Veg tan (no dye), how to stop water or gum trag stains?

[CJW306]

I'm using veg tan leather about 1.2-1.4mm (3-3.5 oz?) for a wallet.

I don't want to use dye but don't mind it darkening over time. Is there a way to avoid it getting water stained if it gets wet or liquid spills on it? Some kind of finish that won't take away from the piece?

Or would any water soak in and disappear after a while?

Also- I'm using a Japanese version of gum trag and it seemed to "stain" near the edges when it got onto the top side just now. Is that something that should disappear or do I need to do something like wet down the entire thing to get rid of it?

Thanks

[Michael Sheldon]

With water, you could try using distilled or reverse-osmosis rather than tap, might help. But really, the best thing is to not let it get onto the face. Use a stiff sponge, not a dauber to apply to the edges.

If your water stains do not disappear, you could try wetting the entire piece, but it probably won't work completely.

I assume you're leaving these pieces unstained? If so, you might try putting a very light coat of sealer on the face before edge burnishing.

[Halitech]

Doesn't matter if you are dying or not dying, you need to finish it with something. If you aren't dying it, a light coat of supershene may be all you need which will prevent most waterstains but still allow it to develop it's natural patina. If you want to give it an "artificial" patina, apply a coat of snowproof then melt it in with a hair dryer or heat gun. Test on a piece of scrap first to make sure it turns out the way you want

[CJW306]

Thanks. I'd made a card holder previously for myself and not used any conditioner or anything to make it waterproof. I ended up forgetting I had it in my swimming trunks when I was in the Bahamas! It turned out ok, but needed a ton of drying out, maybe it was ok because it was oaked so thoroughly?

It did make me wonder if I should have got something to waterproof/condition it though.

Would it be best to use some kind of finisher on the cut out pieces of the wallet before I stich them together, or after it has been assembled, or wont it make much of a difference? 

 

[Michael Sheldon]

Nothing you use is going to help if you go swimming with it. Water *proof* is a myth.

That said, a light coat of leather sheen or laquer protects the leather from splashes, drips, dirty fingers, etc. It keeps the leather clean. I like to put on at least a light coat before assembly just to protect from oils on my fingers and such while I'm assembling.

[johnv474]

If you don't want to use dye but you want your leather to be stain/water-resistant, you can try using a few non-darkening products. A word of warning that "non-darkening" is not entirely true, because adding moisture nearly always makes the natural color richer, and may be a shade darker.

To avoid water stains I would do these steps before making the wallet itself. Clean with saddle soap. Buff lightly.  While still damp, apply a light coat of Lexol conditioner. While still damp, apply another light coat. Buff lightly. While still damp, apply a waterproofing paste such as Sno-Seal (requires heat) or Huberd's Shoe Grease--light coat. Give a few minutes, wipe off excess, then another light coat. Give a few minutes, wipe off, then apply Leather Balm with Atom Wax, very light coat. Buff to a light sheen. It won't fully buff until the leather is dry. Apply a very light coat of very diluted Resolene (3:1 water:Resolene ratio), then apply another very light coat.

Since some of these will have touched the edges, you'll want to sand the edges slightly before burnishing to expose fresh fibers.  Voila, natural veg tan that is water/stain/fade-resistant and looks beautiful.

Undyed veg tan with nothing on it is quite porous and will quickly disfigure and stain when exposed to moisture, dirt, and pressure.