discontinued the Tandy Pro dyes in lieu of the Eco-Flos.

[TheTrooper]

Hello folks,

I am wondering if this is be true or not ?!? Someone told me that Fiebings was buyed by Tandy an that the colours are the same products just with different labels.

Does anyone of you can approve that, or was it just a fairy tale the guy told me ??

Regards from germany,

M.

[Guest]

It is my understanding that Fiebings made the dye for Tandy. I guess that means that it is the same dye just in different bottles. Also you will note the dyes have different names and Fiebings has more colors than Tandy. But this is all meaningless since Tandy had discontinued all spirit dyes and gone to water based dye.

That is my understanding of the situation.

Dave Theobald

[unicornwoman]

Why is it meaningless? I mean, okay, so Tandy doesn't carry it. It appears you can still get it elsewhere. Fiebings had fliers at IFoLG this last weekend.

Their website is:

http://www.fiebing.com/

[TheTrooper]

Why is it meaningless? I mean, okay, so Tandy doesn't carry it. It appears you can still get it elsewhere. Fiebings had fliers at IFoLG this last weekend.

Their website is:

http://www.fiebing.com/

@unicornwoman

THX for the link. But their website I already know

OK, than this guy told me not the truth. I also couldn´t imagine that Fiebings were bought by Tandy.

So Fiebing´s is just making the dyes for Tandy. OK not all colors are available and the name is different, but it is still the same dye... for a lower price

[Mike]

I would do some research before I would take a Tandy dye over a Fiebing's dye just because of the cost. Sometimes a company has another company make things for them but according to their own specs. Just because Fiebings may make Tandy dyes does not neccesarily mean they are the same quality.

Maybe you could email someone at Tandy for the lowdown on it.

Mike

[Rawhide]

My local Tandy has not discontinued Fiebings dyes. They have discontinued the Tandy Pro dyes in lieu of the Eco-Flos.

I don't know how much help this is, but just thought I'd chime in.

Marlon

[JPH]

Hello:

I hope no one minds a total neophyte interjecting here...but why not simply mix you own dyes?? I mean I have been doing that from like 30 years now...talk about cost effective (make that cheap...) and you can mix custom colours as well..

Just a thought....

JPH

[ScottyEvil]

Dr. JPH:

Would you mind creating a thread explaining what ingredients/process you use in making your own dyes or the basic recipe you use? I, for one, am curious as I've seen you mention making your own dyes in another thread. I hear making dyes and I think of crushing rocks for pigment and various alchemy type flasks of liquids.

By the way, I really enjoyed reading your books. Truly impressive work.

Scott

[JPH]

Scott:

Ok over the years I have tried to make my own stains from everything from ground up black walnut husks (the leather like skin of the nut..what a mess but boy did it stain) to rusty steel wool to just about every olde tyme formula/recipe I could find..Most worked OK..some worked great others didn't work well at all.

About 6 years ago I "discovered" via a dear friend of mine the world of "wood stains". I was amazed at the colour variations you can get in the ready made powers for water, oil or alcohol based stains. VERY resonable in price...with the most expensive, the oil based stains costing approx 25 US a gallon depending upon the oil you use...

Being the paranoid olde farte that I am about rust (after all it is an "instant product"..as far as carbon steels go..all you need to do is add water..) I settled on the alcohol based dyestuffs and just mix my own..cost me like 12 to 16 dollars a gallon depending on the price of the actual dyestuffs and the going rate for the alcohol...MUCH less than buying the "ready mixed" stuff..plus you can mix up colours that you cannot readily get other places by experimenting and mixing the dyestuff powders. Plus there are dozens and dozens of colours of ready made powders if you just want to go "off the rack"...

I have gotten pretty good using these to "fossilize" bone..especially my (in)famous "Bovine Ivory" that people just drool over...

I will probably never go back to buying ready mixed dyes because these work so NICE and well I am a chea....no um....FRUGAL..yeah that's the word..frugal old man stuck in my ways...

Oh..thank you for ther kind words in regards to my books...

