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Frequently Asked Questions
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- Why should I buy your leads and/or collars?
They are the best available. We use the highest quality ropes and leathers. Our ropes are the industry standard in arborists, mountaineering, and life-safety. We use only the absolute best latigo and bridle leathers for our collars. Sometimes for heavy leashes we will use a extreme quality, heavy harness leather. back to top
- What about the hardware? My bolt-snaps have broke before.
Although we can't promise our bolt-snaps will never break, we use the best we could find. Instead of relying on traditional weaker "dog leash" bolt-snaps, we use ones designed for marine use. Ben is relentless with the hardware. If there is an issue, he will promptly discontinue the item with no remorse. We have distilled out hardware offerings to a core of the best we can find. Our stainless steel bolt-snaps (the standard offering) are the absolute best we can find in America. They have very stout swivel heads, which is the critical part. back to top
- What about the rope clamps?
We use industrial strength clamps. They are very attractive as well. They have small "teeth" on the inside that bite into the rope, preventing it from pulling loose. As it takes the equivalent of a sledgehammer to close the clamps, we doubt they will come undone. The brass clamps are solid brass. Also, the ZP-Steel and Stainless Steel ones are solid CUT steel. To illustrate the strength of these, Ben made a mistake with hardware on a lead. So, he figured he could pry the clamp off and change the snap. Uh, no. He ended up using a cold chisel (metal cutting), to cut the clamp in 4 places to get it off. He saved the rope and the snap, but not the clamp. These are STRONG. The stainless steel ones are even impervious to the cold chisel. Once, they are closed, they won't let go.
Our aluminum swaged clamps are light, but hold just as hard as the heavy steel and brass ones. back to top
- Why don't you splice the rope loops?
Splices weaken the rope by up to 10%. This in itself is not a big deal when talking about several hundreds or thousands of pounds of strength. However, the splice can also work the inner core/mantle out, thus shortening the life of the leash. back to top
- Is the order process secure?
YES! This system is extremely secure. We never even see your full card number. The process is secure from the moment you enter the cart until the end of your order submission. Secured Sockets Layer is the preferred standard of protection. That is what this site uses. back to top
- What about international orders?
We can accept international orders without issue. If it is under a certain weight (4 lbs.) the cart will give you an option of International First Class (time varies) or International Priority (6-10 days). Over the 4 lbs. limit, everything must go Priority which is faster but costs more. In our experience, Europe gets the First Class stuff in a week. Japan, China, and Africa, may take longer. The middle east has taken up to a month, but it does get there. We are not responsible for any duty fees or associated taxes. Contact your local customs and/or mail facility with questions. If you have questions or concerns, contact us at orders@ellaslead.com. back to top
- Why are some of your rope choices marked with *limited availability*
Rope changes yearly with regards to mountain and static line (rappel). They use the changes to indicate how old a certain rope is. That is one reason our rope choices change. Another is that our supplier has literally thousands of spools to hunt through. We can not be asking them to find a specific rope every time we order. They will set aside spools of our commonly sold rope. Solid colors are usually easier to get, as well. However, we do change rope a lot. You may not find the exact same color, but we will always have nice ropes in all the colors and designs. If you see something you like, we recommend you order it quickly. But, if you miss it, trust that we will get something similar in the near future. back to top
- How the heck do I clean this rope leash? My dog likes mud.
Even the brightest oranges and yellows can clean up from an excursion into the field. I would first start with a rag and some dish detergent. Rub the lead and scrub its length. You may have to really scrub those hard to clean areas. Also, you may try tying up in a pillow slip and washing on gentle. Then, hang dry. MAKE SURE to dry the hardware to prevent rust from prolonged contact with water. back to top
- Maintaining leather how-to.
Our leather collars are made out of fine latigo and heavy strap leathers. Ben recommends saddle soap, followed by wax (plain beeswax is perfect and safe). Be careful on edges as oil can penetrate the leather a discolor the face. Wax works better as it penetrates to a lesser degree. Keep all preservatives off the suede linings. back to top
- I have some snags in my leash. How can I fix them?
If you run your dog in a lot of brush you may get snags in the lead. These are easy to repair. If the snag is basically a pull on a group fibers, you may be able to rub them back down into the braiding. If not, take a lighter and "lick" the area with the flame. All our ropes are synthetic and will quickly melt right back down in the braid. Usually, they are hardly noticeable. On light colors, be careful! The flame can discolor them easily. If you lick your fingers your can squish the freshly melted fibers quickly right down into the braid. Some might stick to your finger. Simply scratch it off. The integrity and strength of your lead will not be affected (unless you burn through it). If the core braids do become exposed, discard the leash. We will not cover this, as only abuse or neglect will cause it. back to top
- May I receive photos of my finished product?
Yes! Of course! We'd be more than happy to oblige!
Just make sure that you leave a comment in the comment area during check out, and we'll snap a picture of it before we send it out. :) back to top
- Shipping Method???
We ship USPS Priority mail for domestic. We offer Priority mail OR first class for international orders. We ship USPS. We do not offer another shipping method. Shipping method is also shown on all email order confirmations, under your shipping address. back to top
- I didn't get a shipping notification.
Please, please, PLEASE make sure that you have an updated email address with paypal when you order. There are so many times when we have a question on an order, and we try to contact a customer, and we cannot because either the email address they used for paypal was no longer valid, or it's an old email address they no longer check.
Also, PLEASE check your spam folder. :)
Thank you! back to top
- Measure my dog's neck?? How???
Real easy. :)
If you do not have a cloth tape measurer, take a string, wrap it, not snugly, or loosely, but just right, and then lay it flat against a regular tape measurer. back to top
- You use colored latigo leathers??? Um, we've heard (an)other collarmaker(s) claim real latigo leathers only come in natural colors.
Well, in all honesty, Black, Brown, and Tan latigo leathers are not "natural" colors. ALL leather is DYED, even if it's a "natural" color, except for completely natural, which is a "flesh"-like color.
Latigo leather is latigo leather because of the tanning process of the leather and not much to do with the color of the leather. Good leather tends to be treated and drum-dyed at the tannery versus hand-dyed by the human hand. Leathers that are drum-dyed run less risk of "bleeding" onto your dog's neck than hand-dyed leather (which almost always ends up bleeding onto your dog's neck). back to top
- Can I cancel my order?
You have five days after placing an order to cancel it. After that, we cannot cancel it, unfortunately. back to top
- "I want a custom collar made for my dog, if I send you a sketch, can you do some mockups so I can see which I like?"
While we would love to have all the time in the world to do this for folks, the truth is, we don't.
We are two people, and we just, unfortunately, do not have time.
You are welcome to look at our facebook (www.facebook.com/ellasleadfans) at pictures to get ideas.
Or, you are welcome to ask us if something would work.
Or, you can choose from the 200+ designs already on our website to tweak some. back to top
- Can I make changes to my order??
No.
Changes after orders really, really, really confuses us. back to top
- Do you have a "Guarantee and Terms"? Return Policy? What if something breaks?
We DO have a guarantee and Terms, yes!
It is located at the top of our site, in our menu toolbar, labeled "Guarantee and Terms".
Please make sure to read that page carefully. Thank you! back to top
- Repairs on Collars?
Repairs on secondhand collars are subject to a fee and our work schedule.
ALL repairs require you to contact us first before returning to us for repair, please see our guarantee and terms. Thank you! back to top
Each consumer is responsible for determining the suitability of these products for their individual situation. Consumer accepts all responsibility by purchasing and using these products.
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