Lead Rein

  It has been a busy week. The hours have just flown by. However I do have plenty to show for the hours spent this week. I more or less finished a Mord Sith costume, had a commission collected, made a halter for a  heavy horse, made a lead rein, sorted out someone that has been messing me about on Folksy, tweaked a costume I am delivering in a week or so. And I have chatted to lots and lots of people on facebook and elsewhere. So it has been very positive. Next week I will have to very organised and nothing must go wrong so that everything is done and ready for the market and country show next weekend. I foresee early mornings and late nights all next week. If it is all not ready by Friday we will just have to "run what we brung".

   I like the lead rein I have made. It will compliment the halter I made. You could just as easily use it as a dog lead. The leather is English bridle leather. This leather is great to work with but does take some extra effort. However it fairly glows when the job is done. The strap billet starts 1" [25mm] wide. It cut it length ways into three strands. Then the fiddly bit, to dye and burnish the edges of the strands. Very hot work on a hot day. Next the strands were plaited making sure the strands lay flat. It is a good job I have strong fingers as this was a power job to bend the stands required by the plait. The clams came in handy to hold the free ends of the plait whilst I secured them with some stitches. It was a bit ticklish to line up the handle loop around the free plait ends in readiness for stitching, but I got there. Thereafter it was plain sailing to stitch the handle loop on and then on the other end of the rein to stitch the lead chain on.

   The plaiting makes for a supple and shock absorbing connection between the animal and the handler. Where the strap is still a billet the leather is stiff and strong. The overall length of the rein is 32" [800mm]. About half leather and half brass. The brass has twisted links so that it lies flat, a swivel at the the rein end and a Walsall hook on the business end.