Equalizing process and "faking-it-out"

[Fender]

There are a few ways to make a leaf spring set with a properly-scaled appearance that is not too stiff.
One method is to make some of the leaves from acetal (delrin) sheet the same thickness as the spring steel leaves. The acetal leaves have negligible strength and also reduce the friction, but give the appearance similar to a steel leaf.
Another method I’ve seen used is to “hollow out” the leaves (cut out part of the center) so they flex more easily. Obviously this must be done before the steel is hardened and tempered.