Nylon leads fray, slip through a wet hand and eventually let go at the stitching. Leather behaves the other way round: it starts stiff, softens with use and gets better the longer you own it, and a hand-woven cowhide lead has no single seam to fail because the weave itself carries the load. For a strong dog walked twice a day, that difference shows up well inside the first year.

This one is woven by hand from a single piece of genuine cowhide, which gives the body of the lead its flexibility without thinning it, and leaves a handle soft enough to hold without gloves in January. The clasp is solid brass and swivels through 360 degrees, so the lead untwists itself as your dog circles rather than winding up into a stiff coil. Brass also does not rust, which counts on a lead that lives out in the rain.

• Hand-woven from a single piece of genuine cowhide
• Solid brass clasp with a 360-degree swivel
• Two lengths: 4ft and 6ft, roughly 122 cm and 183 cm
• Two widths: three-quarter inch and one inch
• Black or brown
• Suited to medium and large breeds

Two things worth knowing. The maker quotes this lead in feet and inches rather than centimetres, so the metric figures above are straight conversions rather than published specifications. And leather wants a little care: wipe it down when it comes in wet, condition it occasionally, and keep it well away from a dog who chews leads, because a leather one is exactly the sort they enjoy.

Who it's for: Owners of medium and large dogs who walk daily and are tired of replacing nylon leads.