Hand Crafted Leather Work

nice looking work to me.

 

Blitz, you made the comment that my stuff is way overpriced and not worth the money so I attempted to answer it.
I have NEVER had a customer that wasn't satisfied with my work and who thought that they overpaid for it. In fact, EVERY saddlemaker I have ever shown my stuff to has said that they don't think I'm charging enough for it. Too, there is a European leather maker who charges $295 US for his hand stitched harness, so in comparison, my stuff is VERY reasonable.
I'm glad you found a suitable product for your money, but there is a difference between what you have and what I make, so the price should reflect that.
Your harness is obviously well made and has good quality hardware and material. But to me, it isn't finished properly. The edges are raw, the front strap is about 4-6" too long, and the straps are single ply.
Most of the harnesses on my site have two ply straps, so it takes a LOT longer to stitch them together. They are custom fit to the dog(s) they are made for, so the straps don't hang down below where they should. The edges are dyed and hand rubbed, making them smooth and properly finished. I go the extra mile and put the 3-4 hours in that it takes to do these things. Most others don't and it's the reason for the price difference. If this stuff isn't important to you, fair enough, but to some it is important, including me.
There are some things I can't fairly answer as I can't see them in the photo. Like are the buckles stitched or riveted on? Are the connections stitched or riveted? Is the padding sheepskin?
I have padding available but I don't use sheepskin as it's too hard to find the needle holes in the back when hand stitching. If your product has sheepskin then I wonder if your leather maker used a machine to stitch it on? If so, then his stuff isn't truly handmade.
And please, I am NOT knocking your product. It is a well made piece of dog tack, but I wanted to point out what the differences are so I can answer your assertion that my products aren't worth what I charge.
I say my prices ARE fair. I use top quality materials, all products are 100% handmade, no corners are cut, and the extra time is taken to ensure the fit and finish is complete. I know my prices are more than what most others charge. But they aren't going to the same lengths I do, they aren't putting in as much time, and in many cases, the materials are not the same quality.
Perhaps I should make some of these points on my web site so people could understand the reasons behind the prices?
Anyway, I hope I have answered some of this stuff adequately. If not, I imagine I'll hear about it!! LOL

 

We do agree on a few things. I agree that the finish was not finished and the edges were left raw, but that was not very important to me. If there was one thing I knew you would comment on, it was the front strap lol You can't see it in the picture but the front strap has a loop in which it is supposed to go through but I forgot to do that before I started taking the pictures and didn't notice it until after. Also, your product is custom fit, which I am sure some people would insist on having, but this is a walking harness and not a weightpulling harness so the fact that they came in standard sizes s,m,l,xl was not really important to me either. I am not sure exactly what you mean about the buckles, but the connectors are both stitched and riveted, and the padding is sheepskin. Now, like I have said previously, I do like your product. Do I think having dyed edges is worth an extra $100? No I do not.

 

First off, bblco, I like your products & have a friend who ordered a harness from you for his Ca da Bou. The quality was great, he said your service was great, & the finished product looks good on his dog. That said, Blitz, he was just posting a thread to his site. Your endless bashes on this man are ridiculous. I know 5 yr olds with better manners. I don't recall him asking you to tell him how, after looking at a picture of his stuff, you don't like it, you hate it, it's crap, etc. If you didn't have anything positive or even neutral to say, why say anything at all? It sounds as if you haven't even seen his work or finished goods in person. & also, if you don't like it, then be it. Learn how to make a mature statement & make it. You just keep on & on & on & there's no reason for it other than b/c you seem to feel like a winner if you can bash someone or their pride into the dirt. Make your comment & move on.

