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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.

23/04/2025

I don't have a big dog any more, but for the many years I did, this was my go-to style of lead.

My 'Public Order' leads are so versatile, designed for, and used by Police dog handlers up and down the country.

They are a simple design, yet incredibly effective in maintaining very subtle control when needed.

The bottom handle allows a handler to keep the dog right next to their side, without fuss and without having to faff about by wrapping excess lead around their wrist in order to shorten it.

It's also very useful when walking through crowds, passing another dog, or just simply crossing the road.

With a bit of practice you can go from the full 4.5ft length, to your dog's head being secured next to your knee in seconds, without anyone else realising what you've done.

Available through my website.

https://www.makemylead.co.uk/collections/leads/products/the-public-order-lead

Paul.

22/04/2025

I love this 'Jade' lining leather. It's so soft and strong, but it's the colour that really stands out when used to line one of my padded dog collars.

This collar and slip-lead set were made to match for my customer, and will hopefully serve them well.

Black leather, with jade lining on the collar, and a matching jade thread used to hand-stitch it all together.

Available through my website.

www.makemylead.co.uk

Paul.

15/04/2025

This lead is one of my own personal ones.

It's half an inch wide, 5ft long and 35 years old. I've replaced the clip twice, but the leather is as soft as butter, and still has many more years of use in it, as I've looked after it.

I've used it to train, handle, and work literally hundreds of dogs over the years, and I still use it daily with my own spaniels, so it holds very many memories.

It sounds daft, but choosing a dog lead is a very personal thing. What works for one person won't necessarily work for the next.

I make them for a living, and still hate the feel of a new lead, as it just isn't 'mine', although the new ones do smell amazing!

A good bridle leather lead develops personality over time. You get 'the feel' about where to hold it, as it just sits right in your hand. It becomes part of you and part of your dog too.

It's a communication tool, a safety device, and a legal requirement in places.

If you need advice on what type of lead or collar would suit your own individual needs, pick up the phone and call me. I rarely bite!

Paul.

www.makemylead.co.uk

08/04/2025

A nice matching set made from the 'Australian Nut' bridle hide I keep in stock.

First is a 1 inch wide x 4-8 ft long 'Training Lead'. The astute among you will notice the extra 'O' ring on the lower part of the lead that my customer paid extra for.

These are a great, all-round lead used by professionals and pet owners alike.

The second picture is one of my unique 'public order' collars, supplied to many police dog sections around the country, as a standard piece of kit.

At 2 inches wide, it gives great neck support when a police dog is deployed among hostiles, it also offers a secure method of control, when things get a bit lively!

Paul.

www.makemylead.co.uk

07/04/2025

It's a hard life being Pickle!

04/04/2025

An ex is a 'has been', and pert is defined as 'attractively small and well shaped', so I'm not sure how to take being called an expert!

One of my long term suppliers contacted me to see if I would contribute to a 'guide to leather dog leads and collars' that they were putting together.

I happily agreed, resulting in this.

It's not as simple as just sticking a clip on a piece of leather. Mentioned are just a few of the very many tools I use on a daily basis.

Have a great weekend all.

Paul (a small, formerly attractive, well shaped bloke)

https://buff.ly/A4uJahX

03/04/2025

Another 'matchy-matchy' set, this time for pooches and parent!

A standard 3/4 inch 'coupler', for attaching two dogs to one lead, and a 1.5 inch wide trouser belt for their Dad.

Made from the exact same cut of dark havana English bridle leather, all hand-stitched with a contrasting yellow thread, and fitted with solid cast brass metalware.

The beauty of making belts is that my customers can choose their own buckle, so they aren't limited to the usual narrow selection that most makers keep in stock.

Paul.

www.makemylead.co.uk

02/04/2025

Another horse headcollar needing some work.

This time the connecting strap had broken and a piece of metalware had been lost.

New strap, hand stitched into place, fitted with a shiney new brass ring.

I'm pretty sure the original colour was black, but who knows!!

I'm just hoping that the new leather piece matches, mind you that's one reason not to clean it I guess!

Paul.

31/03/2025

I've made a couple of this custom type of lead recently, as customers wanted something that can attach to both a collar and a harness, for security and safety of their dog.

This one is made from an 'Australian Nut ' English bridle hide.

It's hand-stitched with a yellow thread, then all stress points are reinforced with solid copper saddler's rivets, not that it needs it, but it adds a degree of further strength.

Enjoy the sunshine folks.

Paul.

www.makemylead.co.uk

28/03/2025

It doesn't look much, but this one took a bit of thinking!

It's a custom made, 3/4 inch wide, 'braided' public order lead containing no stitching at all.

There's a handle at the top, and a handle at the bottom end too.

The mechanics of making it needed planning, as if you c**k up with leather, you have to start all over again, and that makes me very unhappy!

Hopefully my customer will like it.

Have a great weekend.

Paul.

www.makemylead.co.uk

27/03/2025

When a Mommy 'public order lead', and a Daddy 'coupler' love each other very much, this is the result!

Another custom lead for a client who wanted to merge two of my standard items into one.

This allows for two landsharks to be attached securely to one lead, with the added control measure of the bottom handle.

All you have to do is ask!

Paul.

www.makemylead.co.uk

19/03/2025

Before and after pics of a collar repair.

This old favourite had seen better days. The dee ring was pulling through the very old leather, rendering it unsafe to use.

The old end was cut off, a new end was formed which was then stitched and riveted into place.

This collar will now be able to be used again as originally intended.

If I can fix it, I will.

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.

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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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