Black leather with tan marks

[doorty]

I want to make a durable, black leather bag that when scratched (or stretched) reveals a natural, tan color. These are the best picture examples I could find with the desired effect, and I think the shoes look the best. I want to retain a deep black color except where scuffed or folded.

1) Should I be looking for black leather with a tan pull up?

2) Should I look for a leather with only the surface dyed?

3) Or should I buy natural veg tan and dye the top black myself?

I've only found found black leather with a gray pull up. I want a deep, rich black that breaks into a tan color. I was thinking of using tan straps with the black leather, so as it breaks in, it the black leather and tan straps go well together. . I wasn't sure whether this post should go under suppliers, but I'll start here and see what happens. Thanks for reading.

[fredk]

The jacket and bag are fashion items; the 'distressed' look is carefully spayed on finish

The boots on the other hand [?!} have that look after years of hard use [possibly]

You could try using un-dyed veg tanned, and doing a partial dyeing on it, not too heavy

[doorty]

44 minutes ago, fredk said:

The jacket and bag are fashion items; the 'distressed' look is carefully spayed on finish

The boots on the other hand [?!} have that look after years of hard use [possibly]

You could try using un-dyed veg tanned, and doing a partial dyeing on it, not too heavy

Thanks, so option (3). I've never dyed leather. I still want to retain that rich black leather look until the inevitable scratch and scuff. I plan to use it as a motorcycle saddlebag, so it'll break in naturally. Are you thinking a few light coats of Fiebing's Black Professional Oil Dye? Once the surface is fully coated, I should stop because I don't want it to dye too deep?

Edited June 4, 2018 by doorty

[fredk]

I've never used the 'professional' - just their regular acrylic dyes [C30]

In my first days of making leather stuff I accidentally made a 'medieval' style belt bag with a 'distressed' look

As I've said elsewhere; Never, ever tell a client/customer you messed up

What happened was; I made the bag up, then the customer chap [c-c] said he wanted it black. So I started dyeing it. The dye was coming out streaky so I wet a cloth with methylated spirits and started to wipe it off - only it didn't, it thinned the black look on the main front, rear and flap surfaces and the raised surfaces, but it stayed black on most of the gusset and around the sewing and latch. The c-c happened to see it like that and liked it very much

[doorty]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

I've never used the 'professional' - just their regular acrylic dyes [C30]

In my first days of making leather stuff I accidentally made a 'medieval' style belt bag with a 'distressed' look

As I've said elsewhere; Never, ever tell a client/customer you messed up

What happened was; I made the bag up, then the customer chap [c-c] said he wanted it black. So I started dyeing it. The dye was coming out streaky so I wet a cloth with methylated spirits and started to wipe it off - only it didn't, it thinned the black look on the main front, rear and flap surfaces and the raised surfaces, but it stayed black on most of the gusset and around the sewing and latch. The c-c happened to see it like that and liked it very much

Ha. Good story. I think I heard to apply neatsfoot oil before dyeing to prevent streaking? My only concern is to make sure the dye doesn't soak all the way through so that it still gets those tan colored stress marks when breaking.

[JD62]

If you want even color but not too deeply penetrated, you can spray it on with an air brush,or a spray painter like http://springfieldleather.com/Sprayer-Preval-Power. They also sell airbrush supplies. That should let the ageing go a bit faster.

[MedusaOblongata]

I'm thinking you'd be able to develop a recipe through practice. Take a piece of the leather, dye it black, then throw it down the driveway, scuff it up, bend it, scrape it, and see how much you like it. I've used this on scuffed, faded boots: https://www.target.com/p/kiwi-shoe-scuff-cover-black-2-4-fl-oz/-/A-13349284 and it the finish looked perfect until they got scuffed again, and then it wore off, probably more easily than you want, but it could be layered on top of another dye as something that would come off of high wear areas easily.

[Tugadude]

You can't really put on a light coat of oil dye in my opinion unless you use an airbrush for uniformity.  You said you have not dyed leather before.  Well, the dye is very thin and it will immediately penetrate the leather, not sit on top like a paint.  And if you put on a light coat by hand, I doubt you'd be happy with the aesthetics.  It will be blotchy.  An airbrush,  with practice, might achieve a fairly uniform, thin application.  Still prone to unevenness on overlaps, etc.. 

Personally, I think a chrome-tanned leather that has a black "finish" is likely your best bet.

[chrisash]

How about using tan coloured or brown shoe polish on it and giving a good polish afterwards

[jcuk]

Hi

 

I know these are in the UK but take a look at this site - scroll down and you will see the types of leather similar to what you are asking for:

http://tustingandburnett.blogspot.com

Hope this helps

 

Kindest regards

JCUK

[doorty]

Thanks everyone. I ordered a sample of some overstock leather from the shoe industry that I'm hoping is similar to the photo. It's hard to tell from the photo how deep it's dyed. But it's a beautfort chromexcel, so it'll be good quality regardless.

[doorty]

7 hours ago, jcuk said:

Hi

 

I know these are in the UK but take a look at this site - scroll down and you will see the types of leather similar to what you are asking for:

http://tustingandburnett.blogspot.com

Hope this helps

 

Kindest regards

JCUK

Good find. That blog does appear to have a nice distressed black with tan pullup, but it's a bit too distressed I decided. What I'd like is more like the boots, where it's a rich black but when scuffed and folded it breaks tan. I want the patina to occur a bit slower and more naturally.

[olfart]

The boots look a lot like the ones I was issued in the US Army in 1959.  They were holdovers from the "brown boot Army", and I was issued two pair and a bottle of black dye.  Obviously the boots had some sort of leather finish applied at the factory, and the dye didn't take very well.  Several coats of dye made them black, but as they got scratched and bent, the brown came through.  Then, of course, I had to dye them again.

[doorty]

16 hours ago, olfart said:

The boots look a lot like the ones I was issued in the US Army in 1959.  They were holdovers from the "brown boot Army", and I was issued two pair and a bottle of black dye.  Obviously the boots had some sort of leather finish applied at the factory, and the dye didn't take very well.  Several coats of dye made them black, but as they got scratched and bent, the brown came through.  Then, of course, I had to dye them again.

Yea, I wouldn't be surprised if those were old US Army boots. I have some dark brown motorcycle boots that break tan like the photo, but it's bit harder to find black.