We work with several companies who make leashes for pets– long leashes for field trials, leather leashes, braided leashes, training leashes and nylon leashes. In today’s market there are so may choices for dog leashes. The question always is when I speak to a new customer looking to manufacture a dog lead. What snap hook you need to make a dog leash?
There are a few factors to consider:
The Material of the Snap hook
Stainless Steel will not rust when exposed to the elements but most costly and heavy .
Brass is also very popular and will hold up fairly well outside but will tarnish over time.
Zinc alloy is a very popular type of snap. It’s very economical however although it’s rust resistant it’s not rust proof.
Aluminum carabiner is super light weight and strong bearing force. This hook is the best.
Shape of Eye
Rounded
Rounded swivels can work with most webbing material used in leashes – leather, nylon, biothane, paracord, etc… However you do need to consider the width of your webbing. Most rounded end snap hooks do flatten a bit at the bottom to comfortably accommodate a flat webbing material.
Square
Square eye snap hook are best used for leashes with a wide webbing material so to avoid any curling of the edges. See below an example of our Square Swivel Eye Bolt Snap.
Diameter of Eye
As I mentioned, you not only have to consider the shape of the eye but more importantly is the size or diameter of the eye. Most leashes are going to be 3/4 or 1″ webbing. Therefore the 3/4″ or 1″ snap hooks are best suited. The snap hooks come in a variety of sizes, generally you want to all the webbing to lay flat as it is threaded through the eye opening.
There are so many options available for leashes, the list above are just some suggestions of where to start when planning your materials needed to design your leash.
