Dyeing And Finishing "brushed" Chrome-Tanned Leather

[Lokahi]

First post, here -

Found a deal on what seemed like a nice, pliable, almost "brushed" textured side of 7-8oz "tan" or beige-ish leather. Turns out it's exactly what the Army uses for their basic issue combat boots, which is a chrome tanned, barrel-finished leather...only they use it "inside out", with the rough side as the finished side. I'm trying to use the smooth "skin side" (correct my terminology if I'm saying this wrong) as my finished side, but it's not smooth like a veg tan. This is NOT a split leather. It still has the outer skin layer on the hide. It's also not smooth, like a veg tan leather. It feels like it has a soft 'brushed' texture to it. My goal is to use brighter colors of spirit dyes (i.e. Fiebing's or Angelus), and come up with a project that's consistently colored with no dye-transfer or rub off.

It seems to take the dye fairly well, but no amount of buffing seems to eliminate the rub-off completely. Is there some step I'm missing in the prep or dye process? Is there a sealer of some sort I could use to "seal" the dye into the leather?

Help the new guy out

Thanks for your time,

Lokahi

In the attached picture, the beige-ish colored one is what I'm working with. The blue and green strips are examples I've already dyed, the blue being Angelus' "light blue", the green being Fiebing's "Green". I applied the dye using wool daubers.

[Jimdad]

Tandy has leather sheen. Fiebings has tan kote, which is a little thicker. I'm very much a beginner in this also, but either of these seem to prevent rub-off effectively. I have also experimented a bit with Liquitex varnish & medium, which is commonly used as an all-in-one medium, sealer and top coat for painting, and rather like the results I have had in some limited testing.

[Geneva]

This is a split leather probably not chrome tan either. It looks like Nubuck one side looks like suade the other side looks like really fine suede almost as smooth as a babies bottom.

I would hate to wear a boot made from chrome tanned leather it has lots of nasty chromeium salts and other stuff in it that would cause skin irriations and other nasty stuff no one wants.

If you succeed in sealing this material you will loose the smooth texture.

Good luck.

PS: Never use chrome tanned leather on any animal leash, collar, bridal, halter, cinch, you get the idea.

Edited June 20, 2015 by Geneva