ThisIsMyFirstRodeo

I repeated the experiment, but this time I sprayed the strips with water to see if that would even out the unevenness, and skipped straight to 5min. This time, it was worse. Much worse. And the depth of color was nowhere near that of the first experiment. Conclusion: Don’t spray your leather with water first… Cheers, AZR

Experiment: Testing 4 different ferrous and non-ferrous acetates to react with 6-7lb econo veg tan leather, using ~1min and ~5min dip times. Methodology: 1) Prepared 1 mason jar each of classic vinegaroon, classic vinegaroon, copper scrubbie substitute, SS scrubbie substitute. Jars have been sitting outside in mostly direct S.AZ summer sun, probably about 100F. No control for leather or with straight white vinegar will be used. 2) Dip a strip of undyed 6-7lb econo veg tan completely for ~1min. 3) Pull halfway out and continue dip for another 4min, for a combined time of ~5min. 4) Hang each on the “shaded” side of the jar to air dry. 5) Analyze and evaluate results at 1hr. 6) Test strips will not be stabilized with baking soda solution. Hypothesis: 1) Initial coloring will be relatively dark, and fade with time. 2) Longer dip time equates to darker color. 3) Because leather is porous, the color of the 1min dip may be skewed by wicking action. 4) Stabilization with baking soda solution (untested) may alter results. Prognosis: Based on historical and commonly available observations, results will be as follows: Jar 1 (classic vinegaroon 5wk aged) will be darkest, followed by Jar 2 (classic vinegaroon 3wk aged), then Jar 3 (copper scrubbie 6wk aged), and finally Jar 4 (SS scrubbie 6wk aged). Each of the testing strips will have noticeable but slight variations of color between 1min and 5min, and the strips themselves will have distinct depths of color. Results: At 1hr: A) The longer dip time yielded darker colors. At 1min, surprisingly, Strip 2 appears slightly darker than Strip 3, and results (darkest to lightest) as follows: 1,2,3,4. C) At 5min, results as predicted with results (darkest to lightest) as follows: 1,3,2,4. Observations: At 2hr, the colorations are evening out on Strips 1 and 3 (classic 5wk and 3wk). Surprisingly, Strip 2 followed by 4 (copper and SS) were the most evenly colored at each time. Also unexpected Strip 2 (copper) was very close to Strip 3 (classic 3wk), just slightly behind Strip 1. Although Strip 1 was the darkest at both times, the evenness of Strip 2 would give the copper scrubbie my preference in general. Strip 4 (SS), though, may warrant further experimentation into blue tones, and lend a really cool effect with a blue dye. Also would like to compare to dipping in straight white vinegar. Having issues posting pictures of the results. Almost like it’s my first rodeo or something 😉… If I’m missing something, or have made an error along the way, please correct me. Cheers, AZR

(Original post edited) I was going to give yet another glowing review to his saddle stitch tutorial, but it simply isn’t necessary.

Wow. Just. Wow. Beautiful work! AZR

Hey all, So I’ve been playing with the Angelus purple dye (on 5oz veg tan, if it matters), but I keep getting splotches of metallic/iridescent gold-ish color. How do I prevent/fix this? Thanks, AZR

Hi all, I'm sure this is probably a common issue with a simple answer, but how do I stop the dye from staining my thread as I stitch? Am I missing a step in setting the dye (like Rit for fabric)? For reference, current shenanigans: 6oz econo veg tan, Angelus oxblood dye, Ritza 1.2mm beige thread. Thanks, AZR

Further observations: SS: color hasn’t returned to liquid yet. Dipped a swatch this morning. At first, started to darken. As it dried, some light staining on flesh, only a hint of shade on grain. Cu: surprisingly vibrant color, similar to a new penny, but can clearly see through. Dipped a swatch last night. Darkened some initially, now a slightly pale blue color wash. Tossed outside again today, color seems to be fading from jar. 2nd Fe: Still relatively clear, nothing to settle out. Dipped a swatch last night. Initially turned relatively dark. This morning, disappointingly faded out. Outside also, almost seems to be a soapy dishwater appearance. 1st Fe: Black at top few inches, black sediment settled, gray-black but translucent. I cheated and dipped the faded Fe swatch from last night. A rather hazy navy blue color. Outside also, the jar is an opaque charcoal gray. All swatches buff veg tan. Will update observations as I think about it… AZR

Have you found a quality wheel? I’ll admit that mine are bottom-of-the-barrel price and most likely quality to match, but the few I’ve found don’t necessarily match the spacing of my irons, and tend to wobble on the axle. AZR

Thank you for the table, great reference. I use almost strictly 1.2mm Ritza myself, but still use basic blunt harness needles. My hand stitching is improving though, so it may be time to start practicing with more delicate techniques. As far as the range of irons, I’ve seen a few different descriptors, and per Nigel Armitage, there are a handful more that I haven’t come across yet, primarily of various European styles. Any insight into this? I haven’t bitten the bullet yet to experiment myself , as $60-$100+ per iron is a rather pricey let’s-see-what-happens, and I don’t know any other leather workers enough to ask to borrow their tools… Primarily, I guess between stitching chisels vs stitching irons, and stitching vs pricking (though that’s a little more obvious). Or to step up my overthinking skills, Jap vs French vs Brit vs etc. Nigel does have a detailed text comparison of irons here https://armitageleather.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Pricking-Iron-Review-Jan-2020.pdf, though he doesn’t define here the styles, or identify which irons are what. AZR

Is that the price point to expect for stepping up from entry-level? Clearly they can go much higher, but just to know what to expect… AZR

Hey all, So I broke my arm a couple weeks ago, and I’m tired of teasing myself by just staring at my workbench. I do at least have use of my dominant hand, so I did luck out in that department, but all of my hobbies seem to require 2 hands. I’m sure there are some of you with a similar experience, but how do I modify leatherwork to be conducive to 1 working arm until I get my cast off? Is it even feasible? Unfortunately, my bandsaw is disassembled to repair, and I can’t break the nut loose on my grinder to replace the stone with a buffing wheel, so I feel like I may be SOL (hope im not censored) on the power tool side. Any tips/tricks/hints/advice welcome, even if it’s not to bother. Guess it’s back to my first rodeo, AZR

Hey all, question for those smarter than me… Is there a way to adjust the color of the edge paint to a more desirable shade? I’m stuck somewhat housebound for the time being, so I’m trying to work with what I have… (Insert “first rodeo” line here…) AZR

Mask off the edges with tape, making sure that the edge being painted/glued is pressed down tightly. If you get an overbrush, give it a quick wipe with a damp rag. Take the tape off quickly before it dries to keep the edge line sharp. If it dries, it may pull some of the paint away. It might as well still be my first rodeo, but it’s what has worked for me so far… AZR