ExBESTIA: Dog Collars & Leashes From the Beast.

Transparency.

I am the owner & operator of ExBESTIA. I want to ensure that is as clear as possible prior to writing my thoughts on the brand that I created. ExBESTIA has been an incubating idea turned years long research and development project that has just recently formed and launched. It's a passion and creative outlet that I and a small team feel brings a much needed aesthetic to the pet restraint and identification market.

The pursuit is to carefully curate materials to create collars, leashes, harnesses, and accessories that people purchase out of desire and less out of necessity. While ExBESTIA is still in the early days, large plans lie ahead. Follow our journey on instagram for updates and special releases.

From the Beast.

The modus operandi is clear, technical aesthetics structured to attain immense safety protocols. The idea of ExBESTIA started with the goal of creating a dog restraint and identification system that could complement the aesthetic of the owner. It's our belief that the market is oversaturated with overly loud colors, awkward patterns, unnecessary labels, low quality materials, and subpar manufacturing methods. This leaves the purchasing decision for many to be based out of sheer need rather than excitement.

In order to iterate on this status quo, we went back to basics. This meant focusing on the purpose and simplicity of what a restraint and identification system ought to be and less on making a low cost bright duplicate of what already exists. One thing was abundantly clear early on, there would not be a compromise on materials nor construction.

It's our belief that understated quality has an outsized aesthetic impact. In order to achieve this, we started with the details, focusing first on the nylon. Typical pet restraint nylon is unnecessarily thick and prone to abrasion issues on the surface. By using a more costly mil-spec standard nylon, we're able to drastically increase durability and longevity while maintaining a neutral earth tone color palette. Color matched nylon stitching blends effortlessly into the material for a clean finish.

The hardware is another point of pride that we mulled over for quite some time. It was important to maintain a cohesive appearance while utilizing the most capable pieces from various rigging and safety accessory manufacturers. Standard off brand hardware was out of the question which naturally allowed us to adopt a more functional focused identity.

"The details are not the details, they make the design" - Charles Eames. This single sentence is at the forefront of every decision we make throughout the operations of ExBESTIA. Each piece making up the whole must serve a specific purpose either in form or function, adding to the safety and ease of use or the visual pleasure. Engraining this guiding belief keeps us focused on producing products that are true to our core.

Safety.

In developing ExBESTIA, safety was taken seriously. It was the case that so many design decisions were scraped due to the emphasis we place on ensuring our product capabilities far exceed their standard operating range. The RES.2 system that we use across all collars and leashes is a redundancy where each and every stitch is reinforced in parallel twice with mil-spec threading. Additionally, all sizing adjustments must pass through two stages of hardware to eliminate any potential for slippage. While this does present slightly more work when dialing in the sizing, it's a safety standard that we're unwilling to compromise on.

I'll elaborate more in the section below, but the material choices play a significant role in the safety of our product offering. The over engineered hardware paired with mil-spec standards and constructed in California quality all amount to a piece that gives peace of mind. Tensile strength is something that you may hear me drone on about more than you prefer, but it's a topic continually at the forefront in the workshop. Elements of our Armis collar and Operator leash that are subject to force have been built with factory tested aluminum hardware from top tier manufactures around the globe.

Materials.

The materials matter. So much so that our uncompromising approach has resulted in a dog collar and leash that is priced to reflect the quality. All of our nylon used throughout the product range is mil-spec grade making it mildew, rot, and abrasion resistant. This incredibly durable material has a tensile strength far exceeding the usable range and will hold its color through sustained use and UV exposure.

For various reasons, I've ultimately opted to utilize a Fidlock V-buckle where attachment is needed. This self securing magnetic marvel is as simple and sleek as a buckle can get. When placing the two ends of the collar together, magnets will grab and guide everything into place with ease. Once attached, the buckle provides increasing resistance as force is applied. To instantly remove the buckle, it's as easy as lifting the custom ExBESTIA spec puller in a perpendicular manner, separating the two halves.

All reinforced plastic adjustment pieces are mil-spec and made in the USA (berry compliant). Rugged tri-glide slides are used as part of the resilient restraint system (RES.2) to lock in all sizing adjustments and allow zero slippage under hard use. These pieces don't directly come under hard load, making them the perfect lightweight material for the job.

Mil-spec grade 7 strand nylon cordage was chosen for all padacord leashes due to its lightweight yet high tensile strength properties. Each Operator leash has been meticulously hand braided and heat sealed to create an overall leash length of 6 feet. All cordage in this form has a slightly rigid appearance that nicely develops over time.

When it comes to the high tension attachment points such as those seen where the leash connects to the collar, I've broadened our sourcing worldwide to ensure only the best. Founded in 1830 from a small workshop in the Alps, KONG Italy is a staple in the safety equipment space. KONG has perfected the art of carabiners where life is literally on the line. I've chosen to use the KONG ergo bent gate carabiner in each and every leash which offers an asymmetric style to aid in use for all hand sizes. This choice to pursue overkill provides peace of mind for all end users.

For all other attachment or material transition points, I've again turned to a renowned brand in the safety equipment space, Austrialpin. As the name would suggest, they are based in Austria and have a long glorious track record of providing purpose built pieces geared around human safety. The over engineering of all hardware used in any and all ExBESTIA products is part of the ethos that we hope to make synonymous with the brand.

A final detail, and one that I took seriously, was the solid brass logo tag accompanying each collar that has been engraved with the ExBESTIA logo on both sides. Brass is a material that tells a story of time. With age, it begins to patina, scratch and slightly dent. This wear is to be worn proudly as it shows a life lived. I wanted our logo tag to be a part of each dogs story as the adventures accrue over time.

Future.

With ambitions high and complacency low, there is quite a bit on the radar in the coming year. Our current core collection is just that, the core. The Armis collar and Operator leash are the basis for what will be a growing collection of functional dog restraints. From there, we'll be expanding with various iterations, sizes, accessories, harnesses, and limited run color releases. We remain steadfast to our curation process and will not waver from the top tier materials, superior safety, and functional muted aesthetic that is much needed in the space.

2025 is sure to be a formation year for ExBESTIA as we set out to expand our product offering and establish ourselves in a unique corner of the pet restraint market. Our uncompromising approach to design is likely to lead us in untold unorthodox directions where safety will never be sacrificed. Follow our journey on instagram for updates and special releases.

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ExBESTIA - From the Beast.

Resilient restraint & identification system constructed in California. Dog collars and dog leashes at the conjunction of form and function.

ExBESTIA