Antiquing Leather

[Lwleather]

I have some of the Fiebings Antique Finish that comes in the little jars. Is there a good way to use this stuff on a fairly big project? I like to antique some of my yokes on chaps and they are small enough I can get it wiped on and off fast enough it doesn't blotch too bad (most of the time) Anything bigger than that and it has dark and light spots that won't even up. Once the antique touches something, it's sealed and there's no fixing it. Would it help to have the leather damp??

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about. Hopefully you can tell by this. Where the stamping stops and the smooth starts there's a dark spot.

Thanks for any advice.

[Phatdaddy]

I'll be honest I haven't used it yet, because it's not available anywhere around me and I haven't got around to ordering some. I believe that your dyeing and at least one coat of your favorite sealer should be on and dry before you use the antique paste. I could be mistaken.

Kevin

[leathercrafter]

I have some of the Fiebings Antique Finish that comes in the little jars. Is there a good way to use this stuff on a fairly big project? I like to antique some of my yokes on chaps and they are small enough I can get it wiped on and off fast enough it doesn't blotch too bad (most of the time) Anything bigger than that and it has dark and light spots that won't even up. Once the antique touches something, it's sealed and there's no fixing it. Would it help to have the leather damp??

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about. Hopefully you can tell by this. Where the stamping stops and the smooth starts there's a dark spot.

Thanks for any advice.

hello lwleather, i use mineral sprits to thin my antique, it last longer and it gets down in the tiny places better. if you are having dark and light spots i would check and make sure you project is clen and free of any oils after tooling. after i finish tooling i clean with oxolic acid let dry, oil, then apply light coat of neat-lac,then antique, then finish off with tan-coat. hope this helps john

[particle]

Are you putting any type of sealer on the leather prior to antiquing? I apply two coats of sealer, but I still get a little edge where you can tell a difference in the non-antiqued area (like when protecting that white stitching). I can't remember what it's called right now, but you might try brushing on a liquid mask (frisket) on a small test piece (that also includes stitching) to see if that helps. You can apply it over the non-tooled leather, right up to the edge of the tooling.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/winsor-and-newton-colorless-art-masking-fluid/

[Lwleather]

I'll be honest I haven't used it yet, because it's not available anywhere around me and I haven't got around to ordering some. I believe that your dyeing and at least one coat of your favorite sealer should be on and dry before you use the antique paste. I could be mistaken.

Kevin

You might be right. I did use tan cote the first few times I did the antique. Tan cote, then antique and then tan cote. I made myself a pair of spur straps doing that. Looked good to start with. We were moving cows and got soaked. The antique washed off.... ?? So I quit using the tan cote first thinking the antique didn't take. Maybe something other than tan cote would work better. I guess I'll look for some neat-lac like Leathercrafter suggested.

Thanks guys!!

[drphil]

I have some of the Fiebings Antique Finish that comes in the little jars. Is there a good way to use this stuff on a fairly big project? I like to antique some of my yokes on chaps and they are small enough I can get it wiped on and off fast enough it doesn't blotch too bad (most of the time) Anything bigger than that and it has dark and light spots that won't even up. Once the antique touches something, it's sealed and there's no fixing it. Would it help to have the leather damp??

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about. Hopefully you can tell by this. Where the stamping stops and the smooth starts there's a dark spot.

Thanks for any advice.

Here is a similar conversation I had recently that might be of some help. Here is a good video from YouTube that addresses antiquing. The process in the video is basically the same as it is explained in the book Sheridan Style Carving which is one of the main resources for anyone who uses the Sheridan style.

[hidepounder]

You might be right. I did use tan cote the first few times I did the antique. Tan cote, then antique and then tan cote. I made myself a pair of spur straps doing that. Looked good to start with. We were moving cows and got soaked. The antique washed off.... ?? So I quit using the tan cote first thinking the antique didn't take. Maybe something other than tan cote would work better. I guess I'll look for some neat-lac like Leathercrafter suggested.

Thanks guys!!

Couple of comments. First it is very important to seal the leather with Neatlac or a similar sealer prior to applying the antique. The sealer is what allows you to get an even finish with no splotches. It also allows you to leave the antique on for a longer period of time without affecting the color. I clean my leather with oxalic acid prior to sealing it, just as John recommended.

Secondly, Tan Kote can't be used as a sealer or "resist" for paste antique fiinishes. If you'll read the label you will see that Tan Kote is what Fiebings recomends for thinning the paste antique. A lot of makers do apply Tan Kote for a final finish....I happen to prefer NeatLac. I do use Tan Kote frequently when I want a more mellow finish and when antiqueing is not involved. I use it on almost all of my interiors. However I prefer not to mix the resist and finish products. I'm not sure there is really any justification for that, but it's generally what I do.

If you watch Keith's video you'll notice that he uses Tan Kote as one of his antiquing steps and he mentions that it DOES NOT provide a final seal. I'm not critical of this step at all....I'm just not sure that I understand it. There is a possibity that Keith is actually removing any antique residue by applying the Tan Kote. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this of course....I'm just convinced of the value of this step.....it's something I think I'll try......

Edited August 22, 2011 by hidepounder

[Lwleather]

Here is a similar conversation I had recently that might be of some help. Here is a good video from YouTube that addresses antiquing. The process in the video is basically the same as it is explained in the book Sheridan Style Carving which is one of the main resources for anyone who uses the Sheridan style.

Wow! That pretty much nailed it. Thanks!!

[leathervan]

Here is a similar conversation I had recently that might be of some help. Here is a good video from YouTube that addresses antiquing. The process in the video is basically the same as it is explained in the book Sheridan Style Carving which is one of the main resources for anyone who uses the Sheridan style.

was the embossing hand carved or stamped with a tool?

[hidepounder]

Not that it really matters.........but just for the sake of clarity, antiquing as described in Sheridan Style Carving by Bob Likewise, has been the accepted method of applying antique in saddle shops all over the country for years and years....and has absolutely nothing to do with the Sheridan style. They simply explained the most accepted and successful method of applying paste antique. And for whatever it's worth, it has become common practice to describe ALL floral tooling as Sheridan style which is simply incorrect....not that anyone cares......

[Lwleather]

I have some of the Fiebings Antique Finish that comes in the little jars. Is there a good way to use this stuff on a fairly big project? I like to antique some of my yokes on chaps and they are small enough I can get it wiped on and off fast enough it doesn't blotch too bad (most of the time) Anything bigger than that and it has dark and light spots that won't even up. Once the antique touches something, it's sealed and there's no fixing it. Would it help to have the leather damp??

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about. Hopefully you can tell by this. Where the stamping stops and the smooth starts there's a dark spot.

Thanks for any advice.

Thanks to everyone who responded. The video was a big help. It's amazing the results you can get when you do something the "right" way...

[Bard Skye]

Well, now I've got yet more additions to the list of things I've been doing wrong! <g>

I've learned more in the last two weeks of reading this forum than I have since I first picked up the instructions to my Tandy Leathercraft Kit when I was a kid.

I love this place!

Skye

[Lwleather]

Well, now I've got yet more additions to the list of things I've been doing wrong! <g>

I've learned more in the last two weeks of reading this forum than I have since I first picked up the instructions to my Tandy Leathercraft Kit when I was a kid.

I love this place!

Skye

Yep, there's a lot of good help and support on here. Priceless!