Softening Leather?

[sharpshooter81]

I am fairly new to leather work....I have made alot of different items over the past few months, mostly gun and shooting leather and some horse tack. I am using vegtan and fiebings professional oil dye. To this point, after tooling, I apply the dye and when it dries I apply a coat of fiebings acrylic resolene.....but my leather is still very stiff and hard when everything dries!!.....I just made a lovely set of Saddlehorn bags with full basket weave and like I said, they are very hard and stiff!!! What does everybody use to soften their leather, and how do you apply it?? I want my stuff to be nice soft and supple....HELP!! lol

[Bluesman]

Hi,

Should really go to the Member Gallery and introduce yourself. It helps all of us get acquainted with you.

Thanks,

Jon

Edited May 15, 2012 by Bluesman

[Sylvia]

Hi shooter:

I make guitar straps from some rather thick and stiff leather. In order to soften it... somewhere during the process after tooling. I use either leather balm or neatsfoot oil and work the leather, bending it toward the flesh side over and over until it becomes more supple. . Now... I have had issues with some dyes not taking, so I recommend you try a few things on some scrap pieces and see what it does and develop your own "best practice."

BTW... I never introduced myself to this forum... never will. If they don't know me by now... they will never never never know me.... or so the song goes.

Welcome to the forum. Let us know what you learn from your experiment.

Syl

Edited May 15, 2012 by Sylvia

[DoubleC]

Hey sharpshooter...I do things sim ilar to Sylvia, but I use bag balm after I dye it and a blow dryer to really get it liquid so I can work it in the leather. I bend, and burnish with denim and do everything practically but run over it with a truck to get that leather soft. BEFORE I dye it I use yellow saddle soap and do all of the above. Hope this helps. Cheryl

[bruce johnson]

Are you using any oil like neatsfoot or olive oil? Lexol? Those will help to soften things up. Casing leather for tooling and then dyeing it will sure dry and harden it.

[sharpshooter81]

I have a few already finished products that I would like to soften up.....are there any products that can be applied after the top coat is added??.....would really like to soften up my saddlehorn bags....hmmmmm....

[Sylvia]

I have a few already finished products that I would like to soften up.....are there any products that can be applied after the top coat is added??.....would really like to soften up my saddlehorn bags....hmmmmm....

Is the inside finished as well? If not you can use any of the stuff above to oil, balm or lexol. It might be more tricky on the finished side especially if you want to retain the color since a lot of these treatments will darken the leather quite a bit.