How Was This Look Achieved?

[lionfly]

Can anyone offer some guidance as to how this beautiful contrasted look is achieved? I know getting the leather cased properly plays a large role in how dark the compressed areas are, but I've never been able to achieve such a contrasted look.

His cuts and stamping are almost black on some of the work this gentleman does.

[Bob Blea]

That wallet has an antique applied to it after tooling. When I do it, I will first let the item dry after tooling. Then it gets a thin coating of Neatsfoot oil to condition the leather, then after that has set in overnight I apply a lacquer coating (Wyosheen, Clear-lac, etc.) and allow that to dry. Then I apply a antique gel or paste and wipe it back off. The lacquer keeps it from penetrating the leather and the antique remains in the tooled areas, creating the contrast.

[lionfly]

Thank you so much! I have all the tools I need, just didn't have the formula! I can't wait to try it.

[Bob Blea]

Give it a try and post your results, we would be happy to help out with any questions.

Bob

[Troy Burch]

If any antique has touched that I really need to know what he uses for a resist. The knife cuts and mule feet seem to have been but much of it looks like good burnishing. Even the backgrounding doesn't look to have been antiqued to me.

[AndyL1]

Thank you so much! I have all the tools I need, just didn't have the formula! I can't wait to try it.

I'm assuming this had a brown antiquing solution applied to it and not black. Tandy and I think Fiebings both have brown antique.

[JLSleather]

Yep, that's ant-streak. Fella kin tell by the mud puddles left behind ..

[Treed]

Looks like what I get with the Sheridan brown past that Fiebings sells. They have a large number of colors in their paste antiques.

[lionfly]

Well, the experiment was a bust, but I was using mostly Tandy products. I have a growing collection of Fiebings products, but they don't sell the Fiebings antique at Tandy, so I think I will have to start ordering online.

I used their "block out" as the lacquer, which has never ever worked well, or consistently for me, so I'll have to get my hands on what you suggested, wyosheen or clear-lac.

[lionfly]

Here is attempt #2 - still with Tandy products. I put about 3 or 4 layers of super sheen on the pattern, letting each one dry before going over it with a medium brown antique gel. I then wiped it off with dry paper towels then did a little bit of touch up with a wet one to remove any lingering gel.

[Bob Blea]

That one looks pretty good! With all of the resists making sure you have a good covering layer can be tough sometimes, but I did have lots of trouble with the super and satin sheen products, and always needed multiple layers. It is easier with a product like Wyosheen or Clear-Lac, but I still go over each project with a damp sponge to make sure water isn't getting through the resist layer before applying antique. If I get any discoloration from the water it needs another thin coat. I've had projects go south this way so I'm super careful.

[lionfly]

Oh that's a fantastic idea! I have a purse I've been holding off staining until I figured this out... I would die if I screwed it up after so much tooling

[Hank Cowdog]

...but I still go over each project with a damp sponge to make sure water isn't getting through the resist layer before applying antique. If I get any discoloration from the water it needs another thin coat. I've had projects go south this way so I'm super careful.

Thanks for the excellent suggestion, Bob. Great idea! Trust, but verify.