Dye Bleeding

[troyn]

Hi,

Still being a new leatherworker last year I made my first half decent case for my multitool. I was quite happy with it, now that I have worn this on my belt for about a year and it has seen some regular wear and tear from use I noticed something that has happened and I'm not sure how on my next project to avoid..

When I made my case, I decided to Dye the case brown and have the edges black. Ok it turned out looking great but now I have where the flap comes down and snaps on the front of the case a black ring outline from the dye on the flap.

Again I have been wearing this case for a year now, but how do I avoid that from happening in future projects, what part did I do wrong. When I made it and dyed the project I used Tan Kote as a finish and buffed the sucker well, so I'm not sure why this is happening..

Thanks,

Troy

[TwinOaks]

I think what you're seeing is probably a reaction with the metal. (If I understand the description)

Much like the effect of vinagaroon (do a search on that if you don't know what it is), any of the itty bitty metal shavings that might come off when opening and closing the snap can stick to the leather and change the color. It's a chemical process, not just an application of color. That means that there's no undoing it. It also means that whatever you used to seal the leather has worn off. For future avoidance, either use a different sealer, more of it, or check it every couple of months and reapply if needed.