Dye Test With A Commander Owb

[Colt Hammerless]

Here's one I just finished up today. Angelus sent me some free samples of dye with one of my orders, and among them was "Brandy." Instead of making a color swatch out of a chunk of leather I decided to make a holster instead. It's an OWB for a Commander with a 23 degree rake. The leather is 8 oz. W&C russet skirting, and the finish is Angelus 600 (dipped.)

Paul

[ec2121]

the first looks like if its black but that last one looks really nice. is it like a dark mahagany color.? ive never used angelus dyes..how different are they from fiebings pro dyes? very nice holster...

[vaalpens]

I think I like to color. Is the Angelus dye an oil or regular/alcohol dye? I have heard some good Angelus reviews. Maybe it is time for me to try the Angelus dyes. The holster came out great,

Edited January 12, 2014 by vaalpens

[Colt Hammerless]

In shade or indoors, it's a very dark brown. The last picture is in more direct sunlight. It's a dark brown with maybe a touch of red, but nowhere near as much red as a cordovan or mahogany. My normal dark brown is Angelus Spice, and there's a bit more red in that than this. In fact I finished up another holster today that was dyed with Spice. I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow. I like Angelus dyes quite a bit. I wouldn't say that one is better than the other. I don't care for the smell of Fiebing's Pro Oil series, and don't mind the Angelus. Also ordering directly from Angelus the prices are better, and they have a great selection of colors.

Paul

[Colt Hammerless]

Hi vaalpens,

The Angelus dyes are alcohol based. Actually, so is Fiebing's Pro Oil dye. Fiebing's Pro Oil actually contains no oil at all. I told that to a guy at Tandy once (I think he was a manager, or a manager in training), and he called up Fiebing's right then and there. He was rather surprised when they confirmed it.

Paul

[ec2121]

i really like that color...i just might try Angleus dyes. did you reduce it?

[Eaglestroker]

Hey Paul, color is killer! Looks like your new machine is treating you well too!

[Lobo]

Many people misunderstand Fiebings Pro Oil Dyes. They are not oil-based. They are formulated to allow blending with some oils for use in specific applications (not particularly suitable for holster making).

I use Fiebings black Pro Oil Dye exclusively for doing black. It has been my experience that this dye penetrates more readily and provides more even coverage with less work than the spirit dyes in black. I prefer to apply it while the leather is very lightly dampened with water and warm (at least room temperature, preferably around 100F). This typically provides a satisfactory result with one moderate application. With the standard spirit dyes a good black can take 3 or more applications.

Another perspective is in the cost per application. With the Pro Oil Dye, applied as described, I average about 120 pieces (holsters, belts, pouches) per gallon of dye. Using the spirit dyes I averaged about 80 pieces per gallon. While the Pro Oil Dye is a bit more expensive than the spirit dyes it can be more economical to use. I can get more work done with much less time and effort. Probably not a major consideration for the hobbyist or very small producer, Producing about 2,000 pieces per year I find that anything that saves me a minute per piece adds up to 33 hours per year, and that can be a 4-day vacation.

[Colt Hammerless]

No I didn't reduce it. I should have. If I were using it again, I probably would reduce it by half to lighten it up slightly.

Thanks Robert! I love the machine! Not only can I feel all of my fingers, they don't hurt! Neither do my shoulders, neck muscles, abs, obliques.....probably some other muscles I can't remember!

Ray, that's the explanation I've heard. Heck, it may have been an earlier post of your's where I first heard that.

Paul

[Colt Hammerless]

Here's a couple pictures of that holster dyed with Angelus Spice. One in the sun, one in the shade. The reinforcement piece is Spice cut 5 parts denatured alcohol to 1 part dye.

Paul

[Jeff L]

Very nice Paul. Thanks for sharing. I have used the Angelus jet black and I really liked it. Do you cut the 600 for dipping?

[Colt Hammerless]

Yes, I cut it by half with distilled water. Do you order your Angelus from somewhere, or is there a place in Tucson that carries it?

[Jeff L]

Had it order it from the Angelus site.

[TexasJack]

I like the color.