Make a STRONG Leather Dog Leash

            I love dogs. Because dogs are AWESOME! Big dogs are SUPER awesome, but they can go through normal leashes like candy. Thankfully, Tandy's leather makes a great leather kit which holds up to serious abuse. They normally range from $8.00-25.00 depending on where you buy yours. Ebay is pretty popular. You can also do a basic web search for "leather dog leash kit." Or you can make your own kit by taking a basic belt blank ($5-8), mod it with a large stainless steel lobster clasp ($3 on ebay) or other clasp of your choice, and 4 extra long rivets.

To Make You Will Need:

leather blank
lobster clasp
metal rivets
hammer
dye (oil or acrylic)
water resistant finish
paint brush or sponge

           Here's the happy husky out for a stroll in his new pride and joy at our wedding. He loved the attention and best of all he has a great time going for walks. This has lasted over a year with serious abuse and he normally pops through a leash every 2-3 months. Did I mention huskies are strong sled dogs? I added a picture of Chino fake pulling me for laughs.

Alright, for this part, I just broke open the bag and laid out all the pieces. If you are making the Tandy kit, you should have the following:

leather handle (12-14 inches)
lobster clasp (1 1/4 inch size)
leather leash (main body) (rooughly 70 inches)
leather end
paint brush
oil dye
water protector or sealer
4-6 extra long rivets

If you're interested in a particular design or look, you can simply wet the leash and carve or press metal pieces into it to get a specific look. However, I decided to leave my blank as I prefer a natural look. Also, I was worried about compromising the strength of the leather. Although Chino is not a puller, he does occasionally "bounce" Tigger style when he's happy which has contributed to a whole graveyard of nylon dog leashes. And everyone loves a happy dog.

          There's two ways to do this. Some people just dump the leather in a bag with a lot of dye and allow it to soak in over time. However, I wanted an antique look to my piece so I did this in layers. That way I have a good solid finish that won't wear away, while still looking custom and hand-made. Also, it's a lot more expensive to just soak the leather in dye.
         

              You should allow the leather to dry overnight between coats to help the oil soak in and make sure you are really penetrating the leather. I put on 5 layers of oil dye which is excessive, but most people will do 2-3. However, you need to let each coat dry before adding the next one to help your dye go farther. Saves you money and results in a better look.
               The leather in the front has been allowed to dry overnight, while the leather in the back just had a coat of dye applied to it so it's wet. You can see the difference.

After you put on the primer layer and allow it to dry overnight, add another layer of dye.

       You can use anything from beeswax to acrylic finish for the last part. I used water protector for this point, but I'm always experimenting. The leather takes on a more matte finish after this finish compared to beeswax, but the appeal was that I don't have to reoil it every few months.

       Grab your friendly hammer and a few wacks, and voila. You have a finished piece. I used jiffy double-tap rivets. If you haven't done rivets before, I suggest watching this video by Maine Line Industries. They also discuss rivet length which most helpful and a lot of shops will leave out. They also have a good rivet section in their online store if you need to buy various depths of rivets. You can get 100 pack for a couple of dollars. Also good for the next bug project that hits you.

         I hope this helps you and have a great day with your dog.