Tokonole on grain side?

[Ornyal]

Hi,

I was playing with leather, and tried burnishing the grain side of some pueblo with tokonole. It looks great, it's like patina without having to wear the item. Now I enjoy seeing the patina develop on my crafts, but it got me thinking : is there any downside to doing this ? Could it damage the leather, or make it crack later ? Or is it some sort of cheatcode or shortcut to make it look like the item has been worn for a while?

If anyone here has tried it too, I'm very interested in your experience.

Cheers,

[SUP]

Tokonole is used to flatten the flesh side of leather, if the flesh side is too rough. That is done with at least 50% diluted Tokonole though. If you let Tokonole dry in a bowl, as I sometimes do inadvertently, it forms a plastic layer that I can peel off. So peeling might become an issue,  if you applied a significant amount, undiluted.

 

[Ornyal]

Thank you very much for your insight!

[Littlef]

That's interesting, I've only applied it, undiluted.  Next time I'll try diluting it and see how it works. - you can use up a lot of Tokonole, depending on how big your project is.  I haven't seen it cracking my leather... but I'm also fairly new at this, in a hobby capacity, so It's not like I'm in a production environment.

[SUP]

@Littlef leatherwork is a new hobby for me too - less than a year! But I noticed that Tokonole dries into a plastic layer only because I take it in a bowl and then forget about it while doing other things!

Burnishing the Tokonole on the grain side might prevent peeling. After all, in the bowl, it just stays there, with the water content evaporating. When burnished, it might be different, with that change in temperature. After all, Tokonole is used for edge burnishing and I have not heard of it peeling off edges. Certainly the edges that I burnish with it, are  still intact, though that is neither here nor there, since all were made in the last 9 months.

 

[Littlef]

1 hour ago, SUP said:

@Littlef leatherwork is a new hobby for me too - less than a year! But I noticed that Tokonole dries into a plastic layer only because I take it in a bowl and then forget about it while doing other things!

Burnishing the Tokonole on the grain side might prevent peeling. After all, in the bowl, it just stays there, with the water content evaporating. When burnished, it might be different, with that change in temperature. After all, Tokonole is used for edge burnishing and I have not heard of it peeling off edges. Certainly the edges that I burnish with it, are  still intact, though that is neither here nor there, since all were made in the last 9 months.

 

I starting my first leather projects last winter.  I absolutely burnish the flesh side also if I apply tokonole.  - I picked up one of those thick glass plates with the rounded edges off amazon.  So far I've had no issues regarding the tokonole - 

[SUP]

@Littlef that is exactly what I do on the flesh side too, only I dilute the Tokonole.  I learnt that from an East Asian site where they do the same in handbags. So it is very probable that it does not peel if done that way.

I have never burnished the grain side with Tokonole though. If it works, that is great. There is always something new to learn. On the grain side, do you use the glass burnisher as well?

 

[Littlef]

3 hours ago, SUP said:

@Littlef that is exactly what I do on the flesh side too, only I dilute the Tokonole.  I learnt that from an East Asian site where they do the same in handbags. So it is very probable that it does not peel if done that way.

I have never burnished the grain side with Tokonole though. If it works, that is great. There is always something new to learn. On the grain side, do you use the glass burnisher as well?

 

I'm not using tokonole on the grain side - only the flesh side.  I was just responding to your comment on how you dilute the tokonole when you're burnishing the flesh side, which I'll try that next time.  I have seen videos where people burnish the grain side without tokonole, but I've never tried that.  I know I accidentally get tokonole on the grain side sometimes. - Like when I'm trying to burnish a long strap.  It discolors the leather when you do.  you could possibly get an even color if you intentionally tried to make an even coat, but I'm not sure if it would really create a benefit.

[SUP]

1 hour ago, Littlef said:

  I know I accidentally get tokonole on the grain side sometimes. - Like when I'm trying to burnish a long strap.  It discolors the leather when you do.  you could possibly get an even color if you intentionally tried to make an even coat, but I'm not sure if it would really create a benefit.

The same happens for me too - when I get Tokonole on the grain side, but that is wen it is not burnished. I plan to burnish a barrette with it. @Ornyal says it works for him. 

[SUP]

My barrette, post-antiquing and then, after burnishing with Tokonole. Used an old denim cloth to burnish.

This is just to wear at home, so just rough work.

Burnishes very well.

Now I wear this daily and see how the Tokonole stands up to daily use, conure nibbling, etc.

 

This is burnished with the Tokonole.

 

This is prior to burnishing.

Edited October 18, 2023 by SUP

[ArkieNewbie]

I have used Tokonole on the grain side of cheap chrome tanned and it gives amazing results. It can make $2/sf leather look SO much better. I have not had any of it get brittle, had any peeling, or any other problems. 

[SUP]

@ArkieNewbie That is great. How do you apply it? Chrome tanned leather will not get burnished so do you just apply it all over and let it dry? Do you dilute it?

[Nowandagain]

I’m thinking of applying it to the both sides of some thin nubuck to see if it will add body & give the look  of smooth grain, to use in some wallets.