Search the Community

I thought i had it under control, but I am in desperate need of help. Its a cardholder. I dyed it black (sprite-based dye, 3 coats), let it dry over night, buff it, applied satin sheen (two coats) and buffed it (no dye is coming of). But, when I buff it with a wet cloth, the dye comes off. I cant have the dye coming off, it will ruing the clothes. What I am doing wrong? What I am to do? How can I seal this? I have leather grease, satin sheen and Resolene at my disposal. (I try to avoid resolene due to the shine it gives) This is my first real commission and I really want it to be perfect, and I am suppose to ship it out tomorrow! Any help is deeply appreciated! /Nicklas

Hi all! I'm new to the community here and new to leather work/restoration in general. I got a very soft old Perry Ellis lambskin black leather jacket which needed to be redyed. After some research I chose Fiebings pro dye black for the job. The re-dye went okay and I've also conditioned with Bick 4 but now I need to make sure there's no rub-off before I start wearing it. Plan A was to just buff it until there's no more rub-off but I've done a ton already and there's no end in sight, plus the leather is old and delicate and it seems like it may not hold up to much more vigorous buffing. Plan B, which may seem like the obvious choice to more experienced people, is to apply a sealing acrylic finish. I was resistant to this because the leather is super soft and seems pretty delicate and I worry that putting a layer of acrylic over it would ruin it. Also I feel like the gloss of an acrylic finish might not look too good on this surface (though I know diluting it can help on that front). I don't see any way around it so I'm planning to apply some Fiebings Resolene diluted with water to 50/50, or if it would work, I might even try diluting it further to more like 1:2 for a more matte finish. My questions are: 1. Is the acrylic topcoat the right/only way to go? Can a soft old lambskin jacket like this hold up to that? Or is there another/better option? 2. Can Resolene work at lower concentrations for a more matte finish or do I need to stick to 50/50 3. Bonus kind of unrelated question: that wrinkly collar is a little annoying, is there anything I can do about that? Thanks so much in advance! P.s. I know I may have over-applied the dye and there could be other things I could do differently in the future to avoid this problem, but I'm mainly just interested in how to proceed from where I'm at. Thank you!

I have read that people will wait anywhere from 20 minutes to 36 hours for their pro dye to dry before applying finish. I know a lot can depend on your environment and application method, but I can't imagine that environment and application method will make the drying time go from minutes to several hours. I cut my oil dye 50/50 with denatured alcohol and I apply it with a wool dauber. I usually do 2 coats, but sometimes I do 3. How long more or less should I be letting the dye dry before applying finish?

I want to know which material and machine do factories use to seal and coat the leather edges with a thick rubbery coat? I don't think it is Giardini, or Fiebings or Stahl or United or any of these edge coats, because I compared those to the rubbery edge coat I have on many bags and they are not the same.......I also don't think in mass production of bags they will waste time applying 3 or 4 layers of these edge coats..... I think it is a synthetic material... It could be the one in the attached photo but I don't know what is it? BTW this material is damn good and sustainable. Can anyone help me please.

I haven't really worked with chrometan leather before, but recently I picked up a side at the local Tandy store for a good price. My wife and I are looking at a couple projects, and she noticed that it scratches or scuffs easily. As an experiment I cut off a small chunk, scuffed it with my fingernail, then applied some Neat-Lac to it. It seems to have taken out that scuff mark, and now it doesn't seem to scuff as easily. So, is there any reason to not use Neat-Lac on chrometan? Or I guess more to the point, what is the preferred way to finish chrometan? Thanks /dwight

What kind of finish do y’all use to seal a cuff? I’ve noticed that the spray leather sheen I use cracks quite a bit.

Hello. This is going to be a matter of opinion as there are so many options here. So I'm making a bunch of wallets for everyone for Xmas and I'm curious as to what type of finish I should use or rather what you all would use for a wallet. I'll give some background. The leather I'm using is a veg tan Korba buffalo calf from buckleguy. I'm getting the leather pre dyed (black and another color). Likely I'll burnish the edges with tokonole and beeswax. I guess I'm looking for a decent sheen, the more "luxurious" the better I guess (whatever "luxurious" means to you). What do you guys like to use? What oils do you guys like? Neatsfoot? Mink? So my plan is to use an oil like mink or neatsfoot then finish with tan kote unless someone has a better idea. I think that will be the look and feel that I'm going for. If anyone has any ideas that will help or even just some helpful info on what Im planning to use that would be great. Or even if you have a better idea all together. I'm all ears. Thank you for your time

Hi all! I have been reading, and reading and reading some more, and I have come to the conclusion that there is no one right answer on how to finish projects! I'm just looking for some reassurance that I am on the right track. I am making nosebands and small saddle bags to hold cell phones. I'm currently using Tan-Kote and Aussie conditioner. Is this enough protection? I know these are not heavy use type items, and aren't intended to be used out in the rain- but could still get wet. So is the Tan-Kote and Aussie enough protection? I'm always worried about water spotting/dye running. I have used resolene in the past but I really dont like the shiny, plastic look. The dye I use is Feibings Pro dye, and also use Angelus acrylic paint.

