If you have read much of this blog or know me, you know I like quality and I think it is worth the extra effort. If you have the same tendencies, here’s something to watch out for. The other day at the local feed store, I bought a couple of new 3/4″ vinyl coated nylon collars to replace the chewed up collar straps on several of my bark collars. I thought they were reasonably priced at around $8. When I got home and compared them to the original collars I was amazed at the difference in quality. The nylon collar itself was significantly thinner, as was the rubber-vinyl coating. The worst, however, was the hardware. The buckle was much lighter, and the tang is more like a thin piece of wire than a good buckle tang. I’m sure they will work, but I was amazed at how cheaply they are made. If you are buying new collars, look carefully at the quality, they’re not all equal. When I checked a couple of the reputable online suppliers they were selling the higher quality collar with durable hardware (double buckle with a stout tang, rather than a thin roller buckle and flattened wire tang) for around $4 (check Lion Country Supply).

Let’s see, which would I rather have, a cheap piece of junk for $8, or quality stuff for $4 plus shipping and a couple days wait?