What's the best way to reduce leather dye

[GregS]

Sorry for the very newbie question

But what is the purpose of reducing dye?

Sounds like it could help with keeping a consistent color across the entire piece.

Edited May 24, 2019 by GregS
clarify my question

[fredk]

Thinning dye helps it to penetrate the thickness of the leather. Initially it will look blotchy but as more diluted dye is applied this blotchyness evens out until it totally disappears. Diluting dye also slows its drying. Neat dye put on leather dries fairly quickly and often leaves a blotchy look, dense colour where you first applied the dye with dauber/brush/sponge and less dense where it ran out. Another coat of dye can often not flow into the first to even out the colour.  Diluted dye will still look the same at first but as it is slower drying the next application flows into the first application better

[wizard of tragacanth]

Doesn't reducing dye also allow to make lighter shades?  IDK, I have never tried it.

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, wizard of tragacanth said:

Doesn't reducing dye also allow to make lighter shades?  IDK, I have never tried it.

Yes. It gives you the ability to make it lighter. 

[ftnpenlvr2]

This is an old post, but, I have been doing a bit of experimenting as I work towards my first bespoke pair of shoes.  I an trying to get to a light grey, which is almost imposible with a dye on a brown leather, but, trying...

I have diluted the Angelus jet black with Angelus clear (which acts as a reducer) - roughly 20:1.  I get a grey, but, not as light a grey as I would like.

Attached is a sample piece that I am experimenting on.  The light grey ring is Clyde's leather balm, which I have not had any success getting to penetrate tooling leather.  The folks at Clyde's have been awesome and are sending some leather prep to try before making another attempt.  The darker gray is the diluted Jet Black, airbrushed on very lightly.  The really dark was trying to dial in the dilution.