I’m new to leather-craft. I’m starting by taking apart some leather items to see how they’re constructed. And I came across this one item that seems half-finished, por at least meant to be left as “raw”. As you can see from the sides, they’re left un burnished and (hopefully) you can see the leather is completely matte. Now, it’s supposed to be full grain leather, and to my untrained eye it at least seems good quality. But the look of the leather simply feels “unfinished” or “untreated” to me. Of course, the edges need burnishing, but as this was supposedly a finished piece, I’m wondering what would you call that leather finish that has absolutely no sheen at all. And what would you recommend to give it a finish with a slight sheen, as you’d find on leather that has been used quite a lot and has developed a patina. (Or is the best thing just to let that patina develop over time.) Thanks for any input!

I'm selling some of my leather working equipment and also some leather, to make room in our small apartment for my son's bedroom! Pickup in San Francisco please for large/heavy items including leather. I can ship the electric iron/edge creaser and zippers if you pay for shipping. VSB Burnishing Machine from Campbell Randall: Brand New (Unused) burnisher for sanding, polishing and finishing leather edges - to end all hours of manual sanding work. Includes leather felt wheel, wax stick, abrasive stone wheel, diamond wheel, and additional work table to rest your piece. New (unused) for $590 (Save $100 vs buying from Campbell Randall directly). Global Industrial Workbench - 60 X 30 inch Solid Maple Wood Square Edge Work Bench- Adjustable Height - 1 3/4" Top. Legs adjust so that table height can be from 27 ⅞ inches to 35 ⅜ inches. Like New for $235 (Save $200 vs buying new on website. Tax & Shipping only is $155 to San Francisco). Granite Hammering Stone: 12x18x3 inch solid granite tooling slab for leatherworking. Used for leather skiving, stamping, and tooling. Excellent condition. $100 (Save $52 including tax vs buying new). French Burnishing electric iron/ edge creaser: Regad M3000 6V Low voltage Power box with wood handle and Right-handed F2.5 Metal Burnish Head. This electric creasing & edging tool is a very popular product for Hermes, Louis Vuitton and other high-end craftsmen creating their iconic creased and polished edges. Regad is well known in the industry for their high quality edging tools and accessories that are made to last. This machine will substantially reduce the amount of time you spend on your edges and will give your projects a polished high-end look. Excellent condition. $400 (Save $230 including tax vs buying new). Wood Sewing Clamp: 51 inches (1.3 Meters) long wood sewing clamp for hand-stitching leather. Excellent condition. $125 (save $50 vs buying new). Hand setter for snap buttons: Hand tool for setting snap buttons on leather. Like New, barely used. $105 (save $100 including sales tax vs buying new). Italian Full-Grain Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto B. Adriacolors Italian high quality full-grain leather in black, red, and off-white. Half-drummed, soft hand and pebble grain finish. 1.2-1.4 mm thickness. Each skin is 43 to 50 sq ft. $129-150 per skin ($100 off vs buying direct and shipping). Italian Smooth Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto Nappacolors high quality, full-grain Italian smooth leather in brown, mustard yellow, burnt orange, and dark blue. Soft, high-quality touch. 1.1-1.3 mm thickness. Each half skin is 23 to 26 sq ft. $130-150 per half skin ($75 saving vs buying direct and shipping). 9. Zippers: Several high-quality zippers from Lampo and YKK. YKK Red zipper tape (11 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 3) - $55 for all or $5/meter YKK Black zipper tape (10 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $80 for all or $8/meter YKK Red zipper tape (6 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $48 for all or $8/meter YKK Beige/Off-white zipper tape (5 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5): $40 for all or $8/meter YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 5: $25 for all or $0.50 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (30 qty) in Size 5: $9 for all or $0.30 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 3:$20 for all or $0.40/each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T3 Light Gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 12 qty.: $18 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Magenta tape with T3 gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 4 qty: : $6 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Black tape with T5 Light gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Off-White/Light Beige tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zipper - 1 qty (120 cm long) and 1 qty (77 cm or ~30 inches long) with no pull or end stop plus 4 end stops & 6 top stops: $12 for all or $8 / finished zipper and $4 for 77cm tape Lampo Superlampo Mustard Yellow tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 6 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Copper Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Dark Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Blue tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Burnt Orange tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Light Gold T5 zipper pulls - 10 qty: $5 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Gold T5 zipper pulls - 16 qty: $8 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Light Gold End stops - 14 qty: or $0.04/each

I’ve been painting a few slobber straps but am unsure of how to finish them? Also, what is the difference between the leather acrylic paints and just normal craft paint? Any help would be appreciated!

