friend wants a solid white guitar strap

[JohnD]

My friend wants a solid white guitar strap. What would be the best type of finish to get a solid white finish that would be flexable enough for use on a strap? Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks,

John

[Johanna]

I would use a white leather rather than try to dye a veggie tanned piece white. Yes, I know there is white leather dye, but it just never looks right in white.

A piece of white latigo woul look good and wear well, or a white upholstery type leather (or a split or pigskin etc.) stitched to a heavier underlayer (like veggie tanned) would work, too. Acrylics are not a practical solution since a guitar strap has to flex in so many places.

This is just my opinion...your mileage may vary. Maybe somebody else has had better luck with white dye, or has another idea. But white leather is better looking when it isn't vegetable tanned (the absorbent leather used for carving). Again, just my opinion.

Johanna

[The Major]

I have tried to use the white veg tan that is available from weaver but I can't stand it for most projects that are tooled. You can't get that good of depth of tooling on it without "breaking the white surface barrier" and then you see the natural color under it.

The white leather dye available blows.

What I have found that works extremely well is using an automotive upholstry color paintdye. SEM makes a product called color coat. available in most automotive paint stores. It offers some penetration as well as a nice flexible surface coat.

Once colored you can dye the background normally and do everything else you want to do to finish it. My only suggestion is to make sure you deglaze the surface and let it dry before you paint it.

[JohnD]

Thank you for the responses, I don't know if he wants the strap tooled. If not I'll just use white leather. he said something about rhinestones, So he probably doesn't want tooling. Maybe I'll check out some white Ostrich or something more exotic? Thanks again.

John

[esantoro]

Thank you for the responses, I don't know if he wants the strap tooled. If not I'll just use white leather. he said something about rhinestones, So he probably doesn't want tooling. Maybe I'll check out some white Ostrich or something more exotic? Thanks again.

John

Siegel of California has some white aluminum tan. I'm thinking of using it to make some white wedding book covers.

ed

http://www.siegelofca.com/itemdetail.asp?prodid=313

[David Genadek]

John,

If it turns out that you will need to paint the project you can go to a shoe finder and get products that are designed with the flexability you need. I used to work for a company name Dyo Chemical and a big part of the business is redying shoes. Of course white is is a popular color and they make many shades. Spraying would be the best application. They also make a product for creating a patent leather look if shiney is what you want.

David Genadek