PhilipHN

No, it shouldn't. I used to use Resolene but not any more. Now for maximum waterproofness over a colourfast finish I'd use Sno Seal. It's not for everyone, pretty old school. Someone tried to persuade me to start using Renapur recently but you know, so many products on the market and life's too short...

Okay coming to this very late, but do you mind me asking why are you using neatsfoot? As someone hugely more experienced than I am said to me recently, neatsfoot is perfect for working-leather, out in all the elements, but not good for anything that will touch clothing because it never really dries and will absorb colour from the leather and transfer it to whatever rubs against it.

Hi. I suggest that you cut some dyed test pieces and apply different finishes to each, then when they are dried and buffed, place several drops of water on each to see if the water produces a stain or actually soaks into the leather. Leave it overnight for a really tough test. Also see if rubbing the surfaces lifts dye. Tan Kote is hopeless as a water resistant seal in my experience. When I've made collars in the past I've cheated by finishing with Resolene, which is colorfast but does also look like gloss varnish. These days I would ensure the dye was completely dry before buffing off any residue, then apply a good quality carnauba cream, allow to dry overnight then re-apply, then rub hard to bring to a good shine. Then I'd finish with Sno Seal: apply it to the leather then warm the leather with a heat gun to open the pores, then rub it in and repeat. You don't say whether you apply oil to your leather after you've dyed it, but if you do that will always result in dye coming out.

Hello Everyone Yes, the 'u' in 'colour' is a give-away, I'm from over the pond... I am growing a little obsession about the colour fastness of leather finishes, and I'd very much like to know what other people's experiences have been. A while back I moved from making knife sheaths to making belts, and then bags. What I discovered was that the way I treated my sheaths (which I was dyeing myself) seriously did not translate across to anything that was going to have significant contact - particularly moving contact - with clothing. For example I discovered the hard way that neatsfoot oil never really dries and is excellent at transferring previously dry dye to whatever rubs against the surface of the leather. My wife's cream jacket looked like she'd been working on the car... I know that Resolene (and no doubt other products also) does provide a colourfast seal, but I don't like the high gloss finish, and nor do I like that it effectively encases the leather in plastic, preventing it from breathing and ultimately drying out the fibres. I've been given instructions on how best to dye and finish leather (dye, wait 24 hours; dye again, wait another 24 hours; apply carnauba, wait 24 hours; re-apply carnauba, wait another 24 hours; buff very vigorously and finish with saddle soap - yes, that's basically a five day process) but even following that procedure and leaving my leather for a few days more, I can still lift colour with a cloth. The most straightforward answer (I guess) is to buy professionally finished leather, but I wonder what other's experiences have been. Or am I missing something?! Thanks!