Hey guys, me and my husband got bit and have been hooked on leather crafting. It started as a hobby a few weeks ago but we both found a passion in it. A few of his buddies from work want some stuff for Christmas so we want to make it look more 'professional' and last better. We picked up a basic tool set and some stamps. But we are pretty clueless when it comes to how to finish our leather. We have a Tandy's about two hours away we are going to next weekend to pick stuff up, but I wanted to get some recommendations on products from Tandy's you guys like. I've seen a lot about the Clear-Lac/Neat-Lac, saddle lac, tote lac, ect. We know we want to do a lot of antique finish but according to Tandy's website you dye, use a pro resist, antique finish, then neat lac. But won't a resist keep the antique from absorbing? Also, what is the proper process? So far we follow this- cut, groove, bevel edges, sand, burnish, tool/carve, oil (let soak overnight), then sew together. Is there a better method and how to do we finish? I posted my first project I did, a sheath for my throwing knives. I did the art then colored it with regular acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby (which I'm sure you probably shouldn't use). We are looking at getting the Eco flo glue, fiebing dyes, fiebing all in one antique finish, fiebing pro resist, eco flo neat-lac, and neats foot oil. Is there anything else we should get? I'm sorry for all the questions. Just want to make sure we are on the right path

I'm fairly new to leathercraft and one topic that I still have so many questions on is dyeing and treating leather. There's just so much stuff out there and everyone does it all differently. Now, I understand that a lot of it comes to experience and mostly personal preference, but I'd love to hear some tips/ opinions here on a few matters: 1) I currently dye using Fiebing's Leather Dye. I diluted the stuff with spirits since I found that without diluting, the colors are too intense. Whatever type of brown I used would all turn out dark brown for example, and my blue was getting too close to black for my taste too. So, I diluted the stuff. Works kinda.. I know the alcohol makes leather stiff and I'm really considering switching to Fiebing's pro dye. I've heard that this doesn't make your leather stiff although I've also read otherwise. Anyway, in the case of leather dye.. what can I do to prevent this terrible stiffness? Should I do something after dyeing, before, or both? Tips and tricks are very much welcome. 2) I've read quite a lot on this forum about Neatsfoot oil. I've read people use it to treat leather before dyeing and maybe after, I'm not sure. However in many video's I've watched here and there I've never really seen anyone use neatsfoot oil. So I'm curious, does it really help to add this before dyeing, for example? I've owned a bottle once and all I can remember from it is that I thought it smelled really bad.. I really hope someone can share their tips/tricks/opinions/knowledge on these matters. Cheers, Iris

I am getting back into leatherworking now that my kids are getting older. I feel like there are some things I've forgotten, and/or I'm unsure that my old methods are acceptable to me now. Attached is a picture of bracelets I'm making. I am using fiebring dye with those little applicators that come with them and in small packs (a white puff on a little metal rod). I'm thinking that at the very least, they could be a little wider for my wider products, so I'm swiping over the leather one time. I'm reading now that some of you dilute the dye and dip for a better coat, so if you do that, how do you lay it out to dry or hang it without marring the product? I suppose I could apply some sort of resist in the letters? So, after it dries, I'm using Fiebring sheen for the finish, which is a flexible acrylic. I feel like I am wasting/spilling/soaking more of the sheen into the cloth than actually gets on the leather. Does the type of fabric I use make a difference? I also find that it pulls more of the dye off even if I've already rubbed the leather with a wet cloth. Am I doing something wrong? I used to use a spray but I don't remember what it was and I'm not sure I want to use something that might be more toxic and require a mask. What are my options for a good finish? PS. I really wish the reds were less pink! It's a beautiful color but it annoys me that I can't get true red

Has anyone tried sealing their project with either Plasti Dip clear or Flex Seal clear? I'm making a set of floor board inserts for my motorcycle and thinking of sealing them with this stuff as they will get a lot of contact and rubbing, etc from my feet. I sprayed a couple of coats of the Flex Seal on a leftover piece of leather that was using to test die colors, and it looks okay, but I'm wondering how well it will hold up.

