Brand Name Of Dye

[Red Cent]

I have a request from a fellow cowboy and leatherworker to find an answer to the following: "I would like to know how to obtain the deep reddish brown finish known as walnut oil that was used on Lawrence Leather Goods years ago and is currently used by Triple K." Can anyone help me help another leatherworker?

Edited February 17, 2014 by Red Cent

[Red Cent]

Never was a dye per se, but rather a heavily applied colored neatsfoot oil - back in the ole days when you first got a GL holster or other gear fro them, you had to wrap it in paper towels or absorbent cloth and change the wrap a couple of times to sop up the excess oil or it would stain your clothes.

The GL oil formula was a proprietary one (you used to be able to buy it) but a mix of non-greasy neatsfoot oil and either the oil darkening liquid from Weaver Leather (IMO it comes closest to the GL oil in color) or you can make a mix of spirit dye (i.e. Fiebings) in dark brown, walnut, or mahogany (or a mix) and the neatsfoot oil until you get a close match. When mixing oil with the Fiebings mixing it in an old blender works best - just rev it up each time you use it to make sure it's well mixed. You can also tweak the oil darkening liquid with dye, but I've found if you sun tan your leather after dying for a couple of days this gets just right.

I've owned and repaired a bunch of GL leather over the years and even though I make my own I still have soft spot for the Gl goods since it was who made my first holster way back in 1962.

Here's an example of GL Holster in good condition so those he may not know what we are talking about can see - note it's really a med/dark brown with just a hint of red which the sun tan will give you...

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/turnerriver/DSC_0011-4.jpg .......................Courtesy of Chuck Burrows, Member of Cas City.