Dying Edges

[superpacker]

First, let me say that I've read Hidepounder's excellent tutorial on burnishing - this has helped me to get uniform and smooth edges - but my question concerns dying the edge. A lot of newer leathermakers I see seem to leave burnished edges undyed - usually because the item itself is made from a light colored veg tan of some sort and is intended to darken with use and age. Even so, I like  the look of dyed edges. I think if looks more finished, and adds nice contrast, even if the leather darkens. However, I'm having trouble keeping the dye on the edge. For example, I recently worked on a natural tooling leather belt. I intended it for a work belt that would darken with use, but wanted to add a medium/dark brown contrasting edge. Completed all the steps of making, burnished, and only had to dye the edge. I used Fiebings Medium Brown spirit dye, and a wool dauber, and despite my best care, the dye soaked over the edge and on to the belt front. So I'm trying to figure out how to keep dye only on the edge when the only thing that will be dyed is the edge. Any thoughts? The same goes for dyed leather too, where I frequently like to use a black edge  

[cradom]

Dye your edge before burnishing. When you burnish you make it much harder for dye to soak into the leather, therefore it drips down the front (or back) and ruins things.

Painting edges is different. You're using a paint which sticks to the leather rather than soaking in.

[Mattsbagger]

I dye after I burnish. The edge is harder and doesn't soak in as fast. I use a small dauber burned down to not much bigger than a Q Tip. Go slow and easy.

[superpacker]

Do you try to do it in one continuous stroke? It seems, at least like with lighter dyes like medium brown, if you do it in pieces you get overlapped darker areas. 

[Dunluce]

I recently read of someone using Molotow markers to apply due to their edges. These are markers that can be filled with your own dye and have different size tips that can be used. I have been looking at getting some tomtrial myself

https://shop.molotow.com/en/marker-refills/molotow-leermarker-411em.html?___from_store=de

[terrymac]

Get hold of Bob Park (Hidepounder).  He is handling some edge markers that you put your own dye, and he is also handling a product called Edge Magic that you treat the edges with before burnish.  You can contact him at Hidepounder@gmail.com

Hope this helps,

Terry

Edited January 31, 2018 by Northmount
Corrected name

[YinTx]

@gmace99 put out a tutorial/video on using a piece of felt tied around the end of a stick, left in the jar after you use it.  I tried this method, and it works well and is cost effective.  However, I used a soft piece of felt, and I think it would be much more effective with a hard piece of felt.  Less is more here if you don't want bleeding to the front side.  I have found that burnishing a lightly dyed edge will result in a dark edge, which I like as well.   I just bought a dye pen that you fill on your own, and look forward to giving it a try as well.

YinTx

[LatigoAmigo]

FYI: Here is Bob Park's product flyer.

Parkway Products Flyer.pdf

[AndersenLeather]

This is one way to do it: andersenleather.blogspot.com/2015/10/burnish.html

The trick is to burnish the very edge of the edge before dyeing the edge. I also use a felt marker. A wool dauber should only be used if the edge is the same color as the leather.

[terryHHI]

I use Bob Park’s Edge Markers and love them.  Easy to control how much and where edge dye goes. I keep the tips fairly dry so dye isn’t soaking into unwanted areas.  

[Dunluce]

4 hours ago, jonasbo said:

This is one way to do it: andersenleather.blogspot.com/2015/10/burnish.html

The trick is to burnish the very edge of the edge before dyeing the edge. I also use a felt marker. A wool dauber should only be used if the edge is the same color as the leather.

When you mentioned this I remembered that is where I saw the molotow markers being used

http://andersenleather.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/burnish.html

i believe he also uses larger ones elsewhere for dying larger areas of leather. He does some quality work.