Hi all, This question may sound dumb depending on the answer, but I simply don't know and I'm trying to learn. Can I use leather sheen on the flesh side of leather?

I want to know how much Resolene I should apply. I'm using Fiebieng's Neutral Resolene finish and I've read that a thick layer will show bend-spots or cracks. Need advice on this ASAP

General Question - Anyone have any non-traditional tricks/advice on the application of the various finishes out there - Beeswax, Tan-Kote, Aussie Conditioner to share? Especially for weather-proofing? Also, I usually apply oil BEFORE staining but most videos I see don't start with oil. Pro/Con? This Link is an awesome weatherproofing comparison of various products and Fiebing's Resolene wins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyTg_hfpNUM But of course there are many other products out there so I'm seeking your experience as well as cheaper solutions. Specific Question - My process has been - Veggie Tan Leather, Mink Oil, Antique Gel and then some sort of finish (Fiebling's Leather Balm with Atom Wax but... I haven't found my favorite finish) - This process has done okay but whatever finish I use always strips half my gel stain off with even the lightest rubbing. How long do I have to wait?! I assume dye works better and is more even, but I like the way Gel Stain rubs into my stamps and gives them definition. So... solutions/tips for applying a weatherproofing finish to gel stain?

First of all, a great hello to everyone from Slovenia! I'm a very new to the leather, although I had wish to sew it by hand for a long time before. So I came as far as trying to sew the first axe sheath for a start. I've managed to finish it as far as it comes to the edges. Here are 2 pictures, which shows my current state. I'm using 5/6 oz. veg tan leather, which is treated with several coats of Fiebing's Pro Dye (brown) and colorless Fiebing's Resolene. I'm stuck here, because I don't know how to properly finish the edges, neither would know, what the proper edge finish is. As far as I've managed to read about the leather, I came to the fact, that Fiebing's Edge Kote is one of worst possible finishes on leather sheats and looks very amateur. So I've ordered Eco-Flo's Gum Tragacanth for finishing edges, but I'm still not sure about it. Am I supposed to dye the edges before I use Gum Tragacanth? Are the finishes on picture below proper edge finishes or are there any other possibilities to look properly? (the left one) And if so, how am I possible to reach them?

I have searched through the forum to find the answer to this so apologies if it is somewhere and I have not been able to find the answer! Does anyone have suggestions on the best finish to use to maintain the natural, light look of veg tan leather and that won't darken it at all/much? I know the veg tan will darken as it is used but I would like it to happen as naturally as possible. Is it even necessary to use a finish if I am not dying or tooling the leather? I make wallets/cases/bags and am also wondering how necessary it is to use any conditioner. Is a persons natural oils enough to keep the leather from drying? I have tried a few different products such as neatsfoot oil, a nf/beeswax blend, and resolene, but it seems that most darken the leather or leave it with a very unnatural, shiny look. If anyone has suggestions I would appreciate it! Otherwise I'll just keep searching for other products and keep testing and testing. Thank you.

Hi everyone! Long time lurker, first time poster (or so I thought -- apparently 7 total posts) I was asked to make a black belt, and bought a black veg tan strap from Tandy. I rubbed some dubbin on it (mink oil/beeswax mixture) and the black still rubs off a bit. Can I apply Tan Kote on top of the dubbin? Thank you in advance! Jack

Does anyone have a preference over paste vs liquid antique stain? Why?

Hey people~! I use vegi tan leather which bought from local shop in los angeles. I think the leather quality is not good enough. and need to make it more stronger from scratch and sun light. i use neetfoot oil and carat essence for finish.but i don't think it's enough. I like the leather quality of http://www.thepremoworkshop.com/ . Could you recommend any finishes or the method [or leather which i can buy from Online]?? Thank you~!!

Hi! I really like the way this company does the edges on their products (keeping the bevel) and I'm wondering how to achieve the same edge finish without burnishing to a round edge like most other leather products? (https://alstadgoods.com/products/slim-jim-whiskey)

Many years ago I had a good supply of nice sponges from tandy's, they lasted forever with spirit dyes without crumbling, they applied finish beautifully, but like many good things, whomever made them changed it, and now I can't seem to find a good sponge in this world. I'm not too worried about using crappy sponges to apply dyes, but for applying my finish I would appreciate any advice on finish application techniques or sponge recommendation. My finish application has suffered since I ran out of those coveted sponges. Cheers!