Can Shoe Polish Be Used As Dye?

[DavidL]

The attached picture is a screen shot from a belt making video.

Im almost certain it is Saphir but that would make it a shoe polish, unless they sell a leather dye in that type of container. Can shoe polish be used as a stand alone product to colour leather? I have seen it done before (veg tan) but haven't tested how well it works in person.

[TwinOaks]

It would be closer to 'stain' or 'antique', than actual dye, and yes you can color the leather with it (that's what ya do with shoe polish, right?) But...I don't think the paste will penetrate the leather as much as dye will.

[DavidL]

Thanks that was along the line of what I was thinking.

[simontuntelder]

It's not recommendable, as it wouldn't be a fast dye, which could lead to it transferring to garments.

Shoe polish goes on shoes - hence the name

[johnv474]

You can, however, get some great burnishing and two-tone effects by applying shoe polish over a dyed project and before your final topcoat. If you take a piece that is dyed a light color, for example, and then apply Neutral shoe polish in the middle and Cordovan or Mahogany around the outside, you can get some neat effects when burnished/polished up.

The effect is useful if you give your project some patina straight out of the gate. It is also helpful if you want just a tinge of a certain color, such as to tie in with the thread's color.

The polish is (not exactly but basically) a wax with pigment in it, so as the wax wears off much of the pigment will too. If you use a topcoat or sealer, use it after the shoe polish to protect the polish from wear.