Black Pro Dye turns white

[Doc Reaper]

I’m having a bad time with gray off color marks while using FIEBINGS black pro dye and it’s on all the veg tan that I use, not just a certain piece.

If anyone knows WTH is causing this please enlighten me. This is actually an SOS at this point. I have used leather cleaner, denatured alcohol, paint thinner, dye prep, and others to lengthy to list

[Hags]

NFO?

[YinTx]

What happens when you dye it again?  Just looks to me like not enough dye especially since I can see the applicator marks...NFO could help too.

I put it on, then apply again in another direction, then do it again in yet another direction.  Very liberally too, as in I'd use around 5-7 oz dye for those pieces.

[fredk]

Just not enough dye put on

[Michael Sheldon]

IMO, black is the worst dye to work with. It doesn't penetrate well, it requires a LOT of dye to get a good even black, it rubs off easily, and, it looks like crap until you finish it properly. I hate dying black.

My preferred method for applying black dye is with a cheap airbrush. Goes on evenly, penetrates well, requires less dye, and has less rub-off.

Otherwise, apply very liberally, outright drench the piece in dye.

Then, when it's dry, take a rag and buff the heck out of it, almost to the point of burnishing. It gets rid of dried surface dye, and smooths out the surface, which will make it look a lot better. Assuming it now looks good, and doesn't need more dye, lightly oil, and rub the heck out of it again.

Or, if you use black frequently, and aren't tooling it, I recommend buying it already dyed.

[Doc Reaper]

On 1/13/2023 at 10:39 PM, Hags said:

NFO?

Ok, what does NFO MEAN?   

On 1/14/2023 at 12:29 AM, YinTx said:

What happens when you dye it again?  Just looks to me like not enough dye especially since I can see the applicator marks...NFO could help too.

I put it on, then apply again in another direction, then do it again in yet another direction.  Very liberally too, as in I'd use around 5-7 oz dye for those pieces.

That’s actually the second coat

[fredk]

NFO is short-hand for Neets Foot Oil. 

Mixed in with the dye it helps spread the dye

On a recent project of some coin purses I had to put on 6 coats of purple dye to get it even looking and even then a couple dried a wee bit patchy looking

[Doc Reaper]

Thanks Fred, NFO was applied the day before,  I called FIEBINGS and the guy seemed like he was doing a Fetterman impression.

The grayness been happening down thru the years and I thought it was a chemical reaction because it doesn’t happen with the USMC black. I’m guessing at this point that FIEBINGS is cutting too many corners to meet better profit margins!!!!

Does anyone know of a black dye, other than FIEBINGS, that can be purchased in 32 ounces or larger, and still in USA?!???!?

Im in North Carolina so we don’t have the restrictions California does. Looks like I’m gonna have to make vinagroon  - lol

[HandyDave]

I use alot of fiebings pro black dye. And yes its a pain to get nice dark black without several coats. Ive read that alot of guys will start with a blue or purple base dye then go over that with the black. I usually do 2 to 3 coats to get a nice even a black as i can. Then i finish the all black pieces with black tinted resolene cut 50/50. The tinted resolene seems to really help even out the black dye and darkens it up a little more.