Black Dye Spread Everywhere?

[bex DK]

My experience when I dip dye is that even with extensive buffing with alcohol-damp cloth, there is still plenty of dye left in the leather and the color has never got unevened or lightened. But my dyes might work a bit differently than yours. I am pretty sure mine are a scandanavian-specific brand of spirit dye. It really penetrates--if I cut the end off the dip dyed leather, there is usually only a thin strip that isn't dyed, depending on the thickness of the leather. If I surface dye, like with a paint brush or cloth, I usually thin the dye a bit and apply multiple layers, as I find it easier to get the dye even that way--if an area is light, I can give it extra without ending up with sharp transitions, especially if I work around with edges of the spot as the brush runs out of dye... But then I don't have all the extra pigments that rub off because the leather doesn't get more dye than it can absorb like when I dip dye.

Perhaps someone experienced with exactly your brand of dye could provide input. If you are buffing all the dye off, I would worry either something is wrong with the leather that it isn't taking the dye right (like a wax treatment or other surface treatment) or something is wrong with your dyes--a bad batch or it is too old or something. A wrong type of tanning would mean it wouldn't take tooling and stamping well, but I find I can tool latigo, etc., but it won't take dye because of the treatments. You could also try rubbing your leather with alchohol or acetane BEFORE dying, as that might break up anything on the surface that is preventing dye from penetrating.