Professional water stain dye

[Buttons]

Blotching and streaking. Does anyone else have this problem?

Makes me crazy.

[Boriqua]

I have a couple of colors of the Tandy Pro water stain and like them very much. I usually very slightly dampen the leather with a sponge making sure the color is somewhat even before I apply the stain and I have had really good results.

[NVLeatherWorx]

This issue has been addressed within this community several times now and it does tend to be a common problem which you get with EVERY water-based stain/dye product.  If you want a more thorough coverage and one that will last (water-based products wear off pretty quickly) then you need to transition to a spirit-based product line.  It is true that if you dampen the leather slightly before applying a water-based product that you will see a more consistent coverage (and the manufacturers actually suggest this in their instructions for use) but it doesn't change the fact that water-based products do not penetrate very deep into the leather and you will find wear/rub-off spots in the short term.  I made myself a wallet 6 months ago and used some of the Eco-Flo water stain for the color; I even applied it 3 times to ensure that I got a good penetration into the leather, didn't work out all that way and here is why:  the Eco-Flo water stain products also include waxes and wax based conditioners in the formula which end up creating an initial seal on the leather which ends up keeping additional applications of the same product from having any further penetration into the leather, it just ends up sitting on top of the first application and you will eventually rub it off over time.  The results on my wallet are that the color has rubbed off not only on the outside areas but also on the interior pocket sections and I now have about 60% of the overall surface area that has returned to the naked leather look.  I tested this product in this fashion to see what the true durability with it would be and it is safe to say that it will not find a place in my offered options as it doesn't have any staying power.  I would hate to give a customer an item that they ordered only to have them come running back to me a few months later yelling about how the color has come off and this very thing has been reported before by the many highly experienced craftsmen in this community.  In my over 40 years of working with leather as a professional craftsman I have never seen anything "wear out" as fast as the Pro Water Stain line, and I have tested some stuff over that time.

 

[Boriqua]

On 6/18/2016 at 6:11 AM, NVLeatherWorx said:

This issue has been addressed within this community several times now and it does tend to be a common problem which you get with EVERY water-based stain/dye product.  If you want a more thorough coverage and one that will last (water-based products wear off pretty quickly) then you need to transition to a spirit-based product line.  It is true that if you dampen the leather slightly before applying a water-based product that you will see a more consistent coverage (and the manufacturers actually suggest this in their instructions for use) but it doesn't change the fact that water-based products do not penetrate very deep into the leather and you will find wear/rub-off spots in the short term.  I made myself a wallet 6 months ago and used some of the Eco-Flo water stain for the color; I even applied it 3 times to ensure that I got a good penetration into the leather, didn't work out all that way and here is why:  the Eco-Flo water stain products also include waxes and wax based conditioners in the formula which end up creating an initial seal on the leather which ends up keeping additional applications of the same product from having any further penetration into the leather, it just ends up sitting on top of the first application and you will eventually rub it off over time.  The results on my wallet are that the color has rubbed off not only on the outside areas but also on the interior pocket sections and I now have about 60% of the overall surface area that has returned to the naked leather look.  I tested this product in this fashion to see what the true durability with it would be and it is safe to say that it will not find a place in my offered options as it doesn't have any staying power.  I would hate to give a customer an item that they ordered only to have them come running back to me a few months later yelling about how the color has come off and this very thing has been reported before by the many highly experienced craftsmen in this community.  In my over 40 years of working with leather as a professional craftsman I have never seen anything "wear out" as fast as the Pro Water Stain line, and I have tested some stuff over that time.

 

If you happen to be near a camera and have the inclination I would love to see how it faded. Im actually thinking how that effect might be used for good and not evil!