Randoseru style leather backpack build video

[Aza404]

Hi gang,

I made a backpack for my girlfriend and ended up making something very similar to a Japanese Randoseru bag!

I love the result despite many small errors along the way. Made with 1,4mm thick vegetable tanned leather, dyed with Fiebing's Oil dye in walnut and hand stitched. Do let me know what you think =)

 

 

[RockyAussie]

At a quick check over....Very good video work and excellent narration. I would love to have that confidence with speaking on my humble video"s. I expect to see many more of your fine efforts coming up.

[Aza404]

Thanks Rocky, I'm glad you enjoyed the video

Do let me know if you see anything I could improve in my techniques!

[dGinLeatherCraft]

A job well done that man  nice looking finish - you can achieve a nice mottled / grain pattern almost effect using antique gel but I really like what you did and the pattern is lovely.

 

Cheers

Harvey

[Aza404]

8 minutes ago, dGinLeatherCraft said:

A job well done that man  nice looking finish - you can achieve a nice mottled / grain pattern almost effect using antique gel but I really like what you did and the pattern is lovely.

Hahah thanks Harvey =)

I must admit that I was quite bummed out half way through dying it as I was certain I was failing miserably at achieving the result I had in mind and that I was ruining a very nice piece of leather! Glad with how it turned out in the end.

[dGinLeatherCraft]

This is one coat of the gel (Eco-Flo Gel Antique Saddle Tan) unevenly applied to plain leather with a rag - a similar kind of look. Keep up the good work

 

Harv

Edited March 6, 2018 by dGinLeatherCraft

[Aza404]

1 minute ago, dGinLeatherCraft said:

This is one coat of the gel unevenly applied to plain leather with a rag - a similar kind of look. Keep up the good work

Love that finish! So rustic =)

What products are you using here?

[dGinLeatherCraft]

Saddle Tan Eco-Flo Gel Antique from Tandy, the medium brown comes out like this - I love it

[Aza404]

Nice thank you! I'll have to try that out =)

[Basically Bob]

Wow!

The bag looks great and you did a wonderful job with the video.  

You really put a lot of thought into the process and I have a great deal of respect for that.  

I am sure that your girlfriend is thrilled with her new bag!

Thanks for sharing ... looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Aza404]

Thanks Bob for the praise! Yes she is very happy with it though the straps turned out too long so I'll have to shorten them... but if that's the only problem then I'm pleased

[YinTx]

Nice work on the bag, and thanks for the build along video.

I have always wondered in the back of my mind if Fiebeng's called their dye "Oil Dye" expecting it to be mixed with oil before being applied to the leather.  I have heard that true oil based dyes give a more even color since they don't soak so readily into the leather. I tried on some scrap leather, and it dyed nicely, but I found the leather to be too soaked with oil, and no matter how much or how long I buffed, I was still getting dye off of the leather and onto the rag.  So I was amazed to see you put so many coats of dye/oil mix on, then follow that up with even more oil on the bag.  Do you find the leather to still be oily?

I know you asked in your video about whether or not we consider shoe polish to be a good leather finish.  I have used it on some items such as belts, and I think it works, it was intended to be used on boots etc and resist water, mud etc.  That being said, I feel it didn't penetrate very far into the leather.  For that reason, I like the beeswax/neatsfoot oil blends, and even the petroleum jelly based Aussie, since they do soak into the leather a bit.  Especially if you apply a bit of heat.  The beeswax gives the leather that nice matte shine finish and water resistance, and the oils really bring out the colors.  I have found doing this means I use less neatsfoot oil in the first round after dye.  And I really like the odor better, less like the chemical scent of shoe polish.  And if I need more weather protection, Resolene or Angelus acrylic finishes have worked well for me.  Just my take.   

Also, I really appreciate your commentary on things that worked well, and things you would do differently.  This is the type of thing that allows me to learn without having to go through the same experience!

YinTx

[Aza404]

Thanks YinTx for all the great feedback!

