Is Color Ruined By Oil?

[stef73433]

These pieces are both Hermann oak leather side pieces, oil dyed with a light color dye, then I oiled with pure neatsfoot oil. Left oil sit now for two full days and the left hand piece is way darker. Am I doomed our can I fix this somehow?

Pic

[benlilly1]

Bump!

[apsilon]

I can't help much as I'm very new to all this but I've been playing around with neatsfoot oil the past few weeks and have found results can be inconsistent. I had two separate pieces cut from the same hide and not dyed. Oiled both in the same way (same bottle, same applicator same number of coats). One looks like a slightly darker shade of natural leather as I expected. The other looks like it's been dyed light or medium brown. Very similar to what you're showing but perhaps a little more contrast between them)so I'd be interested to hear the how's, why's and any fixes (though in my case they weren't going to be used together so doesn't matter).

[treybecca]

Neatsfoot oil is notorious for turning leather darker. Unfortunately, if you are going for the lighter color you will have to more then likely have a redo. I recommend trying a conditioner like Bick 4 on a scrap piece and seeing how it does for you.

[stef73433]

Thanks, I think I will try some conditioners.I'm tired of this happening.

Luckily its not very far along, so not much time lost

[dkbutcher]

In my (still very limited) experience you have to be careful getting a consistent amount of neatsfoot oil or you increase the chances of this happening too. The flesh side will really soak it up and will also make you want to put on more so that all of it has been oiled. This can lead to putting more in one place that another and more on one piece than another. If you don't have an airbrush to apply it with (I don't) then you have to be careful and/or just apply it to the skin side.

I love neatsfoot oil and love that I can use it as a super light colored dye without using dye. But I have also learned to be careful to only apply it on the skin side on thinner leathers and be extra careful when applying it to the flesh side on thicker leather. It sounds a bit like, at least in this case, you will abandon neatsfoot oil but in other projects where you might want to use it this might be good to think about.

Dave

[terrymac]

The best advice I can give you is to get rid of the neatsfoot oil and get some Bee's Natural Saddle Oil. It will not darken your leather, and if anything, will give it a golden tone. Good stuff.

Terry