topdog collars

Collar Quality

1. What do I get for my money?

    If you are considering investing in a Topdog Collar you can be sure that it is going to be CUSTOM MEASURED from the best leathers IN THE WORLD; and HAND CUT and HAND STITCHED and the leather will be worked to be nice and SUPPLE... It will be POLISHED and the edges will be HAND ROUNDED and the ends SHAVED and PAINTED and the list GOES ON... The decorations are HAND CAST and SOLID BRASS and SOLID NICKEL  and the buckles TOP QUALITY and all tested to be PERFECT at the size you want and warranteed!

    If you are buying elsewhere, ask them if they do all this. I bet they don't.  I get really annoyed when some people claim to be producing something which I know they are not, but hey, I guess that is life. At the end of the day I will stand any scrutiny. Ask any of my customers.
   

2. What is the best leather?

   There are so many types and grades of leather, it can be very confusing. In short, we hand select our hides from New Zealand leathers. We look for a perfect finish and supple feel, and select all our leathers from a variety of suppliers to ensure that we obtain the very best available. We try to use only flawless New Zealand saddle leather in 3-3.5mm for our prestigious show range.

   For the "working dog" range we may utilise chrome tanned leather for its superior weather resistance; which often contains some natural irregularities or "patination" that adds to its character."Deluxe" or "Custom" collars are made exclusively with premium materials.

    Leather thickness may be up to three layers for the strongest collars anywhere. For leather coats we buy only the best glove leathers.       

    

3. What are the fittings made from?

   Our competitors envy our fittings. We have scoured the planet to find the sturdiest buckles, dee rings, and ornaments. We try to avoid joins or welds and concentrate on first quality hand cast brass and nickel plate hardware or ornaments.

   Some of these are hand crafted by skilled artisans in Europe for us.

   Decorations are SOLID BRASS OR NICKEL, not cheap plated ones you get elsewhere.

    

   
   

4. Why HAND STITCHING?

   Who else in the world hand stitches collars to order? Why? While this is labour intensive it is the strongest method. Some claim to hand stitch where we know that they can not. It is not possible to safely and consistently machine stitch heavy leather after the decorations are fixed, by any machine.

   If we do it by hand, we can then use a heavier water resistant thread. Naturally hand stitching is very time consuming and may not be as even as machine stitching (due to the inconsistency of leather as a material.)

   To minimise costs to you we employ some machine stitching in our Working Dog collars. Of course Soverencraft coats and other items are neatly machine sewn with a fine thread.

    

    

5. How long does it take to make a collar?

   A collar takes about ten hours. A lead takes about four hours.
   

6. Can I see feedback from other customers?

   Sure. We encourage all clilents to join our website and provide pics of their babes and feedback in the "Guestbook." Feel free to have a look.
   

7. What warranty do I get?

   I guess the sad part is that while the materials are the best for the purpose in the world; leather is still a soft fibre, brass is a soft metal, and dogs are tough on their gear. Things happen!

   I used to say I would fix anything anytime, but then of course a few people started taking advantage, sending stuff that did not even come from me...

   If you buy a custom collar from me and something "happens" then I guarantee that if you get it back to me I will ensure that it is made right to your satisfaction and returned at my expense.

   If the dogs get to it while you are not watching or it somehow undergoes a catastrophe then I will try to help you out again, maybe a small hourly charge.

   If your claim is for an "off the shelf" product then manufacturers warranty applies.

   My aim is that my customers are for life; and happy for life.

Sales and shipping

1. Can they be sent anywhere?

   Yes, we will send anywhere internationally.
   

2. What is the usual postage cost?

   It is not too bad usually, I will work it out for you and quote when you contact me with details.

   Obviously it depends on size and weight but somewhere around $20 will usually cover post by air to most places for a basic collar.
   

3. How do I work out the cost in my currency?

   There is a currency converter in the "Product Prices" page, or use this one: http://www.xe.com/ucc/
   

4. I'm sure I have seen these in Europe, is that true?

   Quite possibly. A lot of our sales are to the UK and Europe. We have had a reseller in Europe also but all sales now are through this website.  Some of our designs are standard and some that have been developed by us have been adopted by other manufacturers too. You can tell ours by the quality.