£200 headcollars??

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soloequestrian

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Browsing for a leather headcollar for the baby horse, I came across the Devocoux (sp?) for 220 Euro (okay, so probably not quite £200, but still pigging expensive). What on earth do you get extra for that amount of money? Surely a headcollar is a headcollar?
 
soloequestrian said:
Browsing for a leather headcollar for the baby horse, I came across the Devocoux (sp?) for 220 Euro (okay, so probably not quite £200, but still pigging expensive). What on earth do you get extra for that amount of money? Surely a headcollar is a headcollar?
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Well I brought one for my girl from Sabre £109.99 hand stitched too http://www.shop.sabreleather.co.uk/sabre-padded-leather-headcollar-149-p.asp Beautiful headcollar. Sadly it is too small she needed the x full but could not send it back as she had worn it a few days
 
It is peoples' choice what they wish to spend their money on. I wouldn't, but then I wouldn't spend thousands on a bag either and some people feel the need to do that.
 
Illusion- the saddles seem to start at an eye watering £5k. They look beautiful but I don't think I shall be purchasing any time soon!
Agree with cortez, each to their own and what is expensive to some will be cheap to others.
 
And you know what the funny part is that anyone can go out and spend €20,000 on tack but it won't make you a better jockey! At Spancil Horse Fair last summer I watched some of the countries best producers leaving, laden down with second hand tack, bridles and bits and all sorts bought for small money. That's the same tack that will be used on horses that will go on to top the Go for Gold sale this year!
 
That's not a ridiculous amount of money for a very high quality leather one in my opinion. More than I would spend, but certainly not something which I would see as ridiculous! It is different when buying a brand name - then yes you are not paying for anything more than a name. However I think the trouble is the market is bombarded with cheap leather items that it is possible lose sight of how much work and effort goes into the really good ones, and what their true value should be.

I wouldn't be put off paying around the £100 mark for one which I know is very good. I know it will last for many years possibly decades. I only use leather head collars and the good ones do last. I have one out in all weathers, all year round, never cared for and is as good as new. Poor leather would just disintegrate!

Unless it was a synthetic head collar - in which case - ignore me, that is a ridiculous price :P

Was it this one?
http://www.devoucoux.com/uk/en/boutique/produit/leather-halter#.Vrus_fmLSM8


Edited to add -

To be fair, I am a bit of a hypocrite, as I have just realised the lovely lead rope I bought last week is a rip off of the Devoucoux one! I would never have known if not for this thread :D

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/leather-cotton-leadrope-id_8185997.html
zoom_ebf4b1c27c534555a6f91bbbedb3c848.jpg

http://www.devoucoux.com/uk/en/boutique/produit/head-rope#.Vrut3vmLSM8
longe-ef172e923dc8c7b571e88bac516beb00.jpg
 
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Having a shiny silver and turquoise halter won't make me a better rider, but it sure as he ll looked good on my horse :) plus, I sold it for a profit off his head :D
 
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I must admit I have a real hankering for the Antares headcollar which must be around that price.

I've sat on my hands for ages and make do with the cheapy rhinegold leather one I have but do regularly search eBay to see if one comes up second hand.
They are very pretty!! !
 
If I had the cash I would buy one, I quite like the look of the Antares one as well.
I had a Sabre headcollar for my old mare, I paid about £70 pound for it over 15 years ago, it was still in brilliant condition when I sold it on after my mare was pts 6 years ago. I'm gutted really as it was such a nice headcollar and I should have held onto it, as far as I know its still going strong with its new owner.
I have also had a few cheapy leather headcollars that have done the job but never held up as well, same with bridles.
I think in some situations I would rather spend the money and have it last than buy cheap. That said I like a bargain as much as the next person so always on the look out for it cheaper or second hand!
 
