Finishing Questions

[asallwey]

I'm just getting into working with leather, wanting to make a couple of belts. I've been reading a lot of great material here and feel pretty good about starting. But I have a few questions.

1) I'm wondering about the need to "finish" leather. Are products like Super Shene or others really needed? Are commercial belts finished the same way?

2) I see how folks use "resist" to prevent dye absorption when making a two, or multiple tone piece. But how do you tone the area that resist was applied to? Does it wash off when you want to tone that area? What is used to remove it? Or am I off base?

3) The couple of plain leather work belts that I have I just put neatfoot oil on once or twice a year. What effect would oil have on an embossed belt? Would it typically give an even tone to the surface as well as the pressed in areas?

Thanks,

Alex

[Red Cent]

Asallwey, I would like to see some responses to the question. IMO, however inexperienced, is neatsfoot on all the leather. Some, just a wipe on or so, and some a dunk. The catch to my experience that I do not tool much.

[Northmount]

Oil is a conditioner, not a finish. Too much makes the leather soggy, and it bleeds on what ever rests against it.

Tom

[asallwey]

Thanks Tom, I kind of figured that was the situation with oil. I do know that it dries out so I have to occasionally reoil my work boots.

Anybody want to expand upon my first 2 questions?

Alex

[Red Cent]

Neatsfoot oil is a "finish" to me. Done sparingly and with the help of the sun, it produces some really nice colors. It really looks good on some leather that has marks or ripples that are not physical but visual or a really mellow color on unblemished leather.

I use Leather Sheen, Mop & Glo, and others.

[ikewineb]

Oil can be used to help color leather, but isn't a finish as the previous poster is refering. A finish is a top coat that locks in the dyes and prevents rub off. I have found neatsfoot oil to provide a even color, given the exposure to sunlight is consistent. If the only thing you are using to color the leather is oil, then you probably don't "need" a finish or top coat, but i'd put one on, if just to improve the water resistance. Applying too much oil, can break down fibers in the leather and could make impressions raise. A little oil goes a long way. I like to do a really light coat on the finish side and then oil from the flesh side if it is something I need to "soften up a bit".

To answer, or attempt to answer the two tone question by the op, I think you misunderstood a little about the resist. If you are doing something two tone, dye it all one color, resist areas, then dye the other color. So, if you are doing a black belt with a green design. Dye the entire thing green. Resist only the areas that you want to stay green, then dye the rest black. The most importat part in all of this is to be sure to give everything plenty of time to dry between stages. I often get impatient and wind up smearing things. Not fun.

There are a lot more on here that know a ton more than I, and I'm sure they'll chime in.

Welcome!

[asallwey]

Thanks ikewineb, that does clear up my question on a resist. For some reason I was thinking that it was used in the reverse of your explanation. That pretty well clears up my questions.

Thank you all,

Alex