Leather quality

RachelB

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Quick question, I want to buy a nice bridle and have it narrowed down to two, one is a J Barclay and one is a Heritage. Apparently the J Barclay is drum dyed leather, and the Heritage is vegetable dyed and, according to the shop, therefore more expensive. To be honest there's only a couple of quid between them, and I have seen and liked the Heritage, but does anyone know anything about leather or these two brands? Which is the better quality? I seem to get the impression from a Google search that the Heritage vegetable dyed leather is softer but I'm not really sure?
Thanks for any help!
 

Mellymoo1

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I have a Heritage Comfort Bridle and I am chuffed with it - I think the quality of the leather is lovely, although I cant comment on the J Barclay.
 

Forget_Me_Not

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i have a heritage bridle.. and its nice soft supple leather (althought i wash it after every ride and soap it once a week) I didnt find the fit was brillant though but it could just been my mares face shape so its worth trying them both if you can. The brow band was too short and becaus the patteren i couldnt just get a different one, the nose band too long but nothing a leather hole punch couldn't sort out but the rest was good and with time streched and isnt stiff and slippery as it was. It is a more known make though.
 

ihatework

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Ditto that, I bought mine off ebay, it was about £50 including reins. BARGIN !
Although I did then spend a further £15 getting my saddler to adjust the fit (shorten the crank and noseband strap)
 

druid

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I have a J Barclay Double "Elevator" knockoff - fab bridle, good quality leather and well proportioned - it's all actually "full" not mean sized in bits like I found the heritage nosebands to be
 

Laafet

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heritage is quite cheap leather really the bridles cost about £10 trade. If its just for use at home and not show then good enough i use them on the youngsters and if I sell anything it goes with a brand new bridle.
 

RachelB

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Hmm now you've worried me, I had all but decided to get the Heritage one but my horse has a broad head but a short length of nose. Her full size Olympian browband is a bit tight on her, so I suspect the Heritage wouldn't fit at all! X-full would be too large on the noseband and cheeks. Ah well, another night trawling eBay and looking at sizes! I'll measure my browband tomorrow...
Thanks everyone!!!
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flyingfeet

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All leather that meets the English definition is drum dyed and vegetable tanned.

However the amount of stuffing makes a difference. If you have opportunity to feel both, bend the leather and pick the one that wrinkles the least on the underside.

Or of course the one that you like the look of is the best buty.

Any bridle sold these days is going to last at least 5 years. That's why saddlers have to have the fashion trends to encourage you stingey lot to buy bridles more often!!!
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RachelB

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Ah cheers, that would be why I was so confused about the veg/ drum thing! Read something about vegetable tanning somewhere... might make sense now!
Thanks! Off to jump on the comfort bridle bandwagon!
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