Zelikovitz Dyes

[Spence]

I just received my first shipment of dyes from one of our advertisers, Zelikovitz Leathers.

I haven't used any of it yet, but I couldn't wait to commend them on their service, prices and prompt delivery.

It took only 4 days to get here (Texas) from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada !!

Upon opening the box, I found each individual container of dye, placed in it's own ziploc bag and all together in a secure plastic bag. Newspaper then completed the very secure packaging.

The first thing I noticed, while inspecting the colors, was the obvious difference between medium and dark brown. The blue is more of a Royal, than a Navy. There's that also.

So far, I'm a very happy customer and I don't expect that to change.

[lightingale]

I love the company and have been to their brick and mortar store many times. Near me, they're the only alternative to Tandy!

A lot of their Zeli products are very reasonably priced and of excellent quality. I use their finishes and glues as well. I haven't used their dyes though, and I don't think I'll trade my Angelus dyes for another brand

[goldenstonebazaar]

And what about their line of dyes, how good are they compared to Fiebing's?

[Spence]

I bought about 5 colors and I'm not that happy with them. They don't absorb into the leather as well as I think they should. A scratch will show. They advise thinning with water up to 50% I believe. I thinned the black to 75% water and I'm still not overjoyed. The colors themselves are good. The coverage is good. They don't crack. Takes a couple or 3 coats. I called with a problem and got a royal runaround and finally was blown off with a totally idiotic explanation. It'll take me years and years to use up all this stuff, but I won't be going back, regardless.

[JustKate]

From what I've been able to tell from their product information, the Zeli Pro dyes are water-based, and I have found that anything water-based absorbs more slowly into leather, and requires more more dye application to get the color saturation you're used to getting with spirit-based dyes. I'm not sure why they would advise diluting it if the problem is not getting enough color... hmmm...

Nevertheless, I will say, I've been ordering from Zelikovitz for years, and been happy with my experiences with them so far. They've got a nice assortment of hard-to-find fasteners and other hardware, and everything I've gotten from them has been "better" quality stuff, delivered very quickly.

[Spence]

I'm not implying that their other products are inferior. I have no experience in that regard.

I have applied 3 and 4 coats and followed the instructions they have posted on their website. Diluting doesn't seem to affect the color - just the consistency. Right out of the bottle it is very thick and putting the black dye on a dog leash is tantamount to standing the leash in the corner when not in use. Diluting tends to make a leash a bit more supple but not enough. I've stopped using the Zeli black on leashes, but use it on collars and other projects that don't require suppleness.

I like the looks and coverage but no matter how many coats or how it's diluted, it's not sinking in anywhere near where it should. Unfortunately I have so much on hand it's going to take forever to use it all up, if I ever do. Not sure whether I'd reorder certain colors yet. I've got a bad taste in my mouth about the runaround I got on the phone from a worker, his boss and the owner (as relayed by the worker)

[goldenstonebazaar]

Thank you all for the replies!

It seems that one have to stick to Fiebing's Pro-Oil dyes, anything else either stiffen, streak, bleed through or smells to the high heaven...