Hi everyone!
Does anyone have any experience with learning to make browbands/bridles? I have recently started making blingy browbands, and I love them! However, I have been having a hard time finding somewhere to buy good quality browbands at a reasonable price. I have been getting them on ebay for cheap to practice, but I would eventually like to use higher quality ones. This got me thinking, is it worth it to learn to make them myself? How does one go about learning? Is it even worth the time investment I would need to learn? Would love to get some thoughts!
They are super easy to make. Iāve made some for myself and for friends. I do the version like Dark Jewels where there is a Chicago screw at either end of the channel. There is a method to sew them in but thatās beyond my level of interest. LOL I like the Chicago screw because I can make multiple strands and swap them out when the mood strikes.
Keep an eye on Michaelās - they often have some deep sales on beads. Iāve gotten strands for under $2 when coupling a sale with a coupon. I used to shop Hobby Lobby as well, butā¦ thatās another story for me. You can also buy the jewelry wire there to use, and I get my Chicago screws in bulk from eBay. The only other thing I keep on hand is needlenose pliers for wrapping the wire.
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I suppose it depends on what type of browbands you intend to make - the more complex beaded or braided type would take more time and energy, which you would have to reflect in your cost and determine if there is a market for that in your area.
I have paid around $100 for a beautiful custom beaded browband which is high quality and very durable; the beads are strung together and sewn in to the browband and it would take some work to detach them.
I wanted to have a go at making my own simple one in a different colour so I bought some Swarovski flat-back crystals and glued them in rows onto a browband. Itās basic, cute and does the job, but itās not durable.
Between the cost of buying the blank browband, the crystals, glue and my time, I could never sell it for enough money to recoup what I spent in making it. So just make sure that you have a market and will actually make money out of the endeavor. Obviously buying bulk supplies saves you cost in the long run, but you have to make sure that if you buy 30 browbands at a discount, that you can sell 30 browbands in the end!
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I think OP is talking about making the actual leather browband, not the beaded portion, which Iām guessing she already knows how to do. 
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Iāve been wanting to make a plain leather browband for an old Western bridle that lost its browband in storage. Western world doesnāt seem to sell separate brow bands like English does. I was thinking just take a length of old rain, drill a hole at each end, double up the leather and put in a Chicago screw.
But that wouldnāt give you the channel you need to insert a row of beads.
The ones I make donāt use a channel! So that would eliminate that (possibly difficult?) step!
OMG - oops! So sorry, OP! I misunderstood.
You can buy the leather straps from Tandy or Tory leather.
Tory will make any browbands for you if you order ten or more:
http://www.toryleather.com/catalogs/2019ToryCatalog.pdf
Would be best if you could ask a saddle shop to show you how to buy a piece of leather, cut from it, the right tools to edge the leather and wax/oil it, how to use an awl and sew with suitable thread and double sew, we use a pony leather stitching holder, that is a wood two arm holder for what you are stitching:
https://www.amazon.com/Lacing-stitchā¦/dp/B0118EC3EM
You can sit in a chair, put that between your legs, one wood arm on each side under your thighs and that will hold the leather in front of you, to make holes with an awl, then stitch, running the needles back and forth.
Working with leather is easy but easier if someone shows you how and the right tools to use.
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Ah, of course. I saw āblingyā in the OP and immediately assumed it was the shiny dressage types!
I didnāt see any English browbands in the whole catalog.(Well, of course on the bridles!) Not even in the table of contents, though I saw western V browbands.
You order whichever kind you want, is in their side box by the V browbands?
All that leather you buy in tack shops, much of that they made and sold to them to sell to us out of the stores or catalogs.
They make all and any items, the browbands in the other bridles they sell also.
Find what you like on one of their bridles that fit your needs.
Order ten and they will make and ship them to you.
They donāt sell retail so as not to compete directly with their customers.
That is why they have minimum volume orders, 10 for browbands.
Thanks everyone! I will have to check out Tory. I am located in Canada, so sometimes shipping fees + exchange rates can make ordering from the US a little dicey financially. It would be nice to learn to make them from a tack maker, but I am not sure how well-received it would be for me to message a random saddler and be like āhello, can you specifically teach me how to make browbandsā. Of course Iād be willing to pay for lessons, but I am not sure if thatād be a weird request
You never know, you may find a saddler with a sense of humor that may think that is a great request, may get you interested in doing more also, once you see what all it involves, the techniques, the tools, the results.
Working in our leather shop in the basement in the worst of the winter is how we passed the time, tooling belts, making special headstalls for our homemade rope nose hackamores, repairing halters and any other.
Try it, you may like it.
You already know how to make blitzy browbands.
That we never would have thought to make.
I expect if you find a saddler, they will know where in your region you can order some browbands, maybe the saddler may offer to make you some.
Many years ago I attempted to make some browbands, however I gave it up pretty quickly!
But if all youāre after is the blank/plain browband, you could try Bahrās Saddlery in Hornby, Ontario.
https://www.bahrsaddlery.com/tack-equipment/tack/bridles/bridle-parts.html
They do sell bridle parts, but the browbands all seem to be the beaded type, nothing plain to do your own thing with. I would give them a call - they have an 800 number - and ask if they have the plain ones in the store and donāt list them on the website. They also make strap goods such as halters and lead shanks, so they might be able to make one to your specs.
Good point!I never thought about emailing Bahr, I live about an hour away from them
