Please Help! Need To Fix Mismatched Boot Finishes

[yayners]

Hi, I'm not a leatherworker but I'm hoping someone here can help me anyway:

I recently bought some tall leather boots online, that arrived mismatched in terms of the finish/distressing, one being very distressed, cracked and pebbled (which is how I expected them to be) and the other seemingly "untreated" or aged in the same way. I want to keep them, I cannot return them to the store I bought them from because there are no more in stock, and even if there were, I need the boots for a trip I am taking next Wednesday.

So, I figured I would try to distress/age the unfinished one to match … but, obviously there are lot of techniques used to do this and all of my novice efforts have not made much impact. Here is a photo of the two boots, the one on the left being the cracked effect I'm hoping to recreate on the right. I don't know how to get that wider cracking, or the black waxy pebble patina with the warm brown cracks. Please help if you can offer ay advice on how I might go about doing this myself.

Thanks!

Edited January 14, 2012 by yayners

[Tree Reaper]

If they are on a level surface I'd say they were two different boots made from different leather.

Other than putting them in your clothes dryer for a couple of days I'm not sure if there's anything you can do except dye them both darker to try and hide the grain and wear them or just wear them.

[Sylvia]

You can try getting a more grainy look on the unfinished one by rolling the leather toward the outside of the boot several times and in several directions. I did that on this leather purse... http://www.ebay.com/itm/320828938623?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

This is going to be a bit difficult due to the shape of the boot and those laces but it should give you some of the texture you want. As for the coloring. I would just redye them both with a darker color. You'll need deglazer and a spirit based dye. Not sure where you would get those things in time for your Wednesday event. Perhaps a shoe store, or a cobbler in your area would have some.

Good luck

Hi, I'm not a leatherworker but I'm hoping someone here can help me anyway:

I recently bought some tall leather boots online, that arrived mismatched in terms of the finish/distressing, one being very distressed, cracked and pebbled (which is how I expected them to be) and the other seemingly "untreated" or aged in the same way. I want to keep them, I cannot return them to the store I bought them from because there are no more in stock, and even if there were, I need the boots for a trip I am taking next Wednesday.

So, I figured I would try to distress/age the unfinished one to match … but, obviously there are lot of techniques used to do this and all of my novice efforts have not made much impact. Here is a photo of the two boots, the one on the left being the cracked effect I'm hoping to recreate on the right. I don't know how to get that wider cracking, or the black waxy pebble patina with the warm brown cracks. Please help if you can offer ay advice on how I might go about doing this myself.

Thanks!

[DoubleC]

Hi, I'm not a leatherworker but I'm hoping someone here can help me anyway:

I recently bought some tall leather boots online, that arrived mismatched in terms of the finish/distressing, one being very distressed, cracked and pebbled (which is how I expected them to be) and the other seemingly "untreated" or aged in the same way. I want to keep them, I cannot return them to the store I bought them from because there are no more in stock, and even if there were, I need the boots for a trip I am taking next Wednesday.

So, I figured I would try to distress/age the unfinished one to match … but, obviously there are lot of techniques used to do this and all of my novice efforts have not made much impact. Here is a photo of the two boots, the one on the left being the cracked effect I'm hoping to recreate on the right. I don't know how to get that wider cracking, or the black waxy pebble patina with the warm brown cracks. Please help if you can offer ay advice on how I might go about doing this myself.

Thanks!

Hey Yah, man even as new as I am, I can see you don't have two matching boots. Neither in style, or type of leather. Try Syl's techniques and see if it helps make them look more 'alike' and hope nobody notices the difference. The angle of the laced piece you're showing us isn't the same, and.....oh jeesh, what can I add? I'm really sorry but you got fleeced. Cheryl

[yayners]

Hmm, I didn't think about trying to strip the mottled one and redye them both, that's another attack, thanks. I think I'm going to take them out to the Tandy Leather in the area on Monday and see if anyone there can help. Luckily the colors are spot on so unless you are looking closely one wouldn't notice the difference. It will never stop annoying me though, so I am determined to get these to match better!

Also note: The two boots are not standing on a level surface, they are laying on their sides on a bench, that's why it looks like they have different proportions.

Edited January 14, 2012 by yayners

[Tree Reaper]

yayners,

You might have better luck at a shoe/boot repair than you would at a Tandy.