Product Review: FinelyTooled Carved Leather Dragonwing Collar

I spotted this gorgeous leather Dragonwing Collar by FinelyTooled on Etsy well over a year ago. I thought it was absolutely stunning, and when I had the means to get one for Brisbane I had to do it. This collar was custom made just for Briz, I chose the design, colors, and hardware. The seller does a number of feather, wing, fantasy, and nature-inspired designs, and makes dog gear, horse gear, and probably anything you can imagine.

Photo by Erin Koski

Look at how pretty this collar is! It's so nice, and every time he wears it we get comments. It's a very wide and very stiff collar, so it's more of a special occasion collar than everyday wear. I have a lot of trouble keeping hair on Brisbane's neck because everything including his tag collar rubs it off.

Back in my medieval reenactment days, I did a bit of custom leather work including carving. I always intended to make Brisbane a harness but stopped doing reenactment before I got around to it. I can prepare and stitch basic pieces, but detailed carving like this is far beyond my skills.

Not only did I get a kickass custom art piece for Brisbane to wear, I supported a talented artist rather than a faceless corporation. That's why I love Etsy.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Custom made just for Brisbane. Heavy, high-quality hardware. Absolutely stunning. Surprisingly low price for custom work.

Cons: Stiff leather tends to break in Brisbane's neck rather than being broken in. Would be totally awesome lined in felt or velvet, for which I would have had to pay much more.

Bottom Line: Clearly Sisci needs one too.