Leather & Finish In This Video?

[6sigma]

First post here. Go easy if I'm asking something inappropriate for the forum.

I want to make some notebook covers to fit (up to 3) 3.5" x 5.5" notebooks. I'd like to buy the right leather and finish at Tandy. My challenge as a rookie is knowing how to identify the proper type of leather and finish from this video: http://youtu.be/AmUbokv1HzQ

To save your time, look at 3:50-4:10, 11:00-11:40 and 14:00-14:30. For those experienced with leather, those clips might allow you to identify the best leather for these projects and the type of finish to apply.

Thanks in advance for any help/suggestions.

[6sigma]

Perhaps I've posted my question in the wrong forum. Or, maybe I've violated some rule by using the video. Whether those or something else, if someone can point me toward the proper place or way to ask my questions, I'd appreciate it.

I simply want to use the proper veg tan and finish it in a way that makes it as soft and flexible as the video shows.

Hope this clarifies.

[JustKate]

He mentions the leather is vegetable-tanned (9:26), so that's the type of leather to use to replicate this item. The question is, how much quality do you want and what weight to get? The quality question comes down to how much you would want to spend, but since this cover won't get any tooling, and part of the charm of it is that it gets scuffed-up over time to get that "Indiana Jones" look, you can probably get away with using something pretty cheap, assuming it doesn't just bother you to use cheap leather. (It would me.)

The weight could be something like 6-8oz. To get that color, all you'd need is some brown dye (or whatever color you want) and some antique paste. Treat it with a leather finish to set the color from the dye and antique, and that should do it.

[6sigma]

Thanks so much for your reply, JustKate. I'm willing to buy good leather because I'll be using pieces that are only 6" x 8" or so.

From your answer, I think I see three finishing products/steps:

• Dye
  
• Antique paste
  
• Leather finish
  

If I have that correct, then I'll be looking for a "finish" that gives the leather a flat/matte/satin finish rather than a glossy or painted look. If you have something in mind that does that, I'd appreciate the tip.

Again, many thanks.

[JustKate]

The dye absorbs into the the fibers of the leather, rather than covering the surface, so it leaves the natural surface texture of the leather untouched. Some of the antique absorbs in, and some will remain on the surface. I just buff it in until it becomes unworkable and that leaves a nice two-tone patina. Both the dye and antique will dry into a somewhat chalky texture. No worries - the finish will give it more of leathery luster.

For a more satin-ny finish, you can try an acrylic like Satin Shene or Acrylic Resolene. If you think you might prefer a wax-based finish (more water-resistant than acrylic), leather balm with atom wax is fine.

Good luck with your project, and don't forget to post photos. :-)

[6sigma]

Again, many thanks, and my compliments on some beautiful work in your gallery photos.

[particle]

I don't make a ton of journal covers, but I've found 3-5 oz leather works best for my designs, depending on if it's tooled or not. You need something relatively thin so it's easy to fold to form the pockets, though I admittedly haven't had a chance to watch the fellow's video yet (I opened it in a new tab to watch later) so I'm not sure yet how that cover was made. Tandy does sell a European leather that is supposed to be a higher quality, but you'll pay something like $7+ per SF for it. And, you'll have to buy large pieces, so check your account balance before heading out of the house... If you're not planning on tooling it, you might consider one of their oil-tanned hides. It's more flexible than vegetable tanned leather, and already colored, so you don't need to seal it or anything like that, unlike Veg Tan leather. It usually comes in very large pieces - at least at my local store, but it's still much cheaper than the European hides. I think you want to avoid any of the acrylic finishes, and instead focus on wax-based finishes. I've not had good luck with Fiebing's Leather Balm with Atom Wax - it lifts a ton of color and always discolors my thread. And it's very prone to streaking if you put it on too heavily. Acrylic finishes will have a plastic feeling to the leather when you're done and won't really gain any patina (character) over time like an oil-tanned hide will.

[JustKate]

Hi Eric,

I agree with everything you wrote - there are always other leathers, other finishes, etc. one can use to achieve the same look. The original question was, "How do I duplicate what's in the video?" The Midori Traveler's Notebooks are made with veg-tan. I'm sure you're right about the weight, which the reviewer described as being "about 2mm thick"; according to the wight/thickness charts, that would be closer to 5oz. I know I said 6-8 earlier - I was eye-balling it. At any rate, it's pretty thick, I thought, for such a small notebook, but watch the video as it describes how the notebook is used. It's a pretty clever system.

As for the finish, no telling what was actually used. I agree I like wax-based finishes better than acrylic. I've actually been using more lacquer lately than anything else, but that's not something 6sigma will be able to pick up at Tandy. I haven't used the LBAW for a long time, but I don't remember having any problems with it lifting out much color.

[JustKate]

Just out of curiosity, I set out to see if the manufacturer shares anything about how it's finished, and found someone who had translated the Japanese message that is included with the notebook, and here's what it says:

The included Japanese notice talks about the leather, it's care, and things to be aware of. First off, they thank you for purchasing this traveler's notebook.

Then they go on to inform you that in order to have the leather keep it's natural and original feel and character, a natural dye is used. Because of this, the natural coloring of the leather may rub off on clothing or bags if the leather is wet, dirty or rubbed up against. So if it is dirtied or wet, you can dab off the water or dirt with a soft cloth. DO NOT wash the entire cover in water and DO NOT use a benzine thinner or similar cleaners to remove stains! When storing your notebook for safekeeping, clean off excess sweat, water, and dirt and place it in a place that has good ventilation to prevent the leather from molding!! One final thing to be careful of, is placing it up against other leather or vinyl goods. This could result in colors being transferred or some discoloration in the leather.

Upon unsealing your notebook, there might be some white powder or dust on the surface of the leather. This is due to a temperature change causing an oil in the leather to stand out. You can take care of this with a hair dryer and warm the surface, or take a cloth and wipe it. To have the leather keep its feel and character, it has not undergone any extensive processing. When first using your notebook, the leather may sustain scratches and nicks. After using this traveler's notebook for a time, the leather will take on a shine or luster and the feel and style will change a great deal. As a bonus, the scratches will not stand out as much, and the oil smell will fade. For those who are overly concerned about scratches to the cover, you can use mink oil made for leather maintenance. The color of the leather will deepen and scratches will no longer stand out. (for brown: the color will become darker. You can test this on a less obvious part of the leather.)

The knot of the rubber band can be changed and adjusted. Please feel free to adjust it to a desired length.

It almost sounds like they just dye the cover, and don't put any kind of sealing finish on it. And looking at some of the photos, the covers appear to have that chalky texture that you would normally see following dye work. If that's the case, that is one thing I would definitely deviate from the original.

[6sigma]

Thanks for the additional info. Now for the rest of the story. The Midori is (as one put it) a flap of leather with some elastic. The scheme for putting 3 notebooks in that flap of leather is a little bit clumsy (in my view). I've found an alternative method for threading the elastic cord so that 3 notebooks can be added, removed or changed more easily.

Today, I picked up some 4-5 oz veg tan. Over the weekend I expect to make a couple of prototypes. Cutting the leather to size and shape and punching holes will be easy. It's the finishing where I'm inexperienced. The Midori in the video is certainly darker than (raw) veg tan. However, I couldn't tell whether the darker color resulted from dye or the old baseball glove treatment with neatsfoot oil or something else. Or, was it some sort of oil tanned leather?

Each of you has added to my knowledge and, after visiting Tandy, I've got some ideas about how to finish the leather. I'll post some updates when I've got something to show.

Again, many thanks!