I've heard that Fiebing's Oil Dye is still alcohol based but made specifically for veg tanned leathers... Not sure if this is true, however I have tested diluting it with 100% pure alcohol instead of Neatsfoot oil and that gave me incredible results (though the leather had to be oiled up again after). I don't find the bag to be oily at all but I do not think I'll use that technique again as I was not able to get a consistent enough finish without many many coats.

I have to try your beeswax/neatsfoot oil technique also next time. Do you prepare it yourself? What quantities? Do you have to warm it up to melt the beeswax? Would love to know more on this. I have used a product called Le Phoque oil which you can get here (a whitish paste that applies onto/into the leather with the heat from rubbing it with your hands) and have had nice mat results.

[billybopp]

Fiebings Pro Oil Dye (now just Pro Dye) is an alcohol based dye, as is their regular leather dye (according to their website).  The oil part of the name was used to denote synthetic pigments, made from petroleum.  Synthetic pigments tend to yield more intense colors than do other pigments and can be more colorfast.  

I also use like the beeswax/NFO blend finish.  It's not too shiny, not too dull.  Just right for many things.  Use more or less equal amounts of NFO and beeswax melted together in a glass jar in a warm water bath.  I use my crock pot on low setting.  You can adjust the proportions to get something a little softer(more NFO) or harder(more wax).  It can be poured into cupcake tins, or even empty chapstick/lipstick containers for use, and sometimes include some with items that I make for folks so they can refresh the finish when needed.  A little heat from a hairdryer and some buffing really help it to penetrate the leather.

I've experimented a little bit with adding a little paraffin wax and carnauba wax, but haven't come to any decision on those yet.

- Bill

[YinTx]

6 hours ago, Aza404 said:

Thanks YinTx for all the great feedback!

I've heard that Fiebing's Oil Dye is still alcohol based but made specifically for veg tanned leathers... Not sure if this is true, however I have tested diluting it with 100% pure alcohol instead of Neatsfoot oil and that gave me incredible results (though the leather had to be oiled up again after). I don't find the bag to be oily at all but I do not think I'll use that technique again as I was not able to get a consistent enough finish without many many coats.

I have to try your beeswax/neatsfoot oil technique also next time. Do you prepare it yourself? What quantities? Do you have to warm it up to melt the beeswax? Would love to know more on this. I have used a product called Le Phoque oil which you can get here (a whitish paste that applies onto/into the leather with the heat from rubbing it with your hands) and have had nice mat results.

I think most of us dilute the Fiebing's dye with alchohol, some with isopropyl, others with Denatured Alcohol.  There are oil dyes out there, I think Weaver's sells some.  You do have to oil well after using the alcohol diluted dye, as it seems to dry out the leather.

I have one dye procedure that indicates you should completely wet the leather with water, let it dry a bit, then completely wet the leather with diluted dye in an attempt to even out the colors.  The theory was sound, the colors were even, but the colors came out really light for my taste.

Streaky and mottled is something most of us seem to be trying to avoid, but always end up with unless you spray or dip or use oil dyes.

The beeswax/neatsfoot oil concoctions are typically made yourself.  I have not yet, but plan to as soon as I use up the materials I already have.  Various recipes abound on this site as well as the web in general, some using just the two ingredients, others using lanolin, essential oils, and waxes such as carnauba in addition, and in various proportions.  You kind of have to experiment to see what works for you.  Usually melted in a double boiler or a crock pot, as Bill mentioned.

YinTx

[Aza404]

Thanks guys for the great feedback! I'll definitely give the neatsfoot oil and beeswax mix a try

[baroness]

Note about comment in the video, if the stitching failed at some point you wouldn't have to replace the entire length.  Or even pull much out.  You could overlap it with some replacement thread to anchor it in.  Use some thinner thread so it isn't as noticeable.  By the time the stitching failed the bag would have seen some good use and look more rustic.

Have you had any problem with the shoe polish rubbing off onto clothing, etc.?

 

I like the bag and the video.  I'm a big fan of the comments about why you chose to do things the way you did.

[Aza404]

9 hours ago, baroness said:

Note about comment in the video, if the stitching failed at some point you wouldn't have to replace the entire length.

