shire horse harnesses, for pulling ploughs!)
* Very, very strong bit of kit

Cons;

* Heavy collar, mainly due to the metalware
* If fitted to the wrong breed, for extended periods, it can restrict full neck movement
* Does absolutely nothing for heelwork, other than make it more comfortable for your dog to drag you, very easily, down the road!

The second photo features a standard 1 inch dee ring that I fit to my one inch wide collars for comparison.

There's a hell of a difference!

If you aren't sure what size, width, or style of collar would suit your needs, just phone me. Have a chat and use a lifetime's worth of experience in handling and training dogs in God knows how many disciplines to help you make a decision.

I won't sell you something you don't need.

Paul.

10/02/2025

It was a busy weekend ferrying kids and horses about, but I was also able to get these custom public order leads stitched together and finished.

These are a custom adaptation of my standard public order lead, made for a Police dog section on the South coast.

6 feet in length, with a buckled handle, giving dog handlers tactical options when deploying their dogs in public order situations.

There are 10 of them all together (couldn't fit them all in the picture!), and they'll be heading down the M5 at some point in the next day or so.

Paul.

07/02/2025

Hand-stitching through 19mm (4 layers) of English bridle leather is tough on your fingers, and I've got 10 of these b@stards to finish, all to be stitched in four separate places!

That's why my fingers need a rest!

Have a great weekend all.

Paul.

05/02/2025

A one inch wide 'adjustable half-check' collar, paired with a half inch wide, 4-8ft long 'Training' lead.

My customer requested stainless steel metalware instead of my usual brass, so stainless steel it is (not cheap nickel-plated iron).

All completely hand-stitched with a burgundy thread (although it does look a bit more pink in the pictures!).

Paul.

31/01/2025

It's been a tracking-line kind of morning so far, and as such, my trusty 108 year old, hand-cranked 'Singer' sewing machine has been putting in the leg work.

10 x 30ft tracking lines, made for a customer who trains anti-poaching dogs and provides ranger training for the purposes of endangered wildlife protection overseas.

My little Singer sewing machine plays its part in that and is always up for the challenge, despite her age. She was at the height of sewing technology in 1917, and still amazes me every time I get the chance to make something with her.

The tracking lines are made from a 3/4 inch cushioned polypropylene webbing, which are comfortable in the hand to track with from new, and only get more comfortable as they age.

They'll be out in the post today and hopefully will be protecting endangered species very soon.

Have a great weekend folks.

Paul.

Address

Royal Leamington Spa

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4pm
Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm

Website

http://www.makemylead.co.uk/

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Videos

With leatherwork, as with most crafts, it's all about the prep work, as without preparation of the materials you work with, you end up with a mess! This is one of approximately 78 individual steps that I take, when hand crafting a lead. Paul.

Got to love a 'training' lead Available through my website. Paul.

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Our Story

Having spent 30 plus years training and working dogs in a huge variety of disciplines, from gun work and falconry, to shepherding, Police work, drug, explosive substance, bedbug and missing person detection, I realise how difficult it is to find quality, aesthetically pleasing, hard wearing, long lasting and functional working and pet dog equipment, so I began to make my own. Using the same finest English bridle leather hides, which are cured and supplied to the saddlers of the British Monarchy, all of my dog leads and collars are hand cut, hand styled, hand dyed and hand stitched by me, using traditional English saddlery techniques. By hand stitching with a saddler's clam, an awl and 2 needles, I pay attention to each individual stitch made, using a technique which ultimately results in a far superior and stronger stitch than those made by any machine. The emphasis on the leads and collars I make is a simple rustic elegance and functionality. As a working dog handler and instructor, I have come to realise that an individual's choice of lead is very personal. Over time a bridle leather lead will take on it's own personality and will develop it's own unique 'feel' about it. As the owner of a 20 year old English bridle leather dog lead, which is still in daily use with a variety of dogs, I understand the importance of using quality materials. I do not use cheaper alternatives in the manufacture of any dog ware. I prefer to use solid brass clips, studs and rings, but can add chromed fittings where requested. Traditionally, leather with brass fittings is stitched with a 'gold' thread (dark yellow) and those with silver coloured fittings are stitched with white thread, in order to compliment the colour of the metal ware. I carry a small amount of stock, but most of my equipment is passionately made to order, with an attention to detail, ensuring a perfect fit, usually within just a few days of ordering. Although I have a 'standard' range, should you want something a little more personal, drop me a line. Thanks for looking, Paul