Attaching Bridle Nameplates

[Equestrian24]

I’d like to learn how to attach my own bridle nameplates, but I’m terrified of ruining my bridles. I’ve heard it’s a piece of cake, but I want to hear of some good methods.

I’ve tried YouTube, but all they have is how to attach a riveted plate to a dog collar. Would this be similar? (Sorry if that’s a dumb question, I just want to make sure I do it right).

I like rivets over Chicago screws, so do I need a specific tool for the rivets? The dog collar video shows them tapping the rivets with a hammer covered by a cloth to keep it from scratching. Do I need to drill the leather or use a hole punch? The dog collar video also shows them tapping through it with a nail. I don’t want huge holes, just enough for the rivets. I don’t want such big holes that the nameplate moves around.

Thank you!

[sassy]

It’s super easy. I worked at Dover and we had to do this all the time. You want to lay the nameplate on the bridle and make some marks (we used a tiny screwdriver) so you know where to put the holes. Then use the hole punch to make the holes- on the smaller side is better. We used a sprenger punch because it works the best. Put the rivets in, place the plate, and put the little caps on the use a hammer to secure the caps. Don’t hit it super hard or the caps will get flattened/ smushed and make it very difficult to remove the plate. We always placed the leather on a little anvil and gave the caps a decent whack or two. Super simple. Takes less than two minutes.