Black dye

[TLP]

Have a belt that I need to dye a dark black,  My mentor was not sure what I should use having never used black.  any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[YinTx]

Fiebeng's Black Pro Oil dye worked well for me in the past.  Unless you like to buff and buff and buff, stay away from the USMC Black that Fiebeng's sells.

YinTx

[ScoobyNewbie]

So the alcohol fieblings needs more buffing than the produce oil based.

[TxLeather]

Agree. USMC Black is a PITA.

Fiebeng's Black Pro Oil is ok.

[YinTx]

On 12/3/2018 at 9:07 PM, ScoobyNewbie said:

So the alcohol fieblings needs more buffing than the produce oil based.

I think they are both alcohol based, but the "Pro" or "Oil" dyes are a different beasts.  The USMC Black is a pigment dye, with a lot of pigment, so it will come off for a long time with all the buffing.  The "Pro" dye seems to bind and not buff off very much, which is nice.

I have used the Eco Flo black dye with luck in the past, no rub off, but that is different to apply and many aren't able to get it down pat.

YinTx

[GatoGordo]

I use Angelus dyes and have had great success with their jet black leather dye.

[YinTx]

5 minutes ago, GatoGordo said:

I use Angelus dyes and have had great success with their jet black leather dye.

I have used Angelus dyes, and I like the colors that I get - the winetone is one of  my favorites.  However, I do get a ton of rub off with them as well.  My experience, anyhow.

YinTx

[Eddie Q]

Well, for what it's worth, here's my experience ....I've used both Fiebing's pro oil dye and USMC black on different types of leather and I prefer the USMC black, amidst other fine folks recommendations. I do reduce it with alcohol and oil after some buffing. I have a wallet I've carrying for the last four years with no rub off at all ! I also believe the quality of leather has a lot to do with dye absorption and something not many bring up is black resolene diluted 50/50 with water, I'm  true believer in it.  There's also a post somewhere in this site about "vinagroon"(making and neutralizing) I've also used it successfully, but it has more of a metallic greyish black finish which I like a lot too !!

  Good luck !!!

[YinTx]

2 hours ago, Eddie Q said:

I do reduce it with alcohol and oil after some buffing.

This is the way to use it.  Reduced, with a lot of buffing!  After a seal, you should expect no rub off.  It is a beautiful dark black, but a bit of work to get there.

I've used vinagaroon as well, sometimes with luck, and a couple of times ruined the piece with too much baking soda neutralizer.  This didn't show up until a year or so after use.  I just stick with the dye now to avoid the risk.  I did like the color I got with the 'roon tho.

I'll be curious to see what you end up using, and how it works for you, @TLP.

YinTx

[OnePivot]

You dont have to neutralize vinegaroon. You can just rinse it significantly and let it dry. I like vinegaroon because it absolutely unconditionally will not rub off, ever.

[bermudahwin]

Always learning... now need to Google vinegaroon, never heard of it

[bermudahwin]

7 minutes ago, hwinbermuda said:

Always learning... now need to Google vinegaroon, never heard of it

Apparently it's a scorpion...

Or a traditional coloring made with iron and vinegar, I'm off to play. 

[Matt S]

5 hours ago, hwinbermuda said:

Apparently it's a scorpion...

Or a traditional coloring made with iron and vinegar, I'm off to play. 

Strictly speaking vinegaroon is a striker, rather than dye. By dissolving iron/steel in vinegar (acetic acid) you make ferric acetate, which reacts with the tannic acid in veg-tanned leather to precipitate ferric tannate in the leather. This is a blue-grey-black insoluble lake which is excellent as it doesn't wash out. Same principle has been used to darken oak for a very long time.

If you don't want to mess about with witches' brews ferric acetate is available from chemical supply places but I found that ferric sulfate does much the same job and the powder is readily available in bulk from garden centres. Apparently the tablets that are taken for anaemia are the same stuff too, so if you wanted to try a small amount of it you could crush up a slack handful of them. Will Ghormley (who makes historically accurate Western leather) uses a big barrel of rusty water to produce a similar but slightly less intense colouring.

I did some research a few years ago on different strikers. Intention was to be able to colour russet leather without the mess of dyes (I'm a clumsy sort and at that time was leathering from a carpeted bedroom). There's not a great deal of literature available to people who aren't tanning industry specialists and what I found is that strikers are, generally speaking, rather lacklustre on their own and best used as the tanneries do -- in conjunction with the more usual dyestuffs, which defeats the purposes for which I was researching them. Iron (from whatever source) gives the best effect on its own of all the strikers I tried.

In the end I started buying prefinished leather, which is far more time-effective and will always have a better finish than I can achieve. However I have used it to edge-colour bridle leather that wasn't struck through. What I liked was that I could start burnishing straight away, without waiting for the dye to dry.

[bermudahwin]

Have just bought steel wool, and have loads of vinegar, so going to give it a go, and see.

[Eddie Q]

10 minutes ago, hwinbermuda said:

Have just bought steel wool, and have loads of vinegar, so going to give it a go, and see.

Just make sure to soak in acetone or brake cleaner for a bit to remove any oil residue from it, have fun  !!

 I also love experimenting with this sort of thing

[SickMick]

On 12/7/2018 at 11:55 PM, hwinbermuda said:

Apparently it's a scorpion...

Or a traditional coloring made with iron and vinegar, I'm off to play. 

LOL..... not really a scorpion.....but sort of resembles one as they speed around. You know when you see one because you're running the other way...and you are scarred for life. Definitely one of those "OMG WHAT THE #@#$% IS THAT?" experiences. Sorry I'm no help actually covering the topic.....

[Samalan]

Roon is good but not really black ,this is a gun belt i did in roon it's a lot of time and work to get this stuff made and to work right ,but that's just my opinion .

[bermudahwin]

 

@Samalan

That belt looks cool, and looks black on my screen. Thank you for posting so I can see it used.

Steel and vinegar in a jar as I write.

H

[Samalan]

In the sun it's a very dark olive. Yes use the finest steel wool you can find, ad a whole ream of it to one  gallon white vinegar let it sit for three weeks or so , it is nasty stuff, have fun.         

15 hours ago, hwinbermuda said:

 

@Samalan

That belt looks cool, and looks black on my screen. Thank you for posting so I can see it used.

Steel and vinegar in a jar as I write.

H

 

[rsgonner]

Fortunately, I live in Milwaukee and can visit the Fiebings factory.  On the advice of the technician, I used the black Low VOC.  Had always used Pro Dye, but he said in black, the Low VOC was  deeper and very dense.  He was definitely right!  This was dyed with a dauber (not dipped), 2 coats, black resolene diluted 50/50 with water and a final buff with Aussie.  Almost no take off with the buff.  I am convinced!

[jcraftsman]

I am new to posting on this sight.  There is such a wealth of info on this sight!!  I have used Fiebings pro dye for a long time.  I have some that has dried out a bit and wonder what can I mix with it so it spreads better?  I use a dabber to apply it with.