Advice For Fiebings Spirit Dyes

[Cyrus Sears]

My daughter wants me to make her a Cowboy Action holster rig using the Fiebings "Ox Blood" spirit dye. I have never used this product and I would like some advice from those with experience. If I thin it out, will I get a lighter color? Will multiple coats of a "thinned out" version just make it darker? What steps should I do before or after dying? (i.e. casing the leather, olive oil, neatsfoot oil, lexol conditioner???) My only experience with dying leather has been with vinegaroon.

Thanks,

[Somawas]

Get a little Fiebing deglazer or lexol and clean the leather with it before you dye. Multiple thinned coats will give you a darker color that penetrates more.

[Shooter McGavin]

If you can dip dye it, do so. Otherwise I'd load it into some sort of sprayer. My experience with the spirit dyes in any color except black is that it can be hard to acheive a solid, un-blotchy dye job with a sponge or dauber.

[marine mp]

Cyrus, Good to see you made it from the other forum. Really good people here too. Most of my CCW holsters are done in the "Oxblood" Feibings. I do not thin it out but I do have to put on multiple coats to get a even ccoloring. No big deal. I then finish with a light coat of neatsfoot oil, let it dry and then put finish coats on it as per you flavor. Semper-fi Mike

[Shooter McGavin]

Cyrus, Good to see you made it from the other forum. Really good people here too. Most of my CCW holsters are done in the "Oxblood" Feibings. I do not thin it out but I do have to put on multiple coats to get a even ccoloring. No big deal. I then finish with a light coat of neatsfoot oil, let it dry and then put finish coats on it as per you flavor. Semper-fi Mike

Mike,

Can you post or send me some finished pics of holsters done in oxblood? I have a few bottles but so far only use them to mix my black cherry dye. I'd like to see how it looks oiled and sealed out of the bottle though. Thanks!

[marine mp]

Shooter,

If you PM me your address, I will send some hard copies of pictures. I have tried several times to post pictures and have come to the realization that the computer is smarter than I !!!!!!! Semper-fi Mike

[Cyrus Sears]

I will post some pictures when I get one finished. I am very slow at leatherwork, so do not expect anything for a couple of weeks. I do have one piece dyed and just put a light coat of oil on it last night.

[Cyrus Sears]

I finally finished the project and posted pics in the holster section