different types of dye

[leatheroo]

i hear lots of comments about the different dyes used but i have to admit a lack of understanding. I use 'leather dye from a tannery' but i dont understand the other dyes and their uses. I hear peeps talking about spirit dyes...are these straight spirit or spirit and oil or are they the same thing?

thanks in advance

[BillB]

I have worked with three types of dye base: Oil, Alcohol and Water. I use Fiebing's Leather Dye (Alcohol Base) and Fiebing's Professional Oil Dye (Oil Base). Tandy's Eco Fl-Flo Hi-Lite. Each is used for different purposes.

Penetrating Oil or Alcohol dyes are good for leather products that are going to get a lot of use and potential scaring into the surface. I will dip the leather into the dye and allow it to soak in so that it penetrates all the away to the core. On these products, the finish is usually a natural oil finish as well. While Oil will help replace the natural oils in the leather, the alcohol base tends to dry the leather out. On the other hand the alcohol dyes have a wider choice of colors.

Water Base, I use on projects that will have lighter wear, e.g. a purse, handbag, portfolio, and I will usually be applying a finish over the the dye areas to seal them in such as Satin Shene or Super Shene. The Shene products actually seal the surface and care should be taken since the leather could actually rote from the inside out since it can no longer breath.

There are also a number of Paints that I will use, e.g. the Cova Paints. These actually lie on the surface of the leather just like paint does, but does give a different type of finished surface. So, if I am doing a replica of a military medal and I want the smooth surface affect, I will use the Cova Paint.

There is another thread in the forum that discusses coloring or not coloring leather. I believe it is up to the artist and crafts person to make that decision and if there is a customer involved, then they should be consulted as well. I usually wait until I have finished my carving and I do a pre-assembly of the final product before I decide if I want to color it or not. I have also been looking examples where the main subject carved was not colored, but the back ground was. This provided an interesting affect.

I hope this helps some.

[abn]

The [acrylic] Shene products actually seal the surface and care should be taken since the leather could actually rot from the inside out since it can no longer breathe.

Leatheroo, Bill has given you a good overview of the different dyes, but I don't agree with the above statement. I've worked with Satin Shene for five years now, using it on a whole lot of products, and I've always been able to condition them later with Lexol or neatsfoot oil. None of these projects have become hard, inflexible, or begun to "rot".

I'm not saying that Bill is wrong, it's just that my experience differs. I think you'll find that every leatherworker has their own preferences when it comes to dyes and finishes. My favorite combination is Eco-Flo Leather Dye and Satin Shene, but I think you'll find plenty of people here that prefer something else.

Alex

[BillB]

Leatheroo,

Alex is correct, we all have our preferences and more importantly our own experiences, some good and some bad. My experience with leather rot was in dealing with things that had a high gloss outer finish, got wet on the inside and were not allowed to dry. This allowed for fungus to develop inside and the leather rotted inside out. One of those live and learn experiences.

All I wanted to point out was that there are some finishes that will seal the layer that it is applied to and additional care should be taken. I have, in some cases, applied conditioning oil from the opposite side to keep the leather oiled and flexible.

There was one time that I used Tandy's Super Shene and applied one to many coats. I could actually peal the polycarbonate off the outer surface.

My recommendation is to take some scrap leather and try various combinations out before trying it on a finished project like I did and then spend more time trying to figure out how to recover.

I remember some old saying about "an ounce of prevention" or was it "look before you leap"

[BillB]

Leatheroo,

Here is another way to use dyes that I had not considered until I found these pieces at an antique dealer. I was surprised at how well the background coloring brought out the main design.

[Shorts]

Leatheroo, Bill has given you a good overview of the different dyes, but I don't agree with the above statement. I've worked with Satin Shene for five years now, using it on a whole lot of products, and I've always been able to condition them later with Lexol or neatsfoot oil. None of these projects have become hard, inflexible, or begun to "rot".

I'm not saying that Bill is wrong, it's just that my experience differs. I think you'll find that every leatherworker has their own preferences when it comes to dyes and finishes. My favorite combination is Eco-Flo Leather Dye and Satin Shene, but I think you'll find plenty of people here that prefer something else.

Alex

What dye did you use on the mountain belt on your site? I'd like to order the same for some holsters.

[abn]

What dye did you use on the mountain belt on your site? I'd like to order the same for some holsters.

Shorts, that's a 50/50 mix of Eco Flo Java Brown and Eco Flo Dark Mahogany. The result is a really mellow color that resembles a piece of well-oiled, dark leather. It's my favorite color for belts.

[Nelopah]

Hello,

my husband has taken up leatherworking and is starting to learn how to dye his works. I would like to make him some dyes from scratch and was wondering if anyone had in information they could share with me about this.

Will tint's-all or Mixol (a tint for paints and stains), rit-dye, food colorant or any other easy to acquire pigments work? Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond!

Carla