Have you had any problem with the shoe polish rubbing off onto clothing, etc.?

Thanks Baroness for the kind words

Indeed I hadn't though about the obvious stitching failure solution: that makes a lot more sense than replacing all of it =)

I have not had any issues yet with the shoe polish rubbing off: it has not been long using the bag so it's hard to tell, but if you polish it properly, there should be no residue there. If that happens in the future I'll be sue to mention it.

[Double Daddy]

Nice pack, Aza404...great video to watch as well. Great stitch work...

While I have an air brush system that I bought to spray larger pieces of leather, I have yet to set it up and try it. I usually use large pieces of wool when dyeing bigger pieces (and even in most cases the smaller ones!)...I find that it give me fewer streaks than using daubers, at least the way that I apply it anyway...YMMV

I will occasionally do a saddle soap "wash" after dyeing...it deepens the color somewhat and evens things out a bit as well as gives it a bit of a shine too if you buff it with a cloth. I especially like to do this on thinner stock that I'm gonna cut wallet or journal pieces from...easier at this stage than later on. I even do this on holsters before my NFO application.

There is a Fiebings dye thinner but its ridiculously expensive compared to denatured alcohol which works just as well for any reducing...it's what I use for the bolder colors (reds, blues, greens, etc)

Resolene is my go-to acrylic finish...at the moment...but that's only because I have so much of it in stock. Quite a few of the more seasoned pro's over in the Holster & Sheath sub-forum have touted equal praises for Mop n' Glo...yep, the same stuff our mothers put on the kitchen floor...they are both acrylic coatings...turns out, many holster makers have been using the stuff for years as a clear finish (not the lemon scented stuff...unless you just want to)...it's the same as Resolene, just no where near as expensive and available nearly everywhere. Mix it 50/50 with water and brush on or airbrush.

[Aza404]

Thanks Double Daddy for all the tips! I'm glad you liked the video =)

I have a 5 liter bottle of denatured alcohol that I have used since to thin dye and it worked out great (I need to finish the video of that). I'll probably stick to that from now on.

When you say "saddle soap wash" what does that mean? I know what saddle soap is but what exactly does your wash imply? 

I'm really looking forward to get more experience in this, there's so much to learn and so many ways to improve :D

[Double Daddy]

"Wash" is simply my term for rubbing down the dyed leather pieces/items with saddle soap. I use paste and paper towels or enough water to work up a decent lather...after the dye has dried and been buffed well, I'll "wash" them with the paste saddle soap, being careful not to use too much water...then I'll buff it out with a towel. With a little practice, you get some interesting, darker lustered results.

Saddle soap is also my go-to "salve" applicant for edge treatment/burnishing. I have a bottle of gum tragacanth that I sometimes use but saddle soap stays on the bench for most things. Heck, I've even been know to use spit if I'm in a bind and need to burnish just a tintsy little spot in a hurry at the bench...leather's a little bit forgiving that way.

Edited March 12, 2018 by Double Daddy

[Aza404]

Thanks for the methodology here, I will definitely add saddle soap to my list of future purchases and test this out =)

I have only used gum trag so far and am happy with the results, though too many people have mentioned saddle soap for burnishing for me not to try it out.

[Double Daddy]

It's worth trying...doesn't block dyes like gum trag (or at least I haven't found that to be the case)...and when I use it along with my sanding drums I get pretty good results. I recommend searching for HidePounder's tutorial (if you haven't looked it up already) elsewhere in the forums herein for expert edge advice...it's a good thread!

[baroness]

I like the saddle soap for edges also, per HIde Pounder's info.  And I've also given it a try for smoothing the flesh side of the leather.  Really need to have a moist sponge and an actual lather otherwise it leaves swirls.  It doesn't make it feel plastic-y like a top finish.  But with a flat burnisher makes it smoother.

[Aza404]

Thanks Baroness, I've often wondered about doing something to the flash side (inside) and so far have always just left it natural.

Will give the slicker a try on a scrap piece.