Covering Knots Or Braiding With Varnish Or Other Products

[pkstock]

hi i was wondering if anyone has any experience or comments about covering leather braiding and knots with varnish or other products

[KnotHead]

I will sometimes use Neat Lac from Tandy.

[Peter T]

I'm also keen to hear what others thoughts are on this topic.

I have been giving resolene a try lately. I like the initial result but I'm not sure how durable it is. It seems to wear off fairly quickly on things like whips and bracelets. I'm going to persist a little longer as it may be the way I'm applying it. I think it will be good for something like a hatband that won't get any wear on it.

Diluted shellac gives a nice finish if applied correctly. Several light coats with a bit of a buff between coats is the go. Too thick and it can flake off. I really like the shellac finish on whip handles and thongs however it can be time consuming to put on which is why I've been looking for an alternative.

Pete

[bucksnort]

I don't do much with leather, on rawhide it's common practice on hondoos to boil them for a short time to stiffen them & then varnish or shellac them for water resistance. I did use it on some rein buttons one time that I used some strings made from splits for, but that's probably not the best technique (live & learn).

[megabit]

I've used marine varnish on rawhide hondas, but that is about it.