To put it in to perspective; I have made a headcollar as part of my bridle making apprenticeship and it cost me £50 for the leather and hardware alone and then several days to make it. What is most galling is that it has to be cob size so is too small for my girl :(
 
pansymouse said:
To put it in to perspective; I have made a headcollar as part of my bridle making apprenticeship and it cost me £50 for the leather and hardware alone and then several days to make it. What is most galling is that it has to be cob size so is too small for my girl :(
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Exactly, a hand made including handstitched traditional headcollar with say a PROPER rolled throat and solid cast brass fittings will set you back a good £60-80 in materials alone then you have to cut the hide, edge,stain,crease, mark out, punch crew holes, skive down the turns, assemble up ready for stitching etc and that's not even making the rolled bit.It does take time, if the headcollar is triple stitched that's a hell of a lot of stitching and skiving down. It can take a week to make, so how many of you would work and can live on £120-140 per week full time now?
Our fittings costs have gone through the roof thanks to China and India flooding our market as well as buying up a lot of the raw materials for their foundries, leaving our few remaining foundries with very little to work with and at an inflated price. Not many foundries left here now thanks to the competition.
A solid Nickel buckle which cost me 84p a few years ago now can be £7 each!
We have to pass that on to the customers.
Quality English leather can cost a fortune too, again a lot of the hide is sourced from abroad and even some "English" leather is brought in from abroad in it's raw state and tanned here, making it "English" you can't beat Aberdeen Angus cattle traditionally reared on grass and matured, it makes the BEST leather for saddlery use.
So, if you want the best quality pay for it or lose the best saddlery trade in the world, we are losing Saddlers every month to the cheap imports.
If you want a cheap alternative buy it but don't moan when the last traditional saddler has gone to the wall.
Oz-Saddler since 1988
 
Ridiculous for headcollars. I was horrified yesterday when I was looking for a dog lead online, I came across BOG STANDARD cotton lead ropes (you know, just the 2 coloured twisted ones!) which I can get for £2.50, they were advertising them as "dog leads" (NOT) for £25 each!!! Made me laugh!
 
cremedemonthe said:
Exactly, a hand made including handstitched traditional headcollar with say a PROPER rolled throat and solid cast brass fittings will set you back a good £60-80 in materials alone then you have to cut the hide, edge,stain,crease, mark out, punch crew holes, skive down the turns, assemble up ready for stitching etc and that's not even making the rolled bit.It does take time, if the headcollar is triple stitched that's a hell of a lot of stitching and skiving down. It can take a week to make, so how many of you would work and can live on £120-140 per week full time now?
Our fittings costs have gone through the roof thanks to China and India flooding our market as well as buying up a lot of the raw materials for their foundries, leaving our few remaining foundries with very little to work with and at an inflated price. Not many foundries left here now thanks to the competition.
A solid Nickel buckle which cost me 84p a few years ago now can be £7 each!
We have to pass that on to the customers.
Quality English leather can cost a fortune too, again a lot of the hide is sourced from abroad and even some "English" leather is brought in from abroad in it's raw state and tanned here, making it "English" you can't beat Aberdeen Angus cattle traditionally reared on grass and matured, it makes the BEST leather for saddlery use.
So, if you want the best quality pay for it or lose the best saddlery trade in the world, we are losing Saddlers every month to the cheap imports.
If you want a cheap alternative buy it but don't moan when the last traditional saddler has gone to the wall.
Oz-Saddler since 1988
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Amen :)
 
Trouble is (with me anyway) if I buy something that is expensive, and it would have to be good quality, I wouldn't use it as would want to keep it nice and save for 'best'. In other words it never gets used.

I have a beautiful head collar for my girl, I hankered after it for ages and OH arranged for mum/MIL to by it as a (significant) birthday present. It's cream and coffee leather, the most beautiful quality leather and stitching. she is a mahogany skewbald. How many times has madam wore it? Not many!

I am happy to pay extra for hand made quality goods as appreciate man hours involved...if I had the money:D
 
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