How Do You Soften Leather

[Hunter1908]

Hey everyone, I'm new and am trying my best to figure out how to do different things. I have made a couple of belts (using blanks) and they are soft when i start but after the dyeing process the belts get stiff. Is there something I can use to soften the leather after dyeing? I am using Fiebings pro oil black diluted 3:1 with iso. alcohol. Thanks for the help and your time. Chris

[DoubleC]

Hi Chris. You can buy all kinds of commercial conditioners but I just use bag balm. I put it on the finished leather, use a blow dryer to liquefy it, then rub it in by hand. The more you work the leather the softer it gets. By the time I'm done with my guitar straps they just drape over. Hope this helps. Cheryl

[Dwight]

Hunter, . . . you didn't say what you were using for the final finish, and that makes a lot of difference.

Secondly, . . . if you are making belts, . . . you don't want to soften them up very much, . . . otherwise the aren't worth their weight in dead cats.

I use Resolene for most final belt finishes, . . . then I start by bending them around the rounded front edge of my counter space, I then bend them in a horseshoe shape, . . . about 2 inches across, . . . and work the center of the horseshoe from one end of the belt to the other.

It makes the belt pliable, . . . but not soft. Flexible and not stiff is what you want, . . . soft is for buckskin jackets, not belts.

May God bless,

Dwight

[LNLeather]

*** I Recommend that you read the pinned tutorial on How I make a Belt

also if in any doubt about trying something new, try it out first on a scrap piece...

Edited September 22, 2012 by LNLeather

[Hunter1908]

I have Resolene and Mop N Glo. I also just bought some snow proof. I was directed toward the snow proof to help water with water proofing. So far I prefer the MNG over the Resolene, but haven't tried the snow proof yet. Thanks for the tips, and I will definitely check out the how to make a belt thread.