Natural is always challenging for me

[larry1096]

I guess it's sort of 'nowhere to hide'? 

Keeps you honest, though. 

 

Larry

[PastorBob]

Looking good.  You are right.  Hard to hide any nicks, fingernail marks for sure.

[chuck123wapati]

very nice !!! in a year, you won't be able to tell the old from the new. they will darken naturally in the sun and look better with age.

[MarshalWill]

Nice work. don't worry too much about the color, or lack of it. Chuck is right. Nothing looks better than aged leather. I have wet molded it and set it in the sun to dry. It also speeds the natural darkening process, giving the leather a nice patina.

[bruce johnson]

I made a hard seat smooth-out saddle with just some basket stamped corners several years ago. Took me about four hours more time being careful to not make marks and then rubbing out the ones I did with antler tines and bones. The guy picks it up and carried it out. He threw it on its side on the diamond plate flatbed of his ranch pickup and bounced down the road. I was thinking then what a waste of my time being careful. Here's a picture of it a couple years later. Smile says it all. Yeah, don't sweat it, it will be fine!

[DocReaper]

3 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

very nice !!! in a year, you won't be able to tell the old from the new. they will darken naturally in the sun and look better with age.

I believe that is where the term "range tan" evolved from, my Golden Retrievers robbed my floor of a few scraps and left them in the grass, I placed them on an outside table and the weather made them a great color. I left the scraps out for two years, all it needed was one summer month

[dikman]

Looks good Larry. The best thing with a natural finish is to leave it in the sun for a while to speed up the darkening, it will eventually get that rich look of old leather.