final sealing?

[TZHunter]

In a rush recently, I used a colored shoe polish to dye/finish a phone case. .. even though I rubbed it lots after drying, thinking I could prevent it from rubbing off. . . my friend still told me that it came off some on his pants. . . so I've learned that's a no-no. . . so is the best thing to do to dye separately then apply a neutral polish over that to "seal" it? Can other substitutes be used for this final sealing (like neetsfoot oil, neat-lac, lexol, etc)? What are the pros/cons of each? I will be using alcohol based stains/dye. Thanks !

[abn]

TZ,

Spirit dyes also have some propensity for "rub off" because the dye consists of pigment micro-particles suspended in alcohol. If you decide to use these dyes, be sure to buff well before applying your final finish. Although Lexol and neatsfoot oil condition leather and preserve it, they won't seal. Use a final finish on top... My favorites are Satin Shene for stamped/carved items or Leather Balm w/ Atom Wax for smooth leather.

By the way, I've found that the new water-based Eco-Flo dyes have practically no rub-off since the pigment is liquid (and not suspended particles), but the trade-off is that they're more sensitive to water, so be sure to seal, preferably using Satin Shene.

I hope this information helps, and if you have more questions, please be sure to ask!

Regards, -Alex

[CitizenKate]

I second Alex's advice 100%.

I would add that I've also found that both Tan-Kote and neutral shoe polish work great with water-based dyes and antiques/stains.

Kate

[esantoro]

I just got in some atom wax. I'll give it a try on some latigo I got in.

Would bag kote also work well?

ed