Hope this helps...

JPH

[Peter Ellis]

Jim, one of the reasons that people aren't making up their own dyes is the learning curve on being able to produce something satisfactory, and then reproduce it consistently. While the dyestuff is inexpensive, trial and error adds up fast.

For those of us that are primarily hobbyists, it's a whole added layer of process and learning for which we just don't have the time.

I'm also under the impression that the aniline dyes are not to be treated lightly. Some pretty toxic chemicals involved there that need to be handled properly.

[JPH]

Peter:

The MSDS info that comes with the dyestuffs I use basically say not to eat them and to advoid breathing the dust..other than that you simply handle them like you would any other denatured alcohol stain...at least that is what I was told by my "wood worker connection"..

JPH

[Michael Sheldon]

For those of us that are primarily hobbyists, it's a whole added layer of process and learning for which we just don't have the time.

I'd be willing to bet the hobbyists are more likely to do this than the pros. Mixing dyes can be interesting, and even fun. However, time is money, and I could never justify spending the time to make my own dyes rather than doing paying work.

[HorsehairBraider]

Anyone interested in learning about various dyes, types of dyes, safe handling and of course buying dyes might want to check out this site: http://www.prochemical.com/index.htm Pro Chem has great safety guides to follow when doing ANY dyeing. Their focus is on fabric dyeing but of course these various dye powders and liquids can be put to many uses. Black walnut, for example.

Basically, all dye tools should be dedicated to that purpose - you don't want to use a bowl to mix up some dye, and then later on serve dinner in it... (A lot of it is just plain common sense.) The main "problem" with dye powders is that they are very light and can be easily inhaled. Wear a mask! And hey, who wants green hands? Wear gloves! Use good ventilation, and don't dye in your kitchen!

All the toxicity comes from ingesting it. Hey, don't do that! It's not dangerous just to be around it, or to touch it.

If you just follow simple rules like that you can safely mix up your own dyes and experiment with them. I've done it too but not in *near* the quantities of JPH! A gallon of dye at a time?! Holy smokes...

[Peter Ellis]

I'd be willing to bet the hobbyists are more likely to do this than the pros. Mixing dyes can be interesting, and even fun. However, time is money, and I could never justify spending the time to make my own dyes rather than doing paying work.

Different viewpoints, I suppose. Apparently Jim finds it well worth his time.

[Peter Ellis]

All the toxicity comes from ingesting it. Hey, don't do that! It's not dangerous just to be around it, or to touch it.

mm.. one of the points about the aniline dyes is that they *are* toxic through the skin.

[HorsehairBraider]

mm.. one of the points about the aniline dyes is that they *are* toxic through the skin.

Hmm.. well, my experience of handling them is that they are not toxic for a brief amount of time but the amount of time I actually touch them is somewhere between slim and none, and slim just left town. Again - you don't want green hands, so wear gloves.

Basically, dyes are not for eating or drinking, or bathing in or washing your hands. They are for dyeing. One of the things they do (which is why they are used for dyeing) is to penetrate cells, so that the color is permanent. So absolutely - don't mix up a dye solution and stick your hand in it.

My point is, just having dyes in your home won't make you sick. Handling them improperly may do so - but so can improperly handling bleach, ammonia, or water.

[JPH]

Hello:

Well like I said I am too chea... uh...furgal to spend all that much of my hard earned filthy lucre to put out 16 to 18 a quart6 when I can make a gallon for the same amount of cash...

Also I run through anywhere from a quart to a half gallon every two weeks as it doesn't take long to go through a whole lot of dye when you are making sword sheaths and larger pieces. I am a very "prolific" maker..I put more "steel out" in a month than most other makers do in a year. Couple that up with the dyed bone and that all adds up quick to a lot of dye.

I might not know what I am doing leatherworking wise but I do run through a lot of leather, and it needs dyed...

I simply mix it up, wear the gloves and dye away. I was just curious if anyone else was mixing up their own...

Well I am back to work..got alot to do today...maybe I will post the latest once I get the sheaths done...

JPH