Which Leather Dye Colour?

[BigBoots]

Hi All

Just need a little help with choosing Dye colour.

Basically I've scavenged some real thick vintage leather, which I will make a sheath with.

Its currently a light Russet colour (see pic 1 - actual photo of the leather, pretty good representation of actual shade).

I need it Choc Brown. (See pic 2, which is some Choc Brown leather I have, though may look a little lighter due to distressing).

So, was going to use Fiebings Choc Brown, but suspect it will be too dark, almost black, with the colour already being a fairly deep brown?

In which case, can anyone please suggest which shade of Fiebings to use on top of my Russet leather, to get close to pic 2?

I appreciate results vary etc. Will be properly prepped and so on. Just best guesses or experience with these two shades before I start it and go too dark

Many thanks for any suggestions. Much appreciated.

[Dwight]

It would probably be easier to give you the engineering formula for getting 90 miles per gallon out of a 454 Chevy engine, . . . but we'll try anyway.

If the choc brown is the finished color you want, . . . buy it, . . . also buy a quart of thinner.

Take a glass jar, . . . add a specifically measured (liquid measure) amount of thinner to the jar, . . . then add 1/10 of that amount of choc brown. Try that on a scrap piece. If it is too light after it dries, . . . give it a second coat.

If after a couple of coats, . . . it isn't dark enough, . . . throw that scrap piece away, . . . add enough dye to get about a 33% solution, . . . try that.

Seriously, it sounds like I'm jerking your chain, . . . but I worked for 3 decades in the automotive refinish paint business, . . . color making, color matching, color imitating is all a trial and error business. Leather color is no exception.

May God bless,

Dwight

[BigBoots]

It would probably be easier to give you the engineering formula for getting 90 miles per gallon out of a 454 Chevy engine, . . . but we'll try anyway.

If the choc brown is the finished color you want, . . . buy it, . . . also buy a quart of thinner.

Take a glass jar, . . . add a specifically measured (liquid measure) amount of thinner to the jar, . . . then add 1/10 of that amount of choc brown. Try that on a scrap piece. If it is too light after it dries, . . . give it a second coat.

If after a couple of coats, . . . it isn't dark enough, . . . throw that scrap piece away, . . . add enough dye to get about a 33% solution, . . . try that.

Seriously, it sounds like I'm jerking your chain, . . . but I worked for 3 decades in the automotive refinish paint business, . . . color making, color matching, color imitating is all a trial and error business. Leather color is no exception.

May God bless,

Dwight

Haha! you can get 90mpg from a 454, as long as you run it on bike carbs, and never squeeze the throttle!

Appreciate its all trial and error. Just wasn't sure if it was better to use a lighter dye when leather was already fairly dark.

Many thanks, will chop off a bit of scrap and take my time.