Keeping color of fresh neatsfoot oil

[Sugarkryptonite]

Hi guys

I'm new to leather working. I have made some pieces and I love the darker look of the veg tan leather after I just apply some neatsfoot oil to it...dark and very rich, but after a few hours it goes right back to the normal veg tan color...are there any other cheap methods I can use to keep that darker rich look without buying dyes? 

Thanks,

Elliott

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

You can apply more than one coat.  The more oil, the darker the leather.  Proceed with caution, because you CAN get too much oil, and it will bleed onto anything that touches it.  Heavier leather will handle more oil than lighter weight leather of course.  Exposure to sunlight will also give natural veg tan a darker, "aged" look.  You can oil it AND set it in the sunlight.

[Sugarkryptonite]

2 hours ago, Big Sioux Saddlery said:

You can apply more than one coat.  The more oil, the darker the leather.  Proceed with caution, because you CAN get too much oil, and it will bleed onto anything that touches it.  Heavier leather will handle more oil than lighter weight leather of course.  Exposure to sunlight will also give natural veg tan a darker, "aged" look.  You can oil it AND set it in the sunlight.

Thanks! That's what I did and it seemed to work well. I put on 3 coats, I hope it's not too much...4-5 oz veg tan.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

It depends somewhat on the end use, and the leather itself.  Some leather, even when you swear the stuff must be ready to drip oil, still does not have an oily feel.  It seems to have an ability to hold the oil within the fibers better than other leathers.  It is usually the higher priced stuff that performs better. At 4-5 oz, you do want to be careful to not saturate it.  That just isn't a lot of material.

Edited March 28, 2019 by Big Sioux Saddlery
Edited because my phone thinks its smarter than it is!