Collar Care

[mindmaster3434]

Howdy folks. I just bought my pet her first collar, and admittedly it's the first collar I've ever given anybody. Therefore I need to know a little bit about it from anybody who has experience.

The collar itself is just a thin piece of leather with a single ring in the middle, and if possible both of us would like her to wear it 24/7. Is that a possibility, or would the toll of daily life (showers etc.) ruin the collar?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Axiom]

I can't help with what you ask but congratulations to both of you anyway. That's so sweet and sexy.

Axiom

[MN_FriendlyGuy]

Howdy folks. I just bought my pet her first collar, and admittedly it's the first collar I've ever given anybody. Therefore I need to know a little bit about it from anybody who has experience.

The collar itself is just a thin piece of leather with a single ring in the middle, and if possible both of us would like her to wear it 24/7. Is that a possibility, or would the toll of daily life (showers etc.) ruin the collar?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Congratulations. Now that's a success story!

Your suspicion is correct - daily life WILL reduce the durability of a new collar if it's worn 24/7. Leather will last longer if kept clean and dry - with a 'conditioner' applied occasionally.

If you're open to suggestion - Just before showering, the collar could be removed and adoringly wiped clean. (The minerals in sweat can accumulate and cause avoidable damage.) Immediately after the shower, a clean collar is waiting, ready to be adored and put back on.

The emphasis on 'adoration' (above) isn't accidental. Consider it a hypnosis opportunity.

You already know leather is durable. There's no need to worry if the collar gets wet occasionally (hot tub or mutual shower).

[Blink]

The collar itself is just a thin piece of leather with a single ring in the middle, and if possible both of us would like her to wear it 24/7. Is that a possibility, or would the toll of daily life (showers etc.) ruin the collar?

Repeated wetting and drying will shorten the life of the leather, as MN_FriendlyGuy has indicated. His is a pretty good plan for keeping a leather collar in service longer and working in a tactile trance anchor. Here is a good link to information on leather care from The Water Hole. They specialize in human pony and human puppy gear and know leather. There is similar information available from several sources, but this is the best single source I've found. You'll want to maintain that collar for its sentimental value whether she wears it 24/7 or just on special occasions.

In my humble opinion, the leather collars are best used as "working" collars (when you need a handle on her neck), with something else used for everyday wear. That can either be a functional collar in some more durable material or a symbolic collar.

For long-term 24/7 wear, you might look into metals. You can get collars in stainless steel and anodized aluminum and even gold and silver chains and solid bar stock. A bit of searching (Google) will turn up many different styles. I've recently bought a stainless steel, chain mail collar from Kitten's Toy Room that was... well-received by its wearer. It hasn't been in use long enough for me to comment on its durability, but it suited my needs quite nicely. We've planned for it to be in use long-term, but not necessarily 24/7.

Whatever material you choose, be sure to check the skin under the collar frequently as she adjusts to it and periodically thereafter.

I'll stop overloading you with information for a minute to congratulate you both and wish you well. I hope the thrill continues to grow--for both of you--every single time you take hold of the ring on that collar.

-- Blink