Trailblazer87

Nowandagain, Would you have access to Henna? That has been used to dye leather.

I haven't used it on leather intentionally, but I do know it stains. Experimentation is probably in order, the grape must (the solids left over from wine making) will possibly make for a good base, though it has a strong odor. Take those solids and make a strong tea from it. If I were to use wine, I would probably want to reduce it down to remove the alcohol and some water, might darken it up as well. As someone else mentioned above, a wood stain may be the most consistent way to get the color you want. Most hardware stores carry it.

OK, something i might be able to help ( California pistachio grower here) with, do you have access to pistachio hulls? They should be coming available this time of year, just let them age a bit to darken up and let the tannins release. Do you have access to oak trees? The acorns are loaded with tannins, grind them up then soak them to make a very bitter tea. The other thing to try might be a dark red wine, or even Balsamic vinegar, just be sure to neutralize the acid with baking soda and a good rinse.

I had a feeling it would work like that. I will definitely try different finishes on bits of scrap. Thanks!

Hello all, new here, but have been lurking for a few months, learning from the vast repository of knowledge here. One thing I haven't been able to find is how you get the natural pattern the shows up in some horse hides. I ordered a few Horween Russet straps and when I opened the package one of them has a very nice fine zebra pattern that I'm tempted to make into a belt. So how do I get that to show without covering it up with dye or having it change with light exposure? I have enough to just make a belt and holster for my S&W 686, so I don't want to ruin any. Thanks in advance.