Hair-on-Hide Collar Care Guide

Hair-on-hide is real cowhide with the hair still on. Looked after properly, a hair-on-hide collar will outlast several nylon ones. Looked after badly, the hair mats or sheds and it never fully comes back. Here is everything you need to know — it takes about a minute a week.

Brushing

• Brush with the hair, never against it. Use a soft brush and always go the way the hair lies. Back-and-forth brushing lifts the hair out of the hide and makes it shed.
• Let mud dry first, then brush it out. Wiping mud off while it is wet grinds it down into the base of the hair.

Cleaning

• Spot clean only. Blot spills dry. If something needs more, use a barely damp cloth and a little mild soap, then blot again.
• Keep water out of the base of the hair. That is the hide itself, and soaking it is what causes the hair to loosen.
• Balm the smooth back and edges once or twice a year with a leather conditioner. Never put oil or conditioner on the hair side — it mats, and it stays matted.

Drying and storing

• Air dry flat at room temperature. No hairdryer, no radiator, no sunny windowsill. Heat shrinks and stiffens the hide.
• Store cool and dry, out of direct sun. Sunlight fades the hair over time.

Four things that will ruin it

• Swimming — take the collar off first
• The washing machine or the dryer
• Oil or conditioner on the hair side
• Brushing against the grain

What to expect from a natural hide

Every collar is cut from a real hide, so no two are the same. Slight shedding in the first few weeks is normal and settles down. Small variations in colour, pattern and hair direction are not flaws — they are what makes yours a one-off.

Made by hand at Double C Ranch, a few at a time. Something wrong with your collar? Message me. I made it, so I can usually fix it.