aging leather for reenactor

[kiwican]

That's some good info right there! I'm always on the look out for old leather stuff, it would not have occurred to me to look for the darker spots for rubbing or handling to show some age. I also buy antique knives. Had a guy a few years back try to sell me a genuine ww2 Japanese commando dagger for only two hundred dollars! I told him that I didn't think the word Japan would have been stamped on the blade in English. This guy was good tho, told me the used combat dagger from ww2 was made for the export business. I told I was pretty sure that during ww2 we weren't buying anything from Emperor Hirohito during that time. He did not get my money.

[shug]

i would like to go with the idea of oiling and representing darkened rubbed areas but do not own an airbrush,any ideas to create a similar effect?what about dye applied sparingly with a cloth?

 

[shug]

1 hour ago, shug said:

i would like to go with the idea of oiling and representing darkened rubbed areas but do not own an airbrush,any ideas to create a similar effect?what about dye applied sparingly with a cloth?

 

can you overdo the neetsfoot oil and clog up the leather or should i use progressive light coats of oil?

 

[kiwican]

The neatsfoot will work, I've achieved those spots by accident from doing that!

[shug]

thanks for replies,would brown dye then tan polish and a light scuffing be reasonably accurate for a ww2 holster?

 

[Boriqua]

On 4/15/2017 at 1:09 PM, shug said:

i would like to go with the idea of oiling and representing darkened rubbed areas but do not own an airbrush,any ideas to create a similar effect?what about dye applied sparingly with a cloth?

 

You can certainly add "rub marks" with a rag or a shaving brush. Just make sure that it is not "wet" so you can bring up the color and feather it at the edges. This pic is not great and doesnt show the contrast as well as it looked in real life .. and its only an "ok" piece but it will give you the idea. I started from scratch with Cherry then dialed in some mahogany and then just misted some areas that I thought might be handled in real life with some brown. It was light passes but on the yoke where it might be carried or rub on the saddle, at the corners of the flaps where someone would naturally open and close it and even on the strap ends. I then used neatsfoot oil which brought all the colors together and then applied paste wax to the whole thing since I knew it would be used hard outdoors.

Now I knew the client to some degree so I knew he wouldnt go for "beat up" aged but wanted a little push on character marks that will naturally develop over time but I helped to get him started.

Kiwi is right in that you can pull it off with just oil applied to certain areas but I never saw a piece years later to know if the selective aging effect stayed.

With all of my suggestions I propose building up. You can never take out oil or dye effectively so it best to add both of them sparingly and then continue to add. I usually apply my neatsfoot with a tee shirt rag since it wont hold big heaping helpings of oil like a piece of towel might and then just keep reapplying until I am happy with the result.

Edited April 18, 2017 by Boriqua

[shug]

thanks,will give it a go.looks good,like the colour

[shug]

Thanks for the help and advice, I decided on a minimal approach and have settled on using a water based dye and wax Polish and bit of wire wool to ding them up a bit. Have got some before and after pics. Thanks again. 

[fredk]

I think they look just spot-on!

[shug]

thanks,it was scary messing with someone elses stuff so tried to keep it low key,was terrified i would destroy them!