Problem With Eco-Flo Black And Natural Veg Tan Leather

[RoosterShooter]

This is my first 'Oops' post, so please take it easy on me.

I finally finished hand sewing my first holster today. I wet it down and molded it to the gun, let it dry for several hours in a 'drying cabinet', and attempted to apply Eco-Flo Black to the natural colored leather.

I was using the corner of a sponge to dab in the dye and apply it. Some areas took ok, but other did not. The holster was completely dry prior to applying the dye, and it wouldn't soak into the leather.

What am I doing wrong, or should I do to get the dye to take?

Edited October 6, 2012 by RoosterShooter

[DoubleC]

I use a sponge for most my dyeing, and even if it's oil based I dampen the leather first. Being completely dry probably prevented the eco-flo, a water based dye, from penetrating the leather evenly. Dampen the holster and try it again and see if that helps. Cheryl.

[Chief31794]

The Eco-Flo dyes will go on smoother if the leather is dampened as Cheryl said, you might want to try some better dyes, eco-flo dyes are iffy at best, Fiebings professional dyes are much better, if I use them, I cut them with denatured alcohol to obtain the color I want then I use deglazer on the leather just before dyeing (as it says on the can), that makes them saturate more evenly. Water for water based dyes, deglazer or denatured alcohol for spirit or oil based dyes. Angelus also makes some excellent dyes, you can get Fiebings and Angelus from most suppliers, Springfield Leather Company carries both.

If you are locked in to Tandy they have some new dye products called their "Professional" line of dyes, they look interesting and there is a video by Tandy on Youtube and on the Tandy website about how to use them.

Chief

[Northmount]

Molding also affects the way the dye is absorbed. Forced drying in a cabinet stiffens/hardens the leather and will affect how it accepts dye. As already mentioned, slighly moist leather accepts dye better. From other threads here, if memory serves correct, some people are lightly oiling the leather before applying dye ... but you should search and see if I remember correctly. You can also do some test pieces to see what works the best. For your test pieces, if you are dyeing molded leather, do everything the same with your test pieces, including molding and using a piece from the same hide.

CTG

[Jaymack]

I agree with Northmount and think black is a tough color regardless of the dye manufacturer. I have used eco-flo and fiebings and have good results with both.

I like USMC black from fiebings, but I have used this method for the best results. I first Vingaroon the piece and let it dry. I oil the piece with neatsfoot and let dry. I then put a final coat of the USMC black dye. I've been happy with the results.

John