The Handmade Quality of the
Harnesses
Master leather artist, Al Stohlman teaches that slower hand sewing is superior to machine sewing. It is the best method for lasting years of wear and service.
In protection work and police work, a broken harness can cause a disaster. There are two areas where machine crafted harnesses are vulnerable - the sewing and riveting.
The major deficiency with the lock stitch that a machine makes is that if the thread breaks the entire section will unravel. To help avoid this breaking it is vital to get the area where the strings lock to be drawn into the leather. You will find this deficiency on any piece of leather put together by a machine as it will look like a small knot on the under side of the stitch.
Double capping rivets is at best a hit and miss endeavor. Short of an x-ray there is no way to tell if the bottom cap is secure until your dog reveals it during the stress of work or training.
