What Is X1 Leather Dressing?

[wolvenstien]

Tandy was selling quart bottles of dye and this X1 for $5.00 each so I bought one of each... have no clue what the X1 is... can anyone tell me?

[Art]

I might be wrong here, but the Tandy product was a water based sealer, acrylic I think. I don't think it was successful for them and has been discontinued. Fiebing may still be making it and selling it (obviously without the Tandy Logo). Use it on a practice piece, and for God's sake don't fall in love with it, you might never see it available again.

I have no idea if it was/is the same product as Drake's X1. Drake's had a following amongst the old timers, but that market has died-off (pun intended).

Art

Tandy was selling quart bottles of dye and this X1 for $5.00 each so I bought one of each... have no clue what the X1 is... can anyone tell me?

[wolvenstien]

this is X1 dressing "for natural leathers"

I like it... shook up the bottle and used a dobber to apply to some natural leather with lettering stamped onto it. It has a dark pigment to it... and acted as a kind of antique. it did darken the leather some as well, but it gave it a kind of cool look.

Think I might go back to Tandy and buy a few more and shelve them.

[whinewine]

I was told that Springfield's goof-proof was formulated to be similar to X-1. I have both & I like the goof-proof more. However, if you can get quarts of X-1 for $5, go for it- stock up.

[BAD HIDE]

Bumping for more info

I picked up a small bottle, and am not getting what I wanted or expected. I've tried it over a resist, and it almost completely wipes away. I tried it on raw leather and the most I get is a reddish tan color with only minimal pooling in the crevices - not even enough to call it an antique finish. For me, it's anything but goof proof.

Since there's no instructions, how do you use it to get a good finish?

[King's X]

Email or call WC at Standing Bear's in Reseda, California. He told me about it and encouraged me to pick up a quart. I know that I remember seeing a video of Bob Beards where he used it on his project. It seems (to me) to give the leather a creamered down coffee color finish, not blonde, but now tan either? Call WC up!

[Leerwerker]

X1 or Drakes Dressing is the best stuff ever!

It is not an antique and can at best be described as a version of old style highlighter and leatherglow that used to be available at the same time.

It works best on dyed and tooled leather and just makes the tooling pop without the black in the impressions that all the new highlighters give. It works much more subtle and effective. You can apply it just as a finish and depending on how thick you put it on, you can wipe off the excess. You DO NOT use it over a resist, as it is a finish in its own right. It really does enhance that flat color left by spirit and water based dyes.

I wish we can have it manufactured again!!!!

[King's X]

One of the tandy stores in Fort Worth (not the HQ) has a truck load of it if you are interested.

Good luck

[BAD HIDE]

Springfield is selling it as it's Goof Proof antique stain. The bottle I got has "Springfield X1 Leather Dressing" right on the side.

So you use it over a tooled and lightly dyed piece? I guess I'll give it another shot, more experimenting on the way....