Serpentine Collar

I never really had any intention of adding a collar plan to WWL. You can certainly make a collar by following the locking or buckling restraints plans. However, a rather experienced gent I know in passing dropped a comment about a collar that he had once seen: ‘wavy’ to fit the neck, but looked relatively flat when in place. Scanning web sites and local shops got me nowhere.. nobody that I could find sells a wavy collar. However, glancing at the shape of my neck confirmed the viability of this idea.

Hence was born the Serpentine Collar. It looks a little (OK, a lot) funny laying flat. But put in on, and.. AH-HAH! The Serpentine is a very comfortable collar, one that feels like it belongs. Try it and I think you’ll agree. This plan is for a locking collar, but there’s no reason one couldn’t make a buckling version. Lining recommended.

Difficulty: Easy

Tools

Mallet, Utility Knife, Scissors, Pen, Rivet Setter, Punch, 1″ Oblong Punch, Edge Beveler #2, Edge Slicker

Parts Checklist

Medium Rivets (4)

Plate Staple (1)

Leather Checklist

Base Strap: N+2.5″ x 2.5″ (or x [desired height + 1″])

Steps

1 – Measure

Measure the circumference of the target neck. This measurement is N in Diagram 1.

Measure the distance around the back of the neck, from highest point on one shoulder to the same position on the other shoulder. Divide by 2. This is X in Diagram 1.

2 – Cut Leather

Cut one rectangular piece of leather, N+2.5″ x [desired collar height + 1″]. In Diagram 1, the collar height is 1.5″, and you shouldn’t go any thinner than this with a 1″ plate staple. Finished Product shows a 2″ high collar, with 1 D-ring. Note that the length (N+2.5″) assumes that your need .5″ of excess for lining. Now comes the tough part.. marking and cutting those sexy curves. If might be wise to use a scrap piece to make a template.

Start by marking five dots with your pen (a narrow felt-tip works well, and washes off latigo):

1. Upper left corner, .5″ down the side

2. X+1″ from the left, top of piece

3. Exact middle, 1″ down from top

4. X+1″ from the right, top of piece

5. Upper right corner, .5″ down the side

From dots 1 & 5, draw a line 1.5″ long, perpendicular to the sides (i.e. .5″ down and parallel to the top). From the ends of these lines, freehand an S-curve to points 2 & 4 respectively. Finally, draw S-curves from points 2 & 4 to point 3. See the Diagram and pictures for a better look at this shape.

Cut this line. Draw an identical line 1.5″ (or desired collar height) down from and identical to the line you just cut. Finish cutting by completing this line.

3 – Punch Plate Staple Holes

Four rivets will hold the plate staple to the strap. To make these holes, position the plate staple 1/2″ from one end, centered across the strap’s width. Mark the position of these holes, remove the plate staple, and punch all four holes into the strap with a Hole Punch. Note that this collar only goes on one way. If you’re right handed and like to put a collar on someone from behind, I recommend putting the plate staple at the left end, as shown. A very minor point, however.

4 – Punch Tongue Holes

The hoop of the plate staple will slide through one or more tongue holes in the opposite end. These holes are punched using a 1″ Oblong Punch. Hold the collar loosely (assuming you’re going to line it) around the target neck to find the right place. The positioning of these holes is important for a quality appearance. It is wise to make a template from a scrap of leather, also (desired height) wide, to ensure consistent positioning. Place the template on top of the strap and lightly punch through the template into the second piece. This results in clear marks in your strap. Remove the template and punch the tongue holes the rest of the way through.

5 – Finish Edges

You are now done working the strap, and should finish the edges before attaching hardware. Use a #2 edge beveller to bevel all outer edges, top and bottom. Rub all of the outer edges briefly with an edge slicker and apply Edge Coat. Allow to dry, about 15 minutes.

6 – Attach Plate Staple

Firmly attach the plate staple with four medium rivets. The rivet base should be on the inside, the cap on the outside.

7 – Lining, Optional

If you want to line your collar, I recommend felt. Cut a piece of lining slightly wider than the strap, and slightly longer than the distance between the plate staple end and the first tongue hole. This is the area that will be lined. Lay the lining on a flat surface, with the side to be glued up. Coat the inside of the strap below the first tongue hole liberally with Fabri-Tac. Starting from the first tongue hole, firmly lay the strap (glue-side down) onto the lining. Press down hard for several seconds. Allow the glue to set, then trim off the excess lining carefully with a pair of scissors.

Diagram 1

Adding D-Rings

While the loop of the plate staple can be used to lock the restraint to something, as well as on someone, one or more additional D-rings can be a nice addition to the basic collar described above. Of course, you won’t put much stress on your honey’s neck. Add D-rings as described in the Locking Restraints plan.

The Finished Product