Dyeing And Waterproofing Pigskin

[Kincajou]

Hello all, i started working with leather last september to make leather masks, at the moment though i've been trying my hand at a number of different projects.

Most recently i have decided to take a game out of my board game collection and convert all of it's pieces and board into leather (a good excuse to try my hand at different leathers, some stitching, some dyeing, etc.).

For the board i have acquired a piece of pigskin suede which after a number of attempts i have managed to dye to my satisfaction on both sides without having the dye come through the sides. (i'm using fiebings leather dyes for this project)

however i rapidly realised that if i was to use the dyed pigskin suede for some board gaming i want to give it some protection to the elements (mainly waterproofing), especially since the dyes are prone to run and bleed even with small amounts of water.

As such i have been testing my hand at a number of different products;

-the eco-flo sheenes have proven (expectedly, as they are water based) inappropriate at any sort of waterproofing (and caused a darkening of the leather.

- resolene seemed to do the trick, although as it is essentially a plastic coating on the pigskin it has lead to a bit of darkening as well as a significant change in texture. The resolene treated leather (i did three coats per side, will look into the effectiveness of a single coat in the coming days) feels a bit "plasticky" to the touch and has acquired a slightly shiny surface coating.

- My third test was with a spray on product for suede waterproofing (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0078O9I5O/ref=s9_simh_gw_p309_d1_i1)

I chose this as i hoped to achieve some waterproofing without having a loss of texture or appearance.

At the moment the spray, when applied lightly (too heavy applications cause dye bleeding) has kept the texture of the leather as well as the original appearance. The water resistance seems superior to untreated leather (water beads on it) but i suspect it will withstand less well when immersed in water with respect to the resolene treated samples. (tests being carried out this week)

Has anyone tried to waterproof pigskin suede in such a way that the dyes will not run when in contact with water? What did you guys use and what would you suggest for this situation?