tatsumi Report post Posted July 22, 2014 Hello Forum, I've been experimenting with water based stains of late for my items using veg tan leather, My dye of choice been Pro oil dye however a conversation with my leather supplier led me to look at the water based stains as an alternate. The first thing that I noticed was the poor penetration compared to the pro oil so some experimenting went on, still with unsatisfactory results. The colour of the brand I used though was fantastic, in this case it was raven black and probably the best black I've seen to date. what do members here use as their "go to" product when working with water based stains? Best regards, Ian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barehandcustoms Report post Posted July 22, 2014 I think Eco-Flo is pretty much the king of the water based dyes right now. I agree the finished colors are amazing but then I realize I can scratch them off easily with my finger nail. Most of my products are built to be abused over time so I have to stay away from them. Ican usually get away with using them on journals and some pouches. I have tried several methods to lock the pigments in better and prevent the color from scratching off so easily but no luck yet. Which kind of sucks because the colors from water dyes are so vibrant compared to oil dye. I would recommend trying out a few gel stains. The gels stains tend to be a happy middle ground between oil and water dyes. They tend to be more vibrant than oil dyes and penetrate better then water dyes. Personally I stay away from water dyes and some gels when I am making sheaths or any kind of outdoor items. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gump Report post Posted July 22, 2014 There is quite a difference in Eco Flo and Eco Flo pro dyes. Using only the pro, I have not had any problems with it scratching off, but it still doesn't penetrate as deep as pro oil dye. Gump Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tatsumi Report post Posted July 22, 2014 @Barehandcustoms, seems a route you have tried also with some frustration, its the colour that pops out, don't get me wrong I can get good finish on my items but like a good thread that stands out on the sheath or belt so does the colour of this stuff,hmm.... The things I make mainly are for hard use too which is a big worry given that so far the best I've got down the leather is a mm at best, I nic of the blade is all that's needed to expose the unstained leather. kind of come to the same conclusion also I guess, use only on simple items, card holders and so on. @grump, What kind of depth are you getting with the Eco Flow Pro? Many thanks for your replies gents, Ian Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
