ABLeather

TomG, Thanks for your help, I will definitely try the Fiebings/oil combination on my next project, a messenger bag.

Matt S, Thanks, the water based dyes could be worth trying too I will look into that. I guess alcohol based commercial dyes are alcohol based for a reason.

Billybop, Thanks very much for your reference to natural dyes - you have pointed me to lots of interested reading!! Much appreciated rgds

Hello everyone, I have got back into leather work after a spell for a couple of years. I am almost finished a handbag project, and decided to dye natural leather rather than buy pre dyed leather. I really love the less than perfect colour look versus perfect commercially dyed leather - it brings out the best of leather qualities, and for the type of work I like to do it suits. BUT, the alcohol based dyes (which seems to be all that is available??) dry the leather out so much, and it takes a lot of oil to bring it back to supple again. What I would love to do is produce my own OIL BASED dye. Does anyone have any experience in this area? I would also like to use some natural products such as bark tannin's from our local trees, but the main objective is to make a true oil based dye. It will no doubt need some kind of emulsifier, but thought I would ask here first before embarking on my own research!! Thanks in anticipation. AB Leather (Andrew)