 

No, what is immature is you responding to a conversation which had nothing to do with you just so you could put in your two cents. Show me where I said anything remotely similar to

Where did I bash him? I know exactly what I said, and I was commenting on his product, not him personally. Where did I say anything about how I don't like his products, or that I hate it, or that they are crap? I did have something positive to say, and I said everything else so other people looking for harnesses in the future can see that there are other products on the market which are not overpriced. I looked at all kinds of harness manufacterers before I chose the company I did. I think other consumers have a right to know that there are other options out there. Thanks

 

First off, to Miakoda. Thanks, I appreciate your props and kind words about what I do. I'm glad you know someone who has my stuff and is pleased with what they got.
Blitz, this is the last post I will make on this subject as I feel I have adequately answered your assertion that my stuff is "way overpriced and not worth the money".
You bought an "off the rack" harness, well made and cheaply priced. Too cheap IMO, but that's his business to charge what he sees fit. You're happy with it and feel you got what you needed, so good on ya.
When I first started to make stuff I saw that VERY FEW were making other than what you have. I didn't see the need for me to be just another guy making the same low cost stuff as everyone else. Too, I couldn't find anyone who made things the "Olde Tyme" way, by hand stitching it and finishing their products like I thought they should be. As well, I saw the same hardware on almost every piece of dog tack and wondered if no one else made a different style of hardware.
So, there was my niche. I wanted to be different than the rest. As I said, my name goes on this stuff, so it has to be right before it leaves my hands.
I try to use functional designs, use the best leather and hardware I can find, fully finish everything, and try to offer designs different than anyone else. Many satisfied customers can attest to having a harness or collar from me that NO ONE else has, and it's made BETTER than almost anything else out there for the money.
Am I charging $100 more to dye the edges? Quit being so insulting, I have explained the differences to you and the reasons why I charge what I do. MUCH LESS than what a saddle maker would charge and they would likely use a machine to stitch on top of it. I have seen very few absolutely straight stitch lines in leather by using a machine stitch, and a machine stitch isn't as good as a hand stitch either, btw. That's the reason most people who use machines have to use a guide to get a straight stitch line and is why machine stitches tend to unravel when they break.
My pricing is VERY fair and is based roughly on time in. If I spend 15 hours making a harness, which is right in every way, then $130 is NOT overpriced, not by a long shot. That's not even $10/hr and doesn't even account for the materials.
Why do I do it then? Because this is MY breed and it seemed like very few, if anyone, was making anything unique and classy looking, and that could still take a pounding. I don't do this for the money obviously, but a man's time has to be worth something, so I tried to be FAIR with pricing, and which is why I found your comments to be highly insulting.
The above reasons are why Dunkel Kennels of Finland chose me as the person to import leather from. They could have approached anyone, as they seem to know just about every major dogman in North America, but they chose my work because they're finicky perfectionists and find my work to be up to their standards. This is HUGELY flattering to me and I'm really struck that they think so highly of my products.
You obviously don't and you're entitled to your opinion, but to say that my stuff is not worth the money is not accurate, so I had to answer. I would put my leather work against ANYONE ELSE'S FOR THE MONEY. I put a lot of time and effort into what I make and don't need someone to knock it just because they bought something else. It would be similar to me knocking your dog because I didn't like the bloodline or the guy that bred him.
Anyway, I apologise if this post seems a little "hot", but you are not comparing apples to apples so I see no reason to beat this to death anymore. Use your harness as much as possible, be happy with it, and walk your dog in good health. He's a good looking fella. Best of luck to you.

 

Further to the Dunkel Kennels end of things which I did not explain properly. They market a line of pet products, which are sold thru various pet stores in Finland. The leather they chose to go with as part of their product line is mine. The reason I am so flattered by that is as stated in my last post. They could have gone with any number of leather makers and chose my work to feature MAINLY because of the quality, fit/finish, and VERY REASONABLE prices. (Their words) Jonna has also stated that she thinks I should charge more than I do. I also have had horse people, who know good leather work and don't have a problem paying for it, who have complimented me on my products/prices.
So, there are perfectionists, saddle makers, horse people, and satisfied customers who disagree with the contention my stuff is overpriced. Nuff said on